Features

• Represents one of the first books on how to use R for analyzing meta-data
• Provides up-to-date meta-analysis methods and models and illustrates their application to biomedical research
• Describes a variety of real clinical trials with the associated clinical data
• Offers easy access to computational methods using R functionality and packages, such as meta, rmeta, and metafor
• Gives step-by-step presentations of the code development and results
• Requires no prior experience with R
  

Summary

In biostatistical research and courses, practitioners and students often lack a thorough understanding of how to apply statistical methods to synthesize biomedical and clinical trial data. Filling this knowledge gap, Applied Meta-Analysis with R shows how to implement statistical meta-analysis methods to real data using R.

Drawing on their extensive research and teaching experiences, the authors provide detailed, step-by-step explanations of the implementation of meta-analysis methods using R. Each chapter gives examples of real studies compiled from the literature. After presenting the data and necessary background for understanding the applications, various methods for analyzing meta-data are introduced. The authors then develop analysis code using the appropriate R packages and functions. This systematic approach helps readers thoroughly understand the analysis methods and R implementation, enabling them to use R and the methods to analyze their own meta-data.

Suitable as a graduate-level text for a meta-data analysis course, the book is also a valuable reference for practitioners and biostatisticians (even those with little or no experience in using R) in public health, medical research, governmental agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry.