Meta- Analysis
Meta-analysis is generally defined as the analysis of analyses. The term generally is associated with quantitative methodologies, but it does have qualitative analogs. This technique is distinctly different from secondary analyses where the original data from a study are reanalyzed.
Quantitative meta-analysis reviews statistically a collection of analyses from related individual studies in order to provide a summarization or integration of the results. The core of this review is the calculation of an effect size. The effect size can be based on the difference between two groups divided by their pooled standard deviation or a correlation between two variables.
Qualitative meta-analysis also involves the synthesis of evidence from primary studies, but there are numerous forms of synthesis with different goals, though most are interpretive techniques.
Meta-ethnography is comprised of three techniques for synthesizing qualitative studies: reciprocal translation analysis, which is the identification of key metaphors or themes in studies; refutational synthesis, where key metaphors or themes are identified and contradictions between studies examined; and lines of argument synthesis, where a general interpretation is developed based on the observations in the separate studies.
Meta-theory, part of the meta-study group of techniques, along with meta-method and meta-data is a critical analysis of specific theoretical frameworks. Meta-method is an analysis of the methodologies utilized and how the methodologies affect specific research areas. Meta-data is a synthesis of data presented in articles and reports.