School of Mathematics & Statistics

Meta-research for statistical researchers: A practical introduction to scoping reviews in statistics and biostatistics

Marc Parsons (McGill University)

Friday 12th June 12:00-13:00
Maths 311B

Abstract

The volume of published research in the statistical sciences is growing rapidly. This presents a challenge to students and researchers alike: given the proliferation of new studies, how can we stay reliably informed about methodological innovations? Meta-research (that is, the study of how research is conducted, evaluated, and published) can provide a potential solution. Scoping reviews are meta-research studies that aim to systematically map the methodological landscape, identify gaps, and guide future research in a given field. While scoping reviews are widely employed in fields such as epidemiology, they are less commonly conducted in the statistical sciences despite being tools that could be readily applied to this field.

The goal of this seminar is to provide students and researchers with an adaptable framework for recognising when scoping reviews may be useful, interpreting existing ones, and conducting their own in their specific methodological areas. I will outline the stages of a scoping review using an example review from my doctoral research. This review explores the use of flexible meta-regression methods such as spline and fractional polynomial models. The review stages I will discuss include identifying a research question; developing a search strategy; conducting a systematic search; screening studies; extracting data; and, synthesising the collected evidence. I will also highlight ongoing challenges along each review stage.

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