This article describes the application to community issues of the meta-analytic research strategies increasingly used in many field of psychology. First, the potential value of meta-analysis to community research is highlight. Second, six major steps involved in conducting an effective meta-analysis are described. These steps include formulating the initial research question(s), locating relevant studies, abstracting critical information from each study, and presenting, analyzing, and interpreting the resultant data. In this guide, the major aspects of meta-analysis are discussed with particular emphasis on the procedures that are most critical to the validity of its conclusions. Greater familiarity with the techniques, issues, and potential of meta-analysis may stimulate investigators to make mor effective use of this powerful approach to integrating research in community psychology.
Abstract