Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis in Ecology

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

The course comprises 2 weeks of face-to-face work and 2 weeks of autonomous work. The face-to-face weeks are structured in 2 components: a theoretical component (mornings) for presenting concepts and examples and a practical component (afternoons) in which students put the concepts into practice and use the software presented to develop exercises individually (e.g. bibliographic research, data extraction, effect size calculation) and in groups (i.e. meta-analysis based on a provided matrix), under supervision to clarify doubts and ensure that students acquire and apply the concepts. The evaluation is based on the oral presentation of the meta-analysis carried out (0–20 values; pond. 60%). The autonomous weeks are dedicated to writing the report, with online interaction for doubts clarification. The evaluation is based on the report (0–20 values; pond. 40%). Final classification is obtained by the average of the classifications and students are approved with a minimum of 10 values.

Learning Outcomes

The general goal of the curricular unit ‘Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis in Ecology’ is to disseminate the use of meta-analysis in ecology, providing students with tools that allow them to assess the quality of meta-analyses, interpret their results, and carry out high-quality meta-analyses. The skills to be developed include: (i) Understanding when to use the different types of literature reviews. (ii) Selecting questions that can be answered by meta-analysis, identifying hypotheses to be tested and selecting moderators. (iii) Conducting systematic literature search. (iv) Critically evaluating the quality of primary studies. (v) Extracting data from primary studies and building up a meta-analysis matrix. (vi) Carrying out a meta-analysis using specific software. (vii) Interpreting the results of a meta-analysis. (viii) Reporting a meta-analysis. (ix) Evaluating the quality of a meta-analysis.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Types of literature reviews; Systematic review (including Systematic maps); Overview of meta-analysis; Identification of the question or hypotheses to be answered or tested with meta-analysis; Systematic literature search; Selection of primary studies based on inclusion/exclusion criteria; Quality assessment of primary studies; Types of data in ecology; Data extraction from primary studies and construction of a meta-analysis matrix; Effect size and precision; Overall effect size; Fixed-effect and random-effects models; Forest plot; Publication bias; Heterogeneity; Moderators; Subgroup analysis; Meta-regression; Sensitivity analysis; Cumulative meta-analysis; Report of meta-analysis; Criticisms to meta-analysis; Quality in meta-analysis; Meta-analysis in experimental studies; Programs and Bibliography.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Report: 40.0%
Oral presentation of the meta-analysis performed: 60.0%

Bibliography

Borenstein M., Hedges L.V., Higgins J.P.T. & Rothstein H.R. 2009. Introduction to Meta-Analysis. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester

Ferreira V., Castagneyrol B., Koricheva J., ... & Graça M.A.S. 2015. Biol Rev 90:669–688

Foo Y.Z., O’Dea R.E., Koricheva J., … & Lagisz M. 2021. Meth Ecol Evol 12:9

Gurevitch J., Koricheva J., Nakagawa S. & Stewart G. 2018. Nature 555:175–182

Haddaway N.R., Bernes C., Jonsson B.G. & Hedlund K. 2016. Ambio 45:613–620

Haddaway N.R., Macura B., Whaley P. & Pullin A.S. 2018. Environ Evid 7:1–8

Koricheva J. Gurevitch J. & Mengersen K. 2013. Handbook of meta-analysis in ecology and evolution. Princeton University Press

Liberati A., Altman D.G., Tetzlaff J., ... & Moher D. 2009. J Cin Epidem 62:1-e34

Lodi S., Godoy B.S., Ortega J.C. & Bini L.M. 2021. Freshwat Biol 66:803–814

O'Dea R.E., Lagisz M., Jennions M.D.,... & Nakagawa S. 2021. Biol Rev 96:1695–1722

Wallace B.C., Lajeunesse M.J., Dietz G., ... & Gurevitch J. 2017. Meth Ecol Evol 8:941–947