David C. Hoaglin

Deborah Dawson and Derek Blanchette (“Meta-analysis: Can We Extract Gold from the Biomedical Literature?” CHANCE 31(4):45–50) give an accessible overview of meta-analysis, its potential benefits, and some of its challenges. The metaphor in their title, however, suggests a need for vigilance. Many of the meta-analyses in the biomedical literature do less to enrich our understanding than their authors intend.

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