Course Overview

This course offers a practical introduction to meta-analysis: statistical methods used in order to pool and synthesize results across multiple studies. It is designed for researchers and students who want to learn how to fit, check, interpret, and communicate results from meta-analyses. Through lectures and exercises, participants will gain hands-on experience with common meta-analytic models and tools, equipping them to apply these methods in their own research.

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of R and RStudio (completion of our Introduction to R course, August 25 or a quick task HERE)
Course requirements: You will need to bring and use your own computer during the workshop.
Presenters and Expertise: David Chan and Nickson Ning, Statistical Consultants, UNSW Stats Central
Date: 2-3 September 2025
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm, each day
Delivery Mode: In-Person ONLY
Location: UNSW Sydney, Kensington Campus

You will receive a certificate of completion for the course.

Register

Course Outline

• Effect sizes and sampling variances
• Data extraction guidelines for meta-analysis
• The meta-analytical model
• Diagnosing a meta-analytical model
• Straightforward extensions to the meta-analytical model
• Introduction to network meta-analysis

Please note this is not a course on systematic reviews - while we briefly cover how studies might be selected or assessed, the primary emphasis is on the quantitative techniques in meta analysis.

This is an in person course. Slides are in PDF format, exercises are in R markdown, and both will be downloadable in advance. If HTML slides and alt text are needed we will make every effort to provide these, please let us know well in advance. Lectures will be recorded and available for a week following the course.

Important Notes - please read

Participants must have basic R skills prior to workshop

This is NOT an introductory workshop in using the statistical software package, R. Basic R coding will not be taught. To do this course successfully, you must have basic proficiency in using the R package. All examples and exercises used in this workshop are done using R. We want to ensure everyone is able to follow the material, and no participant is disappointed.

If you have basic R skills, that's excellent, please complete this quick task HERE. Once you have completed this and emailed your results to stats.central@unsw.edu.au, then you will be given a code to allow you to register.

If you do not have basic R skills, but want to attend Meta-Analysis using R course, you can enroll in our Introduction to R course, August 25, that runs ahead of this course. You will receive a "code" in the "email ordered ticket message" after purchasing a ticket for Introduction to R course to register for this course.

You will be expected to watch this SEMINAR on study design and statistical principles (samples and populations, confounding, statistical inference) ahead of the workshop.