Ignoring non-English-language studies may bias ecological meta-analyses.

ABSTRACT: Meta-analysis plays a crucial role in syntheses of quantitative evidence in ecology and biodiversity conservation. The reliability of estimates in meta-analyses strongly depends on unbiased sampling of primary studies. Although earlier studies have explored potential biases in ecological meta-analyses, biases in reported statistical results and associated study characteristics published in different languages have never been tested in environmental sciences. We address this knowledge gap by systematically searching published meta-analyses and comparing effect-size estimates between English- and Japanese-language studies included in existing meta-analyses. Of the 40 published ecological meta-analysis articles authored by those affiliated to Japanese institutions, we find that three meta-ana

SUBMITTER: Konno K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7381574 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature