Recommendations for examining and interpreting funnel plot asymmetry in meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials

Name: Work Video:
Duration: 3 min 30 s
Description: Funnel plots, and tests for funnel plot asymmetry, have been widely used to examine bias in the results of meta-analyses. Funnel plot asymmetry should not be equated with publication bias, because it has a number of other possible causes. This article describes how to interpret funnel plot asymmetry, recommends appropriate tests, and explains the implications for choice of meta-analysis model
Jonathan A C Sterne; Alex J. Sutton; John P. A. Ioannidis; Norma Terrin; David R. Jones; J. Lau; James R. Carpenter; Gerta Rücker; Roger Harbord; Christopher H. Schmid; Jennifer Tetzlaff; Jonathan J Deeks; Judith Peters; Petra Macaskill; Guido Schwarzer; Sue Duval; Douglas G. Altman; David Moher; Julian P. T. Higgins
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