There are many questions that might require a meta-analysis in the medical and health field. A common application of this research protocol is to find the best intervention for a certain disease or condition. It could be used to gather information about available treatments for a certain disease or condition or as part of the approval process of a new drug.

This methodology is not only used in medicine and healthcare. It has applications across a variety of other areas, such as finance, marketing, genetics, psychology, education, just to cite a few.

Ultimately, a meta-analysis tests the validity of a hypothesis or an intervention through the inclusion of enough data from previously published scientific articles.

In the health field, this research provides the highest level of evidence about a certain question. The question could be if a vaccine X is effective in the prevention of a disease Y for instance. Through the meta-analysis process, all studies published in the literature about this specific topic would be scrutinized for bias, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and many other factors that affect que quality of a study.

Typically, only studies that meet basic criteria for quality control are included. Then, data from each study is extracted and pooled together. A program that offers tools for meta-analysis statistics is used to analyze the data. In the end, we could have a conclusion, based on the pooled results analysis, that vaccine X is/is not effective to prevent disease Y.

There are three main applications that could justify the use of an expert in meta-analysis. The first is to have a publication, as many renowned scientific journals encourage authors to submit systematic reviews and meta-analysis in order to collect a strong body of evidence about a certain topic. It is slowly replacing old narrative reviews, as a meta-analysis is much more powerful in gathering the data and providing a strong conclusion based on it.

Second, a meta-analysis study can be used as the foundation for new studies. In this case, it would help planning the new study through identification of what has been done on the subject and what needs to be further explored. It can also help with the process of defining the most important outcome measures for the study.

Lastly, a meta-analysis project can provide a strong basis for grant applications, as it can justify why a new study is needed based on existing literature. Presenting the collected data in the form of a forest plot, which is typically how data is presented in this type of study, is a clear and captivating way of getting the attention of a funding agency.

A meta-analysis is a very peculiar type of research that requires specialized knowledge and expertise, from the identification of articles to extraction of data, from analyzing potential bias to performing the actual statistical analysis.

Even if you understand the process, it can be very time-consuming, hence it is always a good idea to hire a freelance to help you.

To write an effective job description for a freelance meta-analysis expert, you need to include the following: 

• Project description or scope of work: define your basic question for the meta-analysis.
• Duration of the project: this is typically a long-term collaboration, unless you have all data extracted and only need statistical help.
• By when you need to hire: you decide how quickly you would like to start working on the project.
• Budget: decide if you want to work on an hourly or on a project basis.
• Skills required: you will typically need someone that is an expert in evidence based practice, clinical epidemiology and biostatistics.

Ready to hire a meta-analysis expert? Post your project on Kolabtree and get quotes from professionals who offer meta-analysis services.