Engle V F, Graney M J
J Gerontol Nurs. 1990 Sep;16(9):12-5. doi: 10.3928/0098-9134-19900901-06.
A meta-analysis review of literature addresses concerns such as inclusion and exclusion criteria for articles in the meta-analysis and seeks potentially biasing effects of sample size and characteristics, measurement of variables, type of design, and analytic techniques. Whereas the narrative review of literature provides direction by identifying potential variables and relationships of concern, meta-analysis quantifies those relationships by integrating findings and providing explicit direction for research, practice, and theory development. Despite its strengths for quantitatively integrating study results, meta-analysis is time consuming, labor intensive, and may omit other sources such as case studies, historical and qualitative research, and clinical decision making.
文献的荟萃分析回顾涉及一些问题，例如荟萃分析中文章的纳入和排除标准，并探寻样本大小和特征、变量测量、设计类型以及分析技术等方面可能存在的偏倚效应。尽管文献的叙述性回顾通过识别潜在变量和相关关系来提供指导方向，但荟萃分析通过整合研究结果来量化这些关系，并为研究、实践和理论发展提供明确的指导。尽管荟萃分析在定量整合研究结果方面具有优势，但它耗时、费力，并且可能会忽略其他来源，如案例研究、历史和定性研究以及临床决策。
