Correcting Publication Bias In Meta-Analysis: A Truncation Approach

Abstract

Meta-analyses are increasingly used to support national policy decision making. The practical implications of publications bias in meta-analysis are discussed. Standard approaches to correct for publication bias require knowledge of the selection mechanism that leads to publication. In this study, an alternative approach is proposed based on Cohen’s corrections for a truncated normal. The approach makes less assumptions, is easy to implement, and performs well in simulations with small samples. The approach is illustrated with two published meta-analyses.