Article type
Abstract
Background:Meta-epidemiology aims to describe the distribution of research evidence for a specific question, to examine heterogeneity and associated risk factors, and to control bias across studies and summarise research evidence as appropriate. To date, there are no studies that present the research collaboration of meta-epidemiologic study.
Objectives:We aim to investigate the status situation of the global research collaboration of meta-epidemiologic studies by a social network analysis.
Methods:A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. The studies that reported the terminology related to meta-epidemiology in the title or the methods of statistical analysis were eligible for inclusion. Two independent reviewers identified the eligible studies and extracted the data by using standardised forms. Disagreements were resolved by discussion or consultation with the third reviewer. Data were analysed using Ucinet 6.0 and SPSS 17.0. NetDraw software was used to draw social networks.
Results:3528 records were obtained from the search and 75 articles were finally included. The studies were published from 1995 to 2017 in 28 journals of which the top-five frequently publishing journals were BMJ (17, 22.7%), JCE (16, 21.3%), PLOS one (9, 12.0%), JAMA (3, 4.0%), and the International Journal of Epidemiology (3, 4.0%). The mean of authors was seven (1~54). 61 (81.33%) were multi-institute collaborations and the average of institutes was four (1~13). 40 (53.33%) were multi-national collaborations with an average of two nations (1~5). There were 27 countries in the international collaboration of which the top-five frequently participating nations were the USA (18.05%), UK (14.29%), Canada (8.27%), France (7.52%) and Switzerland (7.52%).
Conclusions: Most of meta-epidemiologic studies were multidisciplinary, multi-institutional and multi-national research, but majority of them were from developed countries.
Objectives:We aim to investigate the status situation of the global research collaboration of meta-epidemiologic studies by a social network analysis.
Methods:A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. The studies that reported the terminology related to meta-epidemiology in the title or the methods of statistical analysis were eligible for inclusion. Two independent reviewers identified the eligible studies and extracted the data by using standardised forms. Disagreements were resolved by discussion or consultation with the third reviewer. Data were analysed using Ucinet 6.0 and SPSS 17.0. NetDraw software was used to draw social networks.
Results:3528 records were obtained from the search and 75 articles were finally included. The studies were published from 1995 to 2017 in 28 journals of which the top-five frequently publishing journals were BMJ (17, 22.7%), JCE (16, 21.3%), PLOS one (9, 12.0%), JAMA (3, 4.0%), and the International Journal of Epidemiology (3, 4.0%). The mean of authors was seven (1~54). 61 (81.33%) were multi-institute collaborations and the average of institutes was four (1~13). 40 (53.33%) were multi-national collaborations with an average of two nations (1~5). There were 27 countries in the international collaboration of which the top-five frequently participating nations were the USA (18.05%), UK (14.29%), Canada (8.27%), France (7.52%) and Switzerland (7.52%).
Conclusions: Most of meta-epidemiologic studies were multidisciplinary, multi-institutional and multi-national research, but majority of them were from developed countries.