2014 Athens Colloquium

Meta-analysis is the statistical analysis of previously published or reported research findings on a given hypothesis, empirical effect, phenomenon, or policy intervention. It combines the systematic review of all the relevant literature with statistical methods that can be used to synthesize and evaluate the existing evidence on a specific subject. The aim is to support evidence-based research design, policy and practice in medicine, education and the social sciences. Over the years, MAER-Net colloquia have brought together researchers and practitioners from various fields of economics, business, international development and public policy to encourage method development and enhance the quality of evidence synthesis in all these fields. Indeed, the exponential expansion in the volume of the literature and the accompanying increase in the heterogeneity of the findings have made meta-analysis an essential tool for synthesis and for accounting for the sources of heterogeneity and bias. Like many powerful tools, however, meta-analysis must be carried out with utmost attention to methodological rigour and specific challenges posed by each area of research. The MAER-Net 2014 aims to share best practice and encourage innovative research that will enhance not only the practice of meta-analysis but also the quality of future research in economics, business, development, public policy and related fields.

Like its predecessors, the 2014 Colloquium aims to bring together researchers and practitioners in economics, business, international development and public policy, with interest in meta-analysis as an expanding area of research and an increasingly recognised method for supporting evidence-based policy and decision-making (see call for papers).