Which step correctly starts the meta-analysis process?

• A. Identify potential studies
• B. Select studies for analysis based on inclusion criteria
• C. Combine results (pool subjects into one large sample)
• D. Generate a single outcome measure

Answer: (A)

Identifying potential studies through a comprehensive search is the starting point. In a meta-analysis, you begin by looking for all relevant research that could inform the question, across multiple databases, registries, and even gray literature. This ensures you don’t miss important data.

Once potential studies are identified, you apply predefined inclusion criteria to decide which studies actually go into the analysis. Only after determining eligible studies do you extract data and proceed to synthesize the results. Pooling results into a single effect estimate and generating one overall outcome measure are parts of the synthesis step, which comes after you’ve collected data from eligible studies.

So, the reason this step is the best starting point is that you can’t meaningfully select studies or synthesize results without first locating all potential studies.