An introduction to meta-regression analysis

Abstract

We present and describe the main available meta-regression models for the purpose of the complementation of systematic reviews of the literature, synthetization of quantitative results and explanation of the variability among those results. We review the literature available, which, starting from the description of the models mentioned above, goes through the presentation of their specificities in the context of empirical research in the social sciences, and culminates in the discussion of their main limitations. We demonstrate that meta-regression analysis is a methodological framework that allows modeling and correcting problems of publication bias while explaining the variability of results usually found in the literature in the social sciences. In a succinct but rigorous way, we give precise indications for the practical implementation of this analytical expedient in the context of social sciences, notably economics, management, and finance, among others. © 2022 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.