Explain meta-analysis and how it may be used to identify patterns in criminal justice research. In your explanation, identify and discuss at least four of the eligibility criteria suggested by Lipsey and Wilson (2001) in your textbook. What is one challenge of meta-analysis? How could meta-analysis strengthen criminal justice programs?
The eligibility criteria from the textbook is as follows:
Distinguishing features. This includes the specific intervention tested and perhaps the groups compared.
Research respondents. These specify the population to which generalization is sought.
Key variables. These must be sufficient to allow tests of the hypotheses of concern and controls for likely additional influences.
Research methods. Apples and oranges cannot be directly compared, but some trade-off must be made between including the range of studies about a research question and excluding those that are so different in their methods as not to yield comparable data.
Cultural and linguistic range. If the study population is going to be limited to English language publications or limited in some other way, this must be acknowledged and the size of the population of relevant studies in other languages should be estimated.
Time frame. Social processes relevant to the research question may have changed as a result of historical events or new technologies, so temporal boundaries around the study population must be considered.
Publication type. Will the analysis focus only on published reports in professional journals