In pursuit of cumulative knowledge in health communication: The role of meta-analysis

A major goal in health communication and related disciplines is the building of cumulative knowledge across numerous lines of inquiry. Traditionally, attempts to synthesize research and build knowledge have been achieved through narrative or integrative research reviews. However, the advent of meta-analysis in the late 1970s gave researchers a more sophisticated approach to synthesizing quantitative research literatures. This article (a) provides an overview of the meta-analytic approach, (b) discusses the historical context of meta-analysis, (c) examines the role that meta-analysis has played in the synthesis of health communication research, and (d) suggests future applications of the technique within health communication. It appears that meta-analysis has only recently been applied to the health communication field in a substantive way, and that its potential for moving the field forward has thus only begun to be realized.