Please let me know if these references/sites are helpful to you:

1.  Why Perform a Meta-Analysis - Comprehensive Meta-Analysis

https://www.meta-analysis.com/pages/why_do.phpWhen the treatment effect (or effect size) is consistent from one study to the next, meta-analysis can be used to identify this common effect. When the effect varies ...

2.  When Does it Make Sense to Perform a Meta-Analysis?

https://www.meta-analysis.com/downloads/when_does_it_make_sense_to_perform_a_meta-analysis.pdfCan I combine studies with different designs? How many studies are ... In most meta-analyses, however, the inclusion criteria will be broader than this. It is ... Because the trials use random assignment, differences between groups are .... ( providing, in the first two situations, that the sample sizes are known). These three.

Dennis

Dennis Mazur

This is great!

Thanks both Gyanendra and Dennis for your contribution, I greatly appreciate .

Dennis, yes the resources are simple to understand and straight to the point. At least I now have some understanding.

However,

If the goal of a meta-analysis is not only to synthesize data from a set of identical

studies but also to broaden the base of studies in some way, and study the pattern of answers; based on the goal of the systematic review (Borenstein et al, 2009) ...

In context of the aim of the review being investigating an impact of an intervention, overall (with no specifics on how its delivered), are there any good reasons to stick to narrative summary in the data analysis?

Could you give me an example of the kind of "narrative summary" you are referring to in the data analysis?

Dennis

Dennis Mazur

 I don't have a specific example but was wondering if there's any scope for narrative synthesis of data when the literature is stating that, even when there's heterogenity in the study methodology meta-analysis can be done to highlight the source of the problem objectively. Isn't this going to produce misleading evidence? Or is it me not understanding the whole concept?

My own experience has been in the areas of meta-analyses and systematic reviews in medicine and the sciences.  In these areas, I am not familiar with any "narrative synthesis of data" without a direct analysis of the numerical data that is being discussed in the meta-analysis or systematic review.  

Dennis

Dennis Mazur