Preliminary questions for prospective meta-analysts of global environmental change: a research note

Abstract

Case studies of global environmental change have become the focus of an increasing number of meta-analyses during the past decade. In this context preliminary questions about the feasibility and desirability of conducting meta-analyses have become more salient. Here we address three questions that researchers would want to answer before embarking on a meta-analysis of research on global environmental change. (1) What are the comparative advantages of meta-analyses relative to other ways of generalising about global environmental change? (2) When is the population of cases studies in a field suitable for a meta-analysis? (3) What kinds of methodological skills contribute to well-done meta-analyses? This research note addresses each of these questions.

Keywords:

• meta-analysis
• global environmental change
• land change science
• environmental social science