Conducting Meta-Analyses in<i>R</i>with the<b>metafor</b>Package

TLDR

The metafor package offers functions for conducting meta‑analyses in R. It includes functions for fitting fixed‑ and random‑effects models, incorporating study‑level moderators, performing meta‑regression with continuous and categorical variables, applying Mantel‑Haenszel and Peto one‑step methods for 2×2 tables, and providing plotting, diagnostics, and publication‑bias tests.

Abstract

The <b>metafor</b> package provides functions for conducting meta-analyses in <b>R</b>. The package includes functions for fitting the meta-analytic fixed- and random-effects models and allows for the inclusion of moderators variables (study-level covariates) in these models. Meta-regression analyses with continuous and categorical moderators can be conducted in this way. Functions for the Mantel-Haenszel and Peto's one-step method for meta-analyses of 2 x 2 table data are also available. Finally, the package provides various plot functions (for example, for forest, funnel, and radial plots) and functions for assessing the model fit, for obtaining case diagnostics, and for tests of publication bias.