Correlation Exists Between Sexual Abuse Term Paper

Quality assessments can be made, the researcher is introduced to the latest research on the subject, and it enables him or her not to waste her time on repeat searches that will bring up irrelevant results.

Similar to a literature review but often more intense and broad, the meta-analysis differs from the literature review in that it highlights correlations and links between studies can critically assesses studies that it observes are invalid or that contribute inadequately to the subject.

Disadvantages, on the other hand, include the fact that bias and author's subjectivity selects studies therefore skewing results. Bias, for instance, may exist in terms of publication source, therefore omitting many other desirable sources from inclusion. Similarly, too, thesis or dissertations may be excluded even though they may be valuable to the theme. The researchers are faced with a quandary: including even one faulty study that can place the whole meta-analysis at risk. On the other hand, formulating inclusive and exclusive criteria that are too rigid may culminate in too small a sample size thus becoming statistically irrelevant.Researchers, therefore, have to strike for equilibrium.

One of these weaknesses can be evidenced in this study where researchers, biased in their research direction, confined themselves to the following databases (note dissertations are omitted as are Lexis Nexus and broad computer searches such as Google): MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Current Contents, PsycINFO, ACP Journal Club, CCTR, CDSR, and DARE. Furthermore, even though an experienced librarian helped conduct the research, her criteria were unavoidably biased, as was that of the key researcher. More so, 'psychiatric disorders' involves a huge range of disease factors, most of which were not mentioned here (sociopathic disorder, for instance, being one that was overlooked)......