Meta-Analysis in Excel: A Beginner’s Guide

About Book

Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are essential tools in evidence-based research, yet many researchers lack access to advanced statistical software. This book provides a simple, practical solution, teaching you how to perform a complete meta-analysis using only Microsoft Excel. Aimed at beginners and researchers in resource-limited settings, this guide covers each step clearly and accessibly, with no coding or special software required. What You’ll Learn You will learn how to: • Frame focused research questions using PICO/PECO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome / Population, Exposure, Comparison, Outcome). • Perform structured literature searches following PRISMA 2020. • Extract and organize trial data in Excel. • Calculate effect sizes: RR (Risk Ratio or Relative Risk), OR (Odds Ratio),etc. • Assess heterogeneity and publication bias. • Create forest plots, funnel plots, and subgroup analysis in Excel. A Fictional Example for Better Understanding Each chapter is based on a fictional meta-analysis example titled “Drug Class A versus Drug Class B for the Healing of Peptic Ulcer: A Demonstrative Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”. This simulated example illustrates every step in practice starting from data extraction to interpretation so as to help readers apply concepts in a practical and structured way. The methodological steps outlined in this guide have been applied in our prior published meta-analysis: Das P, Borah D, Purkayastha A, Das D. Comparative efficacy of escitalopram versus other antidepressants in adults with major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2025;17(8):47–52. While this book uses a fictional example for simplicity, the workflow remains aligned with peer-reviewed research practice. Who Should Read This Book This guide is ideal for students, researchers, and clinicians and those who are new to meta-analysis and to anyone without access to statistical software. By the end of this book, you’ll be equipped with practical skills to conduct a high-quality meta-analysis independently using Excel.