Module 6: Analysing the data ES

About this module

Part of the Cochrane Interactive Learning course on Conducting an Intervention Review, this module covers analysis of a range of types of data. This module teaches you about effect measures for dichotomous and continuous data, undertaking a meta-analysis, recognizing and managing heterogeneity. It also covers analysing other types of data and study designs.

Duration 120 minutes


What you can expect to learn (learning outcomes)

This module will teach you to:

  • Recognize characteristics of different effect measures
  • Identify ways in which continuous outcomes and their comparisons can be expressed
  • Define a meta-analysis
  • Decide when it is appropriate to conduct a meta-analysis
  • Identify and understand the data presented in forest plots
  • Identify heterogeneity between included studies
  • Consider heterogeneity appropriately when making decisions about analysis
  • Interpret the results of subgroup analysis
  • Consider the analysis of other (non-standard) data in included studies
  • Recognize non-standard study designs

Authors, contributors, and how to cite this module

Module 6 has been written and compiled by Dario Sambunjak, Miranda Cumpston and Chris Watts from Cochrane's Learning and Support Department, with the expert advice from the Cochrane Statistical Methods Group.

A full list of acknowledgements, including our expert advisors from across Cochrane, is available at the end of each module page.

This module should be cited as: Sambunjak D, Cumpston M, Watts C. Module 6: Analysing the data. In: Cochrane Interactive Learning: Conducting an intervention review. Cochrane, 2017. Available from https://training.cochrane.org/interactivelearning/module-6-analysing-data.


Staying up to date

This module was last updated in January 2018. The next planned review date is July 2018.

We're pleased to hear your thoughts. If you have any questions, comments or feedback about the content of this module, please contact us.