Funnel & Forest Plots

Question 1

What is a forest plot?

Answer 1

A graphical display of a number of results from different studies.

Question 2

What is the main method for illustrating the results of a meta-analysis?

Answer 2

A forest plot

Question 3

What do forest plots provide a graphical represenation of?

Answer 3

The stength of evidence of the constituent trials

Question 4

What is a funnel plot used to demonstrate?

Answer 4

The existence of publication bias in meta-analyses

Question 5

What is a histogram?

Answer 5

A graphical display of continuous data where the values have been categorised into a number of categories.

Question 6

What does a scatter plot demonstrate?

Answer 6

Graphical representation using Cartesian coordinates to display values for two variables for a set of data

Question 7

What is a Kaplan-Meier survival plot?

Answer 7

A plot of the Kaplan-Meier estimate of the survival function showing decreasing survival with time

Question 8

What shape funnel plot indicates that publication bias is unlikely?

Answer 8

A symmetrical, inverted funnel shape

Question 9

What shape funnel plot indicates that publication bias is likely?

Answer 9

An asymmetrical funnel indicates a relationship between treatment effect and study size.

This indicates either publication bias or a systematic difference between smaller and larger studies (‘small study effects’).

Question 10

What is a box and whisker plot a graphical representation of?

Answer 10

Graphical representation of the sample minimum, lower quartile, median, upper quartile and sample maximum
Important for me.