Where now for meta-analysis?

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Abstract
In the short time since its introduction, meta-analysis, the statistical pooling of the results from independent but ‘combinable’ studies, has established itself as an influential branch of clinical epidemiology and health services research, with hundreds of meta-analyses published in the medical literature each year.1 This issue of the International Journal of Epidemiology contains several papers2– 9 that address methodological issues in meta-analytic research, a review article on where we stand with systematic reviews in observational epidemiology10 and three meta-analyses of observational studies.11– 13 Publication of a themed issue on meta-analysis by an epidemiological journal begs several questions: Where does meta-analysis come from? Does it deserve the attention it is currently getting? And where should it be going next?