Applications of meta-analysis to library and information science research: Content analysis

•Most current LIS meta-analysis applications focus on cross-disciplinary topics.•LIS authors exhibit low awareness of unpublished literature.•Three leading meta-analysis approaches are cited the most in LIS publications.•Misunderstanding of meta-analysis is common among LIS researchers.•A prospective power of meta-analysis in LIS is its ability to explore moderators.

Content analysis was conducted to provide a framework for studying the current state of and problems in the application of meta-analysis in the field of library and information science (LIS). The content of 35 meta-analysis application articles published in LIS-oriented journals was analyzed for their bibliometric information, reasons for conducting a meta-analysis, literature searches, criteria for selecting studies, meta-analysis procedures, quality control mechanisms, and results. Although meta-analysis appears to be underappreciated in the LIS domain, the findings demonstrate that meta-analysis holds strong prospects as an LIS research method. However, there are a number of problems that must be solved, one being the misunderstanding of meta-analysis as compared with other similar systematic review methods. Suggestions are offered for developing meta-analysis. An informed understanding of the role of the meta-analysis method in LIS will be helpful for future research and practice.