Authors: Ket Li Ho, Teguh Haryo Sasongko, Sook Han Ng, Pei Kuan Lai, Lay Cheng Lim & Sook Yee Gan
ABSTRACT
Many tools exist for conducting meta-analyses in systematic reviews, but they are often expensive or difficult for beginners to use. This challenge arises because most tools either fail to address all aspects of meta-analysis comprehensively or lack sufficient guidance for navigating their features. To address these limitations, we developed Meta-IMU, a free R-based Shiny application tailored specifically for beginners. Unlike many existing tools that focus solely on standard systematic reviews, Meta-IMU supports both systematic reviews and umbrella reviews, offering a more versatile approach. To ensure accessibility, Meta-IMU includes built-in instructional videos that guide users step by step, from navigating the application to interpreting the results produced. This guidance ensures users can confidently perform analyses without prior expertise. Meta-IMU encompasses a comprehensive range of features covering key aspects of meta-analysis, such as defining review questions, developing search terms, retrieving studies from various databases, assessing risk of bias, creating tables and plots, analysing small-study effects, performing meta-regression and subgroup analyses, conducting sensitivity analyses, assessing the certainty of evidence, summarizing findings, and generating PRISMA checklist reports. By integrating these functionalities into a single platform, Meta-IMU provides a user-friendly, all-in-one solution. In summary, Meta-IMU is a comprehensive, free application designed to simplify the process of meta-analysis for both systematic reviews and umbrella reviews, making advanced analytical techniques accessible to researchers at any level of experience.
Keywords: Systematic review, umbrella review, metaanalysis, R, Shiny
Citations: IeJSME 2025 Vol 19 (3): 64-83