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As can be seen, the four basic steps for conducting a meta-analysis include (1) the literature search, (2) the establishment of criteria for what studies will be included in the meta-analysis, (3) the recording of data from the included studies, and (4) the statistical analysis of the data. For this lecture, the focus will be on the meta-analysis of summary data. For more information on conducting a meta-analysis of individual patient data, see the following: Stewart LA, Clarke MJ. Practical methodology of meta-analyses (overviews) using updated individual patient data. Statistics in Medicine 14:2057-2079, 1995.