Systematic review and meta-analysis: applications in food science, challenges, and perspectives
摘要截稿:
全文截稿: 2019-10-30
影响因子: 4.972
期刊难度:
CCF分类: 无
中科院JCR分区:
• 大类 : 农林科学 - 1区
• 小类 : 食品科技 - 1区
Overview
Systematic reviews as the newly introduced method can differ from conventional narrative reviews in several ways. However, narrative reviews have been directed as a descriptive study; they could not provide a systematic search of the literature which, can be resulted in focused view regarding a subset of investigations in the selected field based on author/s selection or availability of data. Therefore, in this regard, while narrative reviews can be informative, often an element of selection bias can be detected among them. On the other hand, due to possible confusions in the collected citations from the same period, particularly while the similar studies have diverging results and conclusions, the narrative reviews can face some drawbacks. In this context, in order to reduce the mentioned drawbacks, an extended, detailed and comprehensive plan as well as search strategy based on the priority was included in the systematic reviews, with the goal of reducing bias by identifying, appraising, and synthesizing all relevant studies on a particular topic.
Usually, the systematic reviews can be combined with a meta-analysis part where with the aid of statistical techniques, the data collected from several studies (systematic review) can be synthesized as a single quantitative estimation with the impact of each effect size. The effect sizes can be approached in measuring of the strength of the correlation between two or more variables. Therefore, useful information regarding the magnitude of the intervention effects can be obtained, while in traditional hypothesis testing only some information considering the statistical significance can be obtained, however, clinical significance can be missed. Moreover, the type of outcome and intervention being included as well as the data available from the published trials; can affect the type of effect size. In this regard, meta-analysis can be defined as an approach for integrating the collected data from individual studies to have a unique and reliable outcome which can be highly advantageous and may allow new conclusions to be made.
However, SR and MA have been widely employed in the medical field whereas in food science applications are recent. Addressing the lack of defined criteria for conducting the systematic review and meta-analysis in food science especially food toxicology is among the most known challenges of modern food science. In this regard, following topics will be covered by this special issue.
New approaches of systematic reviews and meta-analysis in food science
Further improvements in collection of data
Combination of SR and MA with risk assessment of food contaminants
Addressing of new challenges for food safety and possible solutions by SR and MA
Raising the quality and standards of SR and MA in food science and technology