<em>Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis</em>&nbsp;serves as an introductory methods text on how to conduct a research synthesis of literature&nbsp;in the social, behavioral, or the medical sciences. &nbsp;Harris Cooper applies the basic tenets of sound data-gathering to the task of producing a comprehensive&nbsp;assessment&nbsp;of past research.<br><br>In this book, the process of research synthesis is conceptualized as&nbsp;five stages: (1) problem formulation; (2) data collection or the literature search; (3) data evaluation; (4) analysis and interpretation; and (5) presentation of results.&nbsp; Cooper leads the reader through the comprehensive synthesis via a five- stage, step-by-step process.&nbsp;<br><br>In the fifth edition, chapter 4 on conducting a literature search has been extensively revised to include recent developments brought about by the in creasing use of the internet for scientific&nbsp; communication.&nbsp; Other new developments in the techniques for meta-analysis are covered in chapter 6, including new statistics for describing meta-analytic results and combining complex data structure.&nbsp;&nbsp; These new statistics are introduced but briefly because more in-depth treatment&nbsp; they would require more advanced knowledge that is not appropriate for this book. This new edition reflects careful revisions throughout along with a thorough updating of the references.<br><br><br>Readers who are engaged in writing a research report, dissertation, or book will find Cooper's tips a welcome aid for doing more effective&nbsp;and more efficient literature review.<br>