Gone fishin’: Addressing completeness, accuracy, and representativeness in the search and coding processes of meta-analyses in the organizational sciences

Abstract

No research question is compelling enough nor a meta-analytic procedure advanced enough to overcome an ineffectual search or inaccurate coding process. The bulk of attention towards meta-analyses conducted within the organizational sciences has been directed at establishing the types of research questions meta-analyses are best equipped to address and how best to go about analyzing secondary data. However, the meta-analytic process requires rigor and transparency at every step. It is too often the case that the search and coding are non-systematic, resulting in a deficient and/or contaminated dataset and, ultimately, not an accurate reflection of the extant literature. Using the analogy of a fishing trip where fish are available studies and the oceans, lakes, and rivers are the sources of data, we highlight best practices and offer actionable takeaways in conducting and reporting a thorough and representative search and accurate and inclusive coding process for meta-analyses in the organizational sciences.