Critical Inquiry Exam 1 Practice 2026 - Free Critical Inquiry Practice Questions and Study Guide

Meta-analysis is a statistical method that combines results from multiple studies to produce a single quantitative estimate of an effect. This makes it possible to pool data, giving a more precise overall estimate and helping to reveal whether findings are consistent across studies or vary due to differences in methods or populations. A narrative summary describes findings in words without pooling data, while a qualitative synthesis focuses on themes rather than numbers. So the description that best fits a meta-analysis is the one that emphasizes calculating and combining a pooled statistic across studies.