Table 2

Measures for evaluating simulation performance

CriteriaFormula
Percentage bias ((δ/β)%)Embedded Image, where Embedded Image
RMSEEmbedded Image
Average width of 95% CIEmbedded Image, for i=1, 2 ,…, B, where B=the number of meta-analyses conducted using simulated data sets
Coverage of 95% CIPercentage of times the 95% CI of Embedded Image include β, for i=1, 2 ,…, M, where M=the number of meta-analyses conducted using simulated data sets

  • β, true value of estimate of interest—log OR; Embedded Image , estimate of β—estimates of log OR; Embedded Image , mean of Embedded Image (log OR) in the simulation;

  • δ, absolute bias—the difference between the mean of the estimates of log OR and log OR; Embedded Image, quantile of the standard normal distribution; RMSE, root mean square error.