Comparing Bayesian Posterior Passing with Meta-analysis

Abstract

Brand, von der Post, Ounsley, and Morgan (2019) introduced Bayesian posterior passing as an alternative to traditional meta-analyses.  In this commentary I relate their procedure to traditional meta-analysis, showing that posterior passing is equivalent to fixed effects meta-analysis.  To overcome the limitations of simple posterior passing, I introduce improved posterior passing methods to account for heterogeneity and publication bias.  Additionally, practical limitations of posterior passing and the role that it can play in future research are discussed.