TABLE 3.

Frequencies of bias indication within meta-analyses by method.

		Begg and Mazumdar’s	Sterne and	Excess
	Trim-and-fill	rank correlation	Egger regression	significance test	p-uniform	p-curve	Selection models	PET-PEESE
Crude differences (k = 29)
Declines	1(7%)	2(13%)	4(27%)	1(7%)	1(7%)	0(0%)	4(27%)	2(13%)
Increases	1(11%)	1(11%)	2(22%)	0(0%)	2(25%)	0(0%)	3(33%)	3(33%)
Proteus	3(60%)	0(0%)	2(40%)	0(0%)	0(0%)	0(0%)	2(40%)	2(40%)
Regression coefficients (k = 24)
Declines	1(7%)	1(7%)	2(13%)	1(7%)	2(13%)	0(0%)	5(33%)	2(13%)
Increases	1(11%)	2(22%)	4(44%)	0(0%)	1(12%)	0(0%)	2(22%)	3(33%)

Cell entries indicate absolute (and relative) frequencies of bias indication; k = 29/24, excepting p-uniform (k = 27/23), and p-curve (k = 26/23). k Declines = 15, k Increases = 9, k Proteus = 5.