Meta-analysis is a research method that is either part of a systematic review or a stand-alone investigation of an issue or phenomenon. When using meta-analysis, research scientists systematically combine relevant qualitative and/or quantitative study data from a number of selected studies to generate a single conclusion that has greater knowledge-generation power.

The CSIR has sound expertise in meta-analysis. The PULSE cube analytical framework was developed for the purpose of generating a deeper understanding of socio-economic issues and phenomena. The framework facilitates in-depth meta-analyses of issues, ranging from water resource strategies to municipal climate adaption plans.

CSIR social scientists have worked on numerous projects that relied on meta-analysis to inform policy practitioners in the public and private sectors, such as the analysis of perceptions and understandings of water security at local government level and wildlife trafficking.

A water security typology was developed to inform public and private policies. This typology will further enrich the individual water security model and give deeper insight into the water security and water governance policy landscapes at national and international levels.

The use of meta-analysis in the water sector enables scientists to make more informed predictions of required water service interventions at local government level and the role that the private sector can play in establishing and maintaining public-private partnerships.

Expertise in meta-analysis also helps to discover the reasons behind water service delivery protests and how international organisations view certain phenomena around the quality and quantity of water resources at local, national, regional and global scales.