Reporting Practice in Multilevel Modeling: A Revisit After 10 Years

2021
Multilevel modeling (MLM) is a statistical technique for analyzing clustered data. Despite its long history, the technique and accompanying computer programs are rapidly evolving. Given the complexity of multilevel models, it is crucial for researchers to provide complete and transparent descriptions of the data, statistical analyses, and results. Ten years have passed since the guidelines for reporting multilevel studies were initially published. This study reviewed new advancements in MLM and revisited the reporting practice in MLM in the past decade. A total of 301 articles from 19 journals representing different subdisciplines in education and psychology were included in the systematic review. The results showed improvement in some areas of the reporting practices, such as the number of models tested, centering of predictors, missing data treatment, software, and estimates of variance components. However, poor practices persist in terms of model specification, description of a missing mechanism, power analysis, assumption checking, model comparisons, and effect sizes. Updates on the guidelines for reporting multilevel studies and recommendations for future methodological research in MLM are presented.
REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
页码:311-355|卷号:91|期号:3
ISSN:0034-6543
收录类型
SSCI
发表日期
2021
学科领域
循证教育学
国家
美国
语种
英语
DOI
10.3102/0034654321991229
EISSN
1935-1046
被引频次(WOS)
1
被引更新日期
2022-01
来源机构
Texas A&M University System Texas A&M University College Station Texas A&M University System Texas A&M University College Station Texas A&M University System Texas A&M University College Station
关键词
methodological development multilevel modeling reporting practices systematic review