To my loving family, I thank all of you for showing me how important it was to complete what I have started. You all have encouraged me to continue when I didn't think I could. A special thanks to my aunts Bridget, Pamela, and Kim; my brothers Aaron, Jeffery, Ben, and Ronald; and my sisters Shana and Ramona, without your consistent inspiration I would have given up. I also want to acknowledge my parents Sharon Martin and Rodney Jackson for not allowing me to quit and staying by my side throughout this process. I would also like to recognize my adoptive parents Vicki

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Meta-analyses are used to synthesize a body of literature to produce a single summary estimate as well as to explain differences among studies. The field of political science has slowly gained an appreciation for their use in recent years; however, using meta-analyses in dissertations remains rare. This is puzzling, given the tool’s ability to map a topic, to highlight potential gaps for future research to address, and its long-lasting utility for researchers in future projects. We argue that for these and several other reasons, graduate students should consider including a meta-analysis in their dissertation. This article discusses these advantages in detail and offers advice on how to conduct a meta-analysis based on several interviews and applied examples. We also address potential challenges when using this research design in a dissertation.

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