Forest plot

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A forest plot is a graph displaying the results of multiple studies in a meta-analysis. Typically, there is a set of horizontal lines representing each study, its effect size and confidence intervals, with a summary overall result and confidence interval shown as a diamond. The weight of each study in the meta-analysis is often shown.

Forest plots date back to at least the 1970s, although the name is of later origin, circa 1996. The name refers to the forest of lines produced. In September 1990, Richard Peto joked that the plot was named after a breast cancer researcher called Pat Forrest and the name has sometimes been spelt "forrest plot" (Lewis & Clark 2001).

Sources

Lewis & Clark (2001). "Forest plots: trying to see the wood and the trees" BMJ; 322: 1479-1480.