[R] Metafor and forest(); not showing 'ilab' and text

[Viechtbauer Wolfgang (STAT)]

I cannot reproduce the issue with 'ilab' not being shown when using 'subset'. My guess is that the values for 'ilab.xpos' specified are actually outside of the plotting region. After you have drawn the forest plot, try:

par("usr")[1:2]

to see what the default limits actually are. Then use 'xlim' to adjust the limits to your taste. And then use appropriate values for 'ilab.xpos', so they are inside those limits.

> Moreover, the graph is showed correctly only within the zoom in
> Rstudio but if I save it it is showed as enclosed.

Nothing was enclosed (or it was stripped).

> Moreover, how would you suggest to handle (graphically) the
> multiple-cases-per-study thing? It's a 'good' way to average the cases
> among different studies in the graphs?

Maybe add some space between groupings (i.e., studies). The example given here can provide some clues how one could go about this: http://www.metafor-project.org/doku.php/plots:forest_plot_with_subgroups But drawing a plot like this requires a lot of hand-tweaking.

Best,
Wolfgang

-- 
Wolfgang Viechtbauer, Ph.D., Statistician | Department of Psychiatry and    
Neuropsychology | Maastricht University | P.O. Box 616 (VIJV1) | 6200 MD    
Maastricht, The Netherlands | +31 (43) 388-4170 | http://www.wvbauer.com    

> -----Original Message-----
> From: R-help [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-project.org] On Behalf Of Marco
> Colagrossi
> Sent: Monday, August 24, 2015 16:04
> To: r-help at r-project.org
> Subject: [R] Metafor and forest(); not showing 'ilab' and text
> 
> Hello folks,
> 
> I have a couple of issues with the metafor package, specifically with
> the forest graphs.
> I am currently conducting a Meta-Analysis in economics throughout the
> metafor package.
> 
> My meta-analysis has the specific of having different cases from
> single studies, and this proven to be challenging especially when
> trying to plot graphically the results I'm obtaining.
> 
> Here's the code:
> 
> forest(pc, var, ci95m, ci95p, slab = authoryear, psize=1,
> subset=(pub==1),
>        ilab = cbind(ys, f_dim, SIMdv, SIMiv),
>        ilab.xpos = c(-9.5, -8, -6, -4.5), cex = 0.75)
> par(font=2)
>       text(c(-9.5,-8,-6,-4.5), 26, c("Years", "Firm(s) Dimension", "DV",
> "IV"))
>       text(-16,                26, "Author(s) and Year",     pos=4)
>       text(6,                  26, "Observed Outcome [95% CI]", pos=2)
> par(op)
> 
> 'pc' is the 'effect size', 'var' the variance, 'ci95m & ci95p' the CI,
> 'pub' if the paper has been published or not. the pub subset was the
> first idea I had in order to split my sample that otherwise would have
> been to big. The issue with this solution is that forest() displays
> only the slap argument and the forest with the confidence interval,
> completely ignoring the lab argument and the text I'm trying to add.
> Moreover, the graph is showed correctly only within the zoom in
> Rstudio but if I save it it is showed as enclosed.
> 
> What I'm doing wrong? I tried both to look at the package
> documentation and online but I can't figure it out.
> 
> Moreover, how would you suggest to handle (graphically) the
> multiple-cases-per-study thing? It's a 'good' way to average the cases
> among different studies in the graphs?
> In my meta-analysis I'm using a multilevel model as shown in
> Gelman-Hill but graphically (and in tables) I'm struggling.
> 
> Thanks for your help and patience
> 
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