Data and code for Vidić et al. 2026: Synthesis of Anthropogenic Impacts on Birds - Systematic Map and Bibliometric Analysis of Meta-Analyses

This repository contains the data of complete screening process, data extraction sheets, and analytical code used for the systematic map of meta-analyses on anthropogenic impacts on birds. The provided materials enable full reproducibility of the literature screening process, data preparation, bibliometric and altmetric analyses, and all figures presented in the manuscript.

Our main objectives were to: (i) describe the thematic, taxonomic, ecological, and geographic coverage of existing meta-analyses; (ii) assess adherence to important aspects of reporting and methodological standards; (iii) analyse author networks, collaboration patterns, and journal distributions; and (iv) evaluate the broader influence and societal reach of meta-analyses, including their uptake in policy and decision-making documents. We synthesised information from 149 published meta-analyses examining a wide range of anthropogenic pressures and biological responses in birds. The synthesis shows rapid growth of meta-analytical research but substantial imbalances in coverage. Habitat loss and fragmentation, agriculture and urbanisation dominate the literature, and most meta-analyses focus on diversity, abundance, and reproduction. Research effort is biased toward Passeriformes and geographically concentrated in North America and Europe. Reporting transparency is inconsistent, preregistration and risk-of-bias assessments are rare, and many meta-analyses lack sufficient information for full reproducibility or updating. Bibliometric and altmetric analyses indicate high levels of collaboration but uneven geographic representation of authors and research influence. Addressing these limitations in future is crucial to improve the reliability, comparability, and policy relevance of meta-analyses in this field.