Network Models to Organize a Dispersed Literature: The Case of Misunderstanding Analysis of Covariance

We outline a network method to synthesize a literature overview from search results obtained by multiple team members. Several network statistics are used to create a single representativeness ranking. We illustrate the method with the dispersed literature on a common misinterpretation of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The network method yields a top ten list of the most relevant articles that students and researchers can take as a point of departure for a more detailed study on this topic. The proposed methodology is implemented in Shiny, an open-source R package.