A funnel plot used in meta-analysis to assess publication bias by plotting individual study effect sizes against their precision (typically standard error). Studies scatter around a summary effect line, with pseudo 95% confidence limits forming an inverted funnel shape. In the absence of bias, studies distribute symmetrically around the summary effect; asymmetry suggests publication bias or systematic heterogeneity. This is a standard tool in systematic reviews and Cochrane-style meta-analyses.
// anyplot.ai
// funnel-meta-analysis: Meta-Analysis Funnel Plot for Publication Bias
// Library: highcharts 12.6.0 | JavaScript 22.22.3
// Quality: 90/100 | Created: 2026-06-10
const t = window.ANYPLOT_TOKENS;
// Data: 18 RCTs comparing antidepressant vs placebo, log odds ratios and standard errors
const pooledEffect = 0.40;
const seMax = 0.65;
const studies = [
[0.45, 0.15], [0.30, 0.22], [0.62, 0.18], [0.20, 0.35],
[0.55, 0.12], [-0.10, 0.40], [0.35, 0.28], [0.78, 0.55],
[0.15, 0.45], [0.50, 0.20], [0.25, 0.30], [0.70, 0.14],
[0.42, 0.38], [0.18, 0.50], [-0.08, 0.60], [0.65, 0.25],
[0.38, 0.16], [0.52, 0.32]
];
// Pseudo 95% CI funnel: apex at (pooled, SE=0), base at (pooled ± 1.96 * seMax, seMax)
const ci96 = 1.96 * seMax;
const funnelLeft = [{ x: pooledEffect, y: 0 }, { x: pooledEffect - ci96, y: seMax }];
const funnelRight = [{ x: pooledEffect, y: 0 }, { x: pooledEffect + ci96, y: seMax }];
Highcharts.chart("container", {
chart: {
type: "scatter",
backgroundColor: "transparent",
animation: false,
plotBorderWidth: 0,
style: { fontFamily: "inherit" }
},
credits: { enabled: false },
colors: t.palette,
title: {
text: "funnel-meta-analysis · javascript · highcharts · anyplot.ai",
style: { color: t.ink, fontSize: "22px", fontWeight: "600" }
},
subtitle: {
text: "Antidepressant vs Placebo · 18 Randomized Controlled Trials",
style: { color: t.inkSoft, fontSize: "14px" }
},
xAxis: {
title: {
text: "Log Odds Ratio",
style: { color: t.inkSoft, fontSize: "16px" }
},
lineColor: t.inkSoft,
tickColor: t.inkSoft,
gridLineColor: t.grid,
gridLineWidth: 0.5,
min: -1.6,
max: 2.2,
labels: { style: { color: t.inkSoft, fontSize: "14px" } }
},
yAxis: {
title: {
text: "Standard Error (SE)",
style: { color: t.inkSoft, fontSize: "16px" }
},
reversed: true,
min: 0,
max: 0.70,
lineColor: t.inkSoft,
tickColor: t.inkSoft,
gridLineColor: t.grid,
gridLineWidth: 0.5,
labels: { style: { color: t.inkSoft, fontSize: "14px" } }
},
legend: {
itemStyle: { color: t.inkSoft, fontSize: "14px" },
itemHoverStyle: { color: t.ink }
},
tooltip: {
formatter: function () {
return "<b>Log OR:</b> " + this.x.toFixed(2) + "<br><b>SE:</b> " + this.y.toFixed(2);
}
},
plotOptions: {
series: { animation: false }
},
series: [
{
type: "scatter",
name: "Studies (n = 18)",
data: studies,
color: t.palette[0],
marker: {
radius: 7,
symbol: "circle",
lineColor: t.pageBg,
lineWidth: 1.5
},
zIndex: 5
},
{
// Pooled effect as a series for full lineWidth and label control
type: "line",
name: "Pooled OR = 1.49",
data: [
{
x: pooledEffect,
y: 0,
dataLabels: {
enabled: true,
format: "Pooled OR = 1.49",
rotation: 0,
align: "left",
x: 6,
y: 18,
style: {
color: t.ink,
fontSize: "11px",
fontWeight: "700",
textOutline: "none"
}
}
},
{ x: pooledEffect, y: seMax }
],
color: t.ink,
lineWidth: 3,
dashStyle: "Solid",
marker: { enabled: false },
enableMouseTracking: false,
zIndex: 4
},
{
type: "line",
name: "95% CI Limits",
data: funnelLeft,
color: t.inkSoft,
lineWidth: 1.5,
dashStyle: "Dash",
marker: { enabled: false },
enableMouseTracking: false,
zIndex: 3
},
{
type: "line",
data: funnelRight,
color: t.inkSoft,
lineWidth: 1.5,
dashStyle: "Dash",
marker: { enabled: false },
enableMouseTracking: false,
showInLegend: false,
zIndex: 3
},
{
// Null reference as a series for label control — no legend entry
type: "line",
data: [
{
x: 0,
y: 0,
dataLabels: {
enabled: true,
format: "Null (OR = 1)",
rotation: 0,
align: "right",
x: -6,
y: 18,
style: {
color: t.inkSoft,
fontSize: "11px",
fontWeight: "400",
textOutline: "none"
}
}
},
{ x: 0, y: seMax }
],
color: t.inkSoft,
lineWidth: 1.5,
dashStyle: "ShortDash",
marker: { enabled: false },
enableMouseTracking: false,
showInLegend: false,
zIndex: 2
}
]
});
Runnable source as JSON, for any HTTP client: https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/funnel-meta-analysis/highcharts/code. Any spec id and library id listed in llms-full.txt fit the same URL shape; every URL below is complete and callable.
{
"spec_id": "funnel-meta-analysis",
"language": "javascript",
"library": "highcharts",
"page": "https://anyplot.ai/funnel-meta-analysis/javascript/highcharts",
"hub": "https://anyplot.ai/funnel-meta-analysis",
"code_json": "https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/funnel-meta-analysis/highcharts/code",
"spec_json": "https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/funnel-meta-analysis",
"render_light_png": "https://storage.googleapis.com/anyplot-images/plots/funnel-meta-analysis/javascript/highcharts/plot-light.png",
"render_dark_png": "https://storage.googleapis.com/anyplot-images/plots/funnel-meta-analysis/javascript/highcharts/plot-dark.png",
"interactive_light_html": "https://storage.googleapis.com/anyplot-images/plots/funnel-meta-analysis/javascript/highcharts/plot-light.html",
"interactive_dark_html": "https://storage.googleapis.com/anyplot-images/plots/funnel-meta-analysis/javascript/highcharts/plot-dark.html",
"quality_score": 90.0,
"license": "MIT",
"guide": "https://anyplot.ai/llms.txt"
}Part of Meta-Analysis Funnel Plot for Publication Bias on anyplot.ai.