text() function and x, y coordinates

FJCC · July 4, 2021, 2:18pm

I am not familiar with the metafor package but the positioning of the text does seem to follow the usual logic. I suggest you start with this example:

Andrzej:

forest(primary, addfit=TRUE, showweights=TRUE, atransf=exp, 
       xlab="Odds Ratio", mlab="Random Effects Model", 
       order=order(sub$PragIdeal), 
       ilab=cbind(sub$HomePos, sub$HomeNeg, sub$HospPos, sub$HospNeg),
       ilab.xpos=c(-20,-16,-12,-8), xlim=c(-35,20), at=log(c(.01, .1, 1, 10, 100)))

remove the ilab, ilab.xpos, and xlim arguments and plot that. Then run

par("usr")[1:2]

That will display the x axis limits used for the plot. Then run forest() again but add in the argument xlim = c(-35,20) and see how the plot changes. Then add ilab=sub$HomePos and ilab.xpos=-20. You can repeat the plot with ilab.pos set to -16 and see how the text column moves. I think that will help clarify how the text is placed.
I do not understand how to pick the particular ilab.xpos values other than trial and error. However, I have never used the package, so I my understanding may be completely wrong.