What each side of the null effect line represents (i.e. if it favours the control or the interven\on) is also important when looking at the individual studies. This will be different depending on what ques\on you are asking in your studies. For example if you are looking at the risk between an exposure and an outcome, what each side of the ver\cal line represents will be different to an instance where you are comparing an interven\on with a control. Helpfully, for most forest plots published today, the authors helpfully mark what each side of the line represents. If it isn't marked, remember to always go back to your first principles of the sta\s\c you are using. The horizontal line and whether it crosses the "line of null effect" is par\cularly important to take note of for each study. If you remember, the incredibly basic defini\on of the 95% confidence interval is: "The range of values within which you can be 95% certain the true value lies." If the horizontal line crosses the line of null effect what that is effec\vely saying is that the null value lies within your confidence interval and hence could be the true value. If