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Reviewing the Literature

Scoping review

According to Arksey & O'Malley, there are a number of reasons why a scoping review might be conducted. Unlike other reviews that tend to address relatively precise questions...scoping reviews can be used to map the key concepts that underpin a field of research, as well as to clarify working definitions, and/or the conceptual boundaries of a topic (2005; as cited in JBI, Chapter 11: Scoping Reviews).

 

Uses

According to Munn et al., the main reasons for a scoping review are:

  • To ensure there is a large enough pool of studies to justify conducting a systematic review.

  • To identify the types of available evidence in a given field.

  • To identify and analyze knowledge gaps.

  • To clarify key concepts/ definitions in the literature.

  • To examine how research is conducted on a certain topic or field.

  • To identify key characteristics or factors related to a concept (2018; as cited in JBI, Why a scoping review?).

 

Scoping Review vs. a Systematic Review
 

Your project is best suited to a systematic review if:
 

  • you want to answer a clearly defined research question.
  • you must find *all* the research on your topic to ensure your conclusions are valid.
  • the articles that you review are governed by pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria (University of Alabama Libraries. Getting Started on your Systematic Review [YouTube: 8:20 - 11:03]).
     

To learn more about systematic reviews see our Guide to Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses

Guidance & Resources

Scoping Review presentation [35:03], Health Science focus:  recording by Ruhina Rana & Shawnna Parlongo Nov 2024.

 

JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis: Chapter 11 Scoping Reviews
 

PRISMA for Scoping Reviews: Provides a checklist with "20 essential reporting items and 2 optional items to include when completing a scoping review."

 

Registries that accept scoping review protocols: