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