Evidence Synthesis in the Social Sciences
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What is a Scoping Review?
"True to their name, scoping reviews are an ideal tool to determine the scope or coverage of a body of literature on a given topic and give clear indication of the volume of literature and studies available as well as an overview (broad or detailed) of its focus." (Munn et al., 2018)
For a given topic, a scoping reviews might:
- seek to identify types of evidence generated
- try to clarify key concepts or characteristics
- attempt to examine how research is conducted
- seek to identify gaps in the knowledge base and literature
- to determine whether a systematic review is necessary or to preclude a systematic review
- Video: What are Scoping Reviews?
from JBI Evidence Synthesis
Systematic Review Vs. Scoping Review: What's the Difference?
| Scoping Review | Systematic Review | ||
| Description | "Preliminary assessment of potential size and scope of available research literature. Aims to identify nature and extent of research evidence (usually including ongoing research)" (Grant and Booth, 2009) |
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Some helpful tools for determining the difference between systematic and scoping reviews:
- Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approachMunn, Z., Peters, M.D.J., Stern, C. et al. Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Med Res Methodol 18, 143 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x
- A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologiesGrant, M.J. and Booth, A. (2009), A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 26: 91-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x
Essential Resources for Scoping Reviews
- Guidance for conducting systematic scoping reviews.Peters, M. D. J., Godfrey, C. M., Khalil, H., McInerney, P., Parker, D., & Soares, C. B. (2015). Guidance for conducting systematic scoping reviews. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 13(3), 141–146. https://doi.org/10.1097/XEB.0000000000000050
- Scoping reviews: time for clarity in definition, methods, and reporting.Colquhoun, H. L., Levac, D., O’Brien, K. K., Straus, S., Tricco, A. C., Perrier, L., Kastner, M., & Moher, D. (2014). Scoping reviews: time for clarity in definition, methods, and reporting. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 67(12), 1291–1294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.03.013
- Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework.Considered to be the foundations of best practice in scoping reviews. Is now a bit dated, so examining additional resources in this section is recommended.
Arksey, & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616 - Video: What are Scoping Reviews?from JBI Evidence Synthesis
- Video Series: Scoping Reviews and How to Do Themfrom Cochrane Training