BeckerGuides: Scoping Review Guide : Home

What is a Scoping Review?

Scoping reviews can be used to determine the scope or coverage of a body of literature on a given topic. They are typically used for broad questions and can help identify and map the available evidence. A meta-analysis is not usually part of a scoping review.

You may choose to conduct a Scoping Review:

To identify the types of available evidence in a given field
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
As a precursor to a systematic review (results from the scoping review can help create a more focused question suitable for a systematic review)
To identify and analyze knowledge gaps

Source: Munn Z, Peters MDJ, Stern C, Tufanaru C, McArthur A, Aromataris E. Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2018 Nov 19;18(1):143. doi: 10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x. PMID: 30453902; PMCID: PMC6245623.

Differences between Scoping and Systematic Reviews

	Scoping Reviews	Systematic Reviews
Broad topic, not answering a specific question/investigating a specific intervention	Yes	No
Protocol Registration Site	Open Science Framework (OSF); Cannot register in PROSPERO	PROSPERO
Typical question outline format	PCC	PICO
Explicit, transparent search strategy	Yes	Yes
Standardized data extraction forms	Yes	Yes
Mandatory critical appraisal of included studies (risk of bias assessment)	No	Yes
Synthesis of findings from individual studies and generation of summary findings	No	Yes
Grey Literature Search	Not typically done, but may be included depending on the topic	Yes
Example Question	What research is available about non-pharmaceutical treatments to treat ADHD?	Is cognitive behavior therapy an effective treatment for ADHD in young adults?

Source: JBI Manual: Table 11.1 (Modified)