Research and Scholarly Methods: Scoping Reviews

Scoping reviews are similar to systematic reviews in that they are designed to be transparent and reproducible processes to answer a question while reducing bias. The key difference between scoping reviews and the better-known systematic review method is the scope of the question being answered. Scoping reviews are best suited to answering broad questions about a topic including mapping the current literature, identifying strengths and gaps in the literature, and tracking the use of terminology or methods used within a field. Scoping reviews can be standalone reviews or used to guide where a systematic review may be needed. Users should understand the purpose of a scoping review and be able to assess the quality of a scoping review before applying it to practice. This article provides an overview of the principles involved in conducting a scoping review, along with a clinical example illustrating each step.