LibGuides: Literature Reviews: Mapping Review

What is a Mapping Review?

According to James et al (2016), "systematic mapping does not attempt to answer a specific question as do systematic reviews, but instead collates, describes and catalogues available evidence (e.g. primary, secondary, theoretical, economic) relating to a topic or question of interest."

Other names used for Mapping Reviews: Mapping Evidence Review, Mapping Study, Mapping Review, Mapping Exercise, Systematic Map

James, K.L., Randall, N.P. & Haddaway, N.R. A methodology for systematic mapping in environmental sciences. Environ Evid 5, 7 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-016-0059-6

Guidance on Mapping Reviews

Chapter 2 The mapping review methods
An example of a mapping review and the steps followed in the process.

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Cantrell A, Croot E, Johnson M, et al. Access to primary and community health-care services for people 16 years and over with intellectual disabilities: a mapping and targeted systematic review. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2020 Jan. (Health Services and Delivery Research, No. 8.5.) Chapter 2, The mapping review methods. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553289/
A methodology for systematic mapping in environmental sciences
An article explaining the necessary steps to conduct a mapping review.

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James, K.L., Randall, N.P. & Haddaway, N.R. A methodology for systematic mapping in environmental sciences. Environ Evid 5, 7 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-016-0059-6
What is an evidence map? A systematic review of published evidence maps and their definitions, methods, and products
The objectives are to identify published evidence maps and to compare and contrast the presented definitions of evidence mapping, the domains used to classify data in evidence maps, and the form the evidence map takes.

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Miake L, Hempel S, Shanman R, Shekelle P. What is an evidence map? A systematic review of published evidence maps and their definitions, methods, and products. BMC Systematic Reviews. 2016; 5:28
What is a “mapping study?”
An article describing a mapping study, which provides examples of mapping studies, and explains how it works.

Example Mapping Reviews

Are teeth superior to implants? A mapping review
The online databases PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science were searched. Published work from 1965 to 2020 was collected and independently analyzed by both authors for inclusion in this review.

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Sadowsky, S. J., & Brunski, J. B. (2020). Are teeth superior to implants? A mapping review. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prosdent.2020.07.002
Evidence and Gap Maps
See the big picture of evidence on homelessness interventions – what do we know, and what don’t we know?
An Evidence Map of Research Linking Dietary Sugars to Potentially Related Health Outcomes.
The aim of the study was to present an evidence-map database of all published studies that investigated dietary sugars and to select health outcomes for explicating research trends and gaps

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Tybor, D. J., Beauchesne, A. R., Niu, R., Shams-White, M. M., & Chung, M. (2018). An Evidence Map of Research Linking Dietary Sugars to Potentially Related Health Outcomes. Current Developments in Nutrition, 2(11), nzy059. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzy059
Measuring Community‐Engaged Research Contexts, Processes, and Outcomes: A Mapping Review.
We conducted a mapping review to help partnerships find and select measures to evaluate CEnR projects and to characterize areas where further development of measures is needed.

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LUGER, T. M., HAMILTON, A. B., & TRUE, G. (2020). Measuring Community‐Engaged Research Contexts, Processes, and Outcomes: A Mapping Review. Milbank Quarterly, 98(2), 493–553. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.12458
Occupational Therapy Research in Schools: A Mapping Review
To map the production of knowledge on research related to the keywords "occupational therapy" and "school."

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de Oliveira Borba, P. L., Pereira, B. P., de Souza, J. R. B., & Lopes, R. E. (2020). Occupational Therapy Research in Schools: A Mapping Review. Occupational Therapy International, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5891978