Systematic and scoping reviews share similar characteristics, including:
- Protocol registration
- Adherence to accepted guidelines
- Adherence to PRISMA for reporting
- Use of complex, systematic search techniques
- Use of standardized data extraction techniques
- Requiring at least 2 team members for independent screening and data extraction
That being said, scoping reviews differ from systematic reviews in key ways:
- Scoping reviews focus on broad questions without defined answers, such as analyzing the state of the literature on a given topic, seeking to define the boundaries or definitions of a topic, identifying research gaps, or identifying the value and need for a systematic review
- Scoping reviews do NOT require critical appraisal of their included studies
- Clinical questions, such as those related to clinical practice or the feasibility, safety or effectiveness of treatments, are not appropriate for a scoping review
If you are in doubt about which type of review suits your research question, reach out to your liaison librarian.
