Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Medical Research Methodology
Published in: BMC Medical Research Methodology 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

A scoping review on the conduct and reporting of scoping reviews

Authors: Andrea C. Tricco, Erin Lillie, Wasifa Zarin, Kelly O’Brien, Heather Colquhoun, Monika Kastner, Danielle Levac, Carmen Ng, Jane Pearson Sharpe, Katherine Wilson, Meghan Kenny, Rachel Warren, Charlotte Wilson, Henry T. Stelfox, Sharon E. Straus

Published in: BMC Medical Research Methodology | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Scoping reviews are used to identify knowledge gaps, set research agendas, and identify implications for decision-making. The conduct and reporting of scoping reviews is inconsistent in the literature. We conducted a scoping review to identify: papers that utilized and/or described scoping review methods; guidelines for reporting scoping reviews; and studies that assessed the quality of reporting of scoping reviews.

Methods

We searched nine electronic databases for published and unpublished literature scoping review papers, scoping review methodology, and reporting guidance for scoping reviews. Two independent reviewers screened citations for inclusion. Data abstraction was performed by one reviewer and verified by a second reviewer. Quantitative (e.g. frequencies of methods) and qualitative (i.e. content analysis of the methods) syntheses were conducted.

Results

After searching 1525 citations and 874 full-text papers, 516 articles were included, of which 494 were scoping reviews. The 494 scoping reviews were disseminated between 1999 and 2014, with 45 % published after 2012. Most of the scoping reviews were conducted in North America (53 %) or Europe (38 %), and reported a public source of funding (64 %). The number of studies included in the scoping reviews ranged from 1 to 2600 (mean of 118). Using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology guidance for scoping reviews, only 13 % of the scoping reviews reported the use of a protocol, 36 % used two reviewers for selecting citations for inclusion, 29 % used two reviewers for full-text screening, 30 % used two reviewers for data charting, and 43 % used a pre-defined charting form. In most cases, the results of the scoping review were used to identify evidence gaps (85 %), provide recommendations for future research (84 %), or identify strengths and limitations (69 %). We did not identify any guidelines for reporting scoping reviews or studies that assessed the quality of scoping review reporting.

Conclusion

The number of scoping reviews conducted per year has steadily increased since 2012. Scoping reviews are used to inform research agendas and identify implications for policy or practice. As such, improvements in reporting and conduct are imperative. Further research on scoping review methodology is warranted, and in particular, there is need for a guideline to standardize reporting.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Arksey H, O’Malley L. Scoping studies: Towards a Methodological Framework. Int J Soc Res Methodol. 2005;8(1):19–32.CrossRef
2.
3.
Peters MD, Godfrey CM, Khalil H, McInerney P, Parker D, Soares CB. Guidance for conducting systematic scoping reviews. Int J Evid Based Healthc. 2015;13(3):141–6.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Colquhoun HL, Levac D, O’Brien KK, Straus S, Tricco AC, Perrier L, et al. Scoping reviews: time for clarity in definition, methods, and reporting. J Clin Epidemiol. 2014;67(12):1291–4.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Colquhoun H, O’Brien K, Straus S, Moher D, Levac D. Gaps in scoping review methodologies J Clin Epidemiol. In press.
6.
Schulz KF, Chalmers I, Hayes RJ, Altman DG. Empirical evidence of bias: Dimensions of methodological quality associated with estimates of treatment effects in controlled trials. JAMA. 1995;273(5):408–12.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Moher D, Stewart L, Shekelle P. All in the Family: systematic reviews, rapid reviews, scoping reviews, realist reviews, and more. Syst Rev. 2015;4(1):183.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
8.
Dwan K, Altman DG, Arnaiz JA, Bloom J, Chan AW, Cronin E, et al. Systematic review of the empirical evidence of study publication bias and outcome reporting bias. PLoS One. 2008;3(8):e3081.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
9.
10.
Daudt HM, Van Mossel C, Scott SJ. Enhancing the scoping study methodology: a large, inter-professional team’s experience with Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2013;13(1):48.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
11.
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. BMJ. 2009;339:b2535.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
12.
13.
Thomson L, Fayed N, Sedarous F, Ronen GM. Life quality and health in adolescents and emerging adults with epilepsy during the years of transition: a scoping review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2013;56(5):421–33.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Sampson M, McGowan J, Cogo E, Grimshaw J, Moher D, Lefebvre C. An evidence-based practice guideline for the peer review of electronic search strategies. J Clin Epidemiol. 2009;62(9):944–52.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Thulien NS. Innovative approaches to cervical cancer screening for sex trade workers: an international scoping review. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2014;36(3):231–9.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Pham MT, Rajic A, Greig JD, Sargeant JM, Papadopoulos A, McEwen SA. A scoping review of scoping reviews: advancing the approach and enhancing the consistency. Res Synth Methods. 2014;5(4):371–85.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
17.
Newton D. Synthesi.SR. Toronto, Canada; 2012. Knowledge Translation Program, St. Michael’s Hospital.
18.
Moher D, Weeks L, Ocampo M, Seely D, Sampson M, Altman DG, et al. Describing reporting guidelines for health research: a systematic review. 7J Clin Epidemiol. 2011;64(7):718–42.
19.
Straus SE, Tetroe JM, Graham ID. Knowledge translation is the use of knowledge in health care decision making. J Clin Epidemiol. 2011;64(1):6–10.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Gagnon M. Knowledge Exchange: Knowledge dissemination and exchange of knowledge. In: Knowledge Translation in Health Care: Moving from Evidence to Practice. Wiley-Blackwell; 2009. p. 233-245.
21.
International QSR. NVivo 10. Australia; 2012.
22.
Kastner M, Tricco AC, Soobiah C, Lillie E, Perrier L, Horsley T, et al. What is the most appropriate knowledge synthesis method to conduct a review? Protocol for a scoping review. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2012;12:114.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
23.
24.
Anderson S, Allen P, Peckham S, Goodwin N. Asking the right questions: scoping studies in the commissioning of research on the organisation and delivery of health services. Health Res Policy Syst. 2008;6(7):1–12.
25.
26.
Simera I, Moher D, Hirst A, Hoey J, Schulz KF, Altman DG. Transparent and accurate reporting increases reliability, utility, and impact of your research: reporting guidelines and the EQUATOR Network. BMC Med. 2010;8:24.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
A scoping review on the conduct and reporting of scoping reviews
Authors
Andrea C. Tricco
Erin Lillie
Wasifa Zarin
Kelly O’Brien
Heather Colquhoun
Monika Kastner
Danielle Levac
Carmen Ng
Jane Pearson Sharpe
Katherine Wilson
Meghan Kenny
Rachel Warren
Charlotte Wilson
Henry T. Stelfox
Sharon E. Straus
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Medical Research Methodology / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2288
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-016-0116-4

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

BMC Medical Research Methodology 1/2016 Go to the issue

Research article

National weighting of data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Research article

Improving incidence estimation in practice-based sentinel surveillance networks using spatial variation in general practitioner density

Research article

The use of relative incidence ratios in self-controlled case series studies: an overview

Research article

How to deal with missing longitudinal data in cost of illness analysis in Alzheimer’s disease—suggestions from the GERAS observational study

Research Article

Dose-response meta-analysis of differences in means

Research article

Abstracts reporting of HIV/AIDS randomized controlled trials in general medicine and infectious diseases journals: completeness to date and improvement in the quality since CONSORT extension for abstracts