Conducting comprehensive scoping reviews to systematically capture the landscape of a subject matter

Abstract

Scientific publications or health research publications have seen a dramatic increase during the last few decades. Given this rapid production of information, literature reviews have become an imperative cornerstone for researchers to gain a better understanding of the research landscape that they are investigating. One type of literature review that has shown great utility is the scoping review, with its great efficiency in mapping existing literature and synthesizing knowledge. A step-by-step guide is provided in this article as an introduction to those who are interested in conducting scoping reviews in order to acquire a better picture of the research landscape. To help better understand the intricacies to conducting a scoping review, each step of the process is clearly explained and elaborated on. Each step is also followed by examples from published literature. The intended audience includes students and researchers new to scoping reviews.