Skip to Main Content

JCU logoLibrary Guides

Scoping Reviews

Specialised advice for planning, researching and writing Scoping Reviews.

What is a scoping review?

Scoping reviews aim to identify and provide an overview of research on a particular topic. Arksey and O'Malley (2005) first outlined a methodological framework for conducting scoping reviews and specified four main purposes of a scoping review:

  • To examine the extent, range and nature of research activity
  • To determine the value of undertaking a full systematic review
  • To summarize and disseminate research findings
  • To identify research gaps in the existing literature

Munn et al. (2018) have since established an expanded definition and purpose of scoping reviews to include the following features:

  • To identify the types of available evidence in a given field
  • To clarify key concepts/definitions in the literature
  • To examine how research is conducted on a certain topic or field
  • To identify key characteristics or factors related to a concept
  • As a precursor to a systematic review
  • To identify and analyse knowledge gaps

Sources

We acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and acknowledge Traditional Owners of the lands where our staff and students, live, learn and work.Acknowledgement of Country

Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License, unless otherwise noted. Content from this Guide should be attributed to James Cook University Library. This does not apply to images, third party material (seek permission from the original owner) or any logos or insignia belonging to JCU or other bodies, which remain All Rights Reserved.

.