JBI Methodology and PRISMA-ScR Reporting on Every Project
Scoping reviews reward methodological discipline precisely because the topic is broad: without a rigorous framework, they collapse into unstructured literature summaries that reviewers reject. That is why our scoping review services follow the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis scoping review methodology (Aromataris et al., 2024; Peters et al., 2020) and reports every finding according to the PRISMA-ScR extension for Scoping Reviews (Tricco et al., Annals of Internal Medicine, 2018). The approach builds on the original Arksey and O'Malley scoping review framework (Arksey and O'Malley, 2005) and the later Levac methodological enhancements (Levac et al., 2010). Research Gold matches you with a PhD methodologist published in your own field, whether that field sits in health sciences, nursing, psychology, education, social sciences, and beyond. Every project is led by methodologists with peer-reviewed publication records.
When to Choose a Scoping Review
A scoping review is the right choice when you need to:
- Map available evidence on a broad topic before committing to a focused systematic review
- Identify evidence gaps that could inform future primary research or systematic reviews
- Explore the nature and extent of research activity in a field
- Inform policy decisions by summarizing what is known (and not known) about a complex issue
- Support grant proposals by demonstrating the current state of evidence for a research area
- Clarify key concepts and definitions used across a body of literature
If your goal is to answer a specific clinical question with a pooled effect estimate, a systematic review with meta-analysis may be more appropriate.
How We Conduct Scoping Reviews
Your research question is structured using the PCC framework (Population, Concept, Context) rather than PICO, as recommended by JBI, because the broader framing suits the exploratory nature of the review. You can draft your question using our free PICO/PCC framework builder. We then develop a protocol outlining the review's objectives, inclusion criteria, search strategy, and planned data charting methods, held to the same standard as our scoping review protocol development and PROSPERO registration. Protocols can be registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF) or submitted as a protocol paper.
Our information specialist designs a sensitive search covering PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and discipline-specific databases, drawing on our dedicated reproducible search strategy development approach across the population-concept-context (PCC) framework. Grey literature sources (conference proceedings, theses, government reports) are included where appropriate. We use our use our search strategy builder to ensure reproducibility. Titles, abstracts, and full texts are then screened against predefined eligibility criteria; while JBI does not mandate dual-reviewer screening for scoping reviews, we offer it as standard practice to reduce selection bias.
Rather than formal data extraction, scoping reviews use data charting to collect relevant information from each included source. We design charting forms that capture study characteristics, populations, concepts, contexts, methods, and key findings, pilot-tested on the first 5-10 sources and refined iteratively.
Findings are synthesized narratively and presented through tables, diagrams, and evidence maps, with the depth of evidence mapping depending on the breadth of the evidence. We produce:
- Summary tables organized by concept, population, or context
- Evidence gap maps identifying where future research is needed
- Thematic analysis of key findings across the included literature
- PRISMA-ScR flow diagram documenting the study selection process
Use our free PRISMA-ScR checklist tool to see the 22-item reporting standard we follow. The finished manuscript or thesis chapter follows IMRAD structure and is formatted to the specifications of your target journal or university requirements.
