Skip to Main Content

Libraries & Cultural Resources

Research Guides

Evidence Synthesis Reviews (Systematic, Scoping, etc.)

This guide provides information and resources for those conducting systematic, scoping and other types of evidence synthesis reviews in all disciplines.

Types of reviews

Systematic vs. Scoping Reviews

Your first task is to decide which type of review to undertake. The two most common evidence synthesis review types are systematic and scoping reviews. 

Reasons to do a systematic review

Reasons to do a scoping review
  • Uncover the international evidence​
  • Confirm current practice/address any variation/identify new practices​
  • Identify and inform areas for future research​
  • Identify and investigate conflicting results​
  • Produce statements to guide decision-making.​
  • Identify the types of available evidence on a topic or question​
  • Describe current policies or practice, clarify key concepts/definitions in the literature​
  • Examine how research is conducted on a certain topic or field​
  • Identify key characteristics or factors related to a concept​
  • Identify and analyse knowledge gaps.​
   
   

From: Munn, Z., Peters, M. D. J., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 18(1), 143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x 

Other types of reviews

While systematic and scoping reviews are the two most common types of evidence synthesis review, people do undertake rapid reviews, mapping reviews, and other types. To learn more about these types, see this guide from the University of Melbourne.

Methods guidance

You should choose a methodological guide to follow for the entire review process. Adherence to guidance will improve the rigour of your review, as well as helping you with information on how to perform each task. The links below are to organizations and resources that offer guidance on review methods.

We recommend the JBI Manual as the most user-friendly, general-purpose guidance on both systematic and scoping reviews in any discipline. The Cochrane Handbook is best for those doing systematic reviews and meta-analyses in clinical medicine, especially of randomized studies. There may be other systematic or scoping review guidance documents in specific disciplines; check with experts in your field.

The following book is a guide for students undertaking systematic reviews. It provides a user-friendly introduction to all stages of the review process.

Libraries & Cultural Resources