Once you have completed you analysis, you will want to both summarize and synthesize those results. You may have a qualitative synthesis, a quantitative synthesis, or both.
Qualitative Synthesis
This is a narrative approach for putting the pieces together into a coherent whole. In a qualitative synthesis, you will summarize, compare, and contrast the characteristics and findings, exploring the relationships between then. Further, you will discuss the relevance and applicability of the evidence to your research question. You will also analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the body of evidence. Focus on where the gaps are in the evidence and provide recommendations for further research.
Quantitative Synthesis
While scoping reviews do not often have the robust level of meta-analysis that other reviews may include, there is often an element of data charting or mapping. The quantitative synthesis combines and analyzes the evidence using statistical techniques. This includes comparing methodological similarities and differences and potentially the quality of the studies conducted.
