"Scoping reviews are a type of evidence synthesis that aims to systematically identify and map the breadth of evidence available on a particular topic, field, concept, or issue, often irrespective of source (ie, primary research, reviews, non-empirical evidence) within or across particular contexts. Scoping reviews can clarify key concepts/definitions in the literature and identify key characteristics or factors related to a concept, including those related to methodological research."
A protocol describes the rationale, hypothesis, and planned methods of a review. It should be prepared at the beginning and used as a guide to carry out the review.
Here are some protocol templates/guidance developed specifically for scoping reviews:
Despite PRISMA not having a scoping review protocol guide, many people use the PRISMA for Systematic Review Protocols as their guide for writing a scoping review protocol.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Generic License.