In this presentation, Prof Ejaz Khan explains the methodological differences between a Systematic Review and a Scooping Review

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCOPING
REVIEWS AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
Prof Dr Ejaz Ahmad Khan
Introduction
Introduction
■ Welcome to the presentation on the differences between systematic reviews and
scoping reviews.
■ In this presentation, we will explore the key distinctions between these two types of
literature review methodologies.

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Systematic reviews
Systematic reviews
■ Systematic reviews are comprehensive,
rigorous reviews of existing literature that
follow a structured methodology to answer
a specific research question.
– They involve systematic search,
selection, appraisal, synthesis, and
analysis of relevant studies.
■ Key Characteristics
– Clear research question or objective.
– Explicit and predefined inclusion
and exclusion criteria.
– Comprehensive search across
various databases.
– Rigorous quality assessment of
included studies.
– Meta-analysis for quantitative data
synthesis, if applicable.
– Aim to provide an evidence-based
conclusion to a specific question.
Scoping Reviews
Scoping Reviews
■ Scoping reviews are broader exploratory
reviews that map the existing literature
landscape around a particular topic or
research area.
■ They aim to identify the extent, range, and
nature of existing research on a topic, often
to inform future research directions.
■ Key Characteristics
– Broad research question or objective.
– Inclusion criteria are more flexible,
allowing for a wider range of study
types.
– Comprehensive search but may not be
as exhaustive as systematic reviews.
– No formal quality assessment or meta-
analysis; focus on summarizing
findings.
– Identifying gaps, key concepts, and
research trends in the literature.
– Useful for identifying areas that need
further investigation.

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Purpose and Goals
Purpose and Goals
■ Systematic Reviews
– Focus on addressing a specific
research question or
hypothesis.
– Aim to provide a definitive
answer based on existing
evidence.
– Often used to inform clinical or
policy decisions.
■ Scoping Reviews
– Aim to provide an overview of
existing literature without
necessarily answering a
specific question.
– Help in identifying gaps,
challenges, and potential
avenues for future research.
– Useful for defining the scope
of a complex or emerging
topic.
Search and Selection
Search and Selection
■ Systematic Reviews
– Highly structured search
strategy with predefined
keywords and criteria.
– Thorough selection process
based on strict inclusion and
exclusion criteria.
– Minimize bias through
transparent and replicable
methods.
■ Scoping Reviews
– More flexible search strategy
to capture a wide range of
studies.
– Inclusion criteria may evolve as
the review progresses.
– Focus on inclusiveness rather
than rigorous selection

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Data Synthesis
Data Synthesis
■ Systematic Reviews
– Quantitative data synthesis
(meta-analysis) if appropriate.
– Summary of findings often
presented in tables and
figures.
– Statistical methods used to
combine data from individual
studies.
■ Scoping Reviews
– Qualitative synthesis of
findings.
– Summarize and categorize
results without statistical
analysis.
– Focus on presenting a
descriptive overview of the
literature.
Comparison among Literature Reviews, Scoping Reviews and
Systematic Reviews
Comparison among Literature Reviews, Scoping Reviews and
Systematic Reviews

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