title: Using scoping literature reviews as a means of understanding and interpreting existing literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article compares and contrasts scoping literature reviews with other established methods for understanding and interpreting extant research literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptions of the key principles and applications of scoping reviews are illustrated with examples from contemporary publications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Scoping reviews are presented as an efficient way of identifying themes and trends in high-volume areas of scientific inquiry.
authors.affiliation: College of Education, Health, and Human Services, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242-0001, USA. prumrill@kent.edu
authors.forename: Phillip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Rumrill
authors.forename: Shawn M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Merchant
mesh_terms: D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D012107:Research Design; D000098584:Scoping Reviews as Topic