title: An Evidence-Based Approach to Scoping Reviews.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Scoping reviews are used to assess the extent of a body of literature on a particular topic, and often to ensure that further research in that area is a beneficial addition to world knowledge. The aim of this paper reports upon the development of a methodology for scoping reviews based upon the Arksey and O'Malley framework, the Levac, Colquhoun, and O'Brien, and the Joanna Briggs Institute methods of evidence synthesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A working group consisting of members of the Joanna Briggs collaborating organizations met to discuss the proposed framework for the methodology and develop a draft for the scoping review methodology based on the Arksey and O'Malley framework and the work of Levac et al. This was followed by a workshop attended by other members of the organizations consisting of 30 international researchers to discuss the proposed methodology. Further refinement of the methodology was undertaken as a result of the feedback received from the workshop.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The development of the methodology focused on five stages of the protocol and review development. These were identifying the research question by clarifying and linking the purpose and research question, identifying the relevant studies using a three-step literature search in order to balance feasibility with breadth and comprehensiveness, careful selection of the studies to using a team approach, charting the data and collating the results to identify the implications of the study findings for policy, practice, or research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current methodology recommends including both quantitative and qualitative research, as well as evidence from economic and expert opinion sources to answer questions of effectiveness, appropriateness, meaningfulness and feasibility of health practices and delivery methods. The proposed framework has the potential to provide options when faced with complex concepts or broad research questions.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacist Academic, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Rural Health, Monash University, Moe, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.affiliation: Research Fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Translational Sciences, The Joanna Briggs Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Micah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Scientific Director/Methodologist, Queen's Joanna Briggs Collaboration, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, The Wits-JBI Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McInerney
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, The Brazilian Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare, School of Nursing, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cassia Baldini
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Evidence-Based Community Care, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*; D000098584:Scoping Reviews as Topic
keywords: Application of theory; International health∕Global health; Metaanalysis∕Data pooling; Outcome evaluation; Research Methods; Theory; reviews; scoping