Can You Use PRISMA for a Scoping Review?

Is PRISMA Applicable to a Scoping Review?

If you have recently begun your journey on a scoping review, you may have one thing on your mind:

"Is PRISMA applicable to a scoping review?"

The answer is yes, but just the PRISMA checklist isn’t enough. Rather, this is where PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) comes into play. This was created in defense of the reporting quality of scoping reviews, showing that scoping reviews and systematic reviews, when answering a question, are not the same.

Knowing the methods of PRISMA and Scoping Reviews is important in choosing the correct reporting guideline. This will lead to better transparency, a better chance of acceptance by the journal, and reproducibility.

Researchers seeking reliable Academic Assistance can also benefit from understanding these reporting standards before beginning a review.

What is PRISMA?

PRISMA is an acronym for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. This is a global standard of reporting which assists authors in explaining the systematic review they have conducted.

Items of the PRISMA Statement focus on:

1. Strategy for searching the literature
2. Selection of studies
3. Evaluation of bias
4. Extraction of data
5. Reporting of results
6. Discussion with conclusions and limitations

The main aim is to allow readers to understand how evidence was discovered, evaluated, and synthesized.

What is a Scoping Review?

A scoping review is a form of evidence synthesis that aims to map the coverage of literature on a broad subject rather than answer a focused and narrow research question.

Scoping reviews are typically utilized by researchers who wish to:

1. Investigate new fields of research
2. Determine gaps in understanding
3. Assess the abundance of evidence
4. Outline important concepts or terminology
5. Guide the development of systematic reviews

With the exception of special requests, scoping reviews, in contrast to systematic reviews, typically do not assess the quality of included studies' methods, nor do they assess the risk of bias.

PRISMA vs Scoping Review: What's the Difference?

The confusion often arises because PRISMA is a reporting guideline, while a scoping review is a research methodology.

Here's an easy comparison:

PRISMAScoping ReviewReporting guidelineReview methodologyDeveloped for systematic reviewsUsed to map evidenceFocuses on transparent reportingFocuses on exploring literatureOften includes risk of bias assessmentUsually does not assess study qualityStandard PRISMA is not sufficient alonePRISMA-ScR is recommended

So, when discussing PRISMA vs Scoping Review, it's important to remember they are not competing approaches. Instead, they serve different purposes and work together when the correct reporting extension is used.

What is PRISMA-ScR?

PRISMA-ScR was created as an adaptation of PRISMA specifically for scoping reviews.

This extension was implemented because scoping reviews and systematic reviews are not the same. It was developed to cover the specific reporting requirements for evidence mapping studies.

Specifically, PRISMA-ScR enables researchers to report on:

1. Objectives of the review
2. Criteria for inclusion and exclusion
3. Outline of the search strategy
4. Selection procedure
5. Data charting
6. Synthesis of findings
7. Potential weaknesses
8. Final thoughts

PRISMA-ScR documents the review process. The main advantage of PRISMA-ScR is that it increases the level of clarity of the review and helps readers, editors, and reviewers better understand the review process.

Do All Scoping Reviews Need to Use PRISMA-ScR?

Yes, in almost all cases.

Due to the recent popularity of scoping reviews, many journals have started to endorse or mandate the use of PRISMA-ScR, ensuring that reporting follows globally recognized standards.

PRISMA-ScR, as a reporting framework, must be paired with one of the several available scoping review frameworks to describe the scoping review methodology.

What Are Common Mistakes?

First-time researchers often confuse reporting guidelines with research methods. Common mistakes include:

1. Reporting PRISMA as the review methodology.
2. Using the generic PRISMA checklist instead of PRISMA-ScR.
3. Performing a risk-of-bias assessment for all scoping reviews.
4. Not explaining why a scoping review was preferred over a systematic review.
5. Leaving the search strategy or selection procedure vague.

Avoiding these mistakes increases the integrity of your manuscript. In addition, researchers may also benefit from understanding related approaches such as Bibliometric Analysis when evaluating research trends and evidence mapping.

When is a Scoping Review Better than a Systematic Review?

Consider a Scoping Review over a Systematic Review when:

1. The topic is broad.
2. The goal is to recognize what evidence is available rather than compare different types of evidence.
3. The published literature contains various types of research studies.
4. The goal is to identify research trends and gaps.
5. A Systematic Review is planned later, and the scoping review will provide guidance for that review.

A Systematic Review should be considered when the goal is to address a precise research or clinical question and critically evaluate the available evidence.

Conclusion

Comparing the PRISMA Framework and Scoping Review Methodology often causes confusion because each serves a distinct purpose in research.

Scoping Review Methodology helps address broad research questions by mapping existing evidence. The PRISMA Framework improves the quality and transparency of reporting. For scoping reviews, authors should reference PRISMA-ScR.

Guidelines and frameworks improve the quality of reviews while providing confidence to editors, reviewers, and researchers that the literature has been evaluated systematically. Standardized frameworks have enabled researchers to publish high-quality scoping reviews and have increased awareness and use of the PRISMA-ScR Framework.

Common Questions

1. Can I use the standard PRISMA checklist for a scoping review?

You would still be required to cite PRISMA-ScR, which is the framework specifically designed for reporting scoping reviews.

2. Is PRISMA-ScR mandatory for journal publication?

Most journals that publish scoping reviews ask authors to include PRISMA-ScR. Always review the specific journal's submission guidelines before submitting your manuscript.

3. Does a scoping review require a risk-of-bias assessment?

Not usually. Most scoping reviews focus on mapping the available evidence rather than critically assessing study quality, unless the review protocol specifically states that a risk-of-bias assessment will be performed.

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