Decide what type of review is most appropriate for your topic. Systematic reviews are used to answer specific clinical questions. Do you have a clinical question that can be put into the PICO format?
Patient/population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome
Many times research teams are looking for an overview of the existing literature and not answering a specific question. When this is the case a scoping review would be more appropriate. These reviews follow the process and standards are rigorous. They just have a different purpose. Read A Typology of Reviews: An Analysis of 14 Review Types and Associated Methodologies
| Systematic Review | Scoping Review |
|---|
| Focused research question with narrow parameters | Research question(s) often broad |
| Inclusion/exclusion usually defined at outset | Inclusion/exclusion can be developed post hoc |
| Quality filters often applied | Quality not an initial priority |
| Detailed data extraction | May or may not involve data extration |
| Quantitative synthesis often performed | Synthesis more qualitative and typically not quantitative |
| Formally assess the quality of studies and generates a conclusion relating to the focused research question | Used to identify parameters and gaps in a body of literature |
‘Scoping the scope’ of a Cochrane review Journal of Public Health. Volume 33, Issue 1 p. 147-150