Background Systematic reviews have been considered as the pillar on which evidence-
based healthcare rests. Systematic review methodology has evolved and been modified
over the years to accommodate the range of questions that may arise in the health and
medical sciences. This paper explores a concept still rarely considered by novice authors
and in the literature: determining the type of systematic review to undertake based on a
research question or priority. Results Within the framework of the evidence-based�…

Background Scoping reviews are a relatively new approach to evidence synthesis and
currently there exists little guidance regarding the decision to choose between a systematic
review or scoping review approach when synthesising evidence. The purpose of this article
is to clearly describe the differences in indications between scoping reviews and systematic
reviews and to provide guidance for when a scoping review is (and is not) appropriate.
Results Researchers may conduct scoping reviews instead of systematic reviews where the�…