Any time you search in multiple databases, you will get duplicate results. Keeping track of your numbers before and after deduplication is something you will want to note in your PRISMA diagram. There are many different tools that can help you with this step, but they all have their pros and cons.
Once results have been deduplicated, you will begin the screening process. Use your eligibility criteria to first screen the title and abstracts of your studies and determine whether they are relevant to your research question. Once titles and abstracts have been screened, the full text must be retrieved and screened to definitively decide whether the study fits the eligibility criteria of your synthesis.
It is highly recommended that two independent reviewers screen all studies, resolving areas of disagreement by consensus or by a third party who is an expert in the field. Listed below are tools that can be used for article screening.
Keep track of which eligibility criteria you use to exclude items during full text screening. PRISMA 2020 requires these to be reported in the flow diagram.
Your data analysis for a scoping review might be minimal. Often there will be a narrative synthesis or some simple data charting. While it is not required that you have developed your data extraction form in advance, it is highly advised that you do so. Scoping Review methodology gives you the flexibility to alter this extraction form when you get to the data extraction phase, but knowing in advance what you are looking for limits biased analysis and makes the Scoping Review process go much more smoothly.
Be sure to document the process as you go to include in your manuscript. Both searching and data analysis should be transparent and reproducible in any evidence synthesis methodology. Use your PCC or other research question framework to help you identify the variables relevant for extraction.
Best practice recommends having at least 2 researchers independently analyze the data.
Read more about data analysis in Scoping Reviews from the article below:.