Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Objectives: Scoping reviews are often conducted as a precursor to a systematic review (SR), yet guidance on how this relationship should be planned, executed, and reported is limited. We aimed to illustrate, through worked examples, the ways in which scoping reviews can function as precursors to SRs and to derive practical guidance for teams planning linked or sequential syntheses.
Study Design and Setting: We undertook a methodological analysis of eight contemporary evidence synthesis papers and protocols spanning veterinary medicine, animal welfare, public health, mental health, occupational health, and patient and public involvement, identified through the authors’ knowledge of the evidence synthesis literature. Each paired a scoping review with an SR. For every example, we charted the structural relationship between the two reviews and the specific functions performed by the scoping stage.
Results: Across the eight purposively selected examples, four structural configurations were identified: (i) integrated sequential designs reported within a single project or paper; (ii) an antecedent, separately published scoping review whose search and records are inherited and extended by a later SR; (iii) a single “parent” scoping review that seeds several targeted SRs; and (iv) a complementary scoping review run alongside an SR to contextualize sparse evidence. Across configurations, scoping reviews delivered seven recurring functions: feasibility and volume assessment; prioritization of a tractable question; concept and definition clarification; eligibility and appraisal tool decisions; search architecture and a reusable record set; gap identification; and conceptual or logic frameworks to structure synthesis.
Conclusion: Scoping reviews can provide important foundational work for SRs. Drawing on these illustrative examples, we propose a decision framework and reporting recommendations to help teams refine the specific purpose of a scoping review used as a precursor.
Keywords
evidence synthesis, methodology, PRISMA-ScR, research design, scoping review, systematic review
Document Type
Editorial
Date of Publication
12-1-2026
Article Number
112499
E-ISSN
18785921
ISSN
08954356
Volume
200
PubMed ID
42702311
Publication Title
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Khalil, H., Munn, Z., Godfrey, C., Peters, M. D., Davies, E., Campbell, F., Pollock, D., Tricco, A. C., & Pieper, D. (2026). Using scoping reviews as precursors to systematic reviews: A typology and practical guidance derived from eight worked examples. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 200, 112499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2026.112499