Choosing between a scoping review and a systematic review depends largely on the research question and the purpose of the evidence synthesis. A systematic review typically addresses a focused, specific question and uses predefined methods to identify, critically appraise, and synthesize relevant evidence, often to answer questions about effectiveness, diagnosis, or associations. A scoping review, in contrast, is broader and is designed to map the available evidence, clarify key concepts, identify knowledge gaps, and explore how a topic has been studied across different types of evidence. Understanding these differences before starting the review can help researchers select the most appropriate methodology and develop a clear, rigorous, and transparent review protocol.
