Which statement best differentiates a systematic review from a scoping review?

Which statement best differentiates a systematic review from a scoping review?

• A. Scoping reviews require meta-analysis; systematic reviews do not.
• B. Systematic reviews answer specific questions with critical appraisal; scoping maps breadth.
• C. Systematic reviews are broader and less focused than scoping reviews.
• D. Scoping reviews require full risk of bias assessment; systematic reviews avoid it.

Answer: (B)

Systematic reviews are built around a clearly defined, specific question and use explicit, transparent methods to identify, select, appraise, and synthesize evidence about that question. They aim to produce a precise answer, often with a quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) if the data allow, and include a critical appraisal of the included studies to assess their risk of bias and validity. Scoping reviews, on the other hand, map the breadth and nature of what has been studied on a topic. They chart types of evidence, key concepts, and gaps in the literature rather than answer a single focused question with formal appraisal. Critical appraisal is not typically central to scoping reviews, and they usually don’t perform a meta-analysis. That’s why the statement describing focused questions with critical appraisal for systematic reviews, versus broad mapping of the literature for scoping reviews, is the best differentiator. The other options mix up the roles of meta-analysis, breadth, and risk-of-bias assessment.

Systematic reviews are built around a clearly defined, specific question and use explicit, transparent methods to identify, select, appraise, and synthesize evidence about that question. They aim to produce a precise answer, often with a quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) if the data allow, and include a critical appraisal of the included studies to assess their risk of bias and validity.

Scoping reviews, on the other hand, map the breadth and nature of what has been studied on a topic. They chart types of evidence, key concepts, and gaps in the literature rather than answer a single focused question with formal appraisal. Critical appraisal is not typically central to scoping reviews, and they usually don’t perform a meta-analysis.

That’s why the statement describing focused questions with critical appraisal for systematic reviews, versus broad mapping of the literature for scoping reviews, is the best differentiator. The other options mix up the roles of meta-analysis, breadth, and risk-of-bias assessment.