Dear all,
One of my PhD students is doing a scoping review. Based on several inclusion/exclusion criteria, she searched different databases, which led to a number of publications. Strangely enough, despite the keywords, several publications (referred to in another paper addressing a similar topic) did not appear in the list of retrieved publications.
Can she add them (n = 17) to the sample for the scoping review (they concur with the inclusion criteria)?
Thanks!
Luc
Dear Luc,
Yes, your PhD student can include the 17 publications in the scoping review if they meet the inclusion criteria. This situation often arises in scoping reviews and is typically addressed through manual or supplementary searching methods, such as reviewing reference lists of relevant papers. This approach is a recognized practice in ensuring a comprehensive review.
Here’s how she can proceed:
Including these papers will strengthen the comprehensiveness of the review while adhering to best practices. Let me know if further clarification is needed!
Best regards, Puthachad Namwaing
Yes it is considered standard to review the reference lists of other studies/ previous systematic reviews for potential inclusion.
It is important to consider why your search terms have not identified these articles, they may not be sufficiently broad, and it raises questions about whether your search strategy is sufficiently optimised. I would recommend to seek the help of a librarian to understand why your searches have not identified these papers- they may suggest broader, more expansive search terms and/or the use of additional databases.
yes. It is standard to search in more than one place unless you established a criterion that only one source will be searched. You just have to say how you conducted the research, your sources etc. as with Mr Stockdale's response, maybe you need to search more or different databases or modify your terms.
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