HDFS 6003 – Small Scale Scoping Review Instructions
Multiple Due Dates (see syllabus for exact dates)
What? Students will complete an original small-scale scoping review of relevant individual studies that address a topic that can be framed as a lifespan developmental issue.
What is a small-scale scoping review (SSSR)? An SSSR is a scaled-down version of a Scoping Review or a “study of studies.” The purpose of a Scoping Review is to examine an exploratory question that seeks to identify, clarify, or map what is known about a field or topic. Specifically, a Scoping Review may do one of the following:
- Identify and categorize the type of evidence that has been produced in studies about a particular topic of field
- Clarify how key concepts are defined/operationalized or measured in existing published studies
- Examine the kinds of research designs or methodologies that have been used to study a particular topic
- Identify, categorize, or synthesize the gaps in knowledge after reviewing the available research studies
The SSSR should stand alone, meaning it should be guided by an inquiry question, similar to a research question that justifies the systematic analysis of a set of published empirical studies. It is systematic (or systematic “like”) because it employs clear and articulated methodology for the preselection of articles and for the type of synthesis applied.
What does scaled-down mean? Unlike a full scale scoping review published in a peer-reviewed journal, you will not conduct an exhaustive search and synthesis, as that would require a longer-term investment (i.e., 6 months to one year). Published scoping reviews often utilize between 20 and 300 articles. You are required to identify a combined total of 10 peer-reviewed empirical articles for your SSSR. It is important that these articles be original research studies (primary or secondary data are acceptable), of high quality, and NOT literature reviews or conceptual papers. Dissertations are not allowed. Conceptual or theoretical articles may be used if they contribute something unique, but these may not count toward your 10 articles.
Guiding Questions? This is similar to a research question and functions as the purpose or aim of your “study of studies.” While you will select your own topic of choice, the SSSR should be guided by the following questions:
- What is known about the topic as reflected in recent/emerging scholarship (i.e., the last 10 years)?
- What theory/theories have been used to frame the recent scholarship?
- Have critical/deconstructivist/emancipatory frameworks been used to examine the topic? If so, what have these studies revealed about the topic? OR How can critical/deconstructivist/emancipatory frameworks be used to examine this topic?
The systematic part? You will need to document the steps you took to search for articles, including the exact keywords and/or Boolean phrases, the databases searched, the inclusion criteria used (e.g., no literature reviews, nothing before 2012, the type of sample or methods, written in English, etc.), and the timeframe in which the search was conducted (e.g., February 2022). You will also need to include a description of your appraisal methods, such as whether you read the abstracts only before paring down your selection, how you checked for redundancy, and how/who reviewed the entire articles to ensure they met your inclusion criteria. If you started with 30 abstracts, you’ll want to clearly explain how you arrived at your final selection of 10 articles.
What about the analysis/synthesis? You will be integrating and/or comparing findings from various research studies in a manner appropriate for your inquiry question. This may involve a content analysis or a qualitative approach where you search for themes or patterns in the findings across and within individual studies. It may also involve grouping the articles into relevant categories and synthesizing the findings across individual categories. The SSSR is NOT a meta-analysis requiring you to conduct a numerical or statistical analysis of effect sizes across studies that used the same measure or outcome variable.
What else? You will still need a “light” literature review in your introduction (see the example articles in Canvas). Since you are leading up to an Inquiry Question, you still need to establish the rationale for your study of studies. For example, if you are examining how Elder’s life-course theory has been used in studies of LGBTQ couples over the age of 70, then you will need to establish why a scoping review is necessary. Are the findings in extant literature inconclusive and mixed? Are you finding that researchers are describing psychological processes in elderly adults without any reference to changes across the lifespan? The light literature review will fold into your introduction and establish the problem statement.
What resources are available? I have posted several sample papers in our Canvas shell for you to peruse. Throughout the semester, you will be assigned supplementary readings that include scoping reviews to use as content for class exercises/activities. I have also posted links to various websites and institutional library guides (aka libguides) below for you to access. Andy Tucker, the TWU librarian assigned to HDFS courses has offered to assist with database searches if needed. Additionally, the TWU writing center offers free writing support, including help with organization, editing, and APA formatting.
You are asked to locate at least 10 development-focused peer-reviewed empirical journal articles (published within the last 10 years) on your topic and write an 10-12 page (excluding cover page and references) double-spaced integrated review of the articles you’ve selected. The paper should follow APA 7th edition format and include the following sections:
- Abstract – not required
- Introduction including a problem statement, rationale for your inquiry, the objective/purpose of the review, and the guiding theoretical framework
- Methods including article selection methodology, databases and Boolean search terms used, synthesizing strategy)
- Synthesis results by topic or theme, gaps in the research.
- Implications and limitations
- Conclusion – very brief
- APA 7th edition format (student paper)
The SSSR will be broken up into smaller tasks including: (a) a conceptual narrative describing the topic of interest and how it has been framed from a lifespan perspective; (b) identification of 10 empirical articles to be used for the scoping review and synthesis; (c) a literature table that summarizes the main elements of each empirical article; and (d) the final SSSR paper. A grading rubric will be applied to the final paper only.
**The SSSR assignment is broken down into the following tasks:
- 2-3 page Conceptual Narrative 25
- ID of 10 empirical articles 25
- Literature table 50
- Final SSSR paper 100 (rubric for final draft will be provided)
Links:
TWU Library Libguide:
https://libguides.twu.edu/c.php?g=270192&p=1803136
Michigan State University Research Library Libguide: https://libguides.lib.msu.edu/c.php?g=865608&p=6209401
Charles Sturt University Libguide:
Additional Resources
Grant, M. & Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 26, 91-108. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x.
Scoping vs Systematic vs. Integrative: https://guides.library.duq.edu/c.php?g=1055475&p=7725920
