Mapping scoping reviews in neurosurgery: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Evidence Synthesis
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Neurosurgery research is rapidly expanding, necessitating evidence-based practices.
• Scoping reviews are crucial for synthesizing vast amounts of information in evolving fields.
• There's a need to assess the integration of scoping reviews within neurosurgery literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and evaluate the extent of scoping reviews in neurosurgery.
• To pinpoint research gaps and methodological challenges in neurosurgical scoping reviews.
• To enhance evidence-based practices through a comprehensive synthesis of scoping reviews.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the Arksey and O'Malley framework for the scoping review.
• Conducting a comprehensive literature search across Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science.
• Independent data extraction and evaluation by two reviewers.

Main Results:

• A narrative overview of the findings from included scoping reviews will be presented.
• Analysis will focus on the extent, research gaps, and methodological quality.
• Results will highlight areas for improvement in neurosurgical evidence synthesis.

Conclusions:

• This review will provide a comprehensive overview of scoping reviews in neurosurgery.
• Findings will inform future research and improve the quality of evidence-based practice.
• The study addresses the need for better integration of evidence synthesis in neurosurgery.