Reading and writing reviews: A primer on systematic, scoping, and narrative reviews for genetic counselors

For genetic counselors, critiquing and using published literature is crucial to staying at the top of practice, and the ability to critique and use review articles is no exception. Understanding distinct types of reviews and the questions they can answer is therefore an important skill for genetic counselors across practice specialties, professional roles, and experience levels. Additionally, knowing how distinct types of reviews are formally developed and written unlocks opportunities beyond traditional original research studies for genetic counselors to engage as authors in the rigorous academic work and publications needed in our profession. This article aims to help genetic counselors develop a functional understanding of three review types: systematic, scoping, and narrative. Considerations for interpreting and writing these types of reviews are provided, with resources that may serve as a starting point for those interested in going deeper.