Methods of Nursing Theory Analysis: A Scoping Review

BackgroundTheory analysis is a vital tool for the development, refinement, and application of theoretical knowledge in the nursing profession. This scoping review aimed to map the methods used, examine the style of reporting analytical stages, and assess the level of execution compliance with claimed methods in the nursing literature.Materials and MethodsThis study was conducted as a scoping review following the five-stage framework of Arksey and O'Malley. The search strategy was developed using the keywords: Theory analysis, Nursing theory and theory development. articles published between 2015 and 2025 were retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. A total of 831 articles were initially identified. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria and content screening relevant to the study's aim, 12 studies were ultimately included. No eligible Persian-language studies using an explicit nursing theory analysis framework were identified during the review period. Data were extracted focusing on the claimed theory analysis method, reporting characteristics (including clarity of aim and stages), and the level of methodological compliance, and analyzed descriptively.ResultsThe findings demonstrated that the frameworks developed by Walker and Avant, Fawcett, and Afaf Meleis were the only theory analysis frameworks identified among the included studies. In most studies, the analytical aim and key stages of the selected framework were explicitly reported, and methodological congruence was observed between the claimed theory analysis method and the procedures reported. In some studies, the analytical framework was presented in an integrated or narrative manner within the text rather than in a separate section. However, when the analytical stages were clearly reported and traceable, this presentation style did not preclude the identification of methodological congruence.ConclusionThe predominance of structured frameworks underscores the importance of established approaches in theory analysis. However, greater transparency is needed, particularly when analytical procedures are not presented in a clearly structured manner. Selection of a theory analysis method should be deliberate and aligned with the purpose of the analysis to strengthen methodological credibility and reproducibility in nursing knowledge production.