Automation tools to support undertaking scoping reviews

Khalil, Hanan; Pollock, Danielle; McInerney, Patricia; Evans, Catrin; Moraes, Erica B.; Godfrey, Christina M.; Alexander, Lyndsay; Tricco, Andrea; Peters, Micah D. J.; Pieper, Dawid; Saran, Ashrita; Ameen, Daniel; Taneri, Petek Eylul; Munn, Zachary

Abstract

Objective
This paper describes several automation tools and software that can be considered during evidence synthesis projects and provides guidance for their integration in the conduct of scoping reviews.

Study design and setting
The guidance presented in this work is adapted from the results of a scoping review and consultations with the JBI Scoping Review Methodology group.

Results
This paper describes several reliable, validated automation tools and software that can be used to enhance the conduct of scoping reviews. Developments in the automation of systematic reviews, and more recently scoping reviews, are continuously evolving. We detail several helpful tools in order of the key steps recommended by the JBI’s methodological guidance for undertaking scoping reviews including team establishment, protocol development, searching, de-duplication, screening titles and abstracts, data extraction, data charting, and report writing.

While we include several reliable tools and software that can be used for the automation of scoping reviews, there are some limitations to the tools mentioned. For example, some are available in English only and their lack of integration with other tools results in limited interoperability.

Conclusion
This paper highlighted several useful automation tools and software programs to use in undertaking each step of a scoping review. This guidance has the potential to inform collaborative efforts aiming at the development of evidence informed, integrated automation tools and software packages for enhancing the conduct of high-quality scoping reviews.

Citation

Khalil, H., Pollock, D., McInerney, P., Evans, C., Moraes, E. B., Godfrey, C. M., Alexander, L., Tricco, A., Peters, M. D. J., Pieper, D., Saran, A., Ameen, D., Taneri, P. E., & Munn, Z. (2024). Automation tools to support undertaking scoping reviews. Research Synthesis Methods, 15(6), 839-850. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1731

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 2, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jun 17, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-11
• Deposit Date: Jun 3, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 3, 2024
• Journal: Research Synthesis Methods
• Print ISSN: 1759-2879
• Electronic ISSN: 1759-2887
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 839-850
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1731
• Keywords: methodology, automation tools, scoping reviews, guidance, quality
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/35717996
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jrsm.1731