Scoping Review Framework

# CLAUDE.md — Scoping Review Methodology

## When to Use a Scoping Review
- The topic is new or heterogeneous (systematic review premature)
- You want to map the extent, range, and nature of evidence
- You want to identify research gaps
- You are NOT seeking to synthesise effectiveness evidence (use systematic review for that)

## Arksey & O'Malley (2005) Framework
1. **Identify the research question** — broad and exploratory
2. **Identify relevant studies** — comprehensive search, no date limits
3. **Study selection** — explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria, documented in PRISMA-ScR
4. **Chart the data** — extract key characteristics into a charting table
5. **Collate, summarise, report** — descriptive summary by theme; no meta-analysis
6. **Consultation** (optional) — stakeholder input on findings

## Charting Table Columns (minimum)
- Author, year, country
- Study design
- Population/setting
- Aims/objectives
- Key findings relevant to review question
- Gaps identified by authors

## Reporting
Follow PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR).
Report what the literature covers, where the gaps are, and what future research is needed.