literature review and research definition

University of Texas Libraries

Literature Reviews

What is a literature review?
Steps in the Literature Review Process
Define your research question
Determine inclusion and exclusion criteria
Choose databases and search
Review Results
Synthesize Results
Analyze Results
Librarian Support

What is a Literature Review?

A literature or narrative review is a comprehensive review and analysis of the published literature on a specific topic or research question. The literature that is reviewed contains: books, articles, academic articles, conference proceedings, association papers, and dissertations. It contains the most pertinent studies and points to important past and current research and practices. It provides background and context, and shows how your research will contribute to the field.

A literature review should:

Provide a comprehensive and updated review of the literature;
Explain why this review has taken place;
Articulate a position or hypothesis;
Acknowledge and account for conflicting and corroborating points of view

From S age Research Methods

Purpose of a Literature Review

A literature review can be written as an introduction to a study to:

Demonstrate how a study fills a gap in research
Compare a study with other research that's been done

Or it can be a separate work (a research article on its own) which:

Organizes or describes a topic
Describes variables within a particular issue/problem

Limitations of a Literature Review

Some of the limitations of a literature review are:

It's a snapshot in time. Unlike other reviews, this one has beginning, a middle and an end. There may be future developments that could make your work less relevant.
It may be too focused. Some niche studies may miss the bigger picture.
It can be difficult to be comprehensive. There is no way to make sure all the literature on a topic was considered.
It is easy to be biased if you stick to top tier journals. There may be other places where people are publishing exemplary research. Look to open access publications and conferences to reflect a more inclusive collection. Also, make sure to include opposing views (and not just supporting evidence).

Source: Grant, Maria J., and Andrew Booth. “A Typology of Reviews: An Analysis of 14 Review Types and Associated Methodologies.” Health Information & Libraries Journal, vol. 26, no. 2, June 2009, pp. 91–108. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x.

Meryl Brodsky : Communication and Information Studies

Hannah Chapman Tripp : Biology, Neuroscience

Carolyn Cunningham : Human Development & Family Sciences, Psychology, Sociology

Larayne Dallas : Engineering

Janelle Hedstrom : Special Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Ed Leadership & Policy

Susan Macicak : Linguistics

Imelda Vetter : Dell Medical School

For help in other subject areas, please see the guide to library specialists by subject .

Periodically, UT Libraries runs a workshop covering the basics and library support for literature reviews. While we try to offer these once per academic year, we find providing the recording to be helpful to community members who have missed the session. Following is the most recent recording of the workshop, Conducting a Literature Review. To view the recording, a UT login is required.

October 26, 2022 recording
Last Updated: Oct 26, 2022 2:49 PM
URL: https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/literaturereviews

Libraries | Research Guides

Literature reviews, what is a literature review, learning more about how to do a literature review.

Planning the Review
The Research Question
Choosing Where to Search
Organizing the Review
Writing the Review

A literature review is a review and synthesis of existing research on a topic or research question. A literature review is meant to analyze the scholarly literature, make connections across writings and identify strengths, weaknesses, trends, and missing conversations. A literature review should address different aspects of a topic as it relates to your research question. A literature review goes beyond a description or summary of the literature you have read.

Sage Research Methods Core Collection This link opens in a new window SAGE Research Methods supports research at all levels by providing material to guide users through every step of the research process. SAGE Research Methods is the ultimate methods library with more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos by world-leading academics from across the social sciences, including the largest collection of qualitative methods books available online from any scholarly publisher. – Publisher

Next: Planning the Review >>
Last Updated: Jan 17, 2024 10:05 AM
URL: https://libguides.northwestern.edu/literaturereviews

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing a Literature Review

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say “literature review” or refer to “the literature,” we are talking about the research ( scholarship ) in a given field. You will often see the terms “the research,” “the scholarship,” and “the literature” used mostly interchangeably.

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

There are a number of different situations where you might write a literature review, each with slightly different expectations; different disciplines, too, have field-specific expectations for what a literature review is and does. For instance, in the humanities, authors might include more overt argumentation and interpretation of source material in their literature reviews, whereas in the sciences, authors are more likely to report study designs and results in their literature reviews; these differences reflect these disciplines’ purposes and conventions in scholarship. You should always look at examples from your own discipline and talk to professors or mentors in your field to be sure you understand your discipline’s conventions, for literature reviews as well as for any other genre.

A literature review can be a part of a research paper or scholarly article, usually falling after the introduction and before the research methods sections. In these cases, the lit review just needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about; sometimes it will also cover key sources that informed your research methodology.

Lit reviews can also be standalone pieces, either as assignments in a class or as publications. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research. As a publication, a lit review usually is meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing existing research on a topic. This can be especially helpful for students or scholars getting into a new research area, or for directing an entire community of scholars toward questions that have not yet been answered.

What are the parts of a lit review?

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)
Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
Connect it back to your primary research question

How should I organize my lit review?

Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review. Here are some examples:

Chronological : The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).
Thematic : If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
Qualitative versus quantitative research
Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
Theoretical : In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research.

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources .

As you’re doing your research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any other stakeholders in your topic.

Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Many student writers struggle to synthesize because they feel they don’t have anything to add to the scholars they are citing; here are some strategies to help you:

It often helps to remember that the point of these kinds of syntheses is to show your readers how you understand your research, to help them read the rest of your paper.
Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. What are they saying to each other?
Look at the in-text citations in each paragraph. Are you citing just one source for each paragraph? This usually indicates summary only. When you have multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but often
Read more about synthesis here.

The most interesting literature reviews are often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-specific and doesn’t work for all situations). Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking (mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well). In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources.

UConn Library
Literature Review: The What, Why and How-to Guide
Introduction

Literature Review: The What, Why and How-to Guide — Introduction

Getting Started
How to Pick a Topic
Strategies to Find Sources
Evaluating Sources & Lit. Reviews
Tips for Writing Literature Reviews
Writing Literature Review: Useful Sites
Citation Resources
Other Academic Writings

What are Literature Reviews?

So, what is a literature review? "A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. As a piece of writing, the literature review must be defined by a guiding concept (e.g., your research objective, the problem or issue you are discussing, or your argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the material available, or a set of summaries." Taylor, D. The literature review: A few tips on conducting it . University of Toronto Health Sciences Writing Centre.

Goals of Literature Reviews

What are the goals of creating a Literature Review? A literature could be written to accomplish different aims:

To develop a theory or evaluate an existing theory
To summarize the historical or existing state of a research topic
Identify a problem in a field of research

Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1997). Writing narrative literature reviews . Review of General Psychology , 1 (3), 311-320.

What kinds of sources require a Literature Review?

A research paper assigned in a course
A thesis or dissertation
A grant proposal
An article intended for publication in a journal

All these instances require you to collect what has been written about your research topic so that you can demonstrate how your own research sheds new light on the topic.

Types of Literature Reviews

What kinds of literature reviews are written?

Narrative review: The purpose of this type of review is to describe the current state of the research on a specific topic/research and to offer a critical analysis of the literature reviewed. Studies are grouped by research/theoretical categories, and themes and trends, strengths and weakness, and gaps are identified. The review ends with a conclusion section which summarizes the findings regarding the state of the research of the specific study, the gaps identify and if applicable, explains how the author's research will address gaps identify in the review and expand the knowledge on the topic reviewed.

Example : Predictors and Outcomes of U.S. Quality Maternity Leave: A Review and Conceptual Framework: 10.1177/08948453211037398

Systematic review : "The authors of a systematic review use a specific procedure to search the research literature, select the studies to include in their review, and critically evaluate the studies they find." (p. 139). Nelson, L. K. (2013). Research in Communication Sciences and Disorders . Plural Publishing.

Example : The effect of leave policies on increasing fertility: a systematic review: 10.1057/s41599-022-01270-w

Meta-analysis : "Meta-analysis is a method of reviewing research findings in a quantitative fashion by transforming the data from individual studies into what is called an effect size and then pooling and analyzing this information. The basic goal in meta-analysis is to explain why different outcomes have occurred in different studies." (p. 197). Roberts, M. C., & Ilardi, S. S. (2003). Handbook of Research Methods in Clinical Psychology . Blackwell Publishing.

Example : Employment Instability and Fertility in Europe: A Meta-Analysis: 10.1215/00703370-9164737

Meta-synthesis : "Qualitative meta-synthesis is a type of qualitative study that uses as data the findings from other qualitative studies linked by the same or related topic." (p.312). Zimmer, L. (2006). Qualitative meta-synthesis: A question of dialoguing with texts . Journal of Advanced Nursing , 53 (3), 311-318.

Example : Women’s perspectives on career successes and barriers: A qualitative meta-synthesis: 10.1177/05390184221113735

Literature Reviews in the Health Sciences

UConn Health subject guide on systematic reviews Explanation of the different review types used in health sciences literature as well as tools to help you find the right review type
<< Previous: Getting Started
Next: How to Pick a Topic >>
Last Updated: Sep 21, 2022 2:16 PM
URL: https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/literaturereview

Maps & Floorplans
Libraries A-Z

Ellis Library (main)
Engineering Library
Geological Sciences
Journalism Library
Law Library
Mathematical Sciences
MU Digital Collections
Veterinary Medical
More Libraries...
Instructional Services
Course Reserves
Course Guides
Schedule a Library Class
Class Assessment Forms
Recordings & Tutorials
Research & Writing Help
More class resources
Places to Study
Borrow, Request & Renew
Call Numbers
Computers, Printers, Scanners & Software
Digital Media Lab
Equipment Lending: Laptops, cameras, etc.
Subject Librarians
Writing Tutors
More In the Library...
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Faculty & Staff
Researcher Support
Distance Learners
International Students
More Services for...
View my MU Libraries Account (login & click on My Library Account)
View my MOBIUS Checkouts
Renew my Books (login & click on My Loans)
Place a Hold on a Book
Request Books from Depository
View my ILL@MU Account
Set Up Alerts in Databases
More Account Information...

Introduction to Literature Reviews

Introduction.

Step One: Define
Step Two: Research
Step Three: Write
Suggested Readings

A literature review is a written work that :

Compiles significant research published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers;
Surveys scholarly articles, books, dissertations, conference proceedings, and other sources;
Examines contrasting perspectives, theoretical approaches, methodologies, findings, results, conclusions.
Reviews critically, analyzes, and synthesizes existing research on a topic; and,
Performs a thorough “re” view, “overview”, or “look again” of past and current works on a subject, issue, or theory.

From these analyses, the writer then offers an overview of the current status of a particular area of knowledge from both a practical and theoretical perspective.

Literature reviews are important because they are usually a required step in a thesis proposal (Master's or PhD). The proposal will not be well-supported without a literature review. Also, literature reviews are important because they help you learn important authors and ideas in your field. This is useful for your coursework and your writing. Knowing key authors also helps you become acquainted with other researchers in your field.

Look at this diagram and imagine that your research is the "something new." This shows how your research should relate to major works and other sources.

Olivia Whitfield | Graduate Reference Assistant | 2012-2015

Next: Step One: Define >>
Last Updated: Jun 28, 2023 5:49 PM
URL: https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/literaturereview

Reference management. Clean and simple.

What is a literature review? [with examples]

What is a literature review?

The purpose of a literature review, how to write a literature review, the format of a literature review, general formatting rules, the length of a literature review, literature review examples, frequently asked questions about literature reviews, related articles.

A literature review is an assessment of the sources in a chosen topic of research.

In a literature review, you’re expected to report on the existing scholarly conversation, without adding new contributions.

If you are currently writing one, you've come to the right place. In the following paragraphs, we will explain:

the objective of a literature review
how to write a literature review
the basic format of a literature review

Tip: It’s not always mandatory to add a literature review in a paper. Theses and dissertations often include them, whereas research papers may not. Make sure to consult with your instructor for exact requirements.

The four main objectives of a literature review are:

Studying the references of your research area
Summarizing the main arguments
Identifying current gaps, stances, and issues
Presenting all of the above in a text

Ultimately, the main goal of a literature review is to provide the researcher with sufficient knowledge about the topic in question so that they can eventually make an intervention.

The format of a literature review is fairly standard. It includes an:

introduction that briefly introduces the main topic
body that includes the main discussion of the key arguments
conclusion that highlights the gaps and issues of the literature

➡️ Take a look at our guide on how to write a literature review to learn more about how to structure a literature review.

First of all, a literature review should have its own labeled section. You should indicate clearly in the table of contents where the literature can be found, and you should label this section as “Literature Review.”

➡️ For more information on writing a thesis, visit our guide on how to structure a thesis .

There is no set amount of words for a literature review, so the length depends on the research. If you are working with a large amount of sources, it will be long. If your paper does not depend entirely on references, it will be short.

Take a look at these three theses featuring great literature reviews:

School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist's Perceptions of Sensory Food Aversions in Children [ PDF , see page 20]
Who's Writing What We Read: Authorship in Criminological Research [ PDF , see page 4]
A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Online Instructors of Theological Reflection at Christian Institutions Accredited by the Association of Theological Schools [ PDF , see page 56]

Literature reviews are most commonly found in theses and dissertations. However, you find them in research papers as well.

There is no set amount of words for a literature review, so the length depends on the research. If you are working with a large amount of sources, then it will be long. If your paper does not depend entirely on references, then it will be short.

No. A literature review should have its own independent section. You should indicate clearly in the table of contents where the literature review can be found, and label this section as “Literature Review.”

The main goal of a literature review is to provide the researcher with sufficient knowledge about the topic in question so that they can eventually make an intervention.

University of Oregon Libraries
Research Guides

How to Write a Literature Review

What's a literature review.

Literature Reviews: A Recap
Reading Journal Articles
Does it Describe a Literature Review?
1. Identify the Question
2. Review Discipline Styles
Searching Article Databases
Finding Full-Text of an Article
Citation Chaining
When to Stop Searching
4. Manage Your References
5. Critically Analyze and Evaluate
6. Synthesize
7. Write a Literature Review

What's a Literature Review?

A literature review (or "lit review," for short) is an in-depth critical analysis of published scholarly research related to a specific topic. Published scholarly research (aka, "the literature") may include journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations and thesis, or conference proceedings.

A solid lit review must:

be organized around and related directly to the thesis or research question you're developing
synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known
identify areas of controversy in the literature
formulate questions that need further research

<< Previous: Start
Next: Literature Reviews: A Recap >>
Last Updated: Jan 10, 2024 4:46 PM
URL: https://researchguides.uoregon.edu/litreview

1501 Kincaid Street Eugene, OR 97403 P: 541-346-3053 F: 541-346-3485

Visit us on Facebook
Visit us on Twitter
Visit us on Youtube
Visit us on Instagram
Report a Concern
Nondiscrimination and Title IX
Accessibility
Privacy Policy
Find People

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

What is a literature review?

A literature review is a critical analysis of the literature related to your research topic. It evaluates and critiques the literature to establish a theoretical framework for your research topic and/or identify a gap in the existing research that your research will address.

A literature review is not a summary of the literature. You need to engage deeply and critically with the literature. Your literature review should show your understanding of the literature related to your research topic and lead to presenting a rationale for your research.

A literature review focuses on:

the context of the topic
key concepts, ideas, theories and methodologies
key researchers, texts and seminal works
major issues and debates
identifying conflicting evidence
the main questions that have been asked around the topic
the organisation of knowledge on the topic
definitions, particularly those that are contested
showing how your research will advance scholarly knowledge (generally referred to as identifying the ‘gap’).

This module will guide you through the functions of a literature review; the typical process of conducting a literature review (including searching for literature and taking notes); structuring your literature review within your thesis and organising its internal ideas; and styling the language of your literature review.

The purposes of a literature review

A literature review serves two main purposes:

1) To show awareness of the present state of knowledge in a particular field, including:

seminal authors
the main empirical research
theoretical positions
controversies
breakthroughs as well as links to other related areas of knowledge.

2) To provide a foundation for the author’s research. To do that, the literature review needs to:

help the researcher define a hypothesis or a research question, and how answering the question will contribute to the body of knowledge;
provide a rationale for investigating the problem and the selected methodology;
provide a particular theoretical lens, support the argument, or identify gaps.

Before you engage further with this module, try the quiz below to see how much you already know about literature reviews.

Research and Writing Skills for Academic and Graduate Researchers Copyright © 2022 by RMIT University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

University Libraries

Literature review.

What is a Literature Review?
What is Its Purpose?
1. Select a Topic
2. Set the Topic in Context
3. Types of Information Sources
4. Use Information Sources
5. Get the Information
6. Organize / Manage the Information
7. Position the Literature Review
8. Write the Literature Review

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of research. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous research. It should give a theoretical base for the research and help you (the author) determine the nature of your research. The literature review acknowledges the work of previous researchers, and in so doing, assures the reader that your work has been well conceived. It is assumed that by mentioning a previous work in the field of study, that the author has read, evaluated, and assimiliated that work into the work at hand.

A literature review creates a "landscape" for the reader, giving her or him a full understanding of the developments in the field. This landscape informs the reader that the author has indeed assimilated all (or the vast majority of) previous, significant works in the field into her or his research.

"In writing the literature review, the purpose is to convey to the reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. The literature review must be defined by a guiding concept (eg. your research objective, the problem or issue you are discussing, or your argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the material available, or a set of summaries.( http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/literature-review )

How to Subscribe

Free Trials

In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Literature Reviews

Introduction, what is a literature review.

Literature Reviews for Thesis or Dissertation
Stand-alone and Systemic Reviews
Purposes of a Literature Review
Texts on Conducting a Literature Review
Identifying the Research Topic
The Persuasive Argument
Searching the Literature
Creating a Synthesis
Critiquing the Literature
Building the Case for the Literature Review Document
Presenting the Literature Review

Other Subject Areas

Forthcoming articles expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section.

English as an International Language for Academic Publishing
Girls' Education in the Developing World
History of Education in Europe
Find more forthcoming articles...
Export Citations
Share This Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Literature Reviews by Lawrence A. Machi , Brenda T. McEvoy LAST REVIEWED: 27 October 2016 LAST MODIFIED: 27 October 2016 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0169

Literature reviews play a foundational role in the development and execution of a research project. They provide access to the academic conversation surrounding the topic of the proposed study. By engaging in this scholarly exercise, the researcher is able to learn and to share knowledge about the topic. The literature review acts as the springboard for new research, in that it lays out a logically argued case, founded on a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge about the topic. The case produced provides the justification for the research question or problem of a proposed study, and the methodological scheme best suited to conduct the research. It can also be a research project in itself, arguing policy or practice implementation, based on a comprehensive analysis of the research in a field. The term literature review can refer to the output or the product of a review. It can also refer to the process of Conducting a Literature Review . Novice researchers, when attempting their first research projects, tend to ask two questions: What is a Literature Review? How do you do one? While this annotated bibliography is neither definitive nor exhaustive in its treatment of the subject, it is designed to provide a beginning researcher, who is pursuing an academic degree, an entry point for answering the two previous questions. The article is divided into two parts. The first four sections of the article provide a general overview of the topic. They address definitions, types, purposes, and processes for doing a literature review. The second part presents the process and procedures for doing a literature review. Arranged in a sequential fashion, the remaining eight sections provide references addressing each step of the literature review process. References included in this article were selected based on their ability to assist the beginning researcher. Additionally, the authors attempted to include texts from various disciplines in social science to present various points of view on the subject.

Novice researchers often have a misguided perception of how to do a literature review and what the document should contain. Literature reviews are not narrative annotated bibliographies nor book reports (see Bruce 1994 ). Their form, function, and outcomes vary, due to how they depend on the research question, the standards and criteria of the academic discipline, and the orthodoxies of the research community charged with the research. The term literature review can refer to the process of doing a review as well as the product resulting from conducting a review. The product resulting from reviewing the literature is the concern of this section. Literature reviews for research studies at the master’s and doctoral levels have various definitions. Machi and McEvoy 2016 presents a general definition of a literature review. Lambert 2012 defines a literature review as a critical analysis of what is known about the study topic, the themes related to it, and the various perspectives expressed regarding the topic. Fink 2010 defines a literature review as a systematic review of existing body of data that identifies, evaluates, and synthesizes for explicit presentation. Jesson, et al. 2011 defines the literature review as a critical description and appraisal of a topic. Hart 1998 sees the literature review as producing two products: the presentation of information, ideas, data, and evidence to express viewpoints on the nature of the topic, as well as how it is to be investigated. When considering literature reviews beyond the novice level, Ridley 2012 defines and differentiates the systematic review from literature reviews associated with primary research conducted in academic degree programs of study, including stand-alone literature reviews. Cooper 1998 states the product of literature review is dependent on the research study’s goal and focus, and defines synthesis reviews as literature reviews that seek to summarize and draw conclusions from past empirical research to determine what issues have yet to be resolved. Theoretical reviews compare and contrast the predictive ability of theories that explain the phenomenon, arguing which theory holds the most validity in describing the nature of that phenomenon. Grant and Booth 2009 identified fourteen types of reviews used in both degree granting and advanced research projects, describing their attributes and methodologies.

Bruce, Christine Susan. 1994. Research students’ early experiences of the dissertation literature review. Studies in Higher Education 19.2: 217–229.

DOI: 10.1080/03075079412331382057

A phenomenological analysis was conducted with forty-one neophyte research scholars. The responses to the questions, “What do you mean when you use the words literature review?” and “What is the meaning of a literature review for your research?” identified six concepts. The results conclude that doing a literature review is a problem area for students.

Cooper, Harris. 1998. Synthesizing research . Vol. 2. 3d ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

The introductory chapter of this text provides a cogent explanation of Cooper’s understanding of literature reviews. Chapter 4 presents a comprehensive discussion of the synthesis review. Chapter 5 discusses meta-analysis and depth.

Fink, Arlene. 2010. Conducting research literature reviews: From the Internet to paper . 3d ed. Los Angeles: SAGE.

The first chapter of this text (pp. 1–16) provides a short but clear discussion of what a literature review is in reference to its application to a broad range of social sciences disciplines and their related professions.

Grant, Maria J., and Andrew Booth. 2009. A typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal 26.2: 91–108. Print.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x

This article reports a scoping review that was conducted using the “Search, Appraisal, Synthesis, and Analysis” (SALSA) framework. Fourteen literature review types and associated methodology make up the resulting typology. Each type is described by its key characteristics and analyzed for its strengths and weaknesses.

Hart, Chris. 1998. Doing a literature review: Releasing the social science research imagination . London: SAGE.

Chapter 1 of this text explains Hart’s definition of a literature review. Additionally, it describes the roles of the literature review, the skills of a literature reviewer, and the research context for a literature review. Of note is Hart’s discussion of the literature review requirements for master’s degree and doctoral degree work.

Jesson, Jill, Lydia Matheson, and Fiona M. Lacey. 2011. Doing your literature review: Traditional and systematic techniques . Los Angeles: SAGE.

Chapter 1: “Preliminaries” provides definitions of traditional and systematic reviews. It discusses the differences between them. Chapter 5 is dedicated to explaining the traditional review, while Chapter 7 explains the systematic review. Chapter 8 provides a detailed description of meta-analysis.

Lambert, Mike. 2012. A beginner’s guide to doing your education research project . Los Angeles: SAGE.

Chapter 6 (pp. 79–100) presents a thumbnail sketch for doing a literature review.

Machi, Lawrence A., and Brenda T. McEvoy. 2016. The literature review: Six steps to success . 3d ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

The introduction of this text differentiates between a simple and an advanced review and concisely defines a literature review.

Ridley, Diana. 2012. The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students . 2d ed. Sage Study Skills. London: SAGE.

In the introductory chapter, Ridley reviews many definitions of the literature review, literature reviews at the master’s and doctoral level, and placement of literature reviews within the thesis or dissertation document. She also defines and differentiates literature reviews produced for degree-affiliated research from the more advanced systematic review projects.

Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on this page. Please subscribe or login .

Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here .

About Education »
Meet the Editorial Board »
Academic Achievement
Academic Audit for Universities
Academic Freedom and Tenure in the United States
Action Research in Education
Adjuncts in Higher Education in the United States
Administrator Preparation
Adolescence
Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Courses
Advocacy and Activism in Early Childhood
African American Racial Identity and Learning
Alaska Native Education
Alternative Certification Programs for Educators
Alternative Schools
American Indian Education
Animals in Environmental Education
Art Education
Artificial Intelligence and Learning
Assessing School Leader Effectiveness
Assessment, Behavioral
Assessment, Educational
Assessment in Early Childhood Education
Assistive Technology
Augmented Reality in Education
Beginning-Teacher Induction
Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
Black Undergraduate Women: Critical Race and Gender Perspe...
Blended Learning
Case Study in Education Research
Changing Professional and Academic Identities
Character Education
Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Children's Beliefs about Intelligence
Children's Rights in Early Childhood Education
Citizenship Education
Civic and Social Engagement of Higher Education
Classroom Learning Environments: Assessing and Investigati...
Classroom Management
Coherent Instructional Systems at the School and School Sy...
College Admissions in the United States
College Athletics in the United States
Community Relations
Comparative Education
Computer-Assisted Language Learning
Computer-Based Testing
Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Evaluating Improvement Net...
Continuous Improvement and "High Leverage" Educational Pro...
Counseling in Schools
Critical Approaches to Gender in Higher Education
Critical Perspectives on Educational Innovation and Improv...
Critical Race Theory
Crossborder and Transnational Higher Education
Cross-National Research on Continuous Improvement
Cross-Sector Research on Continuous Learning and Improveme...
Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Education
Culturally Responsive Leadership
Culturally Responsive Pedagogies
Culturally Responsive Teacher Education in the United Stat...
Curriculum Design
Data Collection in Educational Research
Data-driven Decision Making in the United States
Deaf Education
Desegregation and Integration
Design Thinking and the Learning Sciences: Theoretical, Pr...
Development, Moral
Dialogic Pedagogy
Digital Age Teacher, The
Digital Citizenship
Digital Divides
Disabilities
Distance Learning
Distributed Leadership
Doctoral Education and Training
Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Denmark
Early Childhood Education and Development in Mexico
Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand
Early Childhood Education in Australia
Early Childhood Education in China
Early Childhood Education in Europe
Early Childhood Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
Early Childhood Education in Sweden
Early Childhood Education Pedagogy
Early Childhood Education Policy
Early Childhood Education, The Arts in
Early Childhood Mathematics
Early Childhood Science
Early Childhood Teacher Education
Early Childhood Teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand
Early Years Professionalism and Professionalization Polici...
Economics of Education
Education For Children with Autism
Education for Sustainable Development
Education Leadership, Empirical Perspectives in
Education of Native Hawaiian Students
Education Reform and School Change
Educational Statistics for Longitudinal Research
Educator Partnerships with Parents and Families with a Foc...
Emotional and Affective Issues in Environmental and Sustai...
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Environmental and Science Education: Overlaps and Issues
Environmental Education
Environmental Education in Brazil
Epistemic Beliefs
Equity and Improvement: Engaging Communities in Educationa...
Equity, Ethnicity, Diversity, and Excellence in Education
Ethical Research with Young Children
Ethics and Education
Ethics of Teaching
Ethnic Studies
Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention
Family and Community Partnerships in Education
Family Day Care
Federal Government Programs and Issues
Feminization of Labor in Academia
Finance, Education
Financial Aid
Formative Assessment
Future-Focused Education
Gender and Achievement
Gender and Alternative Education
Gender, Power and Politics in the Academy
Gender-Based Violence on University Campuses
Gifted Education
Global Mindedness and Global Citizenship Education
Global University Rankings
Governance, Education
Grounded Theory
Growth of Effective Mental Health Services in Schools in t...
Higher Education and Globalization
Higher Education and the Developing World
Higher Education Faculty Characteristics and Trends in the...
Higher Education Finance
Higher Education Governance
Higher Education Graduate Outcomes and Destinations
Higher Education in Africa
Higher Education in China
Higher Education in Latin America
Higher Education in the United States, Historical Evolutio...
Higher Education, International Issues in
Higher Education Management
Higher Education Policy
Higher Education Student Assessment
High-stakes Testing
History of Early Childhood Education in the United States
History of Education in the United States
History of Technology Integration in Education
Homeschooling
Inclusion in Early Childhood: Difference, Disability, and ...
Inclusive Education
Indigenous Education in a Global Context
Indigenous Learning Environments
Indigenous Students in Higher Education in the United Stat...
Infant and Toddler Pedagogy
Inservice Teacher Education
Integrating Art across the Curriculum
Intelligence
Intensive Interventions for Children and Adolescents with ...
International Perspectives on Academic Freedom
Intersectionality and Education
Knowledge Development in Early Childhood
Leadership Development, Coaching and Feedback for
Leadership in Early Childhood Education
Leadership Training with an Emphasis on the United States
Learning Analytics in Higher Education
Learning Difficulties
Learning, Lifelong
Learning, Multimedia
Learning Strategies
Legal Matters and Education Law
LGBT Youth in Schools
Linguistic Diversity
Linguistically Inclusive Pedagogy
Literacy Development and Language Acquisition
Literature Reviews
Mathematics Identity
Mathematics Instruction and Interventions for Students wit...
Mathematics Teacher Education
Measurement for Improvement in Education
Measurement in Education in the United States
Methodological Approaches for Impact Evaluation in Educati...
Mindfulness, Learning, and Education
Motherscholars
Multiliteracies in Early Childhood Education
Multiple Documents Literacy: Theory, Research, and Applica...
Multivariate Research Methodology
Museums, Education, and Curriculum
Music Education
Narrative Research in Education
Native American Studies
Nonformal and Informal Environmental Education
Note-Taking
Numeracy Education
One-to-One Technology in the K-12 Classroom
Online Education
Open Education
Organizing for Continuous Improvement in Education
Organizing Schools for the Inclusion of Students with Disa...
Outdoor Play and Learning
Outdoor Play and Learning in Early Childhood Education
Pedagogical Leadership
Pedagogy of Teacher Education, A
Performance Objectives and Measurement
Performance-based Research Assessment in Higher Education
Performance-based Research Funding
Phenomenology in Educational Research
Physical Education
Podcasts in Education
Policy Context of United States Educational Innovation and...
Portable Technology Use in Special Education Programs and ...
Post-humanism and Environmental Education
Pre-Service Teacher Education
Problem Solving
Productivity and Higher Education
Professional Development
Professional Learning Communities
Program Evaluation
Programs and Services for Students with Emotional or Behav...
Psychology Learning and Teaching
Psychometric Issues in the Assessment of English Language ...
Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Research Samp...
Qualitative Research Design
Quantitative Research Designs in Educational Research
Queering the English Language Arts (ELA) Writing Classroom
Race and Affirmative Action in Higher Education
Reading Education
Refugee and New Immigrant Learners
Relational and Developmental Trauma and Schools
Relational Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education
Reliability in Educational Assessments
Religion in Elementary and Secondary Education in the Unit...
Researcher Development and Skills Training within the Cont...
Research-Practice Partnerships in Education within the Uni...
Response to Intervention
Restorative Practices
Risky Play in Early Childhood Education
Scale and Sustainability of Education Innovation and Impro...
Scaling Up Research-based Educational Practices
School Accreditation
School Choice
School Culture
School District Budgeting and Financial Management in the ...
School Improvement through Inclusive Education
School Reform
Schools, Private and Independent
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support
Science Education
Secondary to Postsecondary Transition Issues
Self-Regulated Learning
Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices
Service-Learning
Severe Disabilities
Single Salary Schedule
Single-sex Education
Single-Subject Research Design
Social Context of Education
Social Justice
Social Network Analysis
Social Pedagogy
Social Science and Education Research
Social Studies Education
Sociology of Education
Standards-Based Education
Statistical Assumptions
Student Access, Equity, and Diversity in Higher Education
Student Assignment Policy
Student Engagement in Tertiary Education
Student Learning, Development, Engagement, and Motivation ...
Student Participation
Student Voice in Teacher Development
Sustainability Education in Early Childhood Education
Sustainability in Early Childhood Education
Sustainability in Higher Education
Teacher Beliefs and Epistemologies
Teacher Collaboration in School Improvement
Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Effectiveness
Teacher Preparation
Teacher Training and Development
Teacher Unions and Associations
Teacher-Student Relationships
Teaching Critical Thinking
Technologies, Teaching, and Learning in Higher Education
Technology Education in Early Childhood
Technology, Educational
Technology-based Assessment
The Bologna Process
The Regulation of Standards in Higher Education
Theories of Educational Leadership
Three Conceptions of Literacy: Media, Narrative, and Gamin...
Tracking and Detracking
Traditions of Quality Improvement in Education
Transformative Learning
Transitions in Early Childhood Education
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities in the Unite...
Understanding the Psycho-Social Dimensions of Schools and ...
University Faculty Roles and Responsibilities in the Unite...
Using Ethnography in Educational Research
Value of Higher Education for Students and Other Stakehold...
Virtual Learning Environments
Vocational and Technical Education
Wellness and Well-Being in Education
Women's and Gender Studies
Young Children and Spirituality
Young Children's Learning Dispositions
Young Children's Working Theories
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Legal Notice
Accessibility

[66.249.64.20|91.193.111.216]
91.193.111.216

Research Methods and Design

Action Research
Case Study Design

Literature Review

Quantitative Research Methods
Qualitative Research Methods
Mixed Methods Study
Indigenous Research and Ethics This link opens in a new window
Identifying Empirical Research Articles This link opens in a new window
Research Ethics and Quality
Data Literacy
Get Help with Writing Assignments

A literature review is a discussion of the literature (aka. the "research" or "scholarship") surrounding a certain topic. A good literature review doesn't simply summarize the existing material, but provides thoughtful synthesis and analysis. The purpose of a literature review is to orient your own work within an existing body of knowledge. A literature review may be written as a standalone piece or be included in a larger body of work.

You can read more about literature reviews, what they entail, and how to write one, using the resources below.

Am I the only one struggling to write a literature review?

Dr. Zina O'Leary explains the misconceptions and struggles students often have with writing a literature review. She also provides step-by-step guidance on writing a persuasive literature review.

An Introduction to Literature Reviews

Dr. Eric Jensen, Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, and Dr. Charles Laurie, Director of Research at Verisk Maplecroft, explain how to write a literature review, and why researchers need to do so. Literature reviews can be stand-alone research or part of a larger project. They communicate the state of academic knowledge on a given topic, specifically detailing what is still unknown.

This is the first video in a whole series about literature reviews. You can find the rest of the series in our SAGE database, Research Methods:

Videos covering research methods and statistics

Identify Themes and Gaps in Literature (with real examples) | Scribbr

Finding connections between sources is key to organizing the arguments and structure of a good literature review. In this video, you'll learn how to identify themes, debates, and gaps between sources, using examples from real papers.

4 Tips for Writing a Literature Review's Intro, Body, and Conclusion | Scribbr

While each review will be unique in its structure--based on both the existing body of both literature and the overall goals of your own paper, dissertation, or research--this video from Scribbr does a good job simplifying the goals of writing a literature review for those who are new to the process. In this video, you’ll learn what to include in each section, as well as 4 tips for the main body illustrated with an example.

Literature Review This chapter in SAGE's Encyclopedia of Research Design describes the types of literature reviews and scientific standards for conducting literature reviews.
UNC Writing Center: Literature Reviews This handout from the Writing Center at UNC will explain what literature reviews are and offer insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
Purdue OWL: Writing a Literature Review The overview of literature reviews comes from Purdue's Online Writing Lab. It explains the basic why, what, and how of writing a literature review.

Organizational Tools for Literature Reviews

One of the most daunting aspects of writing a literature review is organizing your research. There are a variety of strategies that you can use to help you in this task. We've highlighted just a few ways writers keep track of all that information! You can use a combination of these tools or come up with your own organizational process. The key is choosing something that works with your own learning style.

Citation Managers

Citation managers are great tools, in general, for organizing research, but can be especially helpful when writing a literature review. You can keep all of your research in one place, take notes, and organize your materials into different folders or categories. Read more about citations managers here:

Manage Citations & Sources

Concept Mapping

Some writers use concept mapping (sometimes called flow or bubble charts or "mind maps") to help them visualize the ways in which the research they found connects.

There is no right or wrong way to make a concept map. There are a variety of online tools that can help you create a concept map or you can simply put pen to paper. To read more about concept mapping, take a look at the following help guides:

Using Concept Maps From Williams College's guide, Literature Review: A Self-guided Tutorial

Synthesis Matrix

A synthesis matrix is is a chart you can use to help you organize your research into thematic categories. By organizing your research into a matrix, like the examples below, can help you visualize the ways in which your sources connect.

Walden University Writing Center: Literature Review Matrix Find a variety of literature review matrix examples and templates from Walden University.
Writing A Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix An example synthesis matrix created by NC State University Writing and Speaking Tutorial Service Tutors. If you would like a copy of this synthesis matrix in a different format, like a Word document, please ask a librarian. CC-BY-SA 3.0
<< Previous: Case Study Design
Next: Quantitative Research Methods >>
Last Updated: Feb 6, 2024 9:20 AM

CityU Home - CityU Catalog

USC Libraries
Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

5. The Literature Review
Purpose of Guide
Design Flaws to Avoid
Independent and Dependent Variables
Glossary of Research Terms
Reading Research Effectively
Narrowing a Topic Idea
Broadening a Topic Idea
Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
Academic Writing Style
Applying Critical Thinking
Choosing a Title
Making an Outline
Paragraph Development
Research Process Video Series
Executive Summary
The C.A.R.S. Model
Background Information
The Research Problem/Question
Theoretical Framework
Citation Tracking
Content Alert Services
Evaluating Sources
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Tiertiary Sources
Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
Qualitative Methods
Quantitative Methods
Insiderness
Using Non-Textual Elements
Limitations of the Study
Common Grammar Mistakes
Writing Concisely
Avoiding Plagiarism
Footnotes or Endnotes?
Further Readings
Generative AI and Writing
USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
Bibliography

A literature review surveys prior research published in books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have used in researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how your research fits within existing scholarship about the topic.

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . Fourth edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2014.

Importance of a Good Literature Review

A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories . A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem. The analytical features of a literature review might:

Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,
Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant research, or
Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how a problem has been researched to date.

Given this, the purpose of a literature review is to:

Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research problem being studied.
Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.
Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies.
Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.
Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important].

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2011; Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review." PS: Political Science and Politics 39 (January 2006): 127-132; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012.

Types of Literature Reviews

It is important to think of knowledge in a given field as consisting of three layers. First, there are the primary studies that researchers conduct and publish. Second are the reviews of those studies that summarize and offer new interpretations built from and often extending beyond the primary studies. Third, there are the perceptions, conclusions, opinion, and interpretations that are shared informally among scholars that become part of the body of epistemological traditions within the field.

In composing a literature review, it is important to note that it is often this third layer of knowledge that is cited as "true" even though it often has only a loose relationship to the primary studies and secondary literature reviews. Given this, while literature reviews are designed to provide an overview and synthesis of pertinent sources you have explored, there are a number of approaches you could adopt depending upon the type of analysis underpinning your study.

Argumentative Review This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument, deeply embedded assumption, or philosophical problem already established in the literature. The purpose is to develop a body of literature that establishes a contrarian viewpoint. Given the value-laden nature of some social science research [e.g., educational reform; immigration control], argumentative approaches to analyzing the literature can be a legitimate and important form of discourse. However, note that they can also introduce problems of bias when they are used to make summary claims of the sort found in systematic reviews [see below].

Integrative Review Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated. The body of literature includes all studies that address related or identical hypotheses or research problems. A well-done integrative review meets the same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication. This is the most common form of review in the social sciences.

Historical Review Few things rest in isolation from historical precedent. Historical literature reviews focus on examining research throughout a period of time, often starting with the first time an issue, concept, theory, phenomena emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution within the scholarship of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and to identify the likely directions for future research.

Methodological Review A review does not always focus on what someone said [findings], but how they came about saying what they say [method of analysis]. Reviewing methods of analysis provides a framework of understanding at different levels [i.e. those of theory, substantive fields, research approaches, and data collection and analysis techniques], how researchers draw upon a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the conceptual level to practical documents for use in fieldwork in the areas of ontological and epistemological consideration, quantitative and qualitative integration, sampling, interviewing, data collection, and data analysis. This approach helps highlight ethical issues which you should be aware of and consider as you go through your own study.

Systematic Review This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly formulated research question, which uses pre-specified and standardized methods to identify and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect, report, and analyze data from the studies that are included in the review. The goal is to deliberately document, critically evaluate, and summarize scientifically all of the research about a clearly defined research problem . Typically it focuses on a very specific empirical question, often posed in a cause-and-effect form, such as "To what extent does A contribute to B?" This type of literature review is primarily applied to examining prior research studies in clinical medicine and allied health fields, but it is increasingly being used in the social sciences.

Theoretical Review The purpose of this form is to examine the corpus of theory that has accumulated in regard to an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The theoretical literature review helps to establish what theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what degree the existing theories have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested. Often this form is used to help establish a lack of appropriate theories or reveal that current theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research problems. The unit of analysis can focus on a theoretical concept or a whole theory or framework.

NOTE : Most often the literature review will incorporate some combination of types. For example, a review that examines literature supporting or refuting an argument, assumption, or philosophical problem related to the research problem will also need to include writing supported by sources that establish the history of these arguments in the literature.

Baumeister, Roy F. and Mark R. Leary. "Writing Narrative Literature Reviews." Review of General Psychology 1 (September 1997): 311-320; Mark R. Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Kennedy, Mary M. "Defining a Literature." Educational Researcher 36 (April 2007): 139-147; Petticrew, Mark and Helen Roberts. Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide . Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2006; Torracro, Richard. "Writing Integrative Literature Reviews: Guidelines and Examples." Human Resource Development Review 4 (September 2005): 356-367; Rocco, Tonette S. and Maria S. Plakhotnik. "Literature Reviews, Conceptual Frameworks, and Theoretical Frameworks: Terms, Functions, and Distinctions." Human Ressource Development Review 8 (March 2008): 120-130; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

Structure and Writing Style

I. Thinking About Your Literature Review

The structure of a literature review should include the following in support of understanding the research problem :

An overview of the subject, issue, or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review,
Division of works under review into themes or categories [e.g. works that support a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative approaches entirely],
An explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others,
Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research.

The critical evaluation of each work should consider :

Provenance -- what are the author's credentials? Are the author's arguments supported by evidence [e.g. primary historical material, case studies, narratives, statistics, recent scientific findings]?
Methodology -- were the techniques used to identify, gather, and analyze the data appropriate to addressing the research problem? Was the sample size appropriate? Were the results effectively interpreted and reported?
Objectivity -- is the author's perspective even-handed or prejudicial? Is contrary data considered or is certain pertinent information ignored to prove the author's point?
Persuasiveness -- which of the author's theses are most convincing or least convincing?
Validity -- are the author's arguments and conclusions convincing? Does the work ultimately contribute in any significant way to an understanding of the subject?

II. Development of the Literature Review

Four Basic Stages of Writing 1. Problem formulation -- which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues? 2. Literature search -- finding materials relevant to the subject being explored. 3. Data evaluation -- determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic. 4. Analysis and interpretation -- discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature.

Consider the following issues before writing the literature review: Clarify If your assignment is not specific about what form your literature review should take, seek clarification from your professor by asking these questions: 1. Roughly how many sources would be appropriate to include? 2. What types of sources should I review (books, journal articles, websites; scholarly versus popular sources)? 3. Should I summarize, synthesize, or critique sources by discussing a common theme or issue? 4. Should I evaluate the sources in any way beyond evaluating how they relate to understanding the research problem? 5. Should I provide subheadings and other background information, such as definitions and/or a history? Find Models Use the exercise of reviewing the literature to examine how authors in your discipline or area of interest have composed their literature review sections. Read them to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to look for in your own research or to identify ways to organize your final review. The bibliography or reference section of sources you've already read, such as required readings in the course syllabus, are also excellent entry points into your own research. Narrow the Topic The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to obtain a good survey of relevant resources. Your professor will probably not expect you to read everything that's available about the topic, but you'll make the act of reviewing easier if you first limit scope of the research problem. A good strategy is to begin by searching the USC Libraries Catalog for recent books about the topic and review the table of contents for chapters that focuses on specific issues. You can also review the indexes of books to find references to specific issues that can serve as the focus of your research. For example, a book surveying the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may include a chapter on the role Egypt has played in mediating the conflict, or look in the index for the pages where Egypt is mentioned in the text. Consider Whether Your Sources are Current Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible. This is particularly true in disciplines in medicine and the sciences where research conducted becomes obsolete very quickly as new discoveries are made. However, when writing a review in the social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may be required. In other words, a complete understanding the research problem requires you to deliberately examine how knowledge and perspectives have changed over time. Sort through other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what your discipline expects. You can also use this method to explore what is considered by scholars to be a "hot topic" and what is not.

III. Ways to Organize Your Literature Review

Chronology of Events If your review follows the chronological method, you could write about the materials according to when they were published. This approach should only be followed if a clear path of research building on previous research can be identified and that these trends follow a clear chronological order of development. For example, a literature review that focuses on continuing research about the emergence of German economic power after the fall of the Soviet Union. By Publication Order your sources by publication chronology, then, only if the order demonstrates a more important trend. For instance, you could order a review of literature on environmental studies of brown fields if the progression revealed, for example, a change in the soil collection practices of the researchers who wrote and/or conducted the studies. Thematic [“conceptual categories”] A thematic literature review is the most common approach to summarizing prior research in the social and behavioral sciences. Thematic reviews are organized around a topic or issue, rather than the progression of time, although the progression of time may still be incorporated into a thematic review. For example, a review of the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics could focus on the development of online political satire. While the study focuses on one topic, the Internet’s impact on American presidential politics, it would still be organized chronologically reflecting technological developments in media. The difference in this example between a "chronological" and a "thematic" approach is what is emphasized the most: themes related to the role of the Internet in presidential politics. Note that more authentic thematic reviews tend to break away from chronological order. A review organized in this manner would shift between time periods within each section according to the point being made. Methodological A methodological approach focuses on the methods utilized by the researcher. For the Internet in American presidential politics project, one methodological approach would be to look at cultural differences between the portrayal of American presidents on American, British, and French websites. Or the review might focus on the fundraising impact of the Internet on a particular political party. A methodological scope will influence either the types of documents in the review or the way in which these documents are discussed.

Other Sections of Your Literature Review Once you've decided on the organizational method for your literature review, the sections you need to include in the paper should be easy to figure out because they arise from your organizational strategy. In other words, a chronological review would have subsections for each vital time period; a thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue. However, sometimes you may need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study, but do not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other sections you include in the body is up to you. However, only include what is necessary for the reader to locate your study within the larger scholarship about the research problem.

Here are examples of other sections, usually in the form of a single paragraph, you may need to include depending on the type of review you write:

Current Situation : Information necessary to understand the current topic or focus of the literature review.
Sources Used : Describes the methods and resources [e.g., databases] you used to identify the literature you reviewed.
History : The chronological progression of the field, the research literature, or an idea that is necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is not already a chronology.
Selection Methods : Criteria you used to select (and perhaps exclude) sources in your literature review. For instance, you might explain that your review includes only peer-reviewed [i.e., scholarly] sources.
Standards : Description of the way in which you present your information.
Questions for Further Research : What questions about the field has the review sparked? How will you further your research as a result of the review?

IV. Writing Your Literature Review

Once you've settled on how to organize your literature review, you're ready to write each section. When writing your review, keep in mind these issues.

Use Evidence A literature review section is, in this sense, just like any other academic research paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must be backed up with evidence [citations] that demonstrates that what you are saying is valid. Be Selective Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in the review. The type of information you choose to mention should relate directly to the research problem, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological. Related items that provide additional information, but that are not key to understanding the research problem, can be included in a list of further readings . Use Quotes Sparingly Some short quotes are appropriate if you want to emphasize a point, or if what an author stated cannot be easily paraphrased. Sometimes you may need to quote certain terminology that was coined by the author, is not common knowledge, or taken directly from the study. Do not use extensive quotes as a substitute for using your own words in reviewing the literature. Summarize and Synthesize Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources within each thematic paragraph as well as throughout the review. Recapitulate important features of a research study, but then synthesize it by rephrasing the study's significance and relating it to your own work and the work of others. Keep Your Own Voice While the literature review presents others' ideas, your voice [the writer's] should remain front and center. For example, weave references to other sources into what you are writing but maintain your own voice by starting and ending the paragraph with your own ideas and wording. Use Caution When Paraphrasing When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's information or opinions accurately and in your own words. Even when paraphrasing an author’s work, you still must provide a citation to that work.

V. Common Mistakes to Avoid

These are the most common mistakes made in reviewing social science research literature.

Sources in your literature review do not clearly relate to the research problem;
You do not take sufficient time to define and identify the most relevant sources to use in the literature review related to the research problem;
Relies exclusively on secondary analytical sources rather than including relevant primary research studies or data;
Uncritically accepts another researcher's findings and interpretations as valid, rather than examining critically all aspects of the research design and analysis;
Does not describe the search procedures that were used in identifying the literature to review;
Reports isolated statistical results rather than synthesizing them in chi-squared or meta-analytic methods; and,
Only includes research that validates assumptions and does not consider contrary findings and alternative interpretations found in the literature.

Cook, Kathleen E. and Elise Murowchick. “Do Literature Review Skills Transfer from One Course to Another?” Psychology Learning and Teaching 13 (March 2014): 3-11; Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper . 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005; Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998; Jesson, Jill. Doing Your Literature Review: Traditional and Systematic Techniques . London: SAGE, 2011; Literature Review Handout. Online Writing Center. Liberty University; Literature Reviews. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2016; Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2012; Randolph, Justus J. “A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature Review." Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. vol. 14, June 2009; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016; Taylor, Dena. The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Writing a Literature Review. Academic Skills Centre. University of Canberra.

Writing Tip

Break Out of Your Disciplinary Box!

Thinking interdisciplinarily about a research problem can be a rewarding exercise in applying new ideas, theories, or concepts to an old problem. For example, what might cultural anthropologists say about the continuing conflict in the Middle East? In what ways might geographers view the need for better distribution of social service agencies in large cities than how social workers might study the issue? You don’t want to substitute a thorough review of core research literature in your discipline for studies conducted in other fields of study. However, particularly in the social sciences, thinking about research problems from multiple vectors is a key strategy for finding new solutions to a problem or gaining a new perspective. Consult with a librarian about identifying research databases in other disciplines; almost every field of study has at least one comprehensive database devoted to indexing its research literature.

Frodeman, Robert. The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity . New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Another Writing Tip

Don't Just Review for Content!

While conducting a review of the literature, maximize the time you devote to writing this part of your paper by thinking broadly about what you should be looking for and evaluating. Review not just what scholars are saying, but how are they saying it. Some questions to ask:

How are they organizing their ideas?
What methods have they used to study the problem?
What theories have been used to explain, predict, or understand their research problem?
What sources have they cited to support their conclusions?
How have they used non-textual elements [e.g., charts, graphs, figures, etc.] to illustrate key points?

When you begin to write your literature review section, you'll be glad you dug deeper into how the research was designed and constructed because it establishes a means for developing more substantial analysis and interpretation of the research problem.

Hart, Chris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1 998.

Yet Another Writing Tip

When Do I Know I Can Stop Looking and Move On?

Here are several strategies you can utilize to assess whether you've thoroughly reviewed the literature:

Look for repeating patterns in the research findings . If the same thing is being said, just by different people, then this likely demonstrates that the research problem has hit a conceptual dead end. At this point consider: Does your study extend current research? Does it forge a new path? Or, does is merely add more of the same thing being said?
Look at sources the authors cite to in their work . If you begin to see the same researchers cited again and again, then this is often an indication that no new ideas have been generated to address the research problem.
Search Google Scholar to identify who has subsequently cited leading scholars already identified in your literature review [see next sub-tab]. This is called citation tracking and there are a number of sources that can help you identify who has cited whom, particularly scholars from outside of your discipline. Here again, if the same authors are being cited again and again, this may indicate no new literature has been written on the topic.

Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. and Rebecca Frels. Seven Steps to a Comprehensive Literature Review: A Multimodal and Cultural Approach . Los Angeles, CA: Sage, 2016; Sutton, Anthea. Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review . Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2016.

<< Previous: Theoretical Framework
Next: Citation Tracking >>
Last Updated: Apr 29, 2024 1:49 PM
URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

WashU Libraries

Library services for undergraduate research.

Creating an Abstract
What is a Literature Review?
Creating a Poster
Presenting Your Research
Share Your Undergraduate Research
Contact a Subject Librarian This link opens in a new window
Conducting Research
College Writing: Citizen Scientist

Literature Review: A Definition

What is a literature review, then.

A literature review discusses and analyses published information in a particular subject area. Sometimes the information covers a certain time period.

A literature review is more than a summary of the sources, it has an organizational pattern that combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.

But how is a literature review different from an academic research paper?

While the main focus of an academic research paper is to support your own argument, the focus of a literature review is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others. The academic research paper also covers a range of sources, but it is usually a select number of sources, because the emphasis is on the argument. Likewise, a literature review can also have an "argument," but it is not as important as covering a number of sources. In short, an academic research paper and a literature review contain some of the same elements. In fact, many academic research papers will contain a literature review section. What aspect of the study (either the argument or the sources) that is emphasized determines what type of document it is.

( "Literature Reviews" from The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill )

Why do we write literature reviews?

Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. If you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone.

For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field.

For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field. Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a research paper's investigation.

Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers.

Journal Articles on Writing Literature Reviews

Research Methods for Comprehensive Science Literature Reviews Author: Brown,Barry N. Journal: Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship Date: Spring2009 Issue: 57 Page: 1 more... less... Finding some information on most topics is easy. There are abundant sources of information readily available. However, completing a comprehensive literature review on a particular topic is often difficult, laborious, and time intensive; the project requires organization, persistence, and an understanding of the scholarly communication and publishing process. This paper briefly outlines methods of conducting a comprehensive literature review for science topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR];
Research: Considerations in Writing a Literature Review Authors: Black,K. Journal: The New Social Worker Date: 01/01; 2007 Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Page: 12 more... less... Literature reviews are ubiquitous in academic journals, scholarly reports, and social work education. Conducting and writing a good literature review is both personally and professionally satisfying. (Journal abstract).
How to do (or not to do) A Critical Literature Review Authors: Jesson,Jill; Lacey,Fiona Journal: Pharmacy Education Pub Date: 2006 Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Pages:139 - 148 more... less... More and more students are required to perform a critical literature review as part of their undergraduate or postgraduate studies. Whilst most of the latest research methods textbooks advise how to do a literature search, very few cover the literature review. This paper covers two types of review: a critical literature review and a systematic review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Conducting a Literature Review Authors: Rowley,Jennifer; Slack,Frances Journal: Management Research News Pub Date: 2004 Volume: 27 Issue: 6 Pages:31-39 more... less... Abstract: This article offers support and guidance for students undertaking a literature review as part of their dissertation during an undergraduate or Masters course. A literature review is a summary of a subject field that supports the identification of specific research questions. A literature review needs to draw on and evaluate a range of different types of sources including academic and professional journal articles, books, and web-based resources. The literature search helps in the identification and location of relevant documents and other sources. Search engines can be used to search web resources and bibliographic databases. Conceptual frameworks can be a useful tool in developing an understanding of a subject area. Creating the literature review involves the stages of: scanning, making notes, structuring the literature review, writing the literature review, and building a bibliography.

Some Books from the WU Catalog

The SAGE handbook of visual research methods [electronic resource] by Edited by Luc Pauwels and Dawn Mannay. ISBN: 9781526417015 Publication Date: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2020.

Helpful Websites

"How to do a Literature Review" from Ferdinand D. Bluford Library
"The Literature Review: A Few Tips on Conducting It." from the University of Toronto
<< Previous: Creating an Abstract
Next: Creating a Poster >>
Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024 3:17 PM
URL: https://libguides.wustl.edu/our

Literature Reviews

What Is It?
Finding Literature Reviews

A literature review is both a process and a product. As a process, it involves searching for information related to your topic, to familiarize yourself with the relevant research and to identify issues and gaps in the research. In most cases you're seeking to identify the key authors and key arguments that are relevant to your topic, not to exhaustively read everything written on the subject.

Types of Literature Reviews

A stand alone literature review can be a single work in its own right. Examples include:

A class assignment
A review article

Literature reviews can also be component parts of larger bodies of work. Examples include:

A thesis / dissertation
An academic journal article introduction

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is the writing process of summarizing, synthesizing and/or critiquing the literature found as a result of a literature search. It may be used as background or context for a primary research project.

There are several reasons to review the literature :

Identify the developments in the field of study
Learn about the information sources and the research methodologies
Find gaps in the literature that can become research questions
Validate the originality of a research project
Evaluate the methods
Identify errors to avoid
Highlight the strengths, weaknesses and controversies in the field of study
Identify the subject experts

When writing your review, there are objectives you should keep in mind :

Inform the audience of the developments in the field
Establish your credibility
Discuss the relevance and significance of your question(s)
Provide the context for your methodological approach
Discuss the relevance and appropriateness of your approach.

The level of detail or comprehensiveness of your literature review may depend on many things, but especially the purpose and audience of your review. For example, if you're writing a literature review that will aid you in writing a thesis or dissertation, you may want to have a very comprehensive lit review that reviews all relevant literature on a topic, as well as relevant sources beyond what is immediately and freely available (e.g. foundational scholarly articles not available through library collections).

Purpose of a Literature Review

Watch this YouTube video to understand the purpose of a literature review.

Next: Finding Literature Reviews >>
Last Updated: Dec 12, 2023 3:07 PM
URL: https://library.knox.edu/literature-review

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Harvard Library
Research Guides
Harvard Graduate School of Design - Frances Loeb Library

Write and Cite

Literature Review
Academic Integrity
Citing Sources
Fair Use, Permissions, and Copyright
Writing Resources
Grants and Fellowships
Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024 4:28 PM
URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/gsd/write

Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

Open access
Published: 29 April 2024

What is context in knowledge translation? Results of a systematic scoping review

Tugce Schmitt ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6893-6428 1 ,
Katarzyna Czabanowska 1 &
Peter Schröder-Bäck 1

Health Research Policy and Systems volume 22 , Article number: 52 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

2 Altmetric

Metrics details

Knowledge Translation (KT) aims to convey novel ideas to relevant stakeholders, motivating their response or action to improve people’s health. Initially, the KT literature focused on evidence-based medicine, applying findings from laboratory and clinical research to disease diagnosis and treatment. Since the early 2000s, the scope of KT has expanded to include decision-making with health policy implications.

This systematic scoping review aims to assess the evolving knowledge-to-policy concepts, that is, macro-level KT theories, models and frameworks (KT TMFs). While significant attention has been devoted to transferring knowledge to healthcare settings (i.e. implementing health policies, programmes or measures at the meso-level), the definition of 'context' in the realm of health policymaking at the macro-level remains underexplored in the KT literature. This study aims to close the gap.

A total of 32 macro-level KT TMFs were identified, with only a limited subset of them offering detailed insights into contextual factors that matter in health policymaking. Notably, the majority of these studies prompt policy changes in low- and middle-income countries and received support from international organisations, the European Union, development agencies or philanthropic entities.

Peer Review reports

Few concepts are used by health researchers as vaguely and yet as widely as Knowledge Translation (KT), a catch-all term that accommodates a broad spectrum of ambitions. Arguably, to truly understand the role of context in KT, we first need to clarify what KT means. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines KT as ‘the synthesis, exchange and application of knowledge by relevant stakeholders to accelerate the benefits of global and local innovation in strengthening health systems and improving people’s health’ [ 1 ]. Here, particular attention should be paid to ‘innovation’, given that without unpacking this term, the meaning of KT would still remain ambiguous. Rogers’ seminal work ‘Diffusion of Innovations’ [ 2 ] defines innovation as an idea, practice or object that is perceived as novel by individuals or groups adopting it. In this context, he argues that the objective novelty of an idea in terms of the amount of time passed after its discovery holds little significance [ 2 ]. Rather, it is the subjective perception of newness by the individual that shapes their response [ 2 ]. In other words, if an idea seems novel to individuals, and thereby relevant stakeholders according to the aforementioned WHO definition, it qualifies as an innovation. From this perspective, it can be stated that a fundamental activity of KT is to communicate ideas that could be perceived as original to the targeted stakeholders, with the aim of motivating their response to improve health outcomes. This leaves us with the question of who exactly these stakeholders might be and what kind of actions would be required from them.

The scope of stakeholders in KT has evolved over time, along with their prompted responses. Initially, during the early phases of KT, the focus primarily revolved around healthcare providers and their clinical decisions, emphasising evidence-based medicine. Nearly 50 years ago, the first scientific article on KT was published, introducing Tier 1 KT, which concentrated on applying laboratory discoveries to disease diagnosis or treatment, also known as bench-to-bedside KT [ 3 ]. The primary motivation behind this initial conceptualisation of KT was to engage healthcare providers as the end-users of specific forms of knowledge, primarily related to randomised controlled trials of pharmaceuticals and evidence-based medicine [ 4 ]. In the early 2000s, the second phase of KT (Tier 2) emerged under the term ‘campus-to-clinic KT’ [ 3 ]. This facet, also known as translational research, was concerned with using evidence from health services research in healthcare provision, both in practice and policy [ 4 ]. Consequently, by including decision-makers as relevant end-users, KT scholars expanded the realm of research-to-action from the clinical environment to policy-relevant decision-making [ 5 ]. Following this trajectory, additional KT schemes (Tier 3–Tier 5) have been introduced into academic discourse, encompassing the dissemination, implementation and broader integration of knowledge into public policies [ 6 , 7 ]. Notably, the latest scheme (Tier 5) is becoming increasingly popular and represents the broadest approach, which describes the translation of knowledge to global communities and aims to involve fundamental, universal change in attitudes, policies and social systems [ 7 ].

In other words, a noticeable shift in KT has occurred with time towards macro-level interventions, named initially as evidence- based policymaking and later corrected to evidence- informed policymaking. In parallel with these significant developments, various alternative terms to KT have emerged, including ‘implementation science’, ‘knowledge transfer’, and ‘dissemination and research use’, often with considerable overlap [ 8 ]. Arguably, among the plethora of alternative terms proposed, implementation science stands out prominently. While initially centred on evidence-based medicine at the meso-level (e.g. implementing medical guidelines), it has since broadened its focus to ‘encompass all aspects of research relevant to the scientific study of methods to promote the uptake of research findings into routine settings in clinical, community and policy contexts’ [ 9 ], closely mirroring the definition to KT. Thus, KT, along with activities under different names that share the same objective, has evolved into an umbrella term over the years, encompassing a wide range of strategies aimed at enhancing the impact of research not only on clinical practice but also on public policies [ 10 ]. Following the adoption of such a comprehensive definition of KT, some researchers have asserted that using evidence in public policies is not merely commendable but essential [ 11 ].

In alignment with the evolution of KT from (bio-)medical sciences to public policies, an increasing number of scholars have offered explanations on how health policies should be developed [ 12 ], indicating a growing focus on exploring the mechanisms of health policymaking in the KT literature. However, unlike in the earlier phases of KT, which aimed to transfer knowledge from the laboratory to healthcare provision, decisions made for public policies may be less technical and more complex than those in clinical settings [ 3 , 13 , 14 ]. Indeed, social scientists point out that scholarly works on evidence use in health policies exhibit theoretical shortcomings as they lack engagement with political science and public administration theories and concepts [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]; only a few of these works employ policy theories and political concepts to guide data collection and make sense of their findings [ 19 ]. Similarly, contemporary literature that conceptualises KT as an umbrella term for both clinical and public policy decision-making, with calls for a generic ‘research-to-action’ [ 20 ], may fail to recognise the different types of actions required to change clinical practices and influence health policies. In many respects, such calls can even lead to a misconception that evidence-informed policymaking is simply a scaled-up version of evidence-based medicine [ 21 ].

In this study, we systematically review knowledge translation theories, models and frameworks (also known as KT TMFs) that were developed for health policies. Essentially, KT TMFs can be depicted as bridges that connect findings across diverse studies, as they establish a common language and standardise the measurement and assessment of desired policy changes [ 22 ]. This makes them essential for generalising implementation efforts and research findings [ 23 ]. While distinctions between a theory, a model or a framework are not always crystal-clear [ 24 ], the following definitions shed light on how they are interpreted in the context of KT. To start with, theory can be described as a set of analytical principles or statements crafted to structure our observations, enhance our understanding and explain the world [ 24 ]. Within implementation science, theories are encapsulated as either generalised models or frameworks. In other words, they are integrated into broader concepts, allowing researchers to form assumptions that help clarify phenomena and create hypotheses for testing [ 25 ].

Whereas theories in the KT literature are explanatory as well as descriptive, KT models are only descriptive with a more narrowly defined scope of explanation [ 24 ]; hence they have a more specific focus than theories [ 25 ]. KT models are created to facilitate the formulation of specific assumptions regarding a set of parameters or variables, which can subsequently be tested against outcomes using predetermined methods [ 25 ]. By offering simplified representations of complex situations, KT models can describe programme elements expected to produce desired results, or theoretical constructs believed to influence or moderate observed outcomes. In this way, they encompass theories related to change or explanation [ 22 ].

Lastly, frameworks in the KT language define a set of variables and the relations among them in a broad sense [ 25 ]. Frameworks, without the aim of providing explanations, solely describe empirical phenomena, representing a structure, overview, outline, system or plan consisting of various descriptive categories and the relations between them that are presumed to account for a phenomenon [ 24 ]. They portray loosely-structured constellations of theoretical constructs, without necessarily specifying their relationships; they can also offer practical methods for achieving implementation objectives [ 22 ]. Some scholars suggest sub-classifications and categorise a framework as ‘actionable’ if it has the potential to facilitate macro-level policy changes [ 11 ].

Context, which encompasses the entire environment in which policy decisions are made, is not peripheral but central to policymaking, playing a crucial role in its conceptualisation [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. In the KT literature, the term ‘context’ is frequently employed, albeit often with a lack of precision [ 35 ]. It tends to serve as a broad term including various elements within a situation that are relevant to KT in some way but have not been explicitly identified [36]. However, there is a growing interest in delving deeper into what context refers to, as evidenced by increasing research attention [ 31 , 32 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. While the definition of context in the transfer of knowledge to healthcare settings (i.e. implementing health policies, programmes or measures at the meso-level) has been systematically studied [ 36 , 37 , 42 , 43 ], the question of how KT scholars detail context in health policymaking remains unanswered. With our systematic scoping review, we aim to close this gap.

While KT TMFs, emerged from evidence-based medicine, have historically depicted the use of evidence from laboratories or healthcare organisations as the gold standard, we aimed to assess in this study whether and to what extent the evolving face of KT, addressing health policies, succeeded in foregrounding ‘context’. Our objective was thus not to evaluate the quality of these KT TMFs but rather to explore how scholars have incorporated contextual influences into their reasoning. We conducted a systematic scoping review to explore KT TMFs that are relevant to agenda-setting, policy formulation or policy adoption, in line with the aim of this study. Therefore, publications related to policy implementation in healthcare organisations or at the provincial level, as well as those addressing policy evaluation, did not meet our inclusion criteria. Consequently, given our focus on macro-level interventions, we excluded all articles that concentrate on translating clinical research into practice (meso-level interventions) and health knowledge to patients or citizens (micro-level interventions).

Prior systematic scoping reviews in the area of KT TMFs serve as a valuable foundation upon which to build further studies [ 44 , 45 ]. Using established methodologies may ensure a validated approach, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of KT TMFs in the context of existing scholarly work. Our review methodology employed a similar approach to that followed by Strifler et al. in 2018, who conducted a systematic scoping review of KT TMFs in the field of cancer prevention and management, as well as other chronic diseases [ 44 ]. Their search strategy was preferred over others for two primary reasons. First, Strifler et al. investigated KT TMFs altogether, systematically and comprehensively. Second, unlike many other review studies on KT, they focused on macro-level KT and included all relevant keywords useful for the purpose of our study in their Ovid/MEDLINE search query [ 44 ]. For our scoping review, we adapted their search query with the assistance of a specialist librarian. This process involved eliminating terms associated with cancer and chronic diseases, removing time limitation on the published papers, and including an additional language other than English due to authors’ proficiency in German. We included articles published in peer-reviewed journals until November 2022, excluding opinion papers, conference abstracts and study protocols, without any restriction on publication date or place. Our search query is presented in Table 1 .

Following a screening methodology similar to that employed by Votruba et al. [ 11 ], the first author conducted an initial screening of the titles and abstracts of 2918 unique citations. Full texts were selected and scrutinised if they appeared relevant to the topics of agenda-setting, policy formulation or policy adoption. Among these papers, the first author also identified those that conceptualised a KT TMF. Simultaneously, the last author independently screened 2918 titles and abstracts, randomly selecting 20% of them to identify studies related to macro-level KT. Regarding papers that conceptualised a KT TMF, all those initially selected by the first author underwent a thorough examination by the last author as well. In the papers reviewed by these two authors of this study, KT TMFs were typically presented as either Tables or Figures. In cases where these visual representations did not contain sufficient information about ‘context’, the main body of the study was carefully scrutinised by both reviewers to ensure no relevant information was missed. Any unclear cases were discussed and resolved to achieve 100% inter-rater agreement between the first and second reviewers. This strategy resulted in the inclusion of 32 relevant studies. The flow chart outlining our review process is provided in Fig. 1 .

Flow chart of the review process

According to the results of our systematic scoping review (Table 2 ), the first KT TMF developed for health policies dates back to 2003, confirming the emergence of a trend that expanded the meaning of the term Knowledge Translation to include policymakers as end-users of evidence during approximately the same period. In their study, Jacobson et al. [ 46 ] present a framework derived from a literature review to enhance understanding of user groups by organising existing knowledge, identifying gaps and emphasising the importance of learning about new contexts. However, despite acknowledging the significance of the user group context, the paper lacks a thorough explanation of the authors’ understanding of this term. The second study in our scoping review provides some details. Recognising a shift from evidence-based medicine to evidence-based health policymaking in the KT literature, the article by Dobrow et al. from 2004 [ 30 ] emphasises the importance of considering contextual factors. They present a conceptual framework for evidence-based decision-making, highlighting the influence of context in KT. Illustrated through examples from colorectal cancer screening policy development, their conceptual framework emphasises the significance of context in the introduction, interpretation and application of evidence. Third, Lehoux et al. [ 47 ] examine the field of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and its role in informing decision and policymaking in Canada. By developing a conceptual framework for HTA dissemination and use, they touch on the institutional environment and briefly describe contextual factors.

Notably, the first three publications in our scoping review are authored by scholars affiliated with Canada, which is less of a coincidence, given the role of Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the federal funding agency for health research: The CIHR Act (Bill C-13) mandates CIHR to ensure that the translation of health knowledge permeates every aspect of its work [ 48 ]. Moreover, it was CIHR that coined the term Knowledge Translation, defining KT as ‘a dynamic and iterative process that includes the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge to improve health, provide more effective health services and products, and strengthen the health care system’ [ 49 ] . This comprehensive definition has since been adapted by international organisations (IOs), including WHO. The first document published by WHO that utilised KT to influence health policies dates back to 2005, entitled ‘Bridging the “know-do” gap: Meeting on knowledge translation in global health’, an initiative that was supported by the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research, the Canadian International Development Agency, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation and the WHO Special Programme on Research and Training in Tropical Diseases [ 1 ]. Following this official recognition by WHO, studies in our scoping review after 2005 indicate a noticeable expansion of KT, encompassing a wider geographical area than Canada.

The article of Ashford et al. from 2006 [ 50 ] discusses the challenge of policy decisions in Kenya in the health field being disconnected from scientific evidence and presents a model for translating knowledge into policy actions through agenda-setting, coalition building and policy learning. However, the framework lacks explicit incorporation of contextual factors influencing health policies. Bauman et al. [ 51 ] propose a six-step framework for successful dissemination of physical activity evidence, illustrated through four case studies from three countries (Canada, USA and Brazil) and a global perspective. They interpret contextual factors as barriers and facilitators to physical activity and public health innovations. Focusing on the USA, Gold [ 52 ] explains factors, processes and actors that shape pathways between research and its use in a summary diagram, including a reference to ‘other influences in process’ for context. Green et al. [ 4 ] examine the gap between health research and its application in public health without focusing on a specific geographical area. Their study comprehensively reviews various concepts of diffusion, dissemination and implementation in public health, proposing ways to blend diffusion theory with other theories. Their ‘utilization-focused surveillance framework’ interprets context as social determinants as structures, economics, politics and culture.

Further, the article by Dhonukshe-Rutten et al. from 2010 [ 53 ] presents a general framework that outlines the process of translating nutritional requirements into policy applications from a European perspective. The framework incorporates scientific evidence, stakeholder interests and the socio-political context. The description of this socio-political context is rather brief, encompassing political and social priorities, legal context, ethical issues and economic implications. Ir et al. [ 54 ] analyse the use of knowledge in shaping policy on health equity funds in Cambodia, with the objective of understanding how KT contributes to the development of health policies that promote equity. Yet no information on context is available in the framework that they suggest. A notable exception among these early KT TMFs until 2010 is the conceptual framework for analysing integration of targeted health interventions into health systems by Atun et al. [ 55 ], in which the authors provide details about the factors that have an influence on the process of bringing evidence to health policies. Focusing on the adoption, diffusion and assimilation of health interventions, their conceptual framework provides a systematic approach for evaluating and informing policies in this field. Compared to the previous studies discussed above, their definition of context for this framework is comprehensive (Table 2 ). Overall, most of the studies containing macro-level KT TMFs published until 2010 either do not fully acknowledge contextual factors or provide generic terms such as cultural, political and economic for brief description (9 out of 10; 90%).

Studies published after 2010 demonstrate a notable geographical shift, with a greater emphasis on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). By taking the adoption of the directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) strategy for tuberculosis control in Mexico as a case study, Bissell et al. [ 56 ] examine policy transfer to Mexico and its relevance to operational research efforts and suggest a model for analysis of health policy transfer. The model interprets context as health system, including political, economic, social, cultural and technological features. Focusing on HIV/AIDS in India, Tran et al. [ 57 ] explore KT by considering various forms of evidence beyond scientific evidence, such as best practices derived from programme experience and disseminated through personal communication. Their proposed framework aims to offer an analytical tool for understanding how evidence-based influence is exerted. In their framework, no information is available on context. Next, Bertone et al. [ 58 ] report on the effectiveness of Communities of Practice (CoPs) in African countries and present a conceptual framework for analysing and assessing transnational CoPs in health policy. The framework organises the key elements of CoPs, linking available resources, knowledge management activities, policy and practice changes, and improvements in health outcomes. Context is only briefly included in this framework.

Some other studies include both European and global perspectives. The publication from Timotijevic et al. from 2013 [ 59 ] introduces an epistemological framework that examines the considerations influencing the policy-making process, with a specific focus on micronutrient requirements in Europe. They present case studies from several European countries, highlighting the relevance of the framework in understanding the policy context related to micronutrients. Context is interpreted in this framework as global trends, data, media, broader consumer beliefs, ethical considerations, and wider social, legal, political, and economic environment. Next, funded by the European Union, the study by Onwujekwe et al. [ 60 ] examines the role of different types of evidence in health policy development in Nigeria. Although they cover the factors related to policy actors in their framework for assessing the role of evidence in policy development, they provide no information on context. Moreover, Redman et al. [ 61 ] present the SPIRIT Action Framework, which aims to enhance the use of research in policymaking. Context is interpreted in this framework as policy influences, i.e. public opinion, media, economic climate, legislative/policy infrastructure, political ideology and priorities, stakeholder interests, expert advice, and resources. From a global perspective, Spicer et al. [ 62 ] explore the contextual factors that influenced the scale-up of donor-funded maternal and newborn health innovations in Ethiopia, India and Nigeria, highlighting the importance of context in assessing and adapting innovations. Their suggested contextual factors influencing government decisions to accept, adopt and finance innovations at scale are relatively comprehensive (Table 2 ).

In terms of publication frequency, the pinnacle of reviewed KT studies was in 2017. Among six studies published in 2017, four lack details about context in their KT conceptualisations and one study touches on context very briefly. Bragge et al. [ 5 ] brought for their study an international terminology working group together to develop a simplified framework of interventions to integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies, named as the Aims, Ingredients, Mechanism, Delivery framework, albeit without providing details on contextual factors. Second, Mulvale et al. [ 63 ] present a conceptual framework that explores the impact of policy dialogues on policy development, illustrating how these dialogues can influence different stages of the policy cycle. Similar to the previous one, this study too, lacks information on context. In a systematic review, Sarkies et al. [ 64 ] evaluate the effectiveness of research implementation strategies in promoting evidence-informed policy decisions in healthcare. The study explores the factors associated with effective strategies and their inter-relationship, yet without further information on context. Fourth, Houngbo et al. [ 65 ] focus on the development of a strategy to implement a good governance model for health technology management in the public health sector, drawing from their experience in Benin. They outline a six-phase model that includes preparatory analysis, stakeholder identification and problem analysis, shared analysis and visioning, development of policy instruments for pilot testing, policy development and validation, and policy implementation and evaluation. They provide no information about context in their model. Fifth, Mwendera et al. [ 66 ] present a framework for improving the use of malaria research in policy development in Malawi, which was developed based on case studies exploring the policymaking process, the use of local malaria research, and assessing facilitators and barriers to research utilisation. Contextual setting is considered as Ministry of Health (MoH) with political set up, leadership system within the MoH, government policies and cultural set up. In contrast to these five studies, Ellen et al. [ 67 ] present a relatively comprehensive framework to support evidence-informed policymaking in ageing and health. The framework includes thought-provoking questions to discover contextual factors (Table 2 ).

Continuing the trend, studies published after 2017 focus increasingly on LMICs. In their embedded case study, Ongolo-Zogo et al. [ 68 ] examine the influence of two Knowledge Translation Platforms (KTPs) on policy decisions to achieve the health millennium development goals in Cameroon and Uganda. It explores how these KTPs influenced policy through interactions within policy issue networks, engagement with interest groups, and the promotion of evidence-supported ideas, ultimately shaping the overall policy climate for evidence-informed health system policymaking. Contextual factors are thereby interpreted as institutions (structures, legacies, policy networks), interests, ideas (values, research evidence) and external factors (reports, commitments). Focusing on the ‘Global South’, Plamondon et al. [ 69 ] suggest blending integrated knowledge translation with global health governance as an approach for strengthening leadership for health equity action. In terms of contextual factors, they include some information such as adapting knowledge to local context, consideration of the composition of non-traditional actors, such as civil society and private sector, in governance bodies and guidance for meaningful engagement between actors, particularly in shared governance models. Further, Vincenten et al. [ 70 ] propose a conceptual model to enhance understanding of interlinking factors that influence the evidence implementation process. Their evidence implementation model for public health systems refers to ‘context setting’, albeit without providing further detail.

Similarly, the study by Motani et al. from 2019 [ 71 ] assesses the outcomes and lessons learned from the EVIDENT partnership that focused on knowledge management for evidence-informed decision-making in nutrition and health in Africa. Although they mention ‘contextualising evidence’ in their conceptual framework, information about context is lacking. Focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, Varallyay et al. [ 72 ] introduce a conceptual framework for evaluating embedded implementation research in various contexts. The framework outlines key stages of evidence-informed decision-making and provides guidance on assessing embeddedness and critical contextual factors. Compared to others, their conceptual framework provides a relatively comprehensive elaboration on contextual factors. In addition, among all the studies reviewed, Leonard et al. [ 73 ] present an exceptionally comprehensive analysis, where they identify the facilitators and barriers to the sustainable implementation of evidence-based health innovations in LMICs. Through a systematic literature review, they scrutinise 79 studies and categorise the identified barriers and facilitators into seven groups: context, innovation, relations and networks, institutions, knowledge, actors, and resources. The first one, context, contains rich information that could be seen in Table 2 .

Continuing from LMICs, Votruba et al. [ 74 ] present in their study the EVITA (EVIdence To Agenda setting) conceptual framework for mental health research-policy interrelationships in LMICs with some information about context, detailed as external influences and political context. In a follow-up study, they offer an updated framework for understanding evidence-based mental health policy agenda-setting [ 75 ]. In their revised framework, context is interpreted as external context and policy sphere, encompassing policy agenda, window of opportunity, political will and key individuals. Lastly, to develop a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework for evidence-to-policy networks, Kuchenmüller et al. [ 76 ] present the EVIPNet Europe Theory of Change and interpret contextual factors for evidence-informed policymaking as political, economic, logistic and administrative. Overall, it can be concluded that studies presenting macro-level KT TMFs from 2011 until 2022 focus mainly on LMICs (15 out of 22; close to 70%) and the majority of them were funded by international (development) organisations, the European Commission and global health donor agencies. An overwhelming number of studies among them (19 out of 22; close to 90%) provide either no information on contextual details or these were included only partly with some generic terms in KT TMFs.

Our systematic scoping review suggests that the approach of KT, which has evolved from evidence-based medicine to evidence-informed policymaking, tends to remain closely tied to its clinical origins when developing TMFs. In other words, macro-level KT TMFs place greater emphasis on the (public) health issue at hand rather than considering the broader decision-making context, a viewpoint shared by other scholars as well [ 30 ]. One reason could be that in the early stages of KT TMFs, the emphasis primarily focused on implementing evidence-based practices within clinical settings. At that time, the spotlight was mostly on content, including aspects like clinical studies, checklists and guidelines serving as the evidence base. In those meso-level KT TMFs, a detailed description of context, i.e. the overall environment in which these practices should be implemented, might have been deemed less necessary, given that healthcare organisations, such as hospitals to implement medical guidelines or surgical safety checklists, show similar characteristics globally.

However, as the scope of KT TMFs continues to expand to include the influence on health policies, a deeper understanding of context-specific factors within different jurisdictions and the dynamics of the policy process is becoming increasingly crucial. This is even more important for KT scholars aiming to conceptualise large-scale changes, as described in KT Tier 5, which necessitate a thorough understanding of targeted behaviours within societies. As the complexity of interventions increases due to the growing number of stakeholders either affecting or being affected by them, the interventions are surrounded by a more intricate web of attitudes, incentives, relationships, rules of engagement and spheres of influence [ 7 ]. The persisting emphasis on content over context in the evolving field of KT may oversimplify the complex process of using evidence in policymaking and understanding the society [ 77 ]. Some scholars argue that this common observation in public health can be attributed to the dominance of experts primarily from medical sciences [ 78 , 79 , 80 ]. Our study confirms the potential limitation of not incorporating insights from political science and public policy studies, which can lead to what is often termed a ‘naïve’ conceptualisation of evidence-to-policy schemes [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. It is therefore strongly encouraged that the emerging macro-level KT concepts draw on political science and public administration if KT scholars intend to effectively communicate new ideas to policymakers, with the aim of prompting their action or response. We summarised our findings into three points.

Firstly, KT scholars may want to identify and pinpoint exactly where a change should occur within the policy process. The main confusion that we observed in the KT literature arises from a lack of understanding of how public policies are made. Notably, the term ‘evidence-informed policymaking’ can refer to any stage of the policy cycle, spanning from agenda-setting to policy formulation, adoption, implementation and evaluation. Understanding these steps will allow researchers to refine their language when advocating for policy changes across various jurisdictions; for instance, the word ‘implementation’ is often inappropriately used in KT literature. As commonly known, at the macro-level, public policies take the form of legislation, law-making and regulation, thereby shaping the practices or policies to be implemented at the meso- and micro-levels [ 81 ]. In other words, the process of using specific knowledge to influence health policies, however evidence-based it might be, falls mostly under the responsibility and jurisdiction of sovereign states. For this reason, macro-level KT TMFs should reflect the importance of understanding the policy context and the complexities associated with policymaking, rather than suggesting flawed or unrealistic top-down ‘implementation’ strategies in countries by foregrounding the content, or the (public) health issue at hand.

Our second observation from this systematic scoping review points towards a selective perception among researchers when reporting on policy interventions. Research on KT does not solely exist due to the perceived gap between scientific evidence and policy but also because of the pressures the organisations or researchers face in being accountable to their funding sources, ensuring the continuity of financial support for their activities and claiming output legitimacy to change public policies [ 8 ]. This situation indirectly compels researchers working to influence health policies in the field to provide ‘evidence-based’ feedback on the success of their projects to donors [ 82 ]. In doing so, researchers may overly emphasise the content of the policy intervention in their reporting to secure further funding, while they underemphasis the contextual factors. These factors, often perceived as a given, might actually be the primary facilitators of their success. Such a lack of transparency regarding the definition of context is particularly visible in the field of global health, where LMICs often rely on external donors. It is important to note that this statement is not intended as a negative critique of their missions or an evaluation of health outcomes in countries following such missions. Rather, it seeks to explain the underlying reason why researchers, particularly those reliant on donors in LMICs, prioritise promoting the concept of KT from a technical standpoint, giving less attention to contextual factors in their reasoning.

Lastly, and connected to the previous point, it is our observation that the majority of macro-level KT TMFs fail to give adequate consideration to both power dynamics in countries (internal vs. external influences) and the actual role that government plays in public policies. Notably, although good policymaking entails an honest effort to use the best available evidence, the belief that this will completely negate the role of power and politics in decision-making is a technocratic illusion [ 83 ]. Among the studies reviewed, the framework put forth by Leonard et al. [ 73 ] offers the most comprehensive understanding of context and includes a broad range of factors (such as political, social, and economic) discovered also in other reviewed studies. Moreover, the framework, developed through an extensive systematic review, offers a more in-depth exploration of these contextual factors than merely listing them as a set of keywords. Indeed, within the domains of political science and public policy, such factors shaping health policies have received considerable scholarly attention for decades. To define what context entails, Walt refers in her book ‘Health Policy: An Introduction to Process and Power’ [ 84 ] to the work of Leichter from 1979 [ 85 ], who provides a scheme for analysing public policy. This includes i) situational factors, which are transient, impermanent, or idiosyncratic; ii) structural factors, which are relatively unchanging elements of the society and polity; iii) cultural factors, which are value commitments of groups; and iv) environmental factors, which are events, structures and values that exist outside the boundaries of a political system and influence decisions within it. His detailed sub-categories for context can be found in Table 3 . This flexible public policy framework may offer KT researchers a valuable approach to understanding contextual factors and provide some guidance to define the keywords to focus on. Scholars can adapt this framework to suit a wide range of KT topics, creating more context-sensitive and comprehensive KT TMFs.

Admittedly, our study has certain limitations. Despite choosing one of the most comprehensive bibliographic databases for our systematic scoping review, which includes materials from biomedicine, allied health fields, biological and physical sciences, humanities, and information science in relation to medicine and healthcare, we acknowledge that we may have missed relevant articles indexed in other databases. Hence, exclusively using Ovid/MEDLINE due to resource constraints may have narrowed the scope and diversity of scholarly literature examined in this study. Second, our review was limited to peer-reviewed publications in English and German. Future studies could extend our findings by examining the extent to which contextual factors are detailed in macro-level KT TMFs published in grey literature and in different languages. Given the abundance of KT reports, working papers or policy briefs published by IOs and development agencies, such an endeavour could enrich our findings and either support or challenge our conclusions. Nonetheless, to our knowledge, this study represents the first systematic review and critical appraisal of emerging knowledge-to-policy concepts, also known as macro-level KT TMFs. It successfully blends insights from both biomedical and public policy disciplines, and could serve as a roadmap for future research.

The translation of knowledge to policymakers involves more than technical skills commonly associated with (bio-)medical sciences, such as creating evidence-based guidelines or clinical checklists. Instead, evidence-informed policymaking reflects an ambition to engage in the political dimensions of states. Therefore, the evolving KT concepts addressing health policies should be seen as a political decision-making process, rather than a purely analytical one, as is the case with evidence-based medicine. To better understand the influence of power dynamics and governance structures in policymaking, we suggest that future macro-level KT TMFs draw on insights from political science and public administration. Collaborative, interdisciplinary research initiatives could be undertaken to bridge the gap between these fields. Technocratic KT TMFs that overlook contextual factors risk propagating misconceptions in academic circles about how health policies are made, as they become increasingly influential over time. Research, the systematic pursuit of knowledge, is neither inherently good nor bad; it can be sought after, used or misused, like any other tool in policymaking. What is needed in the KT discourse is not another generic call for ‘research-to-action’ but rather an understanding of the dividing line between research-to- clinical -action and research-to- political -action.

Availability of data and materials

Available upon reasonable request.

WHO. Bridging the ‘Know-Do’ Gap: Meeting on Knowledge Translation in Global Health : 10–12 October 2005 World Health Organization Geneva, Switzerland [Internet]. 2005. https://www.measureevaluation.org/resources/training/capacity-building-resources/high-impact-research-training-curricula/bridging-the-know-do-gap.pdf

Rogers EM. Diffusion of innovations. 3rd ed. New York: Free Press; 1983.

Google Scholar

Greenhalgh T, Wieringa S. Is it time to drop the ‘knowledge translation’ metaphor? A critical literature review. J R Soc Med. 2011;104(12):501–9.

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Green LW, Ottoson JM, García C, Hiatt RA. Diffusion theory and knowledge dissemination, utilization, and integration in public health. Annu Rev Public Health. 2009;30(1):151–74.

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Bragge P, Grimshaw JM, Lokker C, Colquhoun H, Albrecht L, Baron J, et al. AIMD—a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2017;17(1):38.

Zarbin M. What Constitutes Translational Research? Implications for the Scope of Translational Vision Science and Technology. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2020;9(8).

Hassmiller Lich K, Frerichs L, Fishbein D, Bobashev G, Pentz MA. Translating research into prevention of high-risk behaviors in the presence of complex systems: definitions and systems frameworks. Transl Behav Med. 2016;6(1):17–31.

Tetroe JM, Graham ID, Foy R, Robinson N, Eccles MP, Wensing M, et al. Health research funding agencies’ support and promotion of knowledge translation: an international study. Milbank Q. 2008;86(1):125–55.

Eccles MP, Mittman BS. Welcome to Implementation Science. Implement Sci. 2006;1(1):1.

Article PubMed Central Google Scholar

Rychetnik L, Bauman A, Laws R, King L, Rissel C, Nutbeam D, et al. Translating research for evidence-based public health: key concepts and future directions. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2012;66(12):1187–92.

Votruba N, Ziemann A, Grant J, Thornicroft G. A systematic review of frameworks for the interrelationships of mental health evidence and policy in low- and middle-income countries. Health Res Policy Syst. 2018;16(1):85.

Delnord M, Tille F, Abboud LA, Ivankovic D, Van Oyen H. How can we monitor the impact of national health information systems? Results from a scoping review. Eur J Public Health. 2020;30(4):648–59.

Malterud K, Bjelland AK, Elvbakken KT. Evidence-based medicine—an appropriate tool for evidence-based health policy? A case study from Norway. Health Res Policy Syst. 2016;14(1):15.

Borst RAJ, Kok MO, O’Shea AJ, Pokhrel S, Jones TH, Boaz A. Envisioning and shaping translation of knowledge into action: a comparative case-study of stakeholder engagement in the development of a European tobacco control tool. Health Policy. 2019;123(10):917–23.

Liverani M, Hawkins B, Parkhurst JO. Political and institutional influences on the use of evidence in public health policy: a systematic review. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(10): e77404.

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Cairney P. The politics of evidence-based policy making, 1st ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK: Imprint: Palgrave Pivot, Palgrave Macmillan; 2016.

Parkhurst J. The Politics of Evidence: From evidence-based policy to the good governance of evidence [Internet]. Routledge; 2016. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315675008

Cairney P, Oliver K. Evidence-based policymaking is not like evidence-based medicine, so how far should you go to bridge the divide between evidence and policy? Health Res Policy Syst. 2017;15(1):35.

Verboom B, Baumann A. Mapping the Qualitative Evidence Base on the Use of Research Evidence in Health Policy-Making: A Systematic Review. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2020;16.

Ward V, House A, Hamer S. Developing a framework for transferring knowledge into action: a thematic analysis of the literature. J Health Serv Res Policy. 2009;14(3):156–64.

Swinburn B, Gill T, Kumanyika S. Obesity prevention: a proposed framework for translating evidence into action. Obes Rev. 2005;6(1):23–33.

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Damschroder LJ. Clarity out of chaos: Use of theory in implementation research. Psychiatry Res. 2020;283: 112461.

Birken SA, Rohweder CL, Powell BJ, Shea CM, Scott J, Leeman J, et al. T-CaST: an implementation theory comparison and selection tool. Implement Sci. 2018;13(1):143.

Nilsen P. Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks. Implement Sci. 2015;10(1):53.

Rapport F, Clay-Williams R, Churruca K, Shih P, Hogden A, Braithwaite J. The struggle of translating science into action: foundational concepts of implementation science. J Eval Clin Pract. 2018;24(1):117–26.

Hagenaars LL, Jeurissen PPT, Klazinga NS. The taxation of unhealthy energy-dense foods (EDFs) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs): An overview of patterns observed in the policy content and policy context of 13 case studies. Health Policy. 2017;121(8):887–94.

Sheikh K, Gilson L, Agyepong IA, Hanson K, Ssengooba F, Bennett S. Building the field of health policy and systems research: framing the questions. PLOS Med. 2011;8(8): e1001073.

Tran NT, Hyder AA, Kulanthayan S, Singh S, Umar RSR. Engaging policy makers in road safety research in Malaysia: a theoretical and contextual analysis. Health Policy. 2009;90(1):58–65.

Walt G, Gilson L. Reforming the health sector in developing countries: the central role of policy analysis. Health Policy Plan. 1994;9(4):353–70.

Dobrow MJ, Goel V, Upshur REG. Evidence-based health policy: context and utilisation. Soc Sci Med. 2004;58(1):207–17.

Barnfield A, Savolainen N, Lounamaa A. Health Promotion Interventions: Lessons from the Transfer of Good Practices in CHRODIS-PLUS. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(4).

van de Goor I, Hämäläinen RM, Syed A, Juel Lau C, Sandu P, Spitters H, et al. Determinants of evidence use in public health policy making: results from a study across six EU countries. Health Policy Amst Neth. 2017;121(3):273–81.

Article Google Scholar

Ornstein JT, Hammond RA, Padek M, Mazzucca S, Brownson RC. Rugged landscapes: complexity and implementation science. Implement Sci. 2020;15(1):85.

Seward N, Hanlon C, Hinrichs-Kraples S, Lund C, Murdoch J, Taylor Salisbury T, et al. A guide to systems-level, participatory, theory-informed implementation research in global health. BMJ Glob Health. 2021;6(12): e005365.

Pfadenhauer LM, Gerhardus A, Mozygemba K, Lysdahl KB, Booth A, Hofmann B, et al. Making sense of complexity in context and implementation: the Context and Implementation of Complex Interventions (CICI) framework. Implement Sci. 2017;12(1):21.

Rogers L, De Brún A, McAuliffe E. Defining and assessing context in healthcare implementation studies: a systematic review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020;20(1):591.

Nilsen P, Bernhardsson S. Context matters in implementation science: a scoping review of determinant frameworks that describe contextual determinants for implementation outcomes. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019;19(1):189.

Arksey H, O’Malley L, Baldwin S, Harris J, Mason A, Golder S. Literature review report: services to support carers of people with mental health problems. 2002;182.

Tabak RG, Khoong EC, Chambers D, Brownson RC. Bridging research and practice. Am J Prev Med. 2012;43(3):337–50.

O’Donovan MA, McCallion P, McCarron M, Lynch L, Mannan H, Byrne E. A narrative synthesis scoping review of life course domains within health service utilisation frameworks. HRB Open Res. 2019.

Michie S, Johnston M, Abraham C, Lawton R, Parker D, Walker A, et al. Making psychological theory useful for implementing evidence based practice: a consensus approach. Qual Saf Health Care. 2005;14(1):26–33.

Bate P, Robert G, Fulop N, Øvretviet J, Dixon-Woods M. Perspectives on context: a collection of essays considering the role of context in successful quality improvement [Internet]. 2014. https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/PerspectivesOnContext_fullversion.pdf

Ziemann A, Brown L, Sadler E, Ocloo J, Boaz A, Sandall J. Influence of external contextual factors on the implementation of health and social care interventions into practice within or across countries—a protocol for a ‘best fit’ framework synthesis. Syst Rev. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-019-1180-8 .

Strifler L, Cardoso R, McGowan J, Cogo E, Nincic V, Khan PA, et al. Scoping review identifies significant number of knowledge translation theories, models, and frameworks with limited use. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018;100:92–102.

Esmail R, Hanson HM, Holroyd-Leduc J, Brown S, Strifler L, Straus SE, et al. A scoping review of full-spectrum knowledge translation theories, models, and frameworks. Implement Sci. 2020;15(1):11.

Jacobson N, Butterill D, Goering P. Development of a framework for knowledge translation: understanding user context. J Health Serv Res Policy. 2003;8(2):94–9.

Lehoux P, Denis JL, Tailliez S, Hivon M. Dissemination of health technology assessments: identifying the visions guiding an evolving policy innovation in Canada. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2005;30(4):603–42.

Parliament of Canada. Government Bill (House of Commons) C-13 (36–2) - Royal Assent - Canadian Institutes of Health Research Act [Internet]. https://parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/36-2/bill/C-13/royal-assent/page-31 . Accessed 1 Apr 2023.

Straus SE, Tetroe J, Graham I. Defining knowledge translation. CMAJ Can Med Assoc J. 2009;181(3–4):165–8.

Ashford L. Creating windows of opportunity for policy change: incorporating evidence into decentralized planning in Kenya. Bull World Health Organ. 2006;84(8):669–72.

Bauman AE, Nelson DE, Pratt M, Matsudo V, Schoeppe S. Dissemination of physical activity evidence, programs, policies, and surveillance in the international public health arena. Am J Prev Med. 2006;31(4):57–65.

Gold M. Pathways to the use of health services research in policy. Health Serv Res. 2009;44(4):1111–36.

Dhonukshe-Rutten RAM, Timotijevic L, Cavelaars AEJM, Raats MM, de Wit LS, Doets EL, et al. European micronutrient recommendations aligned: a general framework developed by EURRECA. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010;64(2):S2-10.

Ir P, Bigdeli M, Meessen B, Van Damme W. Translating knowledge into policy and action to promote health equity: The Health Equity Fund policy process in Cambodia 2000–2008. Health Policy. 2010;96(3):200–9.

Atun R, de Jongh T, Secci F, Ohiri K, Adeyi O. Integration of targeted health interventions into health systems: a conceptual framework for analysis. Health Policy Plan. 2010;25(2):104–11.

Bissell K, Lee K, Freeman R. Analysing policy transfer: perspectives for operational research. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis Off J Int Union Tuberc Lung Dis. 2011;15(9).

Tran NT, Bennett SC, Bishnu R, Singh S. Analyzing the sources and nature of influence: how the Avahan program used evidence to influence HIV/AIDS prevention policy in India. Implement Sci. 2013;8(1):44.

Bertone MP, Meessen B, Clarysse G, Hercot D, Kelley A, Kafando Y, et al. Assessing communities of practice in health policy: a conceptual framework as a first step towards empirical research. Health Res Policy Syst. 2013;11(1):39.

Timotijevic L, Brown KA, Lähteenmäki L, de Wit L, Sonne AM, Ruprich J, et al. EURRECA—a framework for considering evidence in public health nutrition policy development. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013;53(10):1124–34.

Onwujekwe O, Uguru N, Russo G, Etiaba E, Mbachu C, Mirzoev T, et al. Role and use of evidence in policymaking: an analysis of case studies from the health sector in Nigeria. Health Res Policy Syst. 2015;13(1):46.

Redman S, Turner T, Davies H, Williamson A, Haynes A, Brennan S, et al. The SPIRIT action framework: a structured approach to selecting and testing strategies to increase the use of research in policy. Soc Sci Med. 2015;136–137:147–55.

Spicer N, Berhanu D, Bhattacharya D, Tilley-Gyado RD, Gautham M, Schellenberg J, et al. ‘The stars seem aligned’: a qualitative study to understand the effects of context on scale-up of maternal and newborn health innovations in Ethiopia, India and Nigeria. Glob Health. 2016;12(1):75.

Mulvale G, McRae SA, Milicic S. Teasing apart “the tangled web” of influence of policy dialogues: lessons from a case study of dialogues about healthcare reform options for Canada. Implement Sci IS. 2017;12.

Sarkies MN, Bowles KA, Skinner EH, Haas R, Lane H, Haines TP. The effectiveness of research implementation strategies for promoting evidence-informed policy and management decisions in healthcare: a systematic review. Implement Sci. 2017;12(1):132.

Houngbo PTh, Coleman HLS, Zweekhorst M, De Cock Buning TJ, Medenou D, Bunders JFG. A Model for Good Governance of Healthcare Technology Management in the Public Sector: Learning from Evidence-Informed Policy Development and Implementation in Benin. PLoS ONE. 2017;12(1):e0168842.

Mwendera C, de Jager C, Longwe H, Hongoro C, Phiri K, Mutero CM. Development of a framework to improve the utilisation of malaria research for policy development in Malawi. Health Res Policy Syst. 2017;15(1):97.

Ellen ME, Panisset U, de AraujoCarvalho I, Goodwin J, Beard J. A knowledge translation framework on ageing and health. Health Policy. 2017;121(3):282–91.

Ongolo-Zogo P, Lavis JN, Tomson G, Sewankambo NK. Assessing the influence of knowledge translation platforms on health system policy processes to achieve the health millennium development goals in Cameroon and Uganda: a comparative case study. Health Policy Plan. 2018;33(4):539–54.

Plamondon KM, Pemberton J. Blending integrated knowledge translation with global health governance: an approach for advancing action on a wicked problem. Health Res Policy Syst. 2019;17(1):24.

Vincenten J, MacKay JM, Schröder-Bäck P, Schloemer T, Brand H. Factors influencing implementation of evidence-based interventions in public health systems—a model. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2019;27(3):198–203.

Motani P, Van de Walle A, Aryeetey R, Verstraeten R. Lessons learned from Evidence-Informed Decision-Making in Nutrition & Health (EVIDENT) in Africa: a project evaluation. Health Res Policy Syst. 2019;17(1):12.

Varallyay NI, Langlois EV, Tran N, Elias V, Reveiz L. Health system decision-makers at the helm of implementation research: development of a framework to evaluate the processes and effectiveness of embedded approaches. Health Res Policy Syst. 2020;18(1):64.

Leonard E, de Kock I, Bam W. Barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based health innovations in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic literature review. Eval Program Plann. 2020;82: 101832.

Votruba N, Grant J, Thornicroft G. The EVITA framework for evidence-based mental health policy agenda setting in low- and middle-income countries. Health Policy Plan. 2020;35(4):424–39.

Votruba N, Grant J, Thornicroft G. EVITA 2.0, an updated framework for understanding evidence-based mental health policy agenda-setting: tested and informed by key informant interviews in a multilevel comparative case study. Health Res Policy Syst. 2021;19(1):35.

Kuchenmüller T, Chapman E, Takahashi R, Lester L, Reinap M, Ellen M, et al. A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework for evidence to policy networks. Eval Program Plann. 2022;91: 102053.

Ettelt S. The politics of evidence use in health policy making in Germany—the case of regulating hospital minimum volumes. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2017;42(3):513–38.

Greer SL, Bekker M, de Leeuw E, Wismar M, Helderman JK, Ribeiro S, et al. Policy, politics and public health. Eur J Public Health. 2017;27(suppl 4):40–3.

Fafard P, Cassola A. Public health and political science: challenges and opportunities for a productive partnership. Public Health. 2020;186:107–9.

Löblová O. Epistemic communities and experts in health policy-making. Eur J Public Health. 2018;28(suppl 3):7–10.

Maddalena V. Evidence-Based Decision-Making 8: Health Policy, a Primer for Researchers. In: Parfrey PS, Barrett BJ, editors. Clinical Epidemiology: Practice and Methods. New York, NY: Springer; 2015. (Methods in Molecular Biology).

Louis M, Maertens L. Why international organizations hate politics - Depoliticizing the world [Internet]. London and New York: Routledge; 2021. (Global Institutions). https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/47578/1/9780429883279.pdf

Hassel A, Wegrich K. How to do public policy. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2022.

Book Google Scholar

Walt G. Health policy: an introduction to process and power. 7th ed. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press; 2004.

Leichter HM. A comparative approach to policy analysis: health care policy in four nations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1979.

Download references

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute – CAPHRI, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Tugce Schmitt, Katarzyna Czabanowska & Peter Schröder-Bäck

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

TS: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing—Original Draft; KC: Writing—Review & Editing; PSB: Validation, Formal analysis, Writing—Review & Editing, Supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tugce Schmitt .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate, consent for publication, competing interests, additional information, publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Schmitt, T., Czabanowska, K. & Schröder-Bäck, P. What is context in knowledge translation? Results of a systematic scoping review. Health Res Policy Sys 22 , 52 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-024-01143-5

Download citation

Received : 26 June 2023

Accepted : 11 April 2024

Published : 29 April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-024-01143-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Knowledge Translation
Evidence-informed policymaking
Health systems

Health Research Policy and Systems

ISSN: 1478-4505

Submission enquiries: Access here and click Contact Us
General enquiries: [email protected]

Open access
Published: 25 April 2024

A scoping review of academic and grey literature on migrant health research conducted in Scotland

G. Petrie 1 ,
K. Angus 2 &
R. O’Donnell 2

BMC Public Health volume 24 , Article number: 1156 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

248 Accesses

8 Altmetric

Metrics details

Migration to Scotland has increased since 2002 with an increase in European residents and participation in the Asylum dispersal scheme. Scotland has become more ethnically diverse, and 10% of the current population were born abroad. Migration and ethnicity are determinants of health, and information on the health status of migrants to Scotland and their access to and barriers to care facilitates the planning and delivery of equitable health services. This study aimed to scope existing peer-reviewed research and grey literature to identify gaps in evidence regarding the health of migrants in Scotland.

A scoping review on the health of migrants in Scotland was carried out for dates January 2002 to March 2023, inclusive of peer-reviewed journals and grey literature. CINAHL/ Web of Science/SocIndex and Medline databases were systematically searched along with government and third-sector websites. The searches identified 2166 journal articles and 170 grey literature documents for screening. Included articles were categorised according to the World Health Organisation’s 2016 Strategy and Action Plan for Refugee and Migrant Health in the European region. This approach builds on a previously published literature review on Migrant Health in the Republic of Ireland.

Seventy-one peer reviewed journal articles and 29 grey literature documents were included in the review. 66% were carried out from 2013 onwards and the majority focused on asylum seekers or unspecified migrant groups. Most research identified was on the World Health Organisation’s strategic areas of right to health of refugees, social determinants of health and public health planning and strengthening health systems. There were fewer studies on the strategic areas of frameworks for collaborative action, preventing communicable disease, preventing non-communicable disease, health screening and assessment and improving health information and communication.

While research on migrant health in Scotland has increased in recent years significant gaps remain. Future priorities should include studies of undocumented migrants, migrant workers, and additional research is required on the issue of improving health information and communication.

Peer Review reports

The term migrant is defined by the International Organisation for Migration as “ a person who moves away from his or her place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons. The term includes several well-defined legal categories of people, including migrant workers; persons whose particular types of movements are legally-defined, such as smuggled migrants; as well as those whose status are not specifically defined under international law, such as international students.” [ 1 ] Internationally there are an estimated 281 million migrants – 3.6% of the world population, including 26.4 million refugees and 4.1 million asylum seekers – the highest number ever recorded [ 2 ]. The UN Refugee Society defines the term refugee as “ someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence…most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so .” The term asylum-seeker is defined as “someone whose request for sanctuary has yet to be processed.” [ 3 ].

Net-migration to Europe was negative in the 19th century due to higher levels of emigration, however in the mid-20th century immigration began to rise, because of an increase in migrant workers and following conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa [ 4 ]. Current migration drivers include conflicts alongside world-wide economic instability, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic [ 5 ]. Environmental damage due to climate change is expected to inflate the number of asylum seekers entering Europe in future [ 6 ]. The increase in migration to Europe is not a short-term influx but a long-term phenomenon, and European nations must adapt and find solutions to resulting financial, safeguarding and health challenges [ 7 ].

Data on healthcare use by migrants in Europe is variable, which means cross-country comparisons are inadequate [ 8 ]. Many countries do not record migration information within health records and all use disparate criteria to classify migrant status. The lack of comparative data hinders public health surveillance and effective interventions [ 9 ]. Even where information is available, results can be contradictory due to the multifarious migrant population. Migrants have a wide range of origin countries, socio-economic position, age and journeys undertaken which can affect health status [ 10 ].

Migrants initially may have better health than the general population, known as the ‘Healthy Migrant effect’ [ 11 ]. However, health declines with increasing length of residence [ 12 ] and over time to levels comparable with the general population [ 13 ]. Second generation immigrants may have higher mortality than average [ 14 ]. The process of acculturation to the host country, with adoption of unhealthy lifestyle and behaviours, increases the risk for chronic disease [ 15 ]. In addition, inequalities in health of migrants compared to host populations has been confirmed by wide-ranging research [ 16 ].

Host countries may limit healthcare access, with undocumented migrants sometimes only entitled to emergency care [ 17 ]. Even when access is granted, inequitable services can affect quality of care due to language barriers and cultural factors [ 18 ]. Poor working/living conditions and discrimination can exacerbate health inequalities [ 12 ]. Processing facilities for asylum seekers are frequently overpopulated, stressful environments [ 19 ] and threat of deportation, lack of citizenship rights and integration can negatively affect health and access to care [ 20 ]. Undocumented workers are unprotected by health and safety legislation leading to dangerous working conditions and injuries [ 15 ].

A systematic review of migrant health in the European Union (EU) found migrants have worse self-perceived health than the general population [ 21 ]. Research evidence indicates increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health disorders and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Exposure to conflict, harsh travel conditions and suboptimal vaccine programmes can mean higher risk of communicable disease [ 22 ]. Scoping reviews have also been conducted to describe trends within migration health research in the United Kingdom (UK) [ 23 ] and identify gaps for future research agendas in the UK [ 23 ] and in the Republic of Ireland [ 24 ].

Almost three-quarters (73%) of published migration health research in the UK has been conducted in England, focusing primarily on infectious diseases and mental health. There is limited evidence on the social determinants of health, access to and use of healthcare and structural and behavioural factors behaviours that influence migrant health in the UK [ 23 ]. By contrast, a large amount of the migration research conducted in the Republic of Ireland has focused on the social determinants of health, and on health system adaptations, with a paucity of research focusing on improving health information systems [ 24 ].

Migration and Health in Scotland

Immigration to Scotland began to rise in 2003 with the expansion of the EU [ 25 ]. The population in Scotland increased from 5.11 million to 5.47 million between 2005 and 2020 and is predicted to continue rising until 2028 [ 26 ] despite low birth rates, with the increased population resulting from inward migration [ 27 ]. Scotland’s population is becoming more ethnically diverse [ 28 ] and susceptibility to different health conditions varies by ethnic group, which has implications for the planning and provision of health services [ 29 ]. 7% of the current Scottish population are non-UK nationals and 10% were born outside Britain. The commonest countries of origin were Poland, Ireland, Italy, Nigeria and India [ 30 ].

Within Scotland, linking health data to ethnicity is standard in order to monitor and improve health of minority groups [ 31 ]. Ethnic background can differ from country of birth which means migration status cannot be assumed [ 32 ], although health inequalities experienced by migrants often extend to affect all ethnic minority groups [ 33 ]. The Scottish Health and Ethnicity Linkage Study (SHELS) linked census data to health records of 91% of the population which has provided information on mortality and morbidity by ethnic group and country of birth [ 34 ]. SHELS research indicates that the white-Scottish population have a higher mortality rate than other ethnic groups. This may be consequent to the comparatively poor health of the Scottish population relative to other European nations: high mortality rates in the general population may cause a perception that the health of minorities is more advantageous than in reality [ 35 ].

Cezard et al’s [ 13 ] analysis of self-perceived health among people in Scotland found that being born abroad had a positive impact on health status. Health declined with increased length of residence, which may be explained by cultural convergence with the majority population. Allik et al. [ 36 ] compared health inequalities by ethnic background and found that with increasing age, health differences reduced thus people aged over 75 of all ethnicities had similar or worse health status than White-Scottish people. While working-age migrants appear to be healthier than the White Scottish population, it cannot be assumed that in future this would extend to older age groups.

Research has shown deprivation as a cause of heath inequalities among ethnic minority and migrant groups [ 37 ]. The socio-economic status of minority ethnic groups in Scotland is unusual, as most are of similar or higher status than the white-Scottish population [ 38 ]. Therefore, public health interventions targeting deprivation may not address risk-factors for ethnic minorities and migrants [ 36 ]. Further research on determinants of health in migrants can help with planning and design of inclusive policies.

The 2011 census indicated that 50% of immigrants lived in the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. Glasgow had a greater percentage of non-European immigrants due to participation in the Asylum dispersal programme [ 39 ]. 10% of UK asylum seekers are placed in Glasgow, but records are not kept following approval of asylum claims, therefore the size of the refugee population is unknown [ 40 ]. While immigration is controlled by the British government, in policy areas devolved to the Scottish government, refugees and asylum seekers have more rights than elsewhere in UK, including access to primary healthcare for undocumented migrants [ 40 ]. Despite the mitigating effect of Scottish policies, asylum seekers’ health is worsened by the asylum process and associated poverty, marginalisation, and discrimination [ 40 ]. Health deteriorates with increasing length of time in the asylum system [ 40 ] and asylum seekers and refugees have additional health needs and require enhanced support [ 41 ]. Research on the health needs of asylum seekers in Scotland is required to ensure adequate healthcare.

Aim and objectives

While scoping reviews on migrant health have been carried out in Europe [ 12 ], Ireland [ 24 ] and the UK [ 23 ] none are currently specific to the Scottish context. Given the devolved government of Scotland and demographics described above, a targeted review would help to clarify research priorities, with the aim of improving health and health care within the migrant community in Scotland. This work therefore builds on the published scoping review of migrant health in the Republic of Ireland [ 24 ]. The authors recommend replication of the study in other countries to facilitate cross-country comparison. Our aim was to scope peer-reviewed research and grey literature on migrant health conducted in Scotland and identify any gaps in the evidence. Our objectives were to: [1] understand the extent of the available research by topic area [2] summarise the types of research already conducted, populations studied, topics covered and approaches taken [3], map the existing research conducted in Scotland and [4] identify areas for future research based on any gaps in the evidence identified.

A scoping review was conducted as they can aid detection of evidence gaps [ 42 ] and allow incorporation of grey literature in topics with insufficient published research [ 43 ]. Arksey and O’Malley’s [ 44 ] five stage scoping review framework was used.

Stage 1: identifying the research question

Arskey and O’Malley [ 44 ] suggest maintaining a broad approach to identifying the research question, in order to generate breadth of coverage. On this basis, and in line with the research question identified in the Villarroel et al. [ 24 ] scoping review, our research question was framed as follows: What is the scope, main topics and gaps in evidence in the existing literature on health of international migrants living in Scotland? Arksey and O’Malley [ 44 ] highlight the importance of defining terminology at the outset of scoping reviews. For consistency, we used the broad definition of ‘migrant’ as per Villaroel et al. [ 24 ], from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) [ 1 ]. References to refugees or asylum seekers followed the United Nations Refugee Agency definitions [ 3 ].

Stage 2: identifying relevant studies

Electronic database searches identified reports alongside a grey literature search, in line with Arskey and O’Malley’s [ 44 ] guidance to search for evidence via different sources. CINAHL, Web of Science, SocIndex and Medline academic databases were selected with input from co-authors. Search terms for the review were based upon those used by Villaroel et al. [ 24 ] with additional relevant terms from Hannigan et al. [ 9 ] The strategy combined three sets of terms for: Migrants (e.g., refugee, migrant, immigrant or newcomer), Scotland and Health. Both free text terms and index terms were used and adapted to the 4 academic databases and searches were run on 10th March 2023 (see Additional File 1 for database search strategies). Thirteen Government, University, and third-sector websites in Scotland were scoped for selection then hand-searched for grey literature (listed in Additional File 1 ).

Stage 3: study selection

Net-migration to Scotland increased in the 2000s [ 27 ] hence a date range of January 2002-March 2023 was used to identify evidence. The search was limited to English only. Inclusion/exclusion criteria for the studies were based on those used by Villaroel et al. [ 24 ] and expanded upon following discussion with co-authors (see Table 1 ). Reports were included if based on primary or secondary research on the health of international migrants in Scotland and used qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research design. International or UK based reports were only included if Scottish results were documented separately. Reports on the health of ethnic minority groups in Scotland was included if place of birth was recorded. Research on internal (non-international) migrants within Scotland, either moving from one Scottish area to another or from another part of the United Kingdom to Scotland, were excluded.

Stage 4: data charting

All records were saved to RefWorks for screening. Records were first screened at title/abstract stage with 10% independently checked by the co-authors. The remaining reports were single screened using full text by the first author. Data from the included records was extracted and organised in tabular form under the following headings, which were agreed by team members: article type (peer-reviewed article or grey literature), publication date, geographical setting, study/intervention’s target population, funding, primary research focus on migrant health (y/n), study objective, data collection method, study design (qualitative/quantitative/mixed) and main finding. Reports were not critically appraised in this scoping review.

Stage 5: collating, summarising and reporting results

A report (either a peer-reviewed journal article or grey literature report) is used as our unit of analysis. In order to present the range of research identified, reports were grouped by the different headings in our data charting table and the outcomes considered for relevance to our scoping review’s aim. Our Results summarise the recency, focus, study designs and funding sources of the identified research, followed by the geographical settings and whether Scotland was included in international research reports. Reports were grouped by their study population and further sub-divided by publication type and geographical area for summarising. Finally, the WHO’s European strategy and action plan (SAAP) for refugee and migrant health [ 7 ] is a policy framework designed to help governments and other stakeholders monitor and improve migrant health in Europe. There are nine strategic areas in the WHO’s SAAP, which prioritise the most salient issues. In line with Villaroel et al’s [ 24 ] approach and in order to compare scoping review outcomes, these areas were used to categorise the findings of this review. Each report was matched to the most appropriate SAAP:

Establishing a Framework for Collaborative Action.

Advocating for the right to health of refugees.

Addressing the social determinants of health.

Achieving public health preparedness and ensuring an effective response.

Strengthening health systems and their resilience.

Preventing communicable disease.

Preventing and reducing the risks caused by non-communicable disease.

Ensuring ethical and effective health screening and assessment.

Improving health information and communication.

The primary focus (aims and objectives) of each report was used to identify the relevant SAAP area/areas. To improve reliability, results were compared using coding criteria used in Villaroel et al’s study (MacFarlane 2023, personal communication, 31st May). 10% of the reports were checked by one co-author to ensure consistent coding to SAAP categories. Any instances of uncertainty in mapping reports to the relevant SAAP area/areas were discussed and resolved by team members.

This scoping review of the literature on migrant health in Scotland identified 2166 records from academic literature databases, following duplicate removal, and 170 records from website searches (see Fig. 1 ). Following screening, a total of 71 peer-reviewed journal articles and 29 grey literature studies (totalling 100 reports) were included for analysis (Results table and reference list are presented in Additional File 2 ).

Flow chart illustrating the identification of sources of evidence included in the scoping review

Overall findings

The majority of reports were published between 2013 and 2022. Fifty-eight reports (58%) focused exclusively on migrant health [ 18 , 39 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 ]. 23 centred on health but included other populations in addition to migrants – for example research on ethnic minorities or other vulnerable groups [ 13 , 31 , 35 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 , 122 ]. Seventeen reports were included where the sample population were migrants, but the primary topic was not health – for example destitution, integration, and service needs [ 27 , 73 , 74 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 ]. Health data was reported as part of the wider subject matter. One report [ 136 ] looked at the social determinants of breastfeeding including migrant status and one [ 137 ] compared attitudes to aging and family support between countries.

Funding sources were not declared for 35 (35%) of reports. The Scottish Government funded 20 reports (20%) [ 13 , 27 , 32 , 39 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 66 , 77 , 88 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 113 , 116 , 119 , 121 , 129 , 134 ]. Other common sources of funding included Government funded public bodies ( n = 13) [ 45 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 104 , 107 , 113 , 116 , 131 , 136 ], the Scottish Health Service ( n = 18) (either the National Health Service (NHS) [ 13 , 54 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 102 , 113 , 116 ], local NHS trusts [ 45 , 60 , 61 , 77 , 102 , 103 , 112 ] or by Public Health Scotland [ 13 , 113 ]) Eleven reports (11%) were funded by Universities. The charity sector financed 15 (15%) reports [ 53 , 63 , 66 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 103 , 111 , 123 , 125 , 132 , 138 ] and the EU and Scottish local authorities funded four reports each [ 45 , 62 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 102 , 125 , 135 ]. Professional bodies financed one report [ 126 ] as did the Japanese government [ 64 ]. No reports received funding from the business sector. The biggest sources of funding for grey literature were Refugee charities (40%) and the Scottish government (30%) (see Fig. 2 ).

Sources of funding for migrant health research in Scotland

Research methods and data collection

52% of reports used qualitative research methods. Forty-five reports (86%) collected data using 1–1 interviews and 24 (46%) used focus groups. Other methods of data collection included questionnaires (six studies (11%)), workshops (two studies (3.85%)) and observation (two studies (3.85%)). Oral/written evidence, guided play sessions, family case studies and participatory activity sessions were used in one report each.

28% of reports used quantitative research methods, most commonly cross section design (ten studies (36%)) and cohort design (18 studies (64%)). Information was obtained from databases including medical records, Census data and national records in 21 reports (75%). Questionnaires were used in six reports (21%). Other methods including body measurements, food diaries, blood samples, interviews and case reviews were used in 1 report each.

20% of reports used mixed methods. The most common method of data collection was questionnaires in 14 reports (70%), interviews in ten reports (50%), focus groups in seven reports (35%), workshops in three reports (13.6%), and databases in three reports (13.6%). Other methods included literature review in two reports (10%), case note reviews in two reports (10%) and one reports each used mapping and school records.

Geographical areas of study

Ninety-one reports were situated in Scotland, of which 35 (38.5%) covered the whole country and 56 (61.5%) specified a city or area where research was undertaken. Some UK and international reports also specified the area of Scotland. The largest share of research within Scotland overall was in Glasgow with 36 reports, followed by Edinburgh with 16 reports, Lothian with six reports, Aberdeen with five reports and Grampian with three reports. The Northeast, Stirling, Highlands, Inverness, Lanarkshire, Motherwell and Selkirk had one report in each area.

There were seven international reports, three on mortality by country of birth [ 75 , 76 , 78 ], one on cross cultural communication [ 79 ], one on maternity care in Poland and Scotland [ 99 ], one comparing attitudes to aging in China and Scotland [ 137 ] and one on the link between birthweights and integration of migrants [ 64 ]. The remaining two reports were UK based, one on immunisation of Roma and traveller communities [ 117 ] and one on the link between ethnic diversity and mortality [ 104 ]. All the included international and UK reports documented the Scottish data separately within results.

Migrant population

Thirty-one reports included all migrants in the study population. The remaining reports included 30 studies on asylum seekers/refugees, 11 on Polish migrants, ten on Africans, six each on South Asians/Chinese/European, three on Arabs, and two on Roma populations (see Fig. 3 ). Most reports did not specify the country of origin for Asylum seekers and refugees - where country of birth was specified, reports were also included in the appropriate category.

Migrant populations studied in health research in Scotland

Grey literature and peer-reviewed reports differed in population focus. The most common populations of interest in grey literature were asylum seekers/refugees consisting of 18 reports (62%) [ 27 , 47 , 54 , 55 , 59 , 63 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 123 , 125 , 127 , 128 , 132 , 134 , 138 ] while for peer-reviewed journals 24 reports (34%) focused on all migrants [ 13 , 35 , 45 , 48 , 64 , 76 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 104 , 105 , 108 , 109 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 118 , 120 , 121 , 122 , 136 ].

Migrant study population also differed by local area; Glasgow city, where the majority of research occurred, had 18 reports of 36 (50%) on Asylum seekers/refugees [ 47 , 48 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 58 , 63 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 82 , 83 , 127 , 128 , 130 , 138 , 139 ] eight reports (22%) on Africans [ 52 , 53 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 106 , 107 ], seven reports (19%) on all migrants [ 45 , 48 , 80 , 102 , 104 , 105 , 121 ] and two reports (5.5%) on Roma migrants [ 103 , 117 ]. Other populations had one reports each. In Edinburgh five reports of 16 (31%) were on the Polish population [ 56 , 67 , 68 , 89 , 90 ], and two reports (12.5%) on Asylum seekers/refugees [ 60 , 133 ], Chinese [ 62 , 137 ], South Asian [ 46 , 119 ], all migrants [ 105 , 121 ] and Africans [ 87 , 107 ]. The remaining migrant groups had one report each. Other areas of Scotland show no clear pattern with studies in disparate migrant population groups.

Number of reports per Strategic and Action Plan (SAAP) Area

SAAP Area mapping

1. establishing a framework for collaborative action.

Nine reports had a primary focus on collaborative action and were categorised under SAAP area 1 (see Fig. 4 ) [ 66 , 70 , 72 , 73 , 103 , 125 , 129 , 132 , 134 ]. Four reports (33%) used a mixed methods study design, the remaining five reports (67%) used a qualitative design. One report [ 66 ] focused on the epidemiology of female genital mutilation and a proposed intervention strategy. One report [ 66 ] focused on the epidemiology of female genital mutilation and a proposed intervention strategy. One report [ 103 ] evaluated service provision to the Roma community in Glasgow. The remaining reports focused on refugees and asylum seekers: four [ 73 , 125 , 132 , 134 ] evaluations of refugee integration projects, one [ 70 ] on services available to pregnant women, and one [ 72 ] an assessment of a peer-education service. One report [ 129 ] was a review of service provisions for migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic. All reports in SAAP area 1 were grey literature and three (37.5%) had a primary focus on migrant health while four (50%) focused on integration, one (11%) included data on ethnic minorities and one (11%) on services during the covid-19 pandemic. The majority (seven reports (78%)) were also categorised to another SAAP area most commonly area 2 (five studies (55%)) or area 5 (four studies (44%)).

2. Advocating for the right to health of refugees

Nineteen reports focused on SAAP area 2, advocating for the right to health of refugees (see Fig. 4 ) [ 47 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 63 , 70 , 71 , 83 , 103 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 134 , 138 , 140 ]. Sixteen reports (84%) had a qualitative study design and the remaining three (16%) reports used mixed methods. Nine reports (47%) focused on the health impact of the asylum system [ 52 , 55 , 71 , 74 , 123 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 138 ], five (26%) on health and access to care [ 47 , 54 , 83 , 103 , 124 ], two (10.5%) on maternity care [ 63 , 70 ], two (10.5%) on integration services [ 125 , 134 ] and one report on mental health in HIV positive migrants [ 53 ]. Nine reports (47%) had a primary focus on migrant health while the remaining 10 (53%) also involved wider social issues. The majority (15 (79%)) of reports were grey literature. All the articles in this group overlapped with another SAAP area. Area 3 is the most common joint category with ten reports (53%) followed by area 5 with seven reports (37%), area 1 shares five reports (26%), while areas 4 and 8 share one report each (5%).

3. Addressing the social determinants of health

Twenty-nine reports were categorised to SAAP area 3 – addressing the social determinants of health (see Fig. 4 ) [ 13 , 27 , 45 , 50 , 52 , 55 , 60 , 62 , 63 , 65 , 68 , 71 , 74 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 102 , 112 , 123 , 124 , 127 , 128 , 136 , 137 , 138 ]. The majority (14 (48%)) used a qualitative study method, eight (28%) used quantitative methodology and the remaining seven reports (24%) used mixed methods. Nineteen reports (65.5%) were peer-reviewed journals [ 13 , 45 , 50 , 52 , 60 , 62 , 63 , 65 , 68 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 104 , 112 , 124 , 136 , 137 ] and ten (34.5%) were grey literature [ 27 , 55 , 63 , 71 , 74 , 102 , 123 , 127 , 128 , 138 ]. Ten reports (34.5%) discussed the effects of the asylum system on health [ 27 , 52 , 63 , 71 , 74 , 123 , 124 , 127 , 128 , 137 ] and one (3.5%) migration and health [ 50 ]. Six reports (21%) focused on culture and ethnicity [ 82 , 92 , 102 , 104 , 112 , 137 ], five reports (17%) discussed economic and environmental determinants of health [ 13 , 45 , 67 , 81 , 93 ] and five reports (17%) the health impact of social activities [ 55 , 60 , 62 , 80 , 91 ]. Of the remaining reports, one [ 65 ] discussed Brexit and mental health of European migrants and one discussed the effect of coping strategies on wellbeing in Polish migrants [ 68 ]. Most reports, 18 (62%) had a primary focus on migrant health [ 45 , 50 , 52 , 55 , 60 , 62 , 63 , 65 , 67 , 68 , 71 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 102 ], six reports (21%) discussed wider social factors in addition to health [ 74 , 123 , 124 , 127 , 128 , 138 ]. Of the remaining reports three (10%) looked at ethnic background and country of birth [ 13 , 112 , 136 ], one [ 27 ] included other vulnerable groups and one [ 137 ] included people living in China and Chinese migrants to Scotland. Thirteen reports were also categorised to one or more additional SAAP area - ten (34%) were also applicable to area 2 [ 52 , 55 , 63 , 71 , 74 , 123 , 124 , 127 , 128 , 138 ], three (10%) to area 5 [ 63 , 82 , 92 ] and one (7%) to area 4 [ 27 ].

4. Achieving public health preparedness and ensuring an effective response

Twenty-one reports were assigned to SAAP area 4 (see Fig. 4 ) [ 27 , 31 , 35 , 39 , 47 , 57 , 64 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 94 , 104 , 108 , 109 , 111 , 113 , 114 , 116 , 120 , 135 ] of which fourteen (67%) used quantitative research methods, four (19%) mixed methods and three (14%) qualitative methods. Thirteen (62%) reports were peer-reviewed journals [ 35 , 59 , 64 , 75 , 78 , 104 , 108 , 109 , 111 , 113 , 114 , 116 , 120 ] and eight (38%) grey literature [ 27 , 31 , 39 , 47 , 57 , 77 , 94 , 135 ]. Most reports (12 (57%)) focused on morbidity and mortality in migrant populations [ 31 , 35 , 64 , 75 , 76 , 78 , 104 , 108 , 109 , 113 , 114 , 116 ]. Six (29%) investigated health status and healthcare needs in migrant groups in Scotland [ 39 , 47 , 57 , 77 , 94 , 135 ]. Two reports (9.5%) analysed the epidemiology of HIV infections [ 111 , 120 ] and the remaining report focused on the health needs of young people during the covid-19 pandemic [ 27 ]. Nine reports (43%) had a primary focus on migrant health [ 39 , 47 , 55 , 64 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 94 ] while eight (38%) also analysed data by ethnicity [ 31 , 35 , 104 , 108 , 109 , 113 , 114 , 116 ]. Of the remaining reports, three (14%) included other populations within Scotland [ 27 , 111 , 120 ] and one (5%) included other characteristics in addition to health information [ 135 ]. Ten reports (48%) were also categorised to another SAAP area; one to area 2 [ 47 ], one to area 3 [ 27 ], four to area 5 [ 47 , 57 , 77 , 135 ], two to area 6 [ 111 , 120 ] and two to area 9 [ 31 , 108 ].

5. Strengthening health systems and their resilience

Twenty-nine reports were assigned to SAAP area 5 (see Fig. 4 ) [ 18 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 54 , 57 , 63 , 69 , 70 , 72 , 77 , 79 , 82 , 83 , 92 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 99 , 101 , 103 , 118 , 119 , 126 , 129 , 131 , 133 , 135 , 141 ] of which 23 (79%) used qualitative research methods. Three reports used quantitative methods (10.3%) and the remaining three used mixed methods (10.3%). Twelve reports (41%) examined migrants needs and experiences of health care [ 47 , 49 , 54 , 57 , 58 , 77 , 83 , 95 , 103 , 119 , 129 , 135 ], eight (24%) focused on pregnancy and childcare [ 63 , 70 , 92 , 96 , 97 , 99 , 101 , 118 ] and two (7%) on barriers to healthcare access [ 48 , 131 ]. Two reports (7%) evaluated healthcare programmes [ 72 , 133 ] and two focused on communication in primary care [ 79 ] and maternity services [ 69 ]. The remaining three reports (10%) covered sexual health [ 82 ], health information needs of Syrian refugees [ 126 ] and general practitioner training [ 18 ]. Nineteen (65.5%) were peer reviewed journals [ 18 , 48 , 49 , 58 , 69 , 79 , 82 , 83 , 92 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 99 , 101 , 118 , 119 , 125 , 131 , 133 ] and ten (34.5%) were grey literature [ 47 , 54 , 57 , 63 , 70 , 72 , 77 , 103 , 129 , 135 ]. Twenty-one (72%) had a primary focus on migrant health [ 18 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 54 , 57 , 58 , 63 , 69 , 70 , 72 , 77 , 79 , 82 , 83 , 92 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 99 , 101 ]. Six reports (21%) included research on other characteristics or services [ 103 , 126 , 129 , 131 , 133 , 135 ]. The remaining two reports (7%) included ethnic groups as well as migrants in the data [ 118 , 119 ]. Nineteen reports (65.5%) were also assigned to one or more other category areas: five reports (17%) to area 1 [ 47 , 70 , 72 , 103 , 129 ], five reports (17%) to area 2 [ 54 , 63 , 83 , 103 , 129 ], three reports (10%) to area 3 [ 63 , 82 , 92 ], four reports (14%) to area 4 [ 47 , 57 , 77 , 135 ], one (3.5%) to area 7 [ 119 ] and one (3.5%) to area 9 [ 48 ].

6. Preventing communicable diseases

Fourteen reports were assigned to SAAP area 6 (see Fig. 4 ) [ 56 , 61 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 111 , 115 , 117 , 120 , 122 ] of which four (31%) used quantitative methods, five (38%) used qualitative methods and five (38%) used mixed methods. Five reports (38.5%) examined immunisation behaviour [ 56 , 61 , 89 , 90 , 117 ], five (38%) on epidemiology and treatment of HIV [ 106 , 107 , 111 , 120 , 122 ]. The remaining four reports (31%) focused on tuberculosis in healthcare workers [ 115 ], malaria [ 105 ] and sexual health services [ 87 , 88 ]. Only one reports was grey literature [ 88 ], the remainder were peer-reviewed journals. Six reports (46%) had a primary focus on migrant health [ 56 , 61 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 ] while seven reports (54%) also included other at-risk groups in the analysis. Four reports (31%) were also assigned to another SAAP category, two (15%) to area 4 [ 111 , 120 ] and two (15%) to area 8 [ 88 , 115 ].

7. Preventing and reducing the risks posed by non-communicable diseases

Eight reports were categorised to SAAP area 7 (see Fig. 4 ) [ 46 , 51 , 59 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 98 , 119 ] of which six (75%) used qualitative research methods, one (12.5%) used quantitative methods and one (12.5%) used mixed methods. Only one report (12.5%) was grey literature [ 59 ] the remaining seven reports (87.5%) were peer-reviewed journals [ 48 , 87 , 92 , 126 , 127 , 128 , 140 ]. Three reports (37.5%) focused on health behaviours [ 51 , 85 , 98 ], two (25%) on mental health, two (25%) on diabetes and one (12.5%) on chronic disease. Seven reports(87.5%) had a primary focus on migrant health [ 46 , 51 , 59 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 98 ], with the remaining report (12.5%) including ethnic minority groups [ 119 ]. One report (12.5%) was also assigned to SAAP area number 5 [ 119 ].

8. Ensuring ethical and effective health screening and assessment

There were six reports assigned to category 8 (see Fig. 4 ) [ 53 , 88 , 100 , 110 , 115 , 121 ] of which two (33%) used a quantitative research method, three (50%) used a qualitative method and one used mixed methods. One report (14%) was grey literature [ 88 ] the remaining five reports (83%) were peer reviewed journals [ 53 , 100 , 110 , 115 , 121 ]. Three reports (50%) focused on cancer screening in migrant women [ 21 , 100 , 110 ], one (17%) analysed access to HIV testing among African migrants [ 53 ], one (17%) on T.B in healthcare workers [ 72 ] and one (17%) on sexual health [ 36 ]. Three reports (50%) had a primary focus on migrant health [ 53 , 88 , 100 ] while the remaining three reports (50%) included other at-risk groups in the analysis [ 110 , 115 , 121 ]. There were three reports which overlapped with other SAAP areas: one [ 53 ] (17%) was categorised to area 2 while two [ 88 , 115 ] (33%) were categorised to area 6.

9. Improving health information and communication

Three reports were assigned to SAAP area 9 (see Fig. 4 ) [ 31 , 108 , 130 ]. One of these (33%) used a qualitative approach, one (33%) used a quantitative approach and one (33%) used mixed methods. Two [ 108 , 130 ] (66%) were peer-reviewed journal articles and one [ 31 ] (33%) was grey literature. Two reports (66%) focused on improving migrant demographics and health information using databases [ 31 , 108 ] while one (33%) described an information-needs matrix for refugees and asylum seekers [ 130 ]. Two [ 31 , 108 ] included ethnicities in the data while one [ 130 ] had a primary focus on migrant health. Two reports [ 31 , 108 ] (66%) also applied to SAAP area 4 while one report [ 130 ] (33%) was in SAAP area 9 only.

To our knowledge this is the first scoping review conducted on migrant health in Scotland. A previous rapid literature review [ 94 ] found most research focused on health behaviours, mental health, communicable disease and use of and access to healthcare; however, the review limited migrant definition to those who had immigrated within five years and asylum seekers were not included.

In our review, the majority of reports were published from 2013 onwards, aligning with the expansion in migrant research internationally [ 142 ]. 52% used qualitative research methods, 28% used quantitative methods and 20% used mixed methods. 58% focused on migrant health: the remaining papers included other populations or health as part of a wider remit. Research funding was mostly provided by the Scottish Government, NHS, refugee charities and Universities. No studies received funding from the private sector, although this sector has the potential resource and capacity to play a key role in funding future research to improve migrant health in Scotland. Geographically, most studies took place in Glasgow (36%), nationwide (38.5%) or Edinburgh (16%) – other areas were under-represented including Aberdeen (5%), despite being the city with the largest migrant population [ 30 ]. There was a lack of studies in rural localities. These findings concur with a UK migrant health review by Burns et al. [ 23 ] where research was concentrated in larger cities and data was sparse in rural areas relative to the migrant population.

Half of the research identified that was conducted in Glasgow focused on asylum seekers/refugees. Glasgow was previously the only Scottish city to host asylum seekers [ 143 ] and currently supports the most asylum seekers of any local authority in the UK [ 29 ]. In April 2022, the UK government widened the Asylum dispersal scheme to all local authorities [ 144 ]. Around 70% of Scotland’s refugee support services are based in Glasgow and the South-west [ 145 ]. As reduced access to services may impact the health of asylum seekers, research in Glasgow may not be generalizable to other regions of Scotland.

Almost one-third (30%) of all reports focused on asylum seekers and refugees – an overrepresentation given that only 18% of migrants to the UK are asylum seekers [ 146 ] and as low as 2% of all migrants in Scotland [ 147 ]. Asylum seekers and refugees are at risk of poor health due to trauma, difficult journeys, overcrowded camps, poor nutrition and lack of access to healthcare [ 148 ]. They have worse maternity outcomes and increased rates of mental illness [ 149 ]. Increased research on health of asylum seekers and refugees is necessary due to their additional vulnerabilities [ 142 ]. However, asylum seeker’s country of origin was generally not specified. Asylum seekers have heterogenic backgrounds [ 150 ] and nationality and trauma experience affect health status [ 151 ]. Further research focused on specific nationalities of asylum seekers would enhance understanding of the health needs in this population.

Almost one-third (31%) of studies did not specify a migrant group. This concurs with a Norwegian migrant health study by Laue et al. [ 152 ] where 36% of research did not identify country of birth. Where nationality was identified, Polish, African and South Asian were most prevalent. Poles are the largest migrant group in Scotland, however for the other most common immigrant groups of Irish, Italian and Nigerian [ 30 ] there was an absence of research. No studies took place on Nigerian migrants – nine studies indicated African populations, but country of birth was not specified. Since March 2022, 23,000 Ukrainians have migrated to Scotland [ 153 ], however no studies on Ukrainians were identified currently. Research may be underway which is yet to be published.

Only one study explored the impact of Brexit on European migrants’ health despite 56% of migrants to Scotland being EU nationals [ 30 ]. Again, research may be taking place currently, which is yet to be published. No studies involved undocumented migrants despite this populations’ high rates of poor physical/mental health exacerbated by poor housing and working conditions [ 154 ]. An estimated 7.2–9.5% of the workforce in the UK are migrant workers who have higher risks of poor working conditions and injury [ 155 ]. Scotland depends on a migrant workforce for some industries such as agriculture [ 156 ] but only two research papers specified migrant workers.

Most research papers related to the right to health of refugees (SAAP 2), social determinants of health (SAAP 3), public health planning (SAAP 4) and strengthening health systems (SAAP 5). Areas with less research were frameworks for collaborative action (SAAP 1), preventing communicable disease (SAAP 6), preventing non-communicable disease (SAAP 7) and health screening and assessment (SAAP 8). Only three studies related to improving health information and communication (SAAP 9). Lebano et al. [ 12 ] conducted a literature review of migrant health in Europe and found data collection unreliable and disorganised. There is a lack of data on the numbers and types of migrants entering Scotland and research tends not to differentiate between ethnic minorities and migrants [ 94 ]. As poor-quality information hinders surveillance and planning of services SAAP area 9 is an important consideration for increased research.

Villarroel et al. [ 24 ] also found more research in SAAP areas 3 to 5 and less in areas 6 to 9. However, their study returned no results in category 1, collaborative action, or 2, the right to health of refugees, while this study assigned 9% of articles to category 1 and 19% to category 2. Most articles in our study relating to categories 1 and 2 were grey literature, which was excluded from the original Irish scoping review. This highlights a potential difference in the focus of peer-reviewed articles compared to government/refugee charity commissioned reports. Collaborative action and the right to health of refugees and asylum seekers are entwined in Scotland due to the complex policy environment; the social determinants of health such as housing, education, welfare rights and social integration are influenced by a variety of UK and Scottish statutory bodies as well as third sector organisations [ 157 ]. Despite this complexity, organisations work well together [ 158 ]. Further academic research in this area would enhance joint working practices and networks.

A scoping review in the UK [ 23 ] found similar quantities of research corresponding to SAAP areas 3, 2 and 9. However in Scotland areas 1, 5 and 8 were a combined 44% of included papers compared with 27.8% of results on health systems and structures in Burns et al’s [ 23 ] study. Almost half of the articles in SAAP areas 1,5 and 8 were grey literature, which was not included in Burns et al’s [ 23 ] review. Conversely, Burns et al. [ 23 ] found 81.9% of research in the UK related to epidemiology, equivalent to SAAP categories 4,6 and 7. In a Norwegian scoping review of migrant health [ 152 ] 65% of research was related to epidemiological data on health and disease. Only 42% of the research in this current study related to epidemiological data; the quantity of evidence was reduced by excluding combined research from the UK. As Scotland has higher mortality and morbidity than elsewhere in the UK [ 29 ] it is important to undertake further epidemiological research limited to Scotland.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths of this review include the use of the WHO’s SAAP categories [ 7 ] to classify data, in accordance with the Villarroel et al’s [ 24 ] study: this means results are linked to policy on migrant health and facilitates comparability to the Irish study results. Additionally results include data on migrant groups, locality, and funding of included papers; these highlight potential omissions for future research consideration. Results include diverse research methods and published and grey literature giving a wide overview of available evidence, reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist (see Additional File 3 ) [ 159 ].

Limitations included the lack of an open-access protocol and search limitations of English language and selected databases. This means some relevant reports may be omitted. Due to time and resource limitations no quality appraisal was planned for included reports. Whilst we did not synthesise the findings for each topic area and migrant group, future systematic reviews could be undertaken to address this limitation and build on this work.

Conclusions

Immigration and ethnic diversity in Scotland have increased since 2002 which is reflected in the expansion of migrant health research. This review highlights evidence gaps including a lack of research in rural areas, undocumented migrants and migrant workers. There is a tendency to cluster asylum seekers together rather than differentiate between national groups. Within the SAAP areas there is less evidence relating to collaborative action, preventing communicable disease, preventing non-communicable disease and health screening and assessment. Further research is required on improving health information and communication for migrant populations in Scotland – a significant omission given the importance of accurate information for health service planning.

Availability of data and materials

All data analysed during this review comes from the papers listed in Additional file 2 .

Abbreviations

European Union

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

National Health Service

Strategy and Action Plan

The Scottish Health and Ethnicity Linkage Study

United Kingdom

World Health Organisation

International Organisation for Migration (IOM). IOM Definition of Migrant. 2024. Available from: https://www.iom.int/about-migration .Cited 2024 Feb 8.

International Organisation for Migration United Nations. World Migration Report. 2022. Available from: available: https://worldmigrationreport.iom.int/wmr-2022-interactive/ .

The United Nations Refugee Angency. Refugee facts: What is a refugee? 2024. Available from: https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee/ . Cited 2024 Feb 8.

Migration Data Portal. Migration data in Europe. 2023. Available from: https://www.migrationdataportal.org/regional-data-overview/europe#past-and-present-trends . Cited 2023 Aug 22.

International Centre for Migration Policy Development. Migration Outlook 2022 Twelve migration issues to look out for in 2022 Origins, key events and priorities for Europe. 2022. Available from: https://www.icmpd.org/file/download/56783/file/ICMPD%2520Migration%2520Outlook%25202022.pdf .

European Parliament. Exploring migration causes: why people migrate. 2023. Available from: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/world/20200624STO81906/exploring-migration-causes-why-people-migrate .

World Health Organisation. Strategic plan: Strategy and Action Plan for Refugee and Migrant Health in the WHO European Region 2016–2022. 2016. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/strategic-plan-strategy-and-action-plan-for-refugee-and-migrant-health-in-the-who-european-region-2016-2022 .

Graetz V, Rechel B, Groot W, Norredam M, Pavlova M. Utilization of health care services by migrants in Europe—a systematic literature review. Br Med Bull. 2017;121(1):5–18. Available from: https://www.academic.oup.com/bmb/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/bmb/ldw057 .

Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar

Hannigan A, O'Donnell P, O'Keeffe M, MacFarlane A. How do Variations in Definitions of “Migrant” and their Application Influence the Access of Migrants to Health Care Services? Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2016. (Health Evidence Network Synthesis Report, No. 46.) Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK391032/ .

Rechel B, Mladovsky P, Ingleby D, Mackenbach JP, McKee M. Migration and health in an increasingly diverse Europe. Lancet. 2013;381(9873):1235–45. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0140673612620868 .

Article PubMed Google Scholar

Giannoni M, Franzini L, Masiero G. Migrant integration policies and health inequalities in Europe. BMC Public Health. 2016;16(1):463. Available from: http://www.bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-3095-9 .

Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Lebano A, Hamed S, Bradby H, Gil-Salmerón A, Durá-Ferrandis E, Garcés-Ferrer J, et al. Migrants’ and refugees’ health status and healthcare in Europe: a scoping literature review. BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):1039. Available from: https://www.bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-08749-8 .

Cézard G, Finney N, Kulu H, Marshall A. Ethnic differences in self-assessed health in Scotland: The role of socio-economic status and migrant generation. Popul Space Place. 2022;28(3):e2403. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/psp.2403 .

Article Google Scholar

Anson J. The migrant mortality advantage: a 70 month follow-up of the brussels population. Eur J Popul. 2004;20(3):191–218.

World Health Organisation. Health of refugees and migrants. WHO European Region. 2018. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/health-of-refugees-and-migrants---who-european-region-(2018) .

Mladovsky P. A framework for analysing migrant health policies in Europe. Health Policy (New York). 2009;93(1):55–63. Available from: https://www.linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0168851009001444 .

De Vito E, de Waure C, Specchia ML, Parente P, Azzolini E, Frisicale EM, et al. Are undocumented migrants’ entitlements and barriers to healthcare a public health challenge for the European Union? Public Health Rev. 2016;37(1):13. Available from: http://publichealthreviews.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40985-016-0026-3 .

Katikireddi SV, Bhopal R, Quickfall JA. GPs need training and funding in caring for refugees and asylum seekers. BMJ. 2004;328(7442):770.1. Available from: https://www.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmj.328.7442.770 .

Carballo M, Hargreaves S, Gudumac I, Maclean EC. Evolving migrant crisis in Europe: implications for health systems. Lancet Glob Heal. 2017;5(3):e252-253. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2214109X17300402 .

Juárez SP, Honkaniemi H, Dunlavy AC, Aldridge RW, Barreto ML, Katikireddi SV et al. Effects of non-health-targeted policies on migrant health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Heal. 2019;7(4):e420–35. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2214109X18305606 .

Nielsen SS, Krasnik A. Poorer self-perceived health among migrants and ethnic minorities versus the majority population in Europe: a systematic review. Int J Public Health. 2010;55(5):357–71. Available from: ( http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00038-010-0145-4 ).

World Health Organsation. World report on the health of refugees and migrants. 2022. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240054462 .

Burns R, Zhang CX, Patel P, Eley I, Campos-Matos I, Aldridge RW. Migration health research in the United Kingdom: a scoping review. J Migr Heal. 2021;4:100061. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2666623521000283 .

Villarroel N, Hannigan A, Severoni S, Puthoopparambil S, MacFarlane A. Migrant health research in the Republic of Ireland: a scoping review. BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1):324. Available from: ( https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-6651-2 ).

Scottish Government. Demographic Change in Scotland. 2010. Available from: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2010/11/demographic-change-scotland/documents/0108163-pdf/0108163-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/0108163.pdf .

National Records of Scotland. Projected Population of Scotland (Interim) 2020-based. 2022. Available from: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/statistics/population-projections/2020-based/pop-proj-2020-scot-nat-pub.pdf .

Scottish Government. Coronavirus (COVID-19) - experiences of vulnerable children, young people, and parents: research. 2021. Available from: https://www.gov.scot/publications/experiences-vulnerable-children-young-people-parents-during-covid-19-pandemic/ .

Scotland’s Census. Scotland’s Census: Ethnicity. 2011. Available from: https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/census-results/at-a-glance/ethnicity/#:~:text=Scotland’spopulationwas96.0%25 .

Walsh D. The changing ethnic profiles of Glasgow and Scotland, and the implications for population health. 2017. Available from: https://www.gcph.co.uk/assets/0000/6255/The_changing_ethnic_profiles_of_Glasgow_and_Scotland.pdf .

National Records of Scotland. Migration Statistics Quarterly Summary for Scotland. 2021. Available from: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/statistics/migration/quarterly-summary/miration-statistics-quarterly-summary-february-2021.pdf .

The Scottish Ethnicity and Health Research Strategy Working Group. Health in our Multi-ethnic Scotland Future Research Priorities. 2009. Available from: https://www.healthscotland.scot/media/1842/health-in-our-multi-ethnic-scotland-full-report.pdf .

The Scottish Public Health Observatory. Ethnic minorities: defining ethnicity and race. 2023. Available from: https://www.scotpho.org.uk/population-groups/ethnic-minorities/defining-ethnicity-and-race/ . Cited 2023 Aug 22.

Krasnik A, Bhopal RS, Gruer L, Kumanyika SK. Advancing a unified, global effort to address health disadvantages associated with migration, ethnicity and race. Eur J Public Health. 2018;28(suppl_1). Available from: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/doi/10.1093/eurpub/cky046/4956664 .

Bhopal R, Fischbacher C, Povey C, Chalmers J, Mueller G, Steiner M, et al. Cohort profile: scottish health and ethnicity linkage study of 4.65 million people exploring ethnic variations in disease in Scotland. Int J Epidemiol. 2011;40(5):1168–75. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/ije/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/ije/dyq118 .

Bhopal RS, Gruer L, Cezard G, Douglas A, Steiner MFC, Millard A, et al. Mortality, ethnicity, and country of birth on a national scale, 2001–2013: a retrospective cohort (Scottish Health and Ethnicity Linkage Study). Basu S, editor. Plos Med. 2018;15(3):e1002515. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002515 . Basu S, editor.

Allik M, Brown D, Dundas R, Leyland AH. Differences in ill health and in socioeconomic inequalities in health by ethnic groups: a cross-sectional study using 2011 Scottish census. Ethn Health. 2022;27(1):190–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2019.1643009 ( https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/ ).

Watkinson RE, Sutton M, Turner AJ. Ethnic inequalities in health-related quality of life among older adults in England: secondary analysis of a national cross-sectional survey. Lancet Public Hea. 2021;6(3):e145-154.

Fischbacher CM, Cezard G, Bhopal RS, Pearce J, Bansal N. Measures of socioeconomic position are not consistently associated with ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease in Scotland: methods from the Scottish Health and Ethnicity Linkage Study (SHELS). Int J Epidemiol. 2014;43(1):129–39. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/ije/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/ije/dyt237 .

Scottish Government. Characteristics of Recent and Established EEA and non-EEA migrants in Scotland: Analysis of the 2011 Census. 2015. Available from: https://www.gov.scot/publications/characteristics-recent-established-eea-non-eea-migrants-scotland-analysis-2011-census/ .

House of Lords Library. Refugees and asylum-seekers: UK policy. 2022. https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/refugees-and-asylum-seekers-uk-policy/ .

British Medical Association. Refugee and asylum seeker patient health toolkit. Unique health challenges for refugees and asylum seekers. 2022. Available from: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/ethics/refugees-overseas-visitors-and-vulnerable-migrants/refugee-and-asylum-seeker-patient-health-toolkit/unique-health-challenges-for-refugees-and-asylum-seekers .

Khalil H, Peters M, Godfrey CM, McInerney P, Soares CB, Parker D. An evidence-based approach to scoping reviews. Worldviews Evidence-Based Nurs. 2016;13(2):118–23. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12144 .

Levac D, Colquhoun H, O’Brien KK. Scoping studies: advancing the methodology. Implement Sci. 2010;5(1):69. Available from: ( http://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1748-5908-5-69 ).

Arksey H, O’Malley L. Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. Int J Soc Res Methodol. 2005;8(1):19–32.Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1364557032000119616 ).

Kearns A, Whitley E, Egan M, Tabbner C, Tannahill C. Healthy migrants in an unhealthy city? The Effects of time on the health of migrants living in deprived areas of glasgow. J Int Migr Integr. 2017;18(3):675–98. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12134-016-0497-6 .

PubMed Google Scholar

Porqueddu T. Herbal medicines for diabetes control among Indian and Pakistani migrants with diabetes. Anthropol Med. 2017;24(1):17–31. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13648470.2016.1249338 .

Roshan N. Supporting new communities: a qualitative study of health needs among asylum seekers and refugee communities in North Glasgow final report. 2005. Available from: https://www.stor.scot.nhs.uk/handle/11289/579930 .

Piacentini T, O’Donnell C, Phipps A, Jackson I, Stack N. Moving beyond the ‘language problem’: developing an understanding of the intersections of health, language and immigration status in interpreter-mediated health encounters. Lang Intercult Commun. 2019;19(3):256–71. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1353829214001233 .

Sime D. ‘I think that Polish doctors are better’: Newly arrived migrant children and their parents׳ experiences and views of health services in Scotland. Health Place. 2014;30:86–93. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1353829214001233 .

Steven K, Munoz S, Migrants, Matter. Report of a Peer Researched Project on EU Migrant Health in the Highlands of Scotland. University of the Highlands and Islands. 2016. Available from: https://www.spiritadvocacy.org.uk/assets/Birchwood-Highland-HUG-Migrants-Matter-study-2015-2016.pdf .

Anderson AS, Bush H, Lean M, Bradby H, Williams R, Lea E. Evolution of atherogenic diets in South Asian and Italian women after migration to a higher risk region. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2005;18(1):33–43. Available from: ( https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-277X.2004.00584.x ).

Isaacs A, Burns N, Macdonald S, O’Donnell CA. ‘I don’t think there’s anything I can do which can keep me healthy’: how the UK immigration and asylum system shapes the health and wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland. Crit Public Health. 2022;32(3):422–32. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09581596.2020.1853058 .

Palattiyil G, Sidhva D. Caught in a web of multiple jeopardy: post-traumatic stress disorder and HIV-positive asylum seekers in Scotland. Clin Soc Work J. 2015;43(4):362–74. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10615-015-0542-5 ).

Abdulkadir J, Azzudin A, Buick A, Curtice L, Dzingisai M, Easton D, et al. What do you mean, I have a right to health? Participatory action research on health and human rights. 2016. Available from: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/58209/1/Abdulkadir_etal_IPPI_2016_What_do_you_mean_I_have_a_right_to_health.pdf .

Strang A, Quinn N. Integration or isolation? Mapping social connections and well-being amongst refugees in Glasgow. 2014. Available from: https://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/20.500.12289/4139/eResearch%25204139.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y .

Gorman DR, Bielecki K, Larson HJ, Willocks LJ, Craig J, Pollock KG. Comparing vaccination hesitancy in polish migrant parents who accept or refuse nasal flu vaccination for their children. Vaccine. 2020;38(13):2795–9. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0264410X20302255 .

Love J, Vertigans S, Domaszk E, Zdeb K, Love A, Sutton P. Health & ethnicity in Aberdeenshire: a study of Polish in-migrants; a report for the Scottish Health Council. 2007. Available from: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/247667 .

O’Donnell CA, Higgins M, Chauhan R, Mullen K. Asylum seekers’ expectations of and trust in general practice: a qualitative study. Br J Gen Pract. 2008;58(557):e1-11. Available from: https://bjgp.org/lookup/doi/10.3399/bjgp08X376104 .

Quinn N, Shirjeel S, Siebelt L, Donnelly R, Pietka E. An evaluation of the sanctuary community conversation programme to address mental health stigma with asylum seekers and refugees in Glasgow. 2011. Available from: https://www.healthscotland.com/uploads/documents/5584-SanctuaryCommunityConversationEvaluation.pdf .

Ager A. Community contact and mental health amongst socially isolated refugees in Edinburgh. J Refug Stud. 2002;15(1):71–80. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/jrs/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/jrs/15.1.71 .

Sim JA, Ulanika AA, Katikireddi SV, Gorman D. Out of two bad choices, I took the slightly better one’: Vaccination dilemmas for Scottish and Polish migrant women during the H1N1 influenza pandemic. Public Health. 2011;125(8):505–11. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0033350611001697 .

Zhao S, Patuano A. International Chinese Students in the UK: association between use of green spaces and lower stress levels. Sustainability. 2021;4(1):89. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/89 .

Da Lomba S, Murray N. Women and Children First? Refused asylum seekers’ access to and experiences of maternity care in Glasgow. 2014. Available from: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/58655/1/Lomba_Murray_SRC_2014_Women_and_Children_First_Refused_Asylum_Seekers_Access_to_and_Experiences.pdf .

Sørbye IK, Vangen S, Juarez SP, Bolumar F, Morisaki N, Gissler M, et al. Birthweight of babies born to migrant mothers - What role do integration policies play? SSM - Popul Heal. 2019;9:100503. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2352827319301971 .

Teodorowski P, Woods R, Czarnecka M, Kennedy C. Brexit, acculturative stress and mental health among EU citizens in Scotland. Popul Space Place. 2021;27(6). Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/psp.2436 .

Baillot H, Murray N, Connelly E, Howard N. Tackling Female Genital Mutilation in Scotland: A Scottish model of intervention. 2014. Available from: https://www.celcis.org/application/files/8116/2185/5421/Tackling_Female_Genital_Mutilation_-_A_Scottish_Model_of_Intervention.pdf .

Weishaar HB. Consequences of international migration: a qualitative study on stress among Polish migrant workers in Scotland. Public Health. 2008;122(11):1250–6. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0033350608000942 .

Weishaar HB. You have to be flexible—coping among polish migrant workers in Scotland. Health Place. 2010;16(5):820–7. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1353829210000432 .

Crowther S, Lau A. Migrant polish women overcoming communication challenges in scottish maternity services: a qualitative descriptive study. Midwifery. 2019;72:30–8. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0266613819300361 .

Fassetta G, Da Lomba S, Quinn N. A healthy start? Experiences of pregnant refugee and asylum seeking women in Scotland. 2016. Available from: https://www.redcross.org.uk/-/media/documents/about-us/research-publications/refugee-support/a-healthy-start-report.pdf .

Positive Action in Housing. 12 months since the Park Inn Tragedy in Glasgow, one in three hotel asylum seekers say their mental health has deteriorated. 2021. Available from: https://www.paih.org/one-in-three-glasgow-asylum-seekers-suffering-depression-and-anxiety .

Strang A. Refugee Peer Education for Health and Well-being. Evaluation Report. 2015. Available from: https://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Peer-Education-Evaluation-Report.pdf .

Strang A, Marsden R, Mignard E. The Holistic Integration Service: Learning and Evaluation Year 1. 2014. Available from: https://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Holistic-Integration-Service-year-1-evaluation-report.pdf .

British Red Cross. How will we survive? Steps to preventing destitution in the asylum system. 2021. Available from: https://www.redcross.org.uk/-/media/documents/about-us/how-will-we-survive-preventing-destitution-in-the-asylum-system.pdf .

Bhopal RS, Rafnsson SB, Agyemang C, Fagot-Campagna A, Giampaoli S, Hammar N, et al. Mortality from circulatory diseases by specific country of birth across six European countries: test of concept. Eur J Public Health. 2012;22(3):353–9. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurpub/ckr062 .

Rafnsson SB, Bhopal RS, Agyemang C, Fagot-Campagna A, Harding S, Hammar N, et al. Sizable variations in circulatory disease mortality by region and country of birth in six European countries. Eur J Public Health. 2013;23(4):594–605. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurpub/ckt023 ).

de Lima P, Masud Chaudhry M, Whelton R, Arshad R. A study of migrant workers in Grampian. 2007. Available from: . http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/%0Adocuments/webpages/pubcs_019731.pdff .

Ikram UZ, Mackenbach JP, Harding S, Rey G, Bhopal RS, Regidor E, et al. All-cause and cause-specific mortality of different migrant populations in Europe. Eur J Epidemiol. 2016;31(7):655–65. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10654-015-0083-9 .

de Brún T, De-Brún MO, van Weel-Baumgarten E, van Weel C, Dowrick C, Lionis C, et al. Guidelines and training initiatives that support communication in cross-cultural primary-care settings: appraising their implementability using Normalization Process Theory. Fam Pract. 2015;cmv022. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/fampra/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/fampra/cmv022 .

García-Medrano S, Panhofer H. Improving migrant well-being: spontaneous movement as a way to increase the creativity, spontaneity and welfare of migrants in Glasgow. Body Mov Danc Psychother. 2020;15(3):189–203. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17432979.2020.1767208 .

Jamil NA, Gray SR, Fraser WD, Fielding S, Macdonald HM. The relationship between vitamin D status and muscle strength in young healthy adults from sunny climate countries currently living in the northeast of Scotland. Osteoporos Int. 2017;28(4):1433–43. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00198-016-3901-3 .

Kaneoka M, Spence W. The cultural context of sexual and reproductive health support: an exploration of sexual and reproductive health literacy among female Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Glasgow. Int J Migr Heal Soc Care. 2019;16(1):46–64. Available from: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJMHSC-01-2019-0002/full/html .

O’Donnell CA, Higgins M, Chauhan R, Mullen K. They think we’re OK and we know we’re not. A qualitative study of asylum seekers’ access, knowledge and views to health care in the UK. BMC Health Serv Res. 2007;7(1):75. Available from: https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6963-7-75 .

Cooper M, Harding S, Mullen K, O’Donnell C. ‘A chronic disease is a disease which keeps coming back … it is like the flu’: chronic disease risk perception and explanatory models among French- and Swahili-speaking African migrants. Ethn Health. 2012;17(6):597–613. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13557858.2012.740003 .

Ezika EA. An exploration of smoking behavior of african male immigrants living in glasgow. Tob Use Insights. 2014;7:TUI .S13262. Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.4137/TUI.S13262 .

Karadzhov D, White R. Between the whispers of the devil and the revelation of the word : christian clergy’s mental health literacy and pastoral support for BME congregants. J Spiritual Ment Heal. 2020;22(2):147–72. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19349637.2018.1537755 ).

Yakubu BD, Simkhada P, van Teijlingen E, Eboh W. Sexual health information and uptake of sexual health services by African women in Scotland: a pilot study. Int J Heal Promot Educ. 2010;48(3):79–84. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14635240.2010.10708186 .

Goff J, Kay K, Lima M, Shallangwa S, We All Have A. Different Consciousness About It: Exploring the Sexual Health Needs of People From African Communities in Scotland. 2021. Available from: https://www.waverleycare.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/We_All_Have_Different_Consciousness_About_It_Report.pdf .

Bielecki K, Craig J, Willocks LJ, Pollock KG, Gorman DR. Impact of an influenza information pamphlet on vaccination uptake among Polish pupils in Edinburgh, Scotland and the role of social media in parental decision making. BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):1381. Available from: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09481-z .

Article CAS PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar

Gorman DR, Bielecki K, Willocks LJ, Pollock KG. A qualitative study of vaccination behaviour amongst female Polish migrants in Edinburgh, Scotland. Vaccine. 2019;37(20):2741–7. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0264410X19304220 .

Bak-Klimek A, Karatzias T, Elliott L, MacLean R. The determinants of well-being among polish economic immigrants. Testing the sustainable happiness model in migrant population. J Happiness Stud. 2018;19(6):1565–88. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-017-9877-7 .

Cheung NF. The cultural and social meanings of childbearing for Chinese and Scottish women in Scotland. Midwifery. 2002;18(4):279–95. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0266613802903281 .

Papadaki A, Scott J. The impact on eating habits of temporary translocation from a Mediterranean to a Northern European environment. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002;56(5):455–61. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/1601337 .

McCann A, Mackie P. Improving the Health of Migrants to Scotland: An update for Scottish Directors of Public Health. 2016. Available from: https://www.scotphn.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2016_03_23-Migrant-Health-Report-FINAL-1.pdf .

Ahmed A, Cameron S, Dickson C, Mountain K. Arabic-speaking students’ primary care experiences in Scotland. Community Pract J Community Pract Heal Visit Assoc. 2010;83(2):23–6.

Google Scholar

Bray J, Gorman D, Dundas K, Sim J. Obstetric care of New European migrants in Scotland: an audit of antenatal care, obstetric outcomes and communication. Scott Med J. 2010;55(3):26–31. Available from: ( http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1258/rsmsmj.55.3.26 .

Cheung NF. Choice and control as experienced by Chinese and Scottish childbearing women in Scotland. Midwifery. 2002;18(3):200–13. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0266613802903153 .

Spence W, Zhu L. Perceptions of smoking cessation among Glasgow’s Chinese community. Tob Prev Cessat. 2017;3(October). Available from: http://www.journalssystem.com/tpc/Perceptions-of-smoking-cessation-among-Glasgow-s-Chinese-community,77942,0,2.html .

Gorman DR, Katikireddi SV, Morris C, Chalmers JWT, Sim J, Szamotulska K, et al. Ethnic variation in maternity care: a comparison of Polish and Scottish women delivering in Scotland 2004–2009. Public Health. 2014;128(3):262–7. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0033350613003910 .

Gorman DR, Porteous LA. Influences on Polish migrants’ breast screening uptake in Lothian, Scotland. Public Health. 2018;158:86–92. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0033350617304018 .

Hogg R, de Kok B, Netto G, Hanley J, Haycock-Stuart E. Supporting Pakistani and Chinese families with young children: perspectives of mothers and health visitors. Child Care Health Dev. 2015;41(3):416–23. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cch.12154 .

Kearns A, Whitley E. Health, Wellbeing and Social Inclusion of Migrants in North Glasgow. 2010. Available from: https://www.gowellonline.com/assets/0000/0521/Health_Wellbeing_and_Social_Inclusion_of_Migrants_in_North_Glasgow.pdf .

Poole L, Adamson K. Report on the Situation of the Roma Community in Govanhill, Glasgow. 2008. Available from: https://www.bemis.org.uk/resources/gt/scotland/reportonthesituationoftheromacommunityingovanhill,Glasgow.pdf .

Schofield L, Walsh D, Feng Z, Buchanan D, Dibben C, Fischbacher C, et al. Does ethnic diversity explain intra-UK variation in mortality? A longitudinal cohort study. BMJ Open. 2019;9(3):e024563. Available from: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024563 .

Unger HW, McCallum AD, Ukachukwu V, McGoldrick C, Perrow K, Latin G, et al. Imported malaria in Scotland – an overview of surveillance, reporting and trends. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2011;9(6):289–97. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1477893911001074 .

Young I, Flowers P, McDaid LM. Barriers to uptake and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among communities most affected by HIV in the UK: findings from a qualitative study in Scotland. BMJ Open. 2014;4(11):e005717. Available from: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005717 .

Young I, Flowers P, McDaid LM. Key factors in the acceptability of treatment as prevention (TasP) in Scotland: a qualitative study with communities affected by HIV. Sex Transm Infect. 2015;91(4):269–74. Available from: https://sti.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/sextrans-2014-051711 .

Bhopal R, Cm FI, Teiner SM, Halmers CJ, Ovey PC, Amieson J. Ethnicity and health in Scotland: Can we fill the information gap ? A demonstration project focusing on coronary heart disease and linkage of census and health records. Ethics. 2005. Available from: http://www.cphs.mvm.ed.ac.uk/docs/Retrocodingfinalreport.pdf .

Cezard GI, Bhopal RS, Ward HJT, Bansal N, Bhala N. Ethnic variations in upper gastrointestinal hospitalizations and deaths: the Scottish Health and Ethnicity Linkage Study. Eur J Public Health. 2016;26(2):254–60. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurpub/ckv182 .

Christie-de Jong F, Kotzur M, Amiri R, Ling J, Mooney JD, Robb KA. Qualitative evaluation of a codesigned faith-based intervention for muslim women in Scotland to encourage uptake of breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening. BMJ Open. 2022;12(5):e058739. Available from: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058739 .

Cree VE, Sidhva D. Children and HIV in Scotland: findings from a cross-sector needs assessment of children and young people infected and affected by HIV in Scotland. Br J Soc Work. 2011;41(8):1586–603. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/bjsw/bcr036 .

Gallimore A, Irshad T, Cooper M, Cameron S. Influence of culture, religion and experience on the decision of Pakistani women in Lothian, Scotland to use postnatal contraception: a qualitative study. BMJ Sex Reprod Heal. 2021;47(1):43–8. Available from: https://jfprhc.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjsrh-2019-200497 .

Gruer LD, Cézard GI, Wallace LA, Hutchinson SJ, Douglas AF, Buchanan D, et al. Complex differences in infection rates between ethnic groups in Scotland: a retrospective, national census-linked cohort study of 1.65 million cases. J Public Health (Bangkok). 2022;44(1):60–9. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/44/1/60/6106111 .

Article CAS Google Scholar

Bhala N, Cézard G, Ward HJT, Bansal N, Bhopal R. Ethnic variations in liver- and alcohol-related disease hospitalisations and mortality: the Scottish health and ethnicity linkage study. Alcohol Alcohol. 2016;51(5):593–601. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/alcalc/agw018 .

Pollock KG, McDonald E, Smith-Palmer A, Johnston F, Ahmed S. Tuberculosis in healthcare workers, Scotland. Scott Med J. 2017;62(3):101–3. Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0036933017727963 .

Gruer LD, Millard AD, Williams LJ, Bhopal RS, Katikireddi SV, Cézard GI, et al. Differences in all-cause hospitalisation by ethnic group: a data linkage cohort study of 4.62 million people in Scotland, 2001–2013. Public Health. 2018;161:5–11. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0033350618301501 .

Jackson C, Bedford H, Cheater FM, Condon L, Emslie C, Ireland L, et al. Needles, Jabs and Jags: a qualitative exploration of barriers and facilitators to child and adult immunisation uptake among Gypsies, Travellers and Roma. BMC Public Health. 2017;17(1):254. Available from: http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4178-y .

John JR, Curry G, Cunningham-Burley S. Exploring ethnic minority women’s experiences of maternity care during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: a qualitative study. BMJ Open. 2021;11(9):e050666. Available from: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050666 .

Lawton J, Ahmad N, Hanna L, Douglas M, Hallowell N. Diabetes service provision: a qualitative study of the experiences and views of Pakistani and Indian patients with Type 2 diabetes. Diabet Med. 2006;23(9):1003–7. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1464-5491.2006.01922.x .

Livingston MR, Shaw LE, Codere G, Goldberg DJ. Human immunodeficiency virus acquired heterosexually abroad: expert panel assessment of the indigenous/nonindigenous to the united kingdom status of cases. J Travel Med. 2006;12(1):19–25. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article-lookup/doi/10.2310/7060.2005.00005 .

Nelson M, Patton A, Robb K, Weller D, Sheikh A, Ragupathy K, et al. Experiences of cervical screening participation and non-participation in women from minority ethnic populations in Scotland. Heal Expect. 2021;24(4):1459–72. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hex.13287 .

Noble G, Okpo E, Tonna I, Fielding S. Factors associated with late HIV diagnosis in North-East Scotland: a six-year retrospective study. Public Health. 2016;139:36–43. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0033350616301020 .

Gillespie M. Trapped: Destitution and Asylum in Scotland. 2012. Available from: http://www.rst.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Trapped-destitution-and-asylum-summary-final-compressed-pictures.pdf .

Hopkins P, Hill M. The needs and strengths of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people in Scotland. Child Fam Soc Work. 2010;15(4):399–408. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2010.00687.x .

Marsden R, Harris C. “We started life again”: Integration experiences of refugee families reuniting in Glasgow. 2015. Available from: https://www.refworld.org/docid/560cde294.html .

Martzoukou K, Burnett S. Exploring the everyday life information needs and the socio-cultural adaptation barriers of Syrian refugees in Scotland. J Doc. 2018;74(5):1104–32. Available from: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JD-10-2017-0142/full/html .

McKenna R. From pillar to post: Destitution among people refused asylum in Scotland. 2019; Available from: https://www.rst.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/From-Pillar-to-Post-Feb-2019.pdf .

Independent Commission of Inquiry. Failings in the provision of care to New Scots during the Covid pandemic: Part 2. 2022. Available from: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62af1289a666c80e00b17253/t/636b9190408f81778746eaa7/1667994032702/AIS+Phase+2+Report+Full.pdf .

Trevena P, Gawlewicz A, Wright S. Addressing the needs of Scotland’s migrant and minority ethnic populations under Covid-19: lessons for the future. 2022. Available from: https://migrantessentialworkers.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SC-Migrant-C19-Innovations.pdf .

Oduntan O, Ruthven I. The information needs matrix: a navigational guide for refugee integration. Inf Process Manag. 2019;56(3):791–808. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0306457318306939 .

Sime D, Fox R, Migrant C. Social capital and access to services post-migration: transitions, negotiations and complex agencies. Child Soc. 2015;29(6):524–34. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/chso.12092 .

Strang A, Baillot H, Mignard E. Insights into integration pathways. New Scots and the Holistic Integration Service. A report drawing on year two of the Holistic Integration Service. 2015. Available from: https://scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Holistic-Integration-Service-Year-2-report.pdf .

Weir KEA, Wilson SJ, Gorman DR. The Syrian vulnerable person resettlement programme: evaluation of Edinburgh’s reception arrangements. J Public Health (Bangkok). 2018;40(3):451–60. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/40/3/451/4600209 .

Hammond CN. Scots 2- Engagement analysis of the New Scot Refugee Integration Strategy 2018–2022. 2018. Available from: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2018/06/news-scots-2-engagement-analysis-new-scots-refugee-integration-strategy/documents/00537019-pdf/00537019-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/00537019.pdf .

Blake Stevenson. A8 Nationals in Glasgow. 2007. Available from: http://crosshillandgovanhill.org.uk/grindocs/A8NationalsinGlasgow.pdf .

Ajetunmobi O, Whyte B, Chalmers J, Fleming M, Stockton D, Wood R. Informing the ‘early years’ agenda in Scotland: understanding infant feeding patterns using linked datasets. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2014;68(1):83–92. Available from: https://jech.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/jech-2013-202718 .

Laidlaw K, Wang D, Coelho C, Power M. Attitudes to ageing and expectations for filial piety across Chinese and British cultures: a pilot exploratory evaluation. Aging Ment Health. 2010;14(3):283–92. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13607860903483060 .

Marsden R, Aldegheri E, Khan A, Lowe M, Strang A, Salinas E, et al. “What’s going on?” A study into destitution and poverty faced by asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland. 2005. Available from: http://www.rst.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Whats_going_on_A_study.pdf .

Quinn N. Participatory action research with asylum seekers and refugees experiencing stigma and discrimination: the experience from Scotland. Disabil Soc. 2014;29(1):58–70. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687599.2013.769863 .

British Red Cross, Refugee Survival Trust. How will we survive? Steps to preventing destitution in the asylum system. 2021. Available from: https://mcusercontent.com/c17c136fc126588cb51e5471d/files/a35dd0e1-d785-f962-6a41-01e928493775/DASS_Research_Report_2021.pdf .

O’Donnell R, Angus K, McCulloch P, Amos A, Greaves L, Semple S. Fathers’ views and experiences of creating a smoke-free home: a scoping review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(24):5164. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/24/5164 .

Sweileh WM, Wickramage K, Pottie K, Hui C, Roberts B, Sawalha AF, et al. Bibliometric analysis of global migration health research in peer-reviewed literature (2000–2016). BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):777. Available from: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5689-x .

Wren K. Supporting asylum seekers and refugees in glasgow: the role of multi-agency networks. J Refug Stud. 2007;20(3):391–413. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/jrs/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/jrs/fem006 .

UK Government Home Office. A Fairer Asylum Accommodation System. 2022. Available from: https://www.emcouncils.gov.uk/write/Migration/Asylum_Dispersal_Factsheet_PDF.pdf .

Scottish Refugee Council. Scotland’s Welcome: an analysis of community support for refugee integration. 2020. Available from https://scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Community-support-analysis-2020.pdf .

Sturge G, UK Parliament House of Commons Library Asylum statistics Research Briefing. 2023. Available from: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01403/#:~:text=IntheyearendingJune,ofimmigrantstotheUK .

The Migration Observatory. Where do migrants live in the UK? The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. 2022. Available from: https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/where-do-migrants-live-in-the-uk .

Pavli A, Maltezou H. Health problems of newly arrived migrants and refugees in Europe. J Travel Med. 2017;24(4). Available from: http://academic.oup.com/jtm/article/doi/10.1093/jtm/tax016/3095987/Health-problems-of-newly-arrived-migrants-and .

Humphris R, Bradby H. Health Status of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Europe. In: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Global Public Health. Oxford University Press; 2017. Available from: https://oxfordre.com/publichealth/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190632366.001.0001/acrefore-9780190632366-e-8 .

Bradby H, Humphris R, Newall D, Phillimore J. Public Health Aspects of Migrant Health: A Review of the Evidence on Health Status for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the European Region. (Health Evidence Network Synthesis Report, No. 44.) ANNEX 2, DEFINITIONS OF REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS AND MIGRANTS IN THE LITERATURE. Copenhagen: Eerat; 2015. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK379415/ .

Gerritsen AAM, Bramsen I, Devillé W, van Willigen LHM, Hovens JE, van der Ploeg HM. Physical and mental health of Afghan, Iranian and Somali asylum seekers and refugees living in the Netherlands. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2006;41(1):18–26. Available from: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00127-005-0003-5 .

Laue J, Diaz E, Eriksen L, Risør T. Migration health research in Norway: a scoping review. Scand J Public Health. 2023;51(3):381–90. Available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14034948211032494 .

Scottish Refugee Council. Ukraine response one year on. 2023. Available from: https://scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/ukraine-response-one-year-on/ . Cited 2023 Aug 26.

Woodward A, Howard N, Wolffers I. Health and access to care for undocumented migrants living in the European Union: a scoping review. Health Policy Plan. 2014;29(7):818–30. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/heapol/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/heapol/czt061 .

Simon J, Kiss N, Laszewska A, Mayer S. Public health aspects of migrant health: a review of the evidence on health status for labour migrants in the European Region. Health Evidence Network Synthesis Report 43. 2015. Available from: http://www.epgencms.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/upload/114f16b6-1667-44ab-802b-a5a83dd50af0/WHO-HEN-Report-A5-1-Labour-FINAL_EN.pdf .

Scottish Government. Seasonal migrant workers in Scottish agriculture: research report. 2023. Available from: https://www.gov.scot/publications/seasonal-migrant-workers-scottish-agriculture/pages/10/ .

Scottish Government. New Scots: refugee integration strategy 2018–2022. 2018. Available from: https://www.gov.scot/publications/new-scots-refugee-integration-strategy-2018-2022/pages/11/ .

Oliva A, Palavra V, Caloun J. Refugees in Scotland: understanding the policy domain. 2016. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/34097718/REFUGEES_IN_SCOTLAND_UNDERSTANDING_THE_POLICY_DOMAIN .

Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O’Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, et al. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169(7):467–73. Available from: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M18-0850 .

Download references

Acknowledgements

Thank-you to Professor Anne MacFarlane and PHD student Anne Cronin, of the University of Limerick, Ireland for sharing the coding guidelines currently used in an update to Villarroel et. al’s 2019 study on Migrant Health in the Republic of Ireland.

No funding was received for this work, which was undertaken as G. Petrie’s Master of Public Health dissertation module at the University of Stirling.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Caledonia House, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Institute for Social Marketing and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK

K. Angus & R. O’Donnell

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

KA, RO and GP finalised the study design collectively. GP conducted the searches, analysis and write up, with support from KA and RO. All three authors read and approved the manuscript prior to submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. O’Donnell .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Supplementary material 1., supplementary material 2., supplementary material 3., rights and permissions.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Petrie, G., Angus, K. & O’Donnell, R. A scoping review of academic and grey literature on migrant health research conducted in Scotland. BMC Public Health 24 , 1156 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18628-1

Download citation

Received : 04 September 2023

Accepted : 16 April 2024

Published : 25 April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18628-1

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Asylum seekers
Scoping review
Research funding
Immigration

BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

Submission enquiries: [email protected]
General enquiries: [email protected]

Research on Motivation, Literacy and Reading Development: A Review of Best Practices cover

Final Report for the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Literacy development in the early childhood and elementary school years is critical for learning and the acquisition of other skills essential for educational achievement. Although schools typically assume the primary responsibility in developing children’s literacy and reading skills, a holistic approach to overall literacy development requires the involvement of other important actors, including parents, caregivers, community members, and libraries. Public libraries play a key role in the literacy landscape, especially by providing access to books and a variety of free literacy programs for families. The public library as a space and place that motivates kids to enjoy reading can lead to a lifelong love of learning. In summer 2023, IMLS commissioned a review of research literature that examines the effects of motivation to read and within reading programs in communities and, particularly, public libraries.

Key findings from this literature review identify research studies that focused on the effectiveness of reading strategies that emphasized motivations when promoting reading. This study summarizes several evidence-based practices tied to increasing motivation used during programs, instructional practices, and family engagement activities which are focused on child literacy and community participation.

Introduction
Article Information

This figure addresses the 4 failures, any of which may constitute device abandonment.

eAppendix. Supplementary Data

eReferences.

Data Sharing Statement

See More About

Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.

Academic Medicine
Acid Base, Electrolytes, Fluids
Allergy and Clinical Immunology
American Indian or Alaska Natives
Anesthesiology
Anticoagulation
Art and Images in Psychiatry
Artificial Intelligence
Assisted Reproduction
Bleeding and Transfusion
Caring for the Critically Ill Patient
Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography
Climate and Health
Climate Change
Clinical Challenge
Clinical Decision Support
Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience
Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Consensus Statements
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Critical Care Medicine
Cultural Competency
Dental Medicine
Dermatology
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Diagnostic Test Interpretation
Drug Development
Electronic Health Records
Emergency Medicine
End of Life, Hospice, Palliative Care
Environmental Health
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Facial Plastic Surgery
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Genetics and Genomics
Genomics and Precision Health
Global Health
Guide to Statistics and Methods
Hair Disorders
Health Care Delivery Models
Health Care Economics, Insurance, Payment
Health Care Quality
Health Care Reform
Health Care Safety
Health Care Workforce
Health Disparities
Health Inequities
Health Policy
Health Systems Science
History of Medicine
Hypertension
Images in Neurology
Implementation Science
Infectious Diseases
Innovations in Health Care Delivery
JAMA Infographic
Law and Medicine
Leading Change
Less is More
LGBTQIA Medicine
Lifestyle Behaviors
Medical Coding
Medical Devices and Equipment
Medical Education
Medical Education and Training
Medical Journals and Publishing
Mobile Health and Telemedicine
Narrative Medicine
Neuroscience and Psychiatry
Notable Notes
Nutrition, Obesity, Exercise
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Occupational Health
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Otolaryngology
Pain Medicine
Palliative Care
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Patient Care
Patient Information
Performance Improvement
Performance Measures
Perioperative Care and Consultation
Pharmacoeconomics
Pharmacoepidemiology
Pharmacogenetics
Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Physical Therapy
Physician Leadership
Population Health
Primary Care
Professional Well-being
Professionalism
Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
Public Health
Pulmonary Medicine
Regulatory Agencies
Reproductive Health
Research, Methods, Statistics
Resuscitation
Rheumatology
Risk Management
Scientific Discovery and the Future of Medicine
Shared Decision Making and Communication
Sleep Medicine
Sports Medicine
Stem Cell Transplantation
Substance Use and Addiction Medicine
Surgical Innovation
Surgical Pearls
Teachable Moment
Technology and Finance
The Art of JAMA
The Arts and Medicine
The Rational Clinical Examination
Tobacco and e-Cigarettes
Translational Medicine
Trauma and Injury
Treatment Adherence
Ultrasonography
Users' Guide to the Medical Literature
Vaccination
Venous Thromboembolism
Veterans Health
Women's Health
Workflow and Process
Wound Care, Infection, Healing

Get the latest research based on your areas of interest.

Others also liked.

Download PDF
X Facebook More LinkedIn
CME & MOC

Okun MS , Marjenin T , Ekanayake J, et al. Definition of Implanted Neurological Device Abandonment : A Systematic Review and Consensus Statement . JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(4):e248654. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.8654

Manage citations:

Permissions

Definition of Implanted Neurological Device Abandonment : A Systematic Review and Consensus Statement

1 Department of Neurology, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Gainesville, Florida
2 Department of Neurosurgery, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Gainesville, Florida
3 Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, Washington, District of Columbia
4 Department of Neurosurgery, National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia
5 Department of Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
6 Quetz Ltd, Chelmsford, England
7 University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
8 Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, England
9 Amber Therapeutics Limited, London, England
10 The Royal Society, London, England
11 Neurotech Network, St Petersburg, Florida
12 Center for Neuro-Restoration, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
13 Center for Bioethics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
14 Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
15 Medical Research Council Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Departments of Engineering Sciences and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
16 Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia
17 Department of Biochemistry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia
18 Neuroethics Studies Program, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia
19 Defense Medical Ethics Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
20 Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland

Question What definition for neurological device abandonment can be developed through consensus?

Findings This systematic review and consensus statement reviewed 734 articles published in the professional literature and found that 7 were relevant to or addressed the issue of neurological device abandonment. A multistakeholder group developed a consensus definition for neurological device abandonment inclusive of devices used in deep brain stimulation, vagal nerve stimulation, and spinal cord stimulation, including failures related to patient consent, support before the end of the device's lifespan, and safety concerns.

Meaning This study established a formal definition of neurological device abandonment, which may be important for development of guidelines, policies, and laws that collectively have the potential to reduce or prevent such abandonment.

Importance Establishing a formal definition for neurological device abandonment has the potential to reduce or to prevent the occurrence of this abandonment.

Objective To perform a systematic review of the literature and develop an expert consensus definition for neurological device abandonment.

Evidence Review After a Royal Society Summit on Neural Interfaces (September 13-14, 2023), a systematic English language review using PubMed was undertaken to investigate extant definitions of neurological device abandonment. Articles were reviewed for relevance to neurological device abandonment in the setting of deep brain, vagal nerve, and spinal cord stimulation. This review was followed by the convening of an expert consensus group of physicians, scientists, ethicists, and stakeholders. The group summarized findings, added subject matter experience, and applied relevant ethics concepts to propose a current operational definition of neurological device abandonment. Data collection, study, and consensus development were done between September 13, 2023, and February 1, 2024.

Findings The PubMed search revealed 734 total articles, and after review, 7 articles were found to address neurological device abandonment. The expert consensus group addressed findings as germane to neurological device abandonment and added personal experience and additional relevant peer-reviewed articles, addressed stakeholders’ respective responsibilities, and operationally defined abandonment in the context of implantable neurotechnological devices. The group further addressed whether clinical trial failure or shelving of devices would constitute or be associated with abandonment as defined. Referential to these domains and dimensions, the group proposed a standardized definition for abandonment of active implantable neurotechnological devices.

Conclusions and Relevance This study’s consensus statement suggests that the definition for neurological device abandonment should entail failure to provide fundamental aspects of patient consent; fulfill reasonable responsibility for medical, technical, or financial support prior to the end of the device’s labeled lifetime; and address any or all immediate needs that may result in safety concerns or device ineffectiveness and that the definition of abandonment associated with the failure of a research trial should be contingent on specific circumstances.

Patients who have received implanted neurological devices, such as deep brain, vagal nerve, and spinal cord stimulation, will be increasingly abandoned. 1 , 2 This phenomenon of device abandonment will increase coincidently with neurotechnology market growth as increasing types and sophistication of implantable devices are made commercially available, older iterations of neurotechnology become obsolete or more difficult to maintain, and health care insurance coverage fails to keep pace with these realities. The topic and definition of abandonment was recently debated at the Royal Society Summit on Neural Interfaces (September 13-14, 2023) and resulting therefrom, we reviewed the literature and developed a preliminary definition for implantable neurological device abandonment based on the existing data and experience of experts in the field.

Considering the expanding device abandonment phenomenon, we suggest that it will be critical to define shareholder and stakeholder groups and their respective needs and priorities within the expanding current and proposed environments of implantable neurotechnology use. As strongly advocated by the disability movement, the adage of “nothing about us without us” aptly characterizes active roles that shareholders and stakeholders 3 should play in clinical trials conducted to generate evidence of safety and efficacy, as well as processes, guidelines, and laws required for sound commercialization, provision, access, monitoring, and economic support of extant and emerging devices.

The most important stakeholders are patients receiving these neurotechnology implants. This is because while the involvement of other shareholders and stakeholders will likely wax and wane over the utility lifetime of a device, the relationship of the patient with the device is perdurable; namely, it provides the patient with a means toward sustaining personal agency. 4 Thus, although these devices are not generally considered to be life-sustaining or life-supporting in the absolute sense, we argue that their value in qualitative life sustenance and support cannot and should not be denied, neglected, or abandoned. In this study, we refer to patients and participants interchangeably. The authors recognize that these terms refer to the people living with neurological conditions and that there are many roles within the health ecosystem. The context of this study is for specific roles that people with lived experience have within the clinical and research environment present during the time of implant and management of their neurological device.

In this study, we sought to more clearly define involved stakeholders, their respective roles and responsibilities, and circumstances and premises that constitute abandonment of patients who have active implantable technologies that are intended to diagnose, treat, or otherwise mitigate neuropsychiatric diseases, injury, and conditions; therefrom, we sought to offer a standardized definition of abandonment of active implantable neurotechnological devices. Throughout, we use the term abandonment to mean a failure to actively support medical needs of patients who, through no fault of their own, do not possess the medical, technical, or financial capabilities to maintain the safe and effective use of a durable implanted neurotechnological device.

Following a Royal Society Summit on Neural Interfaces, a systematic review of articles in English using the PubMed search engine was undertaken to investigate extant definitions of neurological device abandonment ( Figure 1 ). Articles were reviewed for relevance to neurological device abandonment in the setting of deep brain, vagal nerve, and spinal cord stimulation. An expert review group was convened to summarize findings, add subject matter experience, and apply relevant ethics concepts and any missing literature. The group proposed a current, operational definition for neurological device abandonment. The group also addressed device durability and insolvency of device companies. Data collection, study, and consensus development were conducted between September 13 to 14, 2023, and February 1, 2024. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses ( PRISMA ) reporting guideline was used. Our PubMed review used the search terms abandonment and deep brain stimulation , abandonment and neuromodulation , abandonment and neurological devices , retention and deep brain stimulation , device malfunction and deep brain stimulation , device removal and deep brain stimulation , abandonment and vagal nerve stimulation , and abandonment and spinal cord stimulation .

The expert consensus group consisted of 3 neuroethicists (F.G., G.L.M., and J.G.), 2 neuroscientists with experience in device engineering (S.P.D. and T.D.), 2 patients with implanted devices (S.P.D. and J.F.), 1 neurologist (M.S.O.), 1 neuropsychologist (C.K.), 1 neurosurgeon (who also founded a device company; J.E.), 1 neurological device regulatory specialist (T.M.), and 1 policy representative from the Royal Society (J.P.). One member of the group (S.P.D.) was counted as both a neuroscientist and a patient with a neurological device implant. Figure 1 summarizes the search strategy, which revealed that of 734 articles identified, 7 articles 3 , 5 - 10 were related to or addressed neurological device abandonment.

The consensus group discussed findings and contributed additional professional and personal experience and other relevant peer-reviewed ethics constructs and articles to propose a preliminary comprehensive definition for neurological device abandonment. The group addressed stakeholders and their respective responsibilities and operationally defined the context of abandonment, whether clinical trial failure constituted abandonment, and if and to what extent shelving of devices impacts abandonment, as defined. Finally, based on the literature, discussion, and expert experience, the group proposed a standardized definition for abandonment of active implantable neurotechnological devices.

In addition to the patient, key stakeholders include clinician-scientists, family members, and device manufacturers. All presumably share a common goal of improving patients’ lives, yet various stakeholders may have additional incentives and aims that may not completely support or sustain patient benefit. For example, although the clinician’s primary fiduciary responsibility is to the patient, clinician-scientists can have 2 fiduciary responsibilities: patient care and contributing to scientific knowledge, and these may be in tension if not frank conflict. Feinsinger and colleagues 11 - 13 have argued that clinician-scientists’ primary responsibility is always to patients while contribution to scientific inquiry and knowledge is secondary. However, there is some ambiguity in defining if and how the pursuit of scientific inquiry may result in direct benefit to patients in a clinical trial, and it should be appreciated that negative trials may also be associated with potential benefits. 14 - 16 Beyond the clinical and research encounter, it is important to acknowledge that device manufacturers have fiduciary responsibility qua fiscal responsibility to their boards and shareholders given that considerable resources have been invested in the development and funding of clinical trials. 17 , 18 Finally, it should be recognized that device manufacturing companies also have a responsibility to ensure their own credibility and reputation.

Such variation in stakeholder fiduciary responsibilities can lead to situations in which patients have received a medical device that may be beneficial but ongoing access to the device and the expertise and finances required to manage the device may not be guaranteed after implant. We contend that this is especially problematic in the context of active implanted neurotechnology for several reasons. First, the severity of signs and symptoms of patients enrolled in clinical trials may render these individuals at somewhat more risk. Second, there are potentially greater risks associated with neurosurgical intervention and possible effects of neurostimulation on cognition, emotion, and behavior, which would require ongoing monitoring and intervention (eg, adjustment of device performance parameters). Third, failure to monitor and maintain the implanted technology could lead to recidivistic and perhaps rebound signs, symptoms, and effects in such patients, which may create additional burden and harms. Fourth, and as an undergirding ethical construct, longitudinal evaluation and maintenance of implanted devices are essential to the intended purpose of the trial (ie, to assess the safety, effectiveness, and relative efficiency of the technology, 14 overarching goals of science via the acquisition of knowledge with intent to advancing public good, and essence of medicine: to provide right and good care of patients who are the subject of clinician moral and technical regard). 19 , 20 More information on defining and sustaining fiduciary responsibility and country specificity can be found in the eAppendix in Supplement 1 .

In general, medical abandonment is formally defined as an abrogation of clinical responsibility as incurred by a clinician’s unilateral termination of their treatment of a patient in need absent provision of adequate notice to or support for the patient to obtain substitutional care. However, as it relates to abandonment of care in circumstances wherein a patient receives an implant of an active neurotechnological device, a standardized definition that fully and granularly captures and obtains the specifics of such dissolution of responsibility has not been established, to our knowledge. While issues described in this study may also be applicable to noninvasive neurological technologies, the nonindwelling nature of such devices fails to evoke many of the same concerns. Existing notions of what constitutes device abandonment may depend on the relative perspective and values of the clinician, patient, family member, device manufacturer, and insurance company. The Royal Society Summit on Neural Interfaces meeting (September 13-14, 2023) highlighted the need for an improved definition of implantable neurological device abandonment.

Patient experience has established several factors associated with abandonment, including lack of payer support for device maintenance and replacement, the paucity or complete absence of plans for continued provision, and the use of other investigational devices when companies dissolve or cease manufacturing or providing services for a particular product. These challenges emphasize a need for technology-related guidelines and policies to ensure services to sustain patient involvement and accommodate long-term patient needs. 21 Furthermore, ethical concerns about neurotechnological device abandonment arise, at least in part, because neural systems are relatively functionally and to some extent structurally plastic. Thus, the introduction of device hardware (eg, electrodes) into the nervous system parenchyma and the actual modulatory effect of such instruments can create alterations in neurological node and network activity, which may manifest as alterations in cognitive, emotive, or behavioral domains. Simple discontinuation of the function of the device can and has been noted to evoke changes in the pathology treated and aspects of individual capacity and agency. 22

Ensuring patient and participant awareness of these outcomes and the contingencies of continued care is paramount to the probity of obtaining their consent to participate in a clinical trial or agreement to receive an implanted device. 23 , 24 Indeed, to uphold the ethical probity of any treatment or trial of such neurotechnology, genuine informed consent must address potential benefits, burdens, and risks associated with the specific device and patient understanding of associated outcomes that could arise. 23 , 25 , 26

An important consideration in developing a realistic definition of device abandonment is that clinical trials often fail to achieve their desired outcomes. To be clear, trial failure is not abandonment. While the guiding maxim for clinical care is benevolence (ie, a desire to maximize the good), the undergirding principle of clinical research in reality is nonmaleficence (ie, nonharm), given that the intended idiosyncratic and more generalized goods of any research investigation remain uncertain through the course of the study. 23 , 27 - 29 Therefore, overarching responsibility and measures to avoid harm afford a sound moral keel for any research enterprise despite the omnipresent chance of failure to achieve good ends as desired by intention and design. Trial failure can arise from safety concerns or lack of efficacy or effect, and hence discontinuation represents responsible action to avoid undue burden and harm.

However, for trial termination to remain contrary to abandonment and axiomatically nonmaleficent, it is essential for 3 things to occur. First, study participants should be informed about the possibility of discontinuance owing to such concerns about safety and inefficacy, as well as their relative assignment to treatment or control arms of the investigation. Although this information is important, patients may have difficulty understanding or retaining it. This can lead to possible therapeutic misconception and misperception by the patient of clinical abandonment. 3 Second, participants should be notified if and when the trial is being terminated. Finally, researchers in charge of the study should provide participating patients resources and vectors for other therapeutics that meet accepted standards of care. To be sure, any definition of abandonment must specify these distinctions of trial failure vs abandonment.

It is critical to disaggregate and disambiguate a failed clinical trial from a failed potential therapy. Clinical trials of active implantable neurotechnologies offer unprecedented opportunities not only to afford possible benefits rendered by successful outcomes, but also to more thoroughly investigate mechanisms of devices in question and neural structures and functions they affect. This information can lead to foundational knowledge about brain-behavior relationships that may afford viable targets to alleviate research participant and subsequent patient suffering and debility. Accomplishing these goals depends on the trial design, including choice of outcome measures, modulation parameters, surgical site, definition of benefit, timeline to assess outcomes, power analyses, variability in research participant characteristics and sign or symptom presentation, differences in surgical approach, and relevant neurophysiology. 14 Variables that may contribute to trial failure are provided in the eAppendix in Supplement 1 .

A more complex issue can arise when a particular implantable neurotechnological device is demonstrated to have efficacy in a clinical trial but then fails to translate to use in practice owing to stakeholder agendas. We refer to this circumstance as shelving. It can occur when an interventional approach is deemed to be implementable, safe, and effective but is prevented from being used in clinical care owing to ongoing issues, tensions, or conflicts in corporate intellectual property control or other licensing agreements. This can occur when companies have breakdowns in relations with a clinician-inventor or when a change in commercial strategic direction for funding to support clinical translation leads to intentional buy and block impediment of further treatment. Although this may be explicitly contrary to fundamental ethical principles guiding humanitarian considerations, it is legal as a matter of fact. At present, there is no explicit pull mechanism to ensure rollout and provision of a proven therapy after a successful clinical trial. Thus, there is potential for abandonment for non–therapeutic or health economic reasons. See the eAppendix in Supplement 1 for more information on shelving of devices.

Given that these are new technologies, it is important to address the durability of any implanted device. Durability of a neurotechnology refers to the time that the device or system remains functional and effective without requiring excessive maintenance or repair throughout its span of use. This includes the device as a single entity and as a levelled iteration (eg, versions 1.0, 2.0, and beyond) or category (eg, unipolar deep brain stimulation electrodes vs multipolar electrodes) of a therapeutic tool. Given the rapid pace of development and progress in neuroscience and technological applications in research and clinical care, what works and may be considered as cutting edge or at least a viable standard of care today may not be regarded as state of the field or even adequately effective tomorrow. 27 , 30 Patients should be informed of these possibilities and realities as an element of obtaining their consent so as to afford insight and judgment about future considerations of acquiring care as may be required and, thereby, avoiding abandonment, as mentioned previously.

Finally, there are numerous examples of neurotechnology companies becoming insolvent. For example, the commercial entity Neurovista (date of insolvency, August 2013), which was developing a first-in-human brain implant, declared bankruptcy, and patients who received implants with the technology felt betrayed. The sentiment was fortified by patient therapeutic expectations and by the perception that an unsettling break in trust had occurred. Recent reports provide evidence that 1 patient who was part of the trial compared the experience to a sense of loss or theft, stating, “They took away that part of me,” which the individual felt compromised their agency and in this way left them abandoned to an absence of care. 2 , 31 It is important to bear in mind that such devices are regarded as enabling technologies, 23 , 27 , 32 - 35 and therefore, it is vital to consider and respect the degree to which some patients may identify with these devices as constituent to their identities and personalities. 31 , 36 - 42 The distress they experience may in some cases be directly proportional to the effectiveness of the technology and their subjective relationship with it.

In cases of device maintenance or replacement (with repaired or newer versions), payers will surely play a role in determining sustainability of resources and services that can be provided to patients. We posit that any genuine discussion and actions toward defining and preventing neurotechnological device abandonment must address the value of payer conjoinment to the enterprise in ways that are supportive and facilitative to positive, beneficent ends. Failure of this sector participation would render any such efforts toward these goals problematic at least, if not impossible in reality. Lessons learned from prior and current experience with the payer sector may serve as key pediments toward bridging extant gaps in the regnant system and conduct of health care support. 25

It should be noted that when explantation or removal of a device is necessary, it will be important to address challenges of who will pay for expenses incurred. To be sure, future efforts will need to clarify the status of abandoned devices (eg, defective devices, those no longer functioning after battery depletion, or functional devices providing waning benefit). Therefore, the safety and ethics of device removal will need to be determined for each case, with special considerations afforded to whether a future upgrade in the software or change in management strategy could convert a nonfunctioning device to a functioning device.

Apropos to the previously mentioned facts, factors, considerations, and concerns provided in this systematic review and consensus statement, we propose the adoption of a standard definition of abandonment of active implantable neurotechnological devices , which constitutes 1 of the following ( Figure 2 ):

1. Failure to provide information relevant to (the existence or absence of) plans for medical, technical, and/or financial responsibility as fundamental aspects of patient consent during and after a clinical trial.

2. Failure to fulfill reasonable responsibility for medical, technical, and/or financial support prior to the end of an implantable device’s labeled lifetime.

3. Failure to address any immediate needs (eg, infection or device programming) of the individual using the implanted device, which may result in safety concerns and/or the deterioration of device effectiveness.

4. Failure of a clinical research trial if or when (1) informed consent has failed to address ongoing access to and management of the implanted device (per 1) and/or such other devices that may be demonstrated as having equal or greater therapeutic value in the future and (2) individuals responsible for the trial have not made a reasonable effort to facilitate continued access to device and support for patients who benefit from the device.

This study has several important limitations. First, because the field currently lacks a formal, accepted definition of device abandonment, it is possible that the literature review and expert group could have missed relevant aspects of abandonment. Second, the literature was sparse on this topic, and thus it will be likely that as more publications become available, these works could help refine future definitions. Third, our review did not examine similar abandonment challenges in cardiac pacemaker and related technologies. However, we performed a review of 232 additional articles using the search terms abandonment and pacemaker , which revealed 41 relevant articles that afforded comparative illustration of abandonment challenges that were similar in cardiac and neural technology implant cases. These challenges included magnetic resonance imaging–induced heating of partially abandoned devices, infections, broken lead fragments, and capping of a disconnected device. We anticipate that challenges similar to those noted for cardiac pacemaker use would increase in number as more neurological devices are implanted. Hence, we posit that definitions and issues of device abandonment will continue to evolve and therefore will require ongoing attention as neurotechnologies are further developed and in the contexts of current practices.

In this systematic review and consensus statement, a comprehensive literature review on neurological device abandonment revealed that this ethical issue was largely buried within case reports, case series, and clinical trials. Dialogue like that recently conducted at the Royal Society, with the convergence of stakeholders and combined with experience has the potential to yield a more functional definition of neurological device abandonment. We opine that these tenets previously listed may afford a working basis for further consideration, discourse, and dialogue toward establishing a formal definition of abandonment of active implantable neurotechnological devices and guidelines, policies, and laws to prevent its occurrence. We encourage such discussion and welcome participation to advance such ends, especially as devices expand into neuropsychiatric indications.

Accepted for Publication: February 27, 2024.

Published: April 30, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.8654

Corresponding Author: Michael S. Okun, MD, Department of Neurology, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, 3409 SW Williston Rd, Gainesville, FL 32607 ( [email protected] ).

Author Contributions: Drs Okun and Giordano had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Concept and design: All authors.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Okun, Ekanayake, Kubu.

Drafting of the manuscript: Okun, Marjenin, Ekanayake, Gilbert, Doherty, Kubu, Lázaro-Muñoz, Giordano.

Critical review of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Okun, Marjenin, Ekanayake, Doherty, Pilkington, French, Kubu, Lázaro-Muñoz, Denison.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Ekanayake, Pilkington, Denison.

Supervision: Okun, Ekanayake.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Okun reported serving as a medical advisor to the Parkinson’s Foundation; receiving research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Parkinson’s Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Parkinson Alliance, Smallwood Foundation, Bachmann-Strauss Foundation, Tourette Syndrome Association, and University of Florida Foundation; serving as principal investigator of an NIH Training Grant; receiving royalties for publications with Hachette Book Group, Demos, Manson, Amazon, Smashwords, Books4Patients, Perseus, Robert Rose, Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press; serving as an associate editor for the New England Journal of Medicine Journal Watch Neurology and JAMA Neurology ; participating in continuing medical education and educational activities in the past 12 to 24 months on movement disorders sponsored by WebMD/Medscape, RMEI Medical Education, the American Academy of Neurology, the Movement Disorders Society, Mediflix, and Vanderbilt University; that grants from industry were received by the University of Florida and not Dr Okun; participating as a site principal investigator or co-investigator for several NIH-, foundation-, and industry-sponsored trials without receiving honoraria; and that research projects at the University of Florida receive device and drug donations. Dr Gilbert reported receiving a Royal Society bursary award to attend the Neural Interfaces Summit 2023 and grants from the University of Tasmania EthicsLab during the conduct of the study. Dr Doherty reported receiving devices for research studies from Innocon Medical and grants from Brain Research UK, the Inspire Foundation, and Innovate UK outside the submitted work and owning less than 1% of shares in Amber Therapeutics Ltd, London, which has subsidiaries Bioinduction Ltd (maker of the Picostim and Picostim DyNeuMo, Bristol, UK, in several first-in-human studies) and Finetech Medical Ltd (manufacturer of the Sacral Anterior Root Stimulator). Dr Kubu reported receiving grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) during the conduct of the study and having a patent issued. Dr Lázaro-Muñoz reported receiving grants from the NIH. Dr Denison reported receiving supply devices for research from Amber Therapeutics during the conduct of the study and serving as nonexecutive chairman of Mint Neuro, which makes circuits for implants, and a consultant for Cortec, which develops neurotechnology. Dr Giordano reported receiving award UL1TR001409 from the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, a trademark of the Department of Health and Human Services, part of the Roadmap Initiative Re-Engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise, and National Sciences Foundation Award 2113811-Amendment ID 001 and support from the Henry Jackson Foundation for Military Medicine; Strategic Multilayer Assessment Branch of the Joint Staff, J-39, US Strategic Command, Pentagon; Asklepios Biosciences; and Leadership Initiatives. No other disclosures were reported.

Data Sharing Statement: See Supplement 2 .

Register for email alerts with links to free full-text articles
Access PDFs of free articles
Manage your interests
Save searches and receive search alerts

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Take action

Report an antitrust violation
File adjudicative documents
Find banned debt collectors
View competition guidance
Competition Matters Blog

New HSR thresholds and filing fees for 2024

View all Competition Matters Blog posts

We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote competition.

View Policy

Search or browse the Legal Library

Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business responsibilities and comply with the law.

Browse legal resources

Find policy statements
Submit a public comment

Vision and Priorities

Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding the vision and priorities for the FTC.

Technology Blog

Consumer facing applications: a quote book from the tech summit on ai.

View all Technology Blog posts

Advice and Guidance

Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams. Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts your business.

Report fraud
Report identity theft
Register for Do Not Call
Sign up for consumer alerts
Get Business Blog updates
Get your free credit report
Find refund cases
Order bulk publications
Consumer Advice
Shopping and Donating
Credit, Loans, and Debt
Jobs and Making Money
Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts
Identity Theft and Online Security
Business Guidance
Advertising and Marketing
Credit and Finance
Privacy and Security
By Industry
For Small Businesses
Browse Business Guidance Resources
Business Blog

Servicemembers: Your tool for financial readiness

Visit militaryconsumer.gov

Get consumer protection basics, plain and simple

Visit consumer.gov

Learn how the FTC protects free enterprise and consumers

Visit Competition Counts

Looking for competition guidance?

Competition Guidance

News and Events

Latest news, ftc expands patent listing challenges, targeting more than 300 junk listings for diabetes, weight loss, asthma and copd drugs.

View News and Events

Upcoming Event

Older adults and fraud: what you need to know.

View more Events

Follow us on social media

--> --> --> --> -->

Playing it Safe: Explore the FTC's Top Video Game Cases

Learn about the FTC's notable video game cases and what our agency is doing to keep the public safe.

Latest Data Visualization

FTC Refunds to Consumers

Explore refund statistics including where refunds were sent and the dollar amounts refunded with this visualization.

About the FTC

Our mission is protecting the public from deceptive or unfair business practices and from unfair methods of competition through law enforcement, advocacy, research, and education.

Learn more about the FTC

Meet the Chair

Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June 15, 2021.

Chair Lina M. Khan

Looking for legal documents or records? Search the Legal Library instead.

Cases and Proceedings
Premerger Notification Program
Merger Review
Anticompetitive Practices
Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents
Warning Letters
Consumer Sentinel Network
Criminal Liaison Unit
FTC Refund Programs
Notices of Penalty Offenses
Advocacy and Research
Advisory Opinions
Cooperation Agreements
Federal Register Notices
Public Comments
Policy Statements
International
Office of Technology Blog
Military Consumer
Consumer.gov
Bulk Publications
Data and Visualizations
Stay Connected
Commissioners and Staff
Bureaus and Offices
Budget and Strategy
Office of Inspector General
Careers at the FTC

Fact Sheet on FTC’s Proposed Final Noncompete Rule

Competition
Office of Policy Planning
Bureau of Competition

The following outline provides a high-level overview of the FTC’s proposed final rule :

Specifically, the final rule provides that it is an unfair method of competition—and therefore a violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act—for employers to enter into noncompetes with workers after the effective date.
Fewer than 1% of workers are estimated to be senior executives under the final rule.
Specifically, the final rule defines the term “senior executive” to refer to workers earning more than $151,164 annually who are in a “policy-making position.”
Reduced health care costs: $74-$194 billion in reduced spending on physician services over the next decade.
New business formation: 2.7% increase in the rate of new firm formation, resulting in over 8,500 additional new businesses created each year.
This reflects an estimated increase of about 3,000 to 5,000 new patents in the first year noncompetes are banned, rising to about 30,000-53,000 in the tenth year.
This represents an estimated increase of 11-19% annually over a ten-year period.
The average worker’s earnings will rise an estimated extra $524 per year.

The Federal Trade Commission develops policy initiatives on issues that affect competition, consumers, and the U.S. economy. The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. Follow the FTC on social media , read consumer alerts and the business blog , and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts .

Press Release Reference

Contact information, media contact.

Victoria Graham Office of Public Affairs 415-848-5121

IMAGES

15 Literature Review Examples (2024)
10 Steps to Write a Systematic Literature Review Paper in 2023
Definition Of Literature Review
different definition of literature review
How To Write A Literature Review
Types of literature reviews

VIDEO

Literature Review| Research
Difference between Research paper and a review. Which one is more important?
What is Literature Review?
Literature Review Research Methodology
Reviews of Related Literature : Research Topic
Why to do Literature Review?| Research Methods in Education,

COMMENTS

What is a literature review?
A literature or narrative review is a comprehensive review and analysis of the published literature on a specific topic or research question. The literature that is reviewed contains: books, articles, academic articles, conference proceedings, association papers, and dissertations. It contains the most pertinent studies and points to important ...
How to Write a Literature Review
Examples of literature reviews. Step 1 - Search for relevant literature. Step 2 - Evaluate and select sources. Step 3 - Identify themes, debates, and gaps. Step 4 - Outline your literature review's structure. Step 5 - Write your literature review.
Research Guides: Literature Reviews: What is a Literature Review?
A literature review is meant to analyze the scholarly literature, make connections across writings and identify strengths, weaknesses, trends, and missing conversations. A literature review should address different aspects of a topic as it relates to your research question. A literature review goes beyond a description or summary of the ...
Writing a Literature Review
A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays).
Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines
This is why the literature review as a research method is more relevant than ever. Traditional literature reviews often lack thoroughness and rigor and are conducted ad hoc, rather than following a specific methodology. Therefore, questions can be raised about the quality and trustworthiness of these types of reviews.
PDF What is a Literature Review?
The literature review is undertaken to present results of research and key information in an objective and discursive manner. In contrast to the essay, the literature review should summarise the key concepts, theories and empirical studies while discussing their strengths and limitations.
Literature Review: The What, Why and How-to Guide
In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. As a piece of writing, the literature review must be defined by a guiding concept (e.g., your research objective, the problem or issue you are discussing, or your ...
What is a literature review?
A literature review is a written work that: Compiles significant research published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers; Surveys scholarly articles, books, dissertations, conference proceedings, and other sources; Examines contrasting perspectives, theoretical approaches, methodologies, findings, results, conclusions.
What is a literature review? [with examples]
Definition. A literature review is an assessment of the sources in a chosen topic of research. In a literature review, you're expected to report on the existing scholarly conversation, without adding new contributions. If you are currently writing one, you've come to the right place. In the following paragraphs, we will explain: the objective ...
Research Guides: How to Write a Literature Review: What's a Literature
A literature review (or "lit review," for short) is an in-depth critical analysis of published scholarly research related to a specific topic. Published scholarly research (aka, "the literature") may include journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations and thesis, or conference proceedings.
What is a literature review?
A literature review serves two main purposes: 1) To show awareness of the present state of knowledge in a particular field, including: seminal authors. the main empirical research. theoretical positions. controversies. breakthroughs as well as links to other related areas of knowledge. 2) To provide a foundation for the author's research.
What is a Literature Review?
Definition. A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of research. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous research. It should give a theoretical ...
Literature Reviews
The term literature review can refer to the process of doing a review as well as the product resulting from conducting a review. The product resulting from reviewing the literature is the concern of this section. Literature reviews for research studies at the master's and doctoral levels have various definitions.
Writing a literature review
Writing a literature review requires a range of skills to gather, sort, evaluate and summarise peer-reviewed published data into a relevant and informative unbiased narrative. Digital access to research papers, academic texts, review articles, reference databases and public data sets are all sources of information that are available to enrich ...
Literature Review
Literature Review. A literature review is a discussion of the literature (aka. the "research" or "scholarship") surrounding a certain topic. A good literature review doesn't simply summarize the existing material, but provides thoughtful synthesis and analysis. The purpose of a literature review is to orient your own work within an existing ...
5. The Literature Review
A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories.A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that ...
What is a Literature Review?
"This text offers students across the social sciences and humanities a practical and comprehensive guide to writing a literature review. Chris Hart offers invaluable advice on how to: search out existing knowledge on a topic; analyze arguments and ideas; map ideas, arguments and perspectives; produce a literature review; and construct a case for investigating a topic.The book contains examples ...
Literature review
A literature review is an overview of the previously published works on a topic. The term can refer to a full scholarly paper or a section of a scholarly work such as a book, or an article. Either way, a literature review is supposed to provide the researcher /author and the audiences with a general image of the existing knowledge on the topic ...
What is Literature Review? Definition, Types and Examples
A literature review is a comprehensive review and analysis of published literature that relates to a particular research topic or question being studied. Various forms of literature are reviewed that can include journal articles, books, magazine and blog articles, published abstracts, conference proceedings, and dissertations.
What Is It?
A literature review is the writing process of summarizing, synthesizing and/or critiquing the literature found as a result of a literature search. It may be used as background or context for a primary research project. There are several reasons to review the literature: Identify the developments in the field of study.
The Literature Review: A Foundation for High-Quality Medical Education
The Literature Review Defined. In medical education, no organization has articulated a formal definition of a literature review for a research paper; thus, a literature review can take a number of forms. Depending on the type of article, target journal, and specific topic, these forms will vary in methodology, rigor, and depth.
(PDF) Literature Review as a Research Methodology: An overview and
Literature reviews allow scientists to argue that they are expanding current. expertise - improving on what already exists and filling the gaps that remain. This paper demonstrates the literatu ...
Approaching literature review for academic purposes: The Literature
A sophisticated literature review (LR) can result in a robust dissertation/thesis by scrutinizing the main problem examined by the academic study; anticipating research hypotheses, methods and results; and maintaining the interest of the audience in how the dissertation/thesis will provide solutions for the current gaps in a particular field.
Research Guides: Write and Cite: Literature Review
Literature Review Write and Cite This guide offers information on writing resources, citation style guides, and academic writing expectations and best practices, as well as information on resources related to copyright, fair use, permissions, and open access.
What is context in knowledge translation? Results of a systematic
Knowledge Translation (KT) aims to convey novel ideas to relevant stakeholders, motivating their response or action to improve people's health. Initially, the KT literature focused on evidence-based medicine, applying findings from laboratory and clinical research to disease diagnosis and treatment. Since the early 2000s, the scope of KT has expanded to include decision-making with health ...
A scoping review of academic and grey literature on migrant health
A scoping review was conducted as they can aid detection of evidence gaps [] and allow incorporation of grey literature in topics with insufficient published research [].Arksey and O'Malley's [] five stage scoping review framework was used.Stage 1: identifying the research question
Research on Motivation, Literacy and Reading Development: A Review of
Key findings from this literature review identify research studies that focused on the effectiveness of reading strategies that emphasized motivations when promoting reading. This study summarizes several evidence-based practices tied to increasing motivation used during programs, instructional practices, and family engagement activities which ...
Full article: Organizational culture: a systematic review
Among these review methods, we preferred the structured review method to properly understand OC, identify trends, and draw any gaps in the existing literature. This strategy is advantageous because it enables the reviewer to recognize and emphasize the theories and structures frequently applied in OC research (Kunisch et al., Citation 2015 ).
Definition of Implanted Neurological Device Abandonment
Importance Establishing a formal definition for neurological device abandonment has the potential to reduce or to prevent the occurrence of this abandonment.. Objective To perform a systematic review of the literature and develop an expert consensus definition for neurological device abandonment.. Evidence Review After a Royal Society Summit on Neural Interfaces (September 13-14, 2023), a ...
Fact Sheet on FTC's Proposed Final Noncompete Rule
The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Literature Reviews

What is a Literature Review?

Purpose of a Literature Review

Limitations of a Literature Review

Libraries | Research Guides

Writing a Literature Review

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

What are the parts of a lit review?

How should I organize my lit review?

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Literature Review: The What, Why and How-to Guide — Introduction

What are Literature Reviews?

Goals of Literature Reviews

Types of Literature Reviews

Literature Reviews in the Health Sciences

Introduction to Literature Reviews

What is a literature review? [with examples]

What is a literature review?

How to Write a Literature Review

What's a Literature Review?

What is a literature review?

The purposes of a literature review

Share This Book

University Libraries

Recommended Reading

How to Subscribe

In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Literature Reviews

Related Articles Expand or collapse the "related articles" section about

Other Subject Areas

Literature Reviews by Lawrence A. Machi , Brenda T. McEvoy LAST REVIEWED: 27 October 2016 LAST MODIFIED: 27 October 2016 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0169

Research Methods and Design

Literature Review

Am I the only one struggling to write a literature review?

An Introduction to Literature Reviews

Identify Themes and Gaps in Literature (with real examples) | Scribbr

4 Tips for Writing a Literature Review's Intro, Body, and Conclusion | Scribbr

Organizational Tools for Literature Reviews

Citation Managers

Concept Mapping

Synthesis Matrix

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

Importance of a Good Literature Review

Structure and Writing Style

Writing Tip

Another Writing Tip

Yet Another Writing Tip

WashU Libraries

Literature Review: A Definition

But how is a literature review different from an academic research paper?

Journal Articles on Writing Literature Reviews

Some Books from the WU Catalog

Helpful Websites

Literature Reviews

Types of Literature Reviews

Write and Cite

What is context in knowledge translation? Results of a systematic scoping review

Availability of data and materials

Acknowledgements

Author information

Contributions

Corresponding author

Ethics declarations

Rights and permissions

About this article

Share this article

Health Research Policy and Systems

A scoping review of academic and grey literature on migrant health research conducted in Scotland

Migration and Health in Scotland

Aim and objectives

Stage 1: identifying the research question

Stage 2: identifying relevant studies

Stage 3: study selection

Stage 4: data charting

Stage 5: collating, summarising and reporting results

Overall findings

Research methods and data collection

Geographical areas of study

Migrant population

SAAP Area mapping