Before you start your research, it is important that you have a clearly articulated objective/s with one or more questions aligned the objective/s. The objective is the rationale behind why the review should be conducted. and should be clear, succinct, and convey to the reader what the study will add to the research field.
A scoping review generally has a broader purpose than a systematic review and focuses on descriptive characteristics of the included studies, rather than combining and analysing data to generate a synthesised result. To define an objective, think about what you are trying to understand about the topic you are reviewing. Once you have defined your objective, you can start putting together inclusion criteria for the review.
Inclusion criteria are the elements or factors that must be present in each source of evidence for it to be eligible for inclusion in the review. To create inclusion criteria, simply break down the objectives and questions into their component parts. You may also need to consider primary and secondary questions.
You can also focus your objectives by adding more elements to your inclusion criteria, e.g. adding contextual factors such as health care setting or geographic location, or a population group.