Method for scoping review:
We will follow the method of scoping review and six steps described by Arksey and O`Malley, 2005 and Levac et al., 2010:1) formulating the research question, 2) identifying relevant evidence, 3) appraising and selecting the literature, 4) charting the data, 5) systematizing, summaraizing and reporting the results.
Identify relevant evidence
Empirical and theoretical peer-reviewed and grey literature that examine and discuss simulation based learning in radiography education all levels will be included. The search process will be performed in collaboration with an experienced librarian, Gunhild Austrheim at Høgskolen på Vestlandet (HVL) to assure quality in all stages of the process. The search terms should consider fidelity and sustainability of the data; therefore, we will focus on the following: the kind of simulation activity, degree of implementation, complexity of simulation-based learning and resources and contextual factors.
We will include experimental (randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, non-RCTs), quasi-experimental (controlled before after, interrupted time series) and observational (cohort, case control, cross-sectional). Publications that are in review, accepted or in press and grey literature without abstract will be appraised. End-users of the simulating training will include students, teachers/academic faculty and clinical supervisors.
Studies not to be included are: studies describing simulation based learning in other branches of study programmes, studies or texts describing skills training without retrieving a case or
including reflection section and publications written in other languages then English or Scandinavian and published before 2000.
Study selection
We will perform systematic and thorough searches using subject headings and keywords. This includes interdisplinary electronic databases, Oria, Cinahl, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed, SveMed+, Embase, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science. Other relevant sources are grey literature; key organizational websites in societies with resemble health care systems (e.g. educational institutions, websites of radiological technologists, radiographers’ registry and labour unions), government papers, academics (e.g. Helse og omsorgsdepartementet, Regjeringen.no, World Health Organization). We will search reference lists, aim for personal contact with stakeholders and hand search if appropriate.
Two investigators, Nina Rydland Olsen and Mona Vestbøstad, will independently read each article and extract relevant data. The reviewing process will be iterative and if additional keywords are detected, these will appraised. If dissension regarding data extraction, discussion and consensus will take place.
Charting the data
The main findings will be categorised or ‘charted’ using the following criteria:
Author, year of publication, origin, aims/purpose, Study population and sample size, methods, intervention type, comparator and details of these (outcomes and key findings that relate to the scoping review question/s) .
Collating, summarizing and reporting the results
The data will be analysed quantitatively (numerical) and qualitatively (descriptive and analytical), and the theoretical and empirical and the grey literature will be held separately. Further, these different data groups will be combined, analysed, synthetized and summarized. Of major interest are key concepts (type of simulation, learning outcomes) or if there are potential gaps in the literature. We will use through narratives and descriptive summaries to describe our findings.
