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Dr Aoife O'Mahony receives an Evidence Synthesis Ireland's 'Study Within a Review Award' (2024)
Dr Aoife O’Mahony has been awarded an Evidence Synthesis Ireland’s Study Within a Review Award (2024). This award will support the conduct of a methodological study, entitled ‘Exploring discrepancies between protocols and published scoping reviews: what differs and why?’
Aoife is a postdoctoral researcher working within the Health Implementation Research Hub on the HRB-funded CUSTOMISE project (Comparing and Understanding Tailoring Methods for Implementation Strategies in Healthcare).
Inspired by conceptual, methodological and logistical challenges encountered while conducting a scoping review for the CUSTOMISE project, this study aims to investigate discrepancies between scoping reviews and their protocols, using the field of implementation science as an exemplar. Scoping reviews published in key implementation science journals will be assessed for discrepancies between their protocol and final review, the nature and severity of these discrepancies, whether these discrepancies are acknowledged, and what justifications are given for these changes.
By understanding the extent and nature of such discrepancies and the reasons for these, this study can inform guidance and training for researchers conducting scoping reviews, particularly when writing protocols, enabling them to anticipate and mitigate challenges. The findings can also provide a basis for further research on researchers’ and students’ experiences and challenges when conducting reviews and how best to address these.
Aoife will collaborate with Dr Danielle Pollock (University of Adelaide), Dr Bianca Albers (University of Zurich) and Professor Justin Presseau (University of Ottawa and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute), as well as Dr Sheena McHugh and Laura-Jane McCarthy from the Health Implementation Research Hub.