How about a break from systematic reviews and try something actually different? A scoping review of systematic reviews in psychology
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, cilt.13, sa.1, 2026 (AHCI, SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
- Cilt numarası: 13 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1057/s41599-026-07769-w
- Dergi Adı: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Index Islamicus, Directory of Open Access Journals, Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study conducts a scoping review of systematic reviews within psychology research by examining methodological trends and publication distribution across different regions from 2000 to 2024. Systematic reviews have seen substantial growth since 2019 until 2022, with major contributions from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Recent years have seen China, Spain, and Germany join the ranks of significant contributors to systematic reviews. The review presents a growing concern that the foundational role of systematic reviews in evidence-based psychology practices for clinical interventions and mental health research may cause other methods to be overlooked. The field of psychological research continues to overlook research methods like ethnography and single case studies despite their ability to uncover detailed psychological processes. The paper claims that the current research approach limits psychological science because systematic reviews dominate while qualitative methods remain undervalued, and calls for a more inclusive research strategy that recognizes both types of research approaches. The field of psychology will gain a deeper comprehension of human behavior and mental processes by supporting methodological variety, which will bridge current research gaps and drive forward future studies.