Literature Review as a Research Method in Scopus-Indexed Police Journals: a Scoping Review
Literature Review as a Research Method in Scopus-Indexed Police Journals: a Scoping Review

Summary/Abstract: This scoping review aims to map how a review as a research method is used in Scopus-indexed police journals. Using the scoping review method and keywords ‘police’ and ‘policing’ in the Source section and Title field in Scopus databases, ten police journals covered up to 2022 were identified. After being assessed against the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 81 articles out of 471were included in the analysis in MAXQDA, software for qualitative and mixed methods data analysis. Although two journals out of ten provided detailed descriptions for review articles, there are no strict restrictions from all the journals. General (n=32),systematic (n=27), scoping (n=11), narrative (n=9), integrative (n=1), and systematised (n=1) review methods were usedin the following five categories: interdisciplinary/development (n=24), police strategies/practices (n=20), mental health (n=16),organisation (n=13), and police and community (n=8). This study is the first to map a review as a method used in police journals.However, police-related literature is far more extensive than studies covered in Scopus-indexed journals. For practitioners and policymakers, the study presents an overview and knowledge to formulate questions for academics; researchers get an overview of police journals’ expectations and actual practices; students gain the potential to increase their learning pace and enhance theirknowledge of the method’s potential.

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