Data capture, collection, management, and storage systems for clinical research: A scoping review protocol

Abstract

The boom and constant transformation of biomedical research have led to the development of different electronic systems or platforms that allow researchers to respond to market demands and clinical research governance. The objective of this scoping review is to map and synthesize existing literature on data capture, collection, management, and storage systems for clinical or hospital research. The methods of this protocol will be used to conduct a scoping review (2000–2025) in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological frameworks. Documents that include relevant information about systems for collecting, managing, and storing clinical or hospital research information will be included, following the Population-Concept-Context (PCC) question. Electronic searches will be conducted in Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, SCOPUS, LILACS, Web of Science, and IEEE-Xplore databases, as well as in gray literature through Google Scholar and by snowballing references and citations from studies. The selection and data extraction procedures will be conducted in duplicate and independently. A descriptive narrative synthesis approach to the information will be preferred, with the answers to the research questions being prioritized. This scoping review does not require an ethical review because it does not include the primary information of the participants or the handling of sensitive data. The aim is to identify and analyze relevant literature on clinical research information management systems to provide system developers, clinical researchers, and healthcare institutions with practical frameworks for designing and developing new platforms. This protocol has not completed the search and screening of records.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. PLoS ONE, 2026 · DOI ↗