Social science research contributions to Antimicrobial Resistance: Protocol for a scoping review

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global health issue with complex and dynamic interdependencies, high uncertainty and decision stakes, multiple drivers and stakeholders with diverse values and interests, and various aspects and outcomes. Addressing and combating this critical global challenge requires formation and establishment of an interdisciplinary research approach that goes beyond the biosciences principally concerned with antimicrobial resistance to include other relevant natural and social sciences. This paper outlines a scoping review protocol to review and map existing social science knowledge and literature relating to antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: This scoping review will be guided by the multi-stage scoping review methodological framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley and further reviewed and refined by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) will be adopted to ensure rigor in design and reporting the study. The search strategy will be developed together with two medical information specialists and the search will be accomplished using relevant electronic databases. Deploying a two-part study selection process, all relevant studies written and published in English since 1998 will be identified and screened based on eligibility criteria. Relevant grey literature sources addressing social science research contributions to antimicrobial resistance will be included, using hand searching of reference lists of included studies to identify additional publications.

Discussion: This protocol describes a systematic method to identify, map and synthesize social science research evidence on antimicrobial resistance. The protocol provides full transparency and potential replicability by other researchers. By mapping evidence and identifying potential knowledge gaps where further research is warranted, the resulting scoping review will provide useful insights for the design, implementation and reorientation of future research agendas on AMR at multiple levels. Its conclusions will provide widely applicable insights and implications for establishing a more overtly interdisciplinary research approach to antimicrobial resistance.