Conducting systematic reviews with a focus on biocultural research: the SCRIBE toolkit

The SCRIBE (SystematiC Reviews In Biocultural rEsearch) toolkit offers a structured approach for conducting systematic reviews in biocultural research. This toolkit addresses the challenges inherent in synthesizing information, aggregating data from diverse sources, and conducting robust analyses in this field. Biocultural research is essential to anthropology, public health, community health, policy and practice, as it provides insights into the biological and cultural determinants of health and health disparities in a global manner. While systematic reviews have informed public and community health policies globally for decades, they often exclude biocultural factors, resulting in a biased evidence base that overlooks indigenous, ethnic minority, and other small-scale populations. This lack of inclusion introduces bias and limits the relevance of findings for diverse populations. SCRIBE aims to bridge this gap by offering a toolkit for biocultural researchers available in three formats: a Word document, a Trello board, and a Notion page. By facilitating the inclusion of biocultural perspectives, SCRIBE seeks to enhance the robustness of public health evidence and support equitable public and community health policies and practices.