-->PONE-D-26-06935-->-->Cultural Factors in Mid- and Later Life Volunteerism in the United States: A Scoping Review Protocol-->-->PLOS One

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Reviewer #1: Yes

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Reviewer #1: The protocol addresses an important and timely topic and is generally well written, clearly structured, and methodologically sound. The authors provide a clear rationale for examining how cultural factors are conceptualized and operationalized in volunteerism research among midlife and older adults. The use of established methodological guidance, including the JBI Scoping Review Framework and PRISMA-ScR reporting standards, is appropriate and strengthens the transparency and reproducibility of the proposed review. The research questions are clearly stated, the eligibility criteria are well described, and the proposed procedures for screening, data extraction, and synthesis are logically presented. Overall, the protocol demonstrates careful planning and has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the literature on volunteerism and aging. The comments below are offered to further improve clarity and methodological transparency.

Introduction

1. Clarification of the definition of “cultural factors” (lines 68–80)

The manuscript discusses culture broadly, including values, norms, identity, religion, and immigration-related factors. While this broad framing is appropriate, it would be helpful to clarify how “cultural factors” will be interpreted during screening and data extraction. Given that the review aims to map how culture is conceptualized in the literature, briefly outlining the domains or types of factors that will be considered cultural may help improve consistency in study selection.

2. Justification for restricting the review to the United States (lines 84–87)

The protocol limits the review to studies conducted in the United States and briefly notes that this is due to the diversity of the U.S. midlife and older adult population. While this is reasonable, the rationale could be expanded slightly. Clarifying that the objective is to map conceptualizations of culture within a single national context, rather than conduct a global synthesis, would strengthen the justification for this restriction.

Methods and Analysis

3. Number of databases proposed for the search (lines 165–171)

The protocol proposes searching 14 academic databases. While comprehensive coverage is important, several of these databases index overlapping journals. The authors may wish to consider focusing on a smaller set of core databases most relevant to the topic, supplemented by grey literature and citation tracking. This would likely maintain adequate coverage while improving feasibility. Similarly, as the search strategies will likely need to be reported for each database in the supplementary materials, the large number of proposed databases may result in extensive and repetitive supplementary files. Streamlining the database list may also help simplify the reporting and improve clarity.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Robert Lubajo

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Cultural factors in mid- and later life volunteerism in the United States: A scoping review protocol

PONE-D-26-06935R1

Dear Dr. Lai,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Kind regards,

Olushayo Oluseun Olu

Academic Editor

PLOS One

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