Table 1 Characteristics of included literature items
|  | Number of items (n = 147) |
|---|---|
Year of publication | |
  2020–2021 | 12 |
  2015–2019 | 57 |
  2010–2014 | 36 |
  2005–2009 | 21 |
  2000–2004 | 15 |
  Pre-2000 | 6 |
Type of literature | |
  Journal article | 135 |
  Book chapter | 4 |
  Online document | 3 |
  Letter | 2 |
  PhD thesis | 2 |
  Journal article collection | 1 |
Type of work presented | |
  Reflection on a process evaluation | 56 |
  Development of a process evaluation approach | 38 |
  Systematic review | 16 |
  Discussion and recommendations on broad topic of process evaluation | 14 |
  Editorial | 7 |
  Empirical research | 6 |
  Multiple strands of work | 3 |
  Literature synthesis | 2 |
  Systematic review protocol | 2 |
  Handbook | 1 |
  Process evaluation guidance | 1 |
  Review of reviews | 1 |
Field of practice | |
  Health | 143 |
  Education | 4 |
Country of lead author | |
  UK | 62 |
  USA | 36 |
  Australia | 12 |
  Netherlands | 10 |
  Denmark | 4 |
  South Africa | 4 |
  Canada | 3 |
  Brazil | 1 |
  Finland | 1 |
  France | 1 |
  Ireland | 1 |
  New Zealand | 1 |
  Norway | 1 |
  Singapore | 1 |
  Sweden | 1 |
  Zambia | 1 |
  Zimbabwe | 1 |
Focus of literature item | |
  Process evaluation approach / framework / guidance | 51 |
  Methodological / operational / ethical issues | 37 |
  Use of a method / theory in process evaluation | 20 |
  Review of process evaluations | 19 |
  Value of process evaluation | 15 |
  Multiple foci | 5 |
Type of accompanying evaluation | |
  Trial | 83 |
  Not specified | 43 |
  Standalone process evaluation | 9 |
  Pilot/feasibility study | 5 |
  Intervention development | 2 |
  Pragmatic formative process evaluation | 2 |
  Quasi-experimental | 2 |
  Health impact assessment | 1 |