Table 1.

Number of papers included in the literature by category

Category of paper	Description	Number of papers
1. PS Framework: concepts, theory, steps	These papers are largely theoretical or conceptual in nature; they describe, for instance, who developed a specific PS framework and why, the steps required in applying a framework, considerations of the stakeholders to involve, the use of criteria, and so on	23
2. PS Framework: application	These papers described case studies of health research PS exercises that applied the different frameworks; the focus here was on the reported experiences with the use of the frameworks, the documented strengths and limitations	59
3. PS Framework: specific elements	These are elements relevant to health research PS such as stakeholder engagement, criteria generation, use of evidence and evaluation (strengths and limitations) stemming from either a PS for health research framework or a case study application	26
Total		108

PS priority setting