# Trusted Academic Transcripts on the Blockchain: A Systematic Literature Review
## 1 Introduction
Since the oracle problem is directly related to trust, it is not just a matter of addressing the problem from a technical point of view [28], and a multidisciplinary effort is required to find a solution [29]. This paper aims to determine if, among the heterogeneous models, prototypes, and proposals, there exist some common features which would be useful to blueprint a universally accepted standard. Secondly, given the oracle problem's significance within the area, this study will also highlight oracle problem-related contributions. To understand the extent of the models' heterogeneity and to address the oracle problem, this research aims to answer the following research questions:  
**RQ1:** Are blockchain-based academic transcript applications converging to a standard? **RQ2:** Is the blockchain oracle problem sufficiently and efficiently addressed within academic literature? The methodology utilized to answer the two research questions is a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Within the blockchain-based academic application domain, classic literature reviews [10; 30; 31; 32] were useful in outlining and summarizing, in a broad sense, the potential and limitations of the technology. Those kinds of studies are appropriate in the early stage of research when resources are low and scattered [33]. A recent and exciting article by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [34] instead utilized a Multivocal Literature Review including also so-called \"Grey Literature\", (e.g., blogs, newspapers, and websites) in order to highlight the mediatic impact of blockchain applications within academic institutions worldwide. Their findings showed that although at its infancy, blockchain has already drawn a considerable amount of attention. Other articles, such as those of [PERSON] et al. [35], [PERSON] et al. [36], and [PERSON] et al. [4], presented systematic literature reviews. [PERSON] et al. [4] focused on unsolved issues and risks within the academic field. [PERSON] et al. [36] provide an overview of blockchain protocols proposed for academic applications. Finally, [PERSON] et al. [35] focused on the main benefits of implementing blockchain in academia. Systematic literature reviews tend to be chosen when a specific research question is to be answered, ensuring the results' replicability [37]. Our research aims to answer two precise research questions, of which one is focused on finding a widely accepted standard. Therefore, it requires sound analysis and accurate outcomes in order to ensure the community works in the right direction. It is then crucial to provide enough information for other authors to replicate this study for research expansion and validation. For those reasons, we opted for an SLR  
The research involves the use of three scientific databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO host. Reasons for choosing those platforms include the databases' reputation for indexing high-quality papers. Analysis undertaken in this work aims to provide a blockchain agnostic framework to efficiently address the oracle problem, and to provide a blueprint of an emerging standard for academic applications. On the one hand, the present research wishes to inform academics, students, and employers of the results heeded from this and related studies. On the other hand, developers could use the provided blueprint to create or adapt their prototype with the aim of enabling compatibility. As with other literature reviews, the outcomes are based and dependent on sample selection. Whilst we did opt for high-quality databases, there is still the chance that some relevant articles were excluded for not being indexed at the time or removed from the sample due to the excluding criteria. This paper's strengths are that first it focuses on specific real-world blockchain applications such as academic transcript and certificate issuance and verification. Second, to the best of the author's knowledge, it is the first paper that provides specific insight on the oracle problem within the context of academic blockchain-based applications.