Developing a Research Question
Developing Your Research Question
Developing your research question is one of the most important steps in the review process. At this stage in the process, you and your team have identified a knowledge gap in your field and are aiming to answer a specific question:
- If X is prescribed, then Y will happen to patients?
OR assess an intervention:
- How does X affect Y?
OR synthesize the existing evidence
- What is the nature of X?
Whatever your aim, formulating a clear, well-defined research question of appropriate scope is key to a successful review. The research question will be the foundation of your review and from it your research team will identify 2-5 possible search concepts. These search concepts will later be used in step 5 to build your search strategy.
Search Concepts
Research Question Frameworks
Formulating a research question takes time and your team may go through different versions until settling on the right research question. To help formulate your research question, some research question frameworks are listed below. Think of these frameworks as you would for a house or building. A framework is there to provide support and to be a scaffold for the rest of the structure. In the same way, a research question framework can also help structure your systematic review question.
PICO for Quantitative Studies
- P Population/Problem
- I Intervention/Exposure
- C Comparison
- O Outcome
Example: Is gabapentin (intervention), compared to placebo (comparison), effective in decreasing pain symptoms (outcome) in middle aged male amputees suffering phantom limb pain (population)?
PICo for Qualitative Studies
- P Population/Problem
- I Phenomenon of Interest
- Co Context
Example: What are the experiences (phenomenon of interest) of caregivers providing home based care to patients with Alzheimer's disease (population) in Australia (context)?
SPICE
- S Setting
- P Perspective (for whom)
- I Intervention/Exposure
- C Comparison
- E Evaluation
Example: What are the benefits (evaluation) of a doula (intervention) for low income mothers (perspective) in the developed world (setting) compared to no support (comparison)?
SPIDER
- S Sample
- PI Phenomenon of Interest
- D Design
- E Evaluation
- R Study Type
Example: What are the experiences (evaluation) of women (sample) undergoing IVF treatment (phenomenon of interest) as assessed?
Design: questionnaire or survey or interview
Study Type: qualitative or mixed method
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion and exclusion criteria are developed after a research question is finalized but before a search is carried out. They determine the limits for the review and are typically reported in the methods section of the publication. For unfamiliar or unclear concepts, a definition may be necessary to adequately describe the criterion for readers.
http://unimelb.libguides.com/c.php?g=492361&p=3368110
How a Librarian Can Help
How Librarians Can Help
Librarians can help you learn how to search for existing information on your topic. Finding existing reviews on your topic will inform the development of your research question, identify gaps, and confirm that you are not duplicating the efforts of previous reviews. E-mail us at reference@utica.edu for more assistance with your project.