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Systematic & Scoping Review Guide

Finding Research Gaps

Key Points to Consider Repositories of Reviews and Protocols
Select an area of interest or one related to your practice 
Determine whether there is a gap in knowledge
   •    Consult available scoping and systematic reviews
   •    Consult SR repositories
   •    Conduct a scoping search
The question should clarify the problem to be addressed
Assess the significance of the answer to your field 
   •    Is it worth the effort?
   •    Why do it?
   •    Is it feasible/doable?
   •    Will it only summarize an area of research?
   •    Is research being conducted on this topic already?
Check repositories of reviews and protocols
It must be an answerable question/issue
Cochrane
TRIP Database
Prospero
JBI
ClinicalTrials.gov
Other Clinical Trial Registries (various countries)
Run a Medline search for published protocols
JMIR Research Protocols
  • Ongoing trials, grant proposals, formative research, methods, early results
ResearchGate, Academia and other online research communities
 
 
 

Robinson KA, Saldanha IJ, McKoy NA. (2011). Development of a framework to identify research gaps from systematic reviews. J Clin Epidemiol. 64(12):1325-30.

Researchable Question

“The success of any research process relies, in part, on how well investigators are able to translate a clinical problem into a research question”
Thabane L, Thomas T, Ye C, Paul J.  (2009). Posing the research question: not so simple. Can J Anaesth. 56 71-9.

Purpose of the Research Question

  • Defines the nature and scope of the review
  • Identifies the concepts
  • Informs the initial scoping search
  • Informs the search strategy and the sources to be searched
  • Provides guidance for selecting the primary research papers
  • Guides data extraction and synthesis of the results
  • Guides writing of the paper/article

Adapted with permission from:

Pach B, Massarella S, Sharma M. To PICO or not to PICO: what is the question? Frameworks for developing answerable research questions [Internet]. Presented at: PHO Grand Rounds. 2016 Jun 7 [cited 2018 Nov 8]; Toronto, ON.

 

Tools for Question Formulation

Two of the most popular frameworks for asking a research question are the PICO PO/PS frameworks and the Concept Map.

PICO Frameworks are useful when

  • developing a quantitative research question 
  • a gap in the literature has been identified and a quantitative research question is developed to explore the gap 

PO/PS Frameworks are useful when

  • developing a qualitative research question
  • a gap in the literature has been identified and a qualitative research question is developed to explore the gap 

Concept Mapping is a brainstorming tool that is useful

  • when a topic is broad and a search yields results in unmanageable numbers
  • to identify a research question that will focus your topic and yield a manageable number of results 

 

 

PICO Framework and Variations

PICO frameworks apply to quantitative research questions and help to:

  • manage and break down the research question
  • identify key concepts in the question
  • develop appropriate search terms
  • determine inclusion and exclusion criteria

Sample Topics with focused PICO Questions: 

Topic A: Mandatory MMR vaccination

Q: In public schools does implementing mandatory MMR vaccination programs prevent measles outbreaks?

Topic B: Delirium in elderly patients

Q: What current nursing processes have been shown to effectively manage delirium in older adults?

PICO Framework Example A Example B
P (Patient or Population) School-aged children or public schools Older adults
(Intervention) MMR vaccination  Nursing processes
C (Control or Comparator) Usual practice - not usually searched Usual practice - not searched in this case
O (Outcome) Measles outbreaks Delirium

 

PO/PS Framework

PO/PS frameworks apply to qualitative research questions and help to:

  • identify key concepts in the question
  • develop appropriate search terms

Sample Topics with focused PO/PS Questions: 

Topic A: Mandatory MMR vaccination

Q: What philosophical/moral arguments against vaccination are behind the anti-vaccination movement?

Topic B: Delirium in elderly patients

Q: How do family caregivers cope with delirium in an elderly loved one? 

PO/PS Framework Example A Example B
P (Population or Phenomenon) Anti-Vaccination Elderly family member with delirium
O/S (Outcome, Observation, Situation) Philosophical/moral arguments Family coping

 

Concept Mapping

Concept mapping/brainstorming can be applied to any question

  • Best for visual learners
  • Helps focus your question and parameters
  • Generates group discussion & consensus
  • Brainstorming tool

Topic A: Mandatory MMR Vaccination

Q: Does implementing mandatory MMR vaccination programs in public schools prevent measles outbreaks?

Topic B: Delirium in the elderly

Q: What current nursing processes have been shown to effectively manage delirium in older adults?

Topic A: Mandatory MMR vaccination - brainstorming Topic B: Delirium in the elderly - brainstorming
Question A: Does implementing mandatory MMR vaccination programs in public schools prevent measles outbreaks? Question B: What current nursing processes have been shown to effectively manage delirium in older adults?