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
ResearchGate, Academia and other online research communities
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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.
“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
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.
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
PO/PS Frameworks are useful when
Concept Mapping is a brainstorming tool that is useful
PICO frameworks apply to quantitative research questions and help to:
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 |
I (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 frameworks apply to qualitative research questions and help to:
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/brainstorming can be applied to any question
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? |