Question development is an integral part of an effective search. On this page, you'll find information on the different types of questions you might ask, along with templates and tools for question formation.
A good question...
It's important to develop a question that is appropriately broad or narrow, depending on the research need. When a research question for a literature review is too narrow, it may miss important aspects of the topic because it focuses too narrowly on a specific subset of the broader subject area. This limited scope restricts the range of literature that is considered, potentially overlooking valuable insights from studies that explore related but slightly different aspects of the topic.
Conversely, if the research question is overly broad, it may lead to an overwhelming amount of literature that is difficult to manage and synthesize effectively. This broad scope may result in a superficial treatment of the topic, lacking depth and specificity in addressing key research questions or themes.
In both cases, finding the right balance in framing the research question is essential to ensure a comprehensive and insightful review of the literature. A well-crafted research question strikes a balance between breadth and specificity, allowing for a thorough exploration of the topic while also providing focus and clarity to the literature review process.
These questions are general in nature and provide foundational information on a single concept. Background questions cover:
Examples
What is the pathology of asthma?
What drugs are used to treat hypertension?
How do I perform a psychological assessment?
What education resources exist for patients with gestational diabetes?
How is hepititis B diagnosed?
What does a normal heartbeat sound like?
These questions bring together multiple concepts related to a specific clinical situation or research topic. They are typically divided into two categories:
These questions are best answered using the resources found in the 6S Pyramid page of this guide.
Building an effective foreground question can be challenging. The following models will help:
P - Patient/Population
S- Situation
How do/does ___[P]____ experience _____[S]_____?
Ex. How do caregiver-spouses of Alzheimer patients experience placing their spouse in a nursing home?
A quantitative approach can answer many different types of questions, but all can be formatted by following the PICO(T) Model outlined below:
| Therapy | Etiology | Diagnosis | Prevention | Prognosis | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P - Population/Disease | Characteristics of a population (age, gender, ethnicity, etc.) with a specific condition or set of circumstances. Ex. African-American males with type 2 diabetes. | ||||
| I/E - Intervention or Exposure | Specific drug or procedural intervention | Exposure to certain conditions or risk behavior | Specific diagnostic tool or procedure | Specific drug or procedural intervention | Specific drug or procedural intervention |
| C - Comparator | Alternative drug or procedural intervention | Absence of certain conditions or risk behavior | Alternative diagnostic tool or procedure | Alternative drug or procedural intervention | Alternative drug or procedural intervention |
| O - Outcome | Management of disease / condition | Development of disease / condition | Effective diagnosis of condition | Prevention of disease / condition | Occurrence or absence of new condition |
| T - Timeframe | The time it takes to demonstrate an outcome OR the period in which patients are observed. Ex. The six months following childbirth. | ||||
In ___[P]___, do/does ___[I]___ result in ___[O]____ when compared with ___[C]___ over ___[T]____?
E.g.) In nursing home residents with osteoporosis, do hip protectors result in fewer injuries from slips, trips, and falls when compared with standard osteoporosis drug therapy over the course of their stay?
Are ___[P]___ with ___[I]___ over ____[T]____ more likely to ___[O]____ when compared with ___[C]___ ?
E.g.) Are female non-smokers with daily exposure to second-hand smoke over a period of ten years or greater more likely to develop breast cancer when compared with female non-smokers without daily exposure to second-hand smoke?
Is/are ___[I]___ performed on ___[P]___ more effective than ___[C]___ over ___[T]____in ___[O]____?
E.g.) Are self-reporting interviews and parent reports performed on children aged 5-10 more effective than parent reports alone over a four-week consultation process in diagnosing depression?
In ___[P]___, do/does ___[I]___ result in ___[O]____ when compared with ___[C]___ over ___[T]____?
E.g.) In emergency room visitors, do hand sanitizing stations result in fewer in-hospital infections when compared with no hand sanitizing stations over a year-long pilot period?
Do/does ___[I]___ performed on ___[P]___ lead to ___[O]___ over ___[T]____compared with ___[C]____?
E.g.) Do regular text message reminders performed on patients recently diagnosed with diabetes lead to a lower occurrence of forgotten insulin doses over the first six months of treatment compared with no reminders?
PIE (Population, Intervention, Effect / Outcome)
PEO (Population/Problem, Exposure, Outcomes/Themes)
FINER (Feasibility, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant)
SPICE (Setting, Perspective, Intervention, Comparison, Evaluation)
SPIDER (Sample, Phenomena of Interest, Design, Evaluation, Research type)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. It was adapted from the McMaster University guide titled "Resources for Evidence-Based Practice", last accessed August 16, 2023.