Structuring your research question
With a well defined research question you get a clear idea on your eligibility criteria, as well as getting you a manageable search result. To help you with this you can use a framework like PICO (for quantitative studies) or PEO (qualitative studies). There are more frameworks than these two, especially for qualitative studies.
PEO
|
Population |
Who is in focus? |
|
Exposure |
What is the problem? |
|
Outcome |
What is the outcome? |
PEO
Research question:
Experiences of partner violence during pregnancy
| Population | Person being pregnant |
| Exposure | Partner violence |
| Outcome | Experiences |
PICO
Research question:
The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy for men committing partner violence
| Population | Partner violence (men commiting) |
| Intervention | Cognitive behavioral therapy |
| Control/Comparison | No treatment or other treatment |
| Outcome | The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (change in behavior) |
Structuring your search terms
Using a framework like PICO or PEO helps you structure the search, in creating different search blocks, making it easier to create a comprehensive yet still precise and balanced search strategy. In the tables below are examples of how to use the PEO and PICO frameworks for your search strategy.
PEO
Research question:
Experiences of partner violence in pregnancy
PICO
Research question:
The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy for men committing partner violence
