Undergraduate Medical Education

When starting a research project, we recommend that you bear two definitions in mind:

• RESEARCH is a systematic inquiry that users rigorous methods and involves the collection, analysis and interpretation of data to answer questions or solve problems. The ultimate goal of research is to generate knew knowledge, refine and validate existing knowledge and provide insights into various concepts.
• A RESEARCH QUESTION is a clearly defined and focused question that guides research. It is the foundation of research and outlines the specific problem that your research aims to address.

There are several things to consider when designing your research question. The research question worksheet below will help you to formulate your research question:

There are several question frameworks used in health sciences and related fields to formulate research questions. The most common, and the one you should consider when asking a clinical question is PICO:

PICO is a mnemonic used to describe the four elements of a good clinical foreground question:

• P = Population/Problem - How would I describe the problem or a group of patients similar to mine?
• I = Intervention - What main intervention, prognostic factor or exposure am I considering?
• C = Comparison - Is there an alternative to compare with the intervention?
• O = Outcome - What do I hope to accomplish, measure, improve or affect?

It is important to note that some questions don't neatly fit into the PICO framework and that's okay! It doesn't meant that your question is any less valid. 

Use the worksheet below to help you formulate your PICO question:

Here are some other frameworks that might also be helpful: 

• PICOT: This is an extension of PICO that adds a fifth element, the T

T = Time (what is the duration of the intervention or the follow-up?)

• FINER: this can help you decide if your research is worth conducting

F = Feasible (can the question be answered with the available resources?)

I = Interesting (will the question be of interest to the community?)

N = Novel (does the question provide new insights?)

E = Ethical (can the question be answered ethically?)

R = Relevant (is the question relevant to the scientific community?)

• SPIDER: Often used for qualitative or mixed methods research

S = Sample (who are the participants?)

PI = Phenomenon of Interest (what is the behaviour or experience?)

D = Design (what is the research design?)

E = Evaluation (what is the outcome of the study?)

R = Research Type (what kind of research are you looking at?)

• PEO: Primarily used for qualitative research

P = Population 

E = Exposure (what is the event of interest?)

O = Outcome