Formulating a strong research question for a systematic review can be a lengthy process. While you may have an idea about the topic you want to explore, your specific research question is what will drive your review and requires some consideration.
You will want to conduct preliminary or exploratory searches of the literature as you refine your question. In these searches you will want to:
Systematic reviews required a narrow and specific research question. The goal of a systematic review is to provide an evidence synthesis of ALL research performed on one particular topic. So, your research question should be clearly answerable from the data you gather from the studies included in your review.
Ask yourself if your question even warrants a systematic review (has it been answered before?). If your question is more broad in scope or you aren't sure if it's been answered, you might look into performing a systematic map or scoping review instead.
Learn more about systematic reviews versus scoping reviews:
The first stage in a review is formulating the research question. A well-formulated question will help:
There are different frameworks you can use to help structure a question.
The PICO or PECO framework is typically used in clinical and health sciences-related research, but it can also be adapted for other quantitative research.
P — Patient / Problem / Population
I / E — Intervention / Indicator / phenomenon of Interest / Exposure / Event
C — Comparison / Context / Control
O — Outcome
Example topic: Health impact of hazardous waste exposure
| Population | Exposure | Comparators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| People living near hazardous waste sites | Exposure to hazardous waste | All comparators | All diseases/health disorders |
Fazzo, L., Minichilli, F., Santoro, M., Ceccarini, A., Della Seta, M., Bianchi, F., Comba, P., & Martuzzi, M. (2017). Hazardous waste and health impact: A systematic review of the scientific literature. Environmental Health, 16(1), 107. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-017-0311-8
The SPICE framework is useful for both qualitative and mixed-method research. It is often used in the social sciences.
S — Setting (where?)
P — Perspective (for whom?)
I — Intervention / Exposure (what?)
C — Comparison (compared with what?)
E — Evaluation (with what result?)
Learn more: Booth, A. (2006). Clear and present questions: Formulating questions for evidence based practice. Library Hi Tech, 24(3), 355-368. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830610692127
The SPIDER framework is useful for both qualitative and mixed-method research. It is most often used in health sciences research.
S — Sample
PI — Phenomenon of Interest
D — Design
E — Evaluation
R — Study Type
Learn more: Cooke, A., Smith, D., & Booth, A. (2012). Beyond PICO: The SPIDER tool for qualitative evidence synthesis. Qualitative Health Research, 22(10), 1435-1443. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732312452938
The CIMO framework is used to understand complex social and organizational phenomena, most useful for management and business research.
C — Context (the social and organizational setting of the phenomenon)
I — Intervention (the actions taken to address/influence the phenomenon)
M — Mechanisms (the underlying processes or mechanisms that drive change within the phenomenon)
O — Outcomes (the resulting changes that occur due to intervention/mechanisms)
Learn more: Denyer, D., Tranfield, D., & van Aken, J. E. (2008). Developing design propositions through research synthesis. Organization Studies, 29(3), 393-413. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840607088020
Click here for an exhaustive list of research question frameworks from the University of Maryland Libraries.
You might find that your topic does not always fall into one of the models listed on this page. You can always modify a model to make it work for your topic, and either remove or incorporate additional elements. Be sure to document in your review the established framework that yours is based off and how it has been modified.
