Framework questions can help clarify and classify concepts in your topic. Many types of frameworks are available, and the best choice of framework depends on your research topic. These are useful tools, but are optional and may not work with all components of your question.
Framework |
Description |
Question |
Examples |
| PICO |
Most commonly used in health professions to find information concerning prognoses, diagnoses, and therapies. Used to compared one intervention with another. P: patient, population, or problem I: Intervention C: Comparison O: Outcome |
In adult patients undergoing third molar extractions, do antibiotics prevent complications such as postoperative infections? |
P: Adult patients undergoing third-molar extractions I: antibiotics C: no antibiotics O: postoperative infections |
| SPICE |
Can be used to find literature evaluating the outcomes of a service, project, or intervention. Setting: Setting is the context for the question (where). Perspective/Population: Perspective is a word or name for the program/project/intevention users, potential users, or stakeholders of the service. Intervention/Interest/Exposure: Intervention is the action taken for the users, potential users, or stakeholders. Comparison: Comparison is the alternative actions or outcomes. Evaluation: Evaluation is the result or measurement that will determine the success of the intervention. |
For teenagers in South Carolina, what is the effect of provision of Quit Kits to support smoking cessation on number of successful attempts to give up smoking compared to no support? |
Setting: South Carolina Perspective: Teenagers Intervention: Provision of Quit Kits to support smoking cessation Comparison: "Cold Turkey"/no support Evaluation: Number of successful attempts to give up smoking with Quit Kits compared to number of successful attempts with no support |
| SPIDER |
Designed to structure qualitative research questions, focusing on interventions and more on study design, and "samples" rather than populations. Sample: Who is the group of people being studied? Phenomenon of Interest: what are the reasons for behavior and decisions? Design: How has the research been collected? Evaluation: What is the outcome that is impacted? Research Type: Type of research. |
What are the experiences of young parents who attend antenatal education classes? |
Sample - young parents Phenomenon of Interest - attendance at antenatal education classes Design - Interviews Evaluation - Experiences Research type - Qualitative studies |
| ECLIPSE |
Useful for investigating the outcomes of a policy or service. Expectation: what are you looking to improve or change? What is the information going to be used for? Client Group: Who is the service or policy aimed at? Location: Where is the service or policy located? Impact: What is the change in service or policy that the researcher is investigating? Professionals: Who is involved in providing or improving the service or policy? Service: What kind of service or policy is this? |
How can I increase access to wireless internet for hospital patients? |
Expectation: increase access to wireless internet in the hospital Client Group: patients and families Location: hospital Impact: clients have easy access to free internet Professionals: IT, hospital admin Service: provision of free wireless internet to patients |
| Other Frameworks | Checkout the University of Maryland's list of Frameworks for examples and resources. https://lib.guides.umd.edu/SR/research_question | ||
Content Credit: UNC University Libraries, Forming Focused Questions with PICO: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/pico/frameworks