Using a framework to develop yourquestion can help to identify the main concepts of your review topic (see further down the page).Whether you use aframework or not, the goal is toidentify the main concepts of your question and the synonyms / similarterms that might be used to describe each of those concepts:
Image from UCSF Library:https://guides.ucsf.edu/c.php?g=126216&p=825824
Combining search terms with AND or OR:
- Use AND to combine differentmainconcepts of your search: childhood AND obesity. Narrows results
- Use OR toinclude similar terms /synonyms(and sometimes antonyms) for a concept: childhood OR adolescence. Fertility OR infertility. Broadens results
Considerations for searching:
It is not always necessary to include all of your main concepts in the search. In some PICOquestions, the outcome (O) is implied and does not need to be included. In other cases, any and all outcomes might of interest and so the search strategy can leave this out to keep it open.
Example for the research question: In seniors with dementia, does a falls prevention program, compared to no falls prevention program, result in decreased falls?
- In the following PICO question, the comparator (C) can be left out of the search strategy as there is no greatway to search for "not" having theintervention (in contrast to when there is aplacebo or an alternate intervention as a comparison)
- Also, the intervention (I) somewhat implies the outcome (O), so the outcome(decreased falls) can be left out of the search strategy
- The main concepts that should be included in this particular search are: seniors (P1), dementia (P2), andfalls prevention (I). Keep in mind though that there are different ways of describing these three concepts and so synonyms / similarterms are important to include in the search as well
