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Formulating a

research question

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Instructors

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Natasha Bishop

Evidence Synthesis Information Scientist

Virginia Tech

Elizabeth DiGiovine

Research and Evidence Synthesis Librarian

Cornell University

Significance �of Research Questions to Evidence Synthesis

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The research

question is the foundation of 

evidence synthesis

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Research Question

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• Establishes focus

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• Communicates purpose

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• Provides boundaries for decision-making

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• Guides the rest of the review

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Eligibility Criteria

Search

Data collection

Synthesis

Conclusion

Consequences of a poorly written

research question...

• Too large to be feasible

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• Too narrow to find relevant literature

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• Lack of focus/direction

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• Does not address a knowledge gap

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The �Role of �the Librarian

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The Librarian’s Role

Let’s get your house in order together

Get your house in order.

Research consult

Evidence synthesis meeting

The Librarian’s Role

• Collaborator
• Workshop question drafts
• Conduct exploratory searches
• Adjust the question’s scope

The Librarian’s Role

• Collaborator
• Workshop question drafts
• Conduct exploratory searches
• Adjust the question’s scope

• Sounding board
• Sometimes people just need to talk through ideas :)

Qualities of a �well-formulated�research question

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A FINER research question

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- Feasible

- Interesting

- Novel

- Ethical

- Relevant

Cochrane handbook, chapter two

A FINER research question

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- Feasible

- Interesting

- Novel

- Ethical

- Relevant

Cochrane handbook, chapter two

A FINER research question

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R

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- Feasible

- Interesting

- Novel

- Ethical

- Relevant

Cochrane handbook, chapter two

Aligning questions with goals

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• Sometimes it’s helpful to have a team clarify what goal(s) they are seeking to accomplish with their review.

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• Will the question as formulated help them reach those goals?

Assessing the information landscape

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• Exploratory Searching
• Make sure team’s question hasn’t already been answered
• Check protocol registries

• Too broad
• What are the benefits of drinking tea?�
• Too narrow
• What are the impacts of drinking matcha tea every Sunday on cardiovascular health in women aged 30-32?�
• Just right
• What are the impacts of green tea on blood pressure?

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Appropriate Scope

Does the question adhere to the Goldilocks Principle?

• Lumping
• Expanding the definition of a concept to include other domains.

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• Splitting
• Breaking a concept down into smaller subsets and selecting one to use.

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Adjusting the question's scope

Managing Russian Doll questions

• Question within a question within a question…
• What are the economic, environmental, and health impacts of producing, marketing, and consuming processed foods?

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Frameworks

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Frameworks

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Stay Tuned!

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The Review Type: Scoping vs. Systematic

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Systematic Review

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• What does the evidence say?

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• Focused research question with narrow parameters

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• What evidence exists?

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• Broad research question that assesses the state of the literature

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The research question informs the review type

Scoping Review

Systematic Review

• Compares, evaluates, and synthesizes evidence to assess...
• Constructs
• Rates/trends
• Associations
• Predictions
• Cause and effect

• Explores breadth of the literature

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• Maps the evidence

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• Identifies knowledge gaps

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• Clarifies key concepts and/or definitions

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• May act as precursor to a systematic review

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The review types have distinct objectives

Scoping Review

Systematic Review

“What is the impact of care

farming on quality of life,

depression and anxiety, on

a range of service user

groups?”

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Murray, J., Wickramasekera, N., Elings, M., Bragg, R., Brennan, C., Richardson, Z., Wright, J., Llorente, M. G., Cade, J., Shickle, D., Tubeuf, S., & Elsey, H. (2019). The impact of care farms on quality of life, depression and anxiety among different population groups: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1061

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"How is care farming defined in the literature? What are the primary features of a care farm?"

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Example Question

Scoping Review

"Practice is the

best of all instructors."�� -Publilius Syrus

Systematic Review

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"What is the strength of the effect of [Mindfulness-Based Programs] on school adjustment outcomes overall and individually?"

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Mettler J, Khoury B, Zito S, Sadowski I, Heath NL. Mindfulness-based programs and school adjustment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sch Psychol. 2023 Apr;97:43-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2022.10.007. Epub 2023 Jan 25. PMID: 36914366.

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Scoping Review

Systematic or Scoping?

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“What are the current applications of drones in disaster management, specifically mass disaster?”

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Systematic or Scoping?

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“What are the current applications of drones in disaster management, specifically mass disaster?”

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Mohd Daud SMS, Mohd Yusof MYP, Heo CC, Khoo LS, Chainchel Singh MK, Mahmood MS, Nawawi H. Applications of drone in disaster management: A scoping review. Sci Justice. 2022 Jan;62(1):30-42. doi: 10.1016/j.scijus.2021.11.002. Epub 2021 Nov 14. PMID: 35033326.

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Systematic or Scoping?

“How effective are created or restored freshwater wetlands for nitrogen and phosphorus removal?”

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Systematic or Scoping?

“How effective are created or restored freshwater wetlands for nitrogen and phosphorus removal?”

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Land M, Granéli W, Grimvall A, Hoffmann CC, Mitsch WJ, Tonderski KS, Verhoeven JT. How effective are created or restored freshwater wetlands for nitrogen and phosphorus removal? A systematic review. Environmental Evidence. 2016 Dec;5:1-26.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-016-0060-0

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Questions?

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