What is an appropriate research question for investigation?

From the Guidelines

To formulate a research question, it is essential to follow the PICO framework, which stands for Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome, as suggested by the most recent and highest quality study 1. When formulating a research question, it is crucial to identify your specific area of interest and the population you want to study.

• Start by determining the population you want to focus on,
• then identify the intervention or exposure you're investigating,
• what you're comparing it to (if applicable),
• and what outcomes you want to measure. A well-formulated research question should be focused, feasible, novel, ethical, relevant, and interesting, as outlined in the study 1. For instance, instead of asking a broad question, you could ask a specific one that follows the PICO framework, such as "Does a 12-week program of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (30 minutes, 3 times weekly) reduce depressive symptoms compared to standard care alone in adults aged 18-65 with mild to moderate depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory?" This specificity helps guide your methodology and makes your research more rigorous, as noted in the study 1. Consider starting with a broader question that interests you, then refine it by adding specific parameters until it becomes precise enough to guide a clear research design, as recommended by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the ESC 1.

From the Research

Formulating a Research Question

To formulate a research question, it is essential to follow a stepwise approach 2. The characteristics of a good research question can be expressed by the acronym "FINERMAPS", which stands for feasible, interesting, novel, ethical, relevant, manageable, appropriate, potential value, publishability, and systematic.

Types of Research Questions

There are different types of research questions, including:

• Existence of the phenomenon
• Description and classification
• Composition
• Relationship
• Comparative
• Causality

Steps to Formulate a Research Question

The steps to formulate a research question include:

• Identifying the subject of interest
• Conducting preliminary research on the subject
• Defining what still needs to be known in the subject
• Assessing the implied questions
• Narrowing the focus and scope of the research subject
• Framing a research question and evaluating it

Examples of Research Questions

Some examples of research questions can be found in studies on medication therapy management 3, adherence to protocol medication use 4, and patterns of multimorbidity and pharmacotherapy 5. These studies demonstrate how research questions can be formulated to address specific research gaps and objectives.

Key Considerations

When formulating a research question, it is essential to consider the following:

• The research question should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART)
• The research question should be aligned with the research objectives and hypotheses
• The research question should be feasible to answer with the available resources and data
• The research question should be ethical and respectful of the participants and the research context

Some potential research questions based on the provided studies could be:

• What are the patterns of multimorbidity and pharmacotherapy in a specific population? 5
• How does medication therapy management affect patient outcomes in outpatient settings? 3
• What is the relationship between adherence to protocol medication use and mortality from unrelated causes? 4