Finding Types of Research

Determine Your Clinical Question and PICO(T) Elements

One of the steps in evidence-based practice is to come up with a clinical question that you want to study. The clinical question is generally presented in the PICO(T) format, which will help you come up with keywords to use in your search for articles.

PICO(T) is an acronym for:

  • Patient population
  • Intervention
  • Comparison
  • Outcome
  • Time

Note! If you need help constructing your clinical question or finding your PICO(T) elements, please reach out to your professor.

Find Sources to Support Your Clinical Question

To help answer your clinical question, you will have to search for relevant research articles. It can help first to explore your topic broadly to determine how it has been researched. Sometimes, you will find a lack of information surrounding your topic. Thus, you may need to revise your clinical question. If so, please work with your professor to modify the clinical question to reflect the available research better. Once you have an answerable clinical question with available research, you can search for information in the library.

The Search Everything box on the library homepage searches most of the library’s databases at one time. You could start your search there or try out individual databases with special filters to better narrow your searches.

Tip! When searching in the library databases, it is best to start your search with only a few PICO(T) elements, such as your (P) Patient Population and (I) intervention. Please see the How to Do Library Research guide for information on setting up searches.

In addition, some databases offer special PICO(T) searches. Below is a description of these databases and tips for searching.

Search Library Databases With PICO(T) Tools

CINAHL PICO Search

The CINAHL database offers a PICO specific search. You can access and use this tool by following the steps below.

  1. Log into the database using the link above.
  2. Select the PICO Search link under the search boxes, as shown in the image below.

  1. In the form that pops up, enter your PICO terms in the appropriate fields. The image below gives an example of a search for diabetes in the P search box and physical activity in the I search box. 

Cochrane PICO Search

Follow the steps below to use this PICO tool.

  1. Enter your population keyword into the first search box.
  2. Select the term that best fits what you are interested in from the results that populate below the box.
  3. Select either the Population or Outcome radio button on the right-hand side of the search box.
  4. Select the (+) plus sign under the first search box to add an additional field.
  5. Enter your second PICO(T) keyword and select from the list provided.
  6. Select either the Intervention, Comparison, or Outcome radio button on the right-hand side of the search box.
  7. Add additional fields if necessary using the same method as above.
  8. Once you have added all your elements, select Run Search under the search boxes.

The image below shows the keywords Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the first search box with the Population radio button on the right-hand side selected and Patient Education in the second search box with the Intervention radio button on the right-hand side. In addition, the image highlights all the available radio buttons and the Run Search button.  

After you run a search, on the results page you can use the ShowPICOs drop-down menu under the title of each result to identify other possible keywords you can use in a future search. The image below highlights where you can find this link and what it looks like when this option is expanded.

Trip Pro PICO Search

The Trip Pro database offers a PICO search option. Follow the steps below to use this search:

  1. Log into the database using the link above.
  2. Select the PICO tab above the search box, as highlighted in the image below.

  1. Enter the keywords for your PICO elements into the PICO search boxes.
  2. Select Search on the right-hand side of the PICO search boxes. The image below shows a search for diabetes in the Population search box, physical activity in the Intervention search box, and highlights the Search button.