SOIL SCI 875: Systematic Reviews in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (Spring 2024) : Develop Your Research Question

In order to conduct an effective systematic review (or evidence synthesis), you will need to express your research topic as a discreet, focused statement or question. There are a variety of acronyns/mnemonics that have been employed within disciplines to help frame, or describe, the essential components of the research question. Generally speaking, these essential components are the who, what, where, when, and how of your research. 

"PICO", "PECO", or "PICOS" and its variants are among the more popular frames (or frameworks) that lend themselves flexibly to a variety of disciplines. 

P = Patient or Person or Population or Problem
I E = Intervention or phenomena of Interest or Improvement or Exposure
C = Comparison or Control
O = Outcomes
S = Study type(s)

Moving forward, the essential components identified by your PICO, can help to inform the search strategies you will apply to the research literature databases. 

Helpful article: Livoreil, B., Glanville, J., Haddaway, N.R. et al. Systematic searching for environmental evidence using multiple tools and sources. Environmental Evidence 6, 23 (2017). Open Access

Do free bus passes reduce social isolation in people aged 65 and over?

P = people aged 65 and over
I = free public transport
C = none
O = reduced social isolation
S = qualitative or quantitative studies

In C3 and C4 plants in elevated CO2 conditions, how does the presence of N fertilization affect N acquisition?

P = C3 and C4 plants in elevated atmospheric CO2
I = N fertilizer
C = absence of N fertilizer
O = N acquisition