This junior-level course focuses on researching a topic in a systematic manner and producing an annotated bibliography using a citation management tool.
Refine your research topic to an answerable question that is innovative, clearly defined, and focused on problem resolution. Your question should include distinct concepts for analysis and not be too broad or too narrow in scope. Learn more about frameworks that help refine evidence-based clinical questions in "Formulating Answerable Questions: Question Negotiation in Evidence-based Practice.”
Evidence-based frameworks can help map your medical research question. Segment the topic into concepts, and then assign associated terms to each concept. Combine each concept into a literature search strategy for database entry.
PICO (Population/Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) is a popular framework for research in medicine.
PICO Example : What are the effects of low sodium diet on preeclampsia and hypertensive disorders in pregnant women?
Population/Patient: pregnant women
Intervention/Indicator: low sodium diet
Comparison/Control: routine care or minimal interventions
Outcome: preeclampsia, hypertensive disorders
Learn more about PICO and other models for framing the research question in related disciplines in “Formulating the Evidence Based Practice Question: A Review of the Frameworks.”
Once you have established an answerable research question, determine your question’s research need. Does your question address a "gap" within the literature? Does it address a larger societal impact or importance? If not, you may have to formulate a new or modified question.
To assess your topic’s research need, conduct a preliminary literature search in at least one appropriate database. Based on search results, refine your topic by either addressing a related unanswered question, choosing another population, or shifting to another topic altogether.
To master formulating a clinical question using PICO, as well as review how to search for and appraise evidence to answer the question, visit the Maguire Medical Library's PICO: Form a Focused Clinical Question subject guide.
An annotated bibliography is a list of proposed references and evaluative summaries on a specific topic, usually created as a precursor to preparing a presentation or writing a paper.
Reading and evaluating reference sources, such as journal articles, will help you choose which references to include in your annotated bibliography. Ideally, the chosen references will fully address your topic.
To create the bibliography, provide a description of approximately 150 words on the content of each reference. The goal is to give your readers enough information of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources you have cited.