Library Homepage: The Literature Review: PICO(T), SPIDER, SPICE

PICOT is useful for Clinical Questions about therapies and outcomes, often with a comparison.

PICOT Criteria chart to define each section - population, intervention, comparison, outcome, time Sample Topic:

Identify diagnostic procedures for identifying POTs in young adult Ehlers-Danlos patients.

P = Ehlers-Danlos, young adult

I = "patient history", "symptom history", "standing test," "head-up tilt table test"

C = no diagnosis

O = diagnosis that can lead to evidence-based interventions

T = n/a

Adapted from CHLA 2021 Conference presentation

The SPICE model helps frame questions in the social sciences and humanities, e.g. business and education.

Sample Topic:

How effective is the Three Strikes Communication Rule.

S = your geographic area

P = your business targets

I = Reach out THREE times, by at least TWO different communication channels, over at least ONE week’s time

C = Compare to reaching out once and basing assumptions about interest on that one contact.

E = Analyze results from three strikes method to the one try method

Research questions framed using the SPIDER tool tend to begin with "What are the experiences of ...?"

Best for qualitative research questions that measure attitudes and experiences rather than clinical interventions and outcomes.
Focused more on the design of the study and less on the subjects (people or groups).

Sample Topic:

What are the experiences of receiving reference services via email compared to over the phone?