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Evidence-Based Surgery pp 17–22Cite as

Developing a Surgical Clinical Research Question: To Find the Answer in Literature Search or in Pursuing Clinical Research

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Abstract

Formulating a proper research question is a precondition to robust clinical research. A properly developed research question helps to ensure that the research to be performed is focused and has clinical relevance. The research question must satisfy the following criteria: it is Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant; to be remembered by the acronym FINER . The final research question should be formulated in such a way as to identify the Population (Patients) studied, the novel Intervention explored, the Comparative intervention, the Outcome to be measured, and the Time horizon (when the outcome is to be measured). This formulation can be remembered by the acronym PICOT . When a clinical question is asked in the PICOT format, it will help the reader search the literature to find the evidence efficiently. For the surgeon-investigator, it will set the foundation for proper research to solve a clinical problem.

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Abbreviations

FINER Criteria:

F: Feasible; I: Interesting; N: Novel; E: Ethical; R: Relevant

PICOT Format:

P: Population; I: Intervention; C: Comparison Intervention; O: Outcome ; T: Time Horizon

QOL:

Quality of Life

DIEP:

Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator

NIH:

National Institute of Health

TAP Blocks:

Transverse Abdominal Plane Blocks

ECTR:

Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release

OCTR:

Open Carpal Tunnel Release

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Achilles Thoma

  2. Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sheila Sprague

  3. Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sophocles H. Voineskos & Jessica Murphy

Authors
  1. Achilles Thoma
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  2. Sheila Sprague
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  3. Sophocles H. Voineskos
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  4. Jessica Murphy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Achilles Thoma .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Achilles Thoma

  2. Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sheila Sprague

  3. Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Sophocles H. Voineskos

  4. Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Charles H. Goldsmith

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Thoma, A., Sprague, S., Voineskos, S.H., Murphy, J. (2019). Developing a Surgical Clinical Research Question: To Find the Answer in Literature Search or in Pursuing Clinical Research. In: Thoma, A., Sprague, S., Voineskos, S., Goldsmith, C. (eds) Evidence-Based Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05120-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05120-4_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05119-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-05120-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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