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Searching the Literature: Planning your search

How to do a literature review

Planning Checklist

Use these bullet points as prompts when planning your search strategy

  • Construct your PICO question, with as much detail as possible.
  • Start with an evidence based resource such as Up to Date to provide you with background information and keywords on the topic.
  • Alternatively an eBook/textbook which has been written by an authoritative expert in their field.

  • A planning template is a great tool to document your keywords, questions and what resources you are going to search such as an excel spreadsheet or more formal templates such as The Literature Search process : guidance for NSH Researchers.

PICO - Turning a clinical situation into an answerable question?

PICO (Patient/ Population, Intervention/ Indicator, Comparison/ Control, Outcome) is a structure for searching and guide you in developing search terms. 


 

Example PICO Questions

Q. Does hand washing among healthcare workers reduce hospital acquired infections?

PICO Strategy Example
P (Patient or Population) Health care workers or Hospital Staff
I (Intervention / Indicator) Hand washing
C (Comparison)

no hand washing ; other interventions eg face mask

You could leave empty if only you wish to find studies on hand washing as the intervention only.
O (Outcome) reduced infection

Q. A 58 year old male presents with right shoulder pain developing over the past two weeks, with no history of trauma.  Movements are generally painful and restricted, in particular abduction.  X-ray has come back as normal.  A diagnosis of rotator cuff tendinitis was made.  You wonder whether it is best to treat with a corticosteroid injection or physiotherapy. 

PICO Strategy Example
P (Patient Population)

Adult with rotator cuff tendinitis

OR

Adult (Middle aged) with rotator cuff tendinitis

  • Don't distinguish between male or female unless the condition is attributed to a specific sex only.
  • Limit the search by the age group of the patient population, in this case Middle Aged (58 year old) ONLY  If many studies are retrieved.
I (Intervention / Indicator) Corticosteroid injection
C (Comparison) Physiotherapy
O (Outcome) Reduce pain relief
Answerable Question In middle aged adults with rotator cuff tendinitis is a corticosteroid injection more effective than physiotherapy to treat and provide pain relief.