How do you write a clear and concise online research question for your literature review?

1 Define your topic

The first step is to define your topic of interest and narrow it down to a specific focus. A broad topic, such as "social media and mental health", will yield too many results and make it hard to find relevant and reliable sources. A narrow topic, such as "the impact of Instagram use on body image and self-esteem among female college students in the UK", will help you limit your scope and refine your keywords. To define your topic, you can brainstorm ideas, review existing literature, consult your supervisor or instructor, or use online tools such as mind maps or concept maps.

2 Identify your variables

The next step is to identify the main variables or concepts that you want to explore in relation to your topic. Variables are the factors that can be measured, manipulated, or controlled in a study, such as age, gender, income, education, behavior, attitude, or outcome. Identifying your variables will help you formulate your research question and hypothesis, and select the appropriate research design and methods. For example, if your topic is "the impact of Instagram use on body image and self-esteem among female college students in the UK", your variables could be Instagram use (independent variable), body image and self-esteem (dependent variables), and female college students in the UK (population).

3 Use the PICO framework

The PICO framework is a useful tool to structure your online research question and make it clear and concise. PICO stands for Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome. It helps you specify the key elements of your question and define the criteria for selecting and evaluating sources. The PICO framework is especially suitable for quantitative research questions that aim to compare the effects of different interventions or treatments on a specific outcome. For example, if you want to compare the effects of two types of psychotherapy on depression, your PICO question could be: "In adults with depression, how does cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) compare with interpersonal therapy (IPT) in reducing depressive symptoms?"

4 Use the SPIDER framework

The SPIDER framework is another tool to structure your online research question and make it clear and concise. SPIDER stands for Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research type. It helps you specify the key elements of your question and define the criteria for selecting and evaluating sources. The SPIDER framework is more suitable for qualitative research questions that aim to explore the experiences, perceptions, or meanings of a phenomenon of interest. For example, if you want to explore the experiences of online dating among older adults, your SPIDER question could be: "What are the experiences of online dating among older adults (Sample) who use online dating platforms (Phenomenon of Interest) as revealed by interviews or surveys (Design) using thematic analysis or content analysis (Evaluation) in qualitative studies (Research type)?"

5 Evaluate your question

Evaluating your online research question is a critical step to ensure it is clear and concise. It should be relevant, specific, feasible, measurable, and ethical. The FINER criteria (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, Relevant) or the PICOT criteria (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time frame) can help you assess the quality of your research question. Additionally, you can solicit feedback from your supervisor, instructor, peers, or online experts.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?