When you start your scoping review, you need to identify your answerable question that you will answer as part of your scoping review.
A review question is "a clear, focused, concise, complex and arguable question around which you centre your research. You should ask a question about an issue that you are genuinely curious about." The Writing Center, GMU.
To arrive at your research question:
When you think you've come up with a question, evaluate it:
For more information, see:
Search frameworks use mnemonics to help you focus your research question, structure your search and enable you to find the information you need most effectively.
There are a range of different frameworks available, and the one you use will depend on whether your review plans to explore quantitative or qualitative evidence and the specific purpose of your review.
This framework is commonly used in scoping reviews, where there is a focus on broad concepts.
The JBI suggests using the PCC framework as a tool to develop a research question for a scoping review. This framework helps you pinpoint the what, who, and where related to your topic of interest.
If your initial search returns an overwhelming number of results, consider refining the scope of your review by revisiting your research question and revising your inclusion criteria.
Example Research Question: What are the environmental impacts of concrete use in urban infrastructure projects?
PCC Framework Elements:
CIMO is suited to complex interventions and is often used in fields like management and engineering, where the context and mechanisms behind an intervention are key. This framework helps you to explore how specific interventions work within certain environmental or technical conditions and what outcomes they produce.
Example Research Question: In disaster-prone areas, how does modular housing impact resilience to environmental stressors and reduce recovery time?
CIMO Framework Elements:
*The Mechanism in the CIMO framework refers to how or why an intervention leads to a particular outcome. It's essentially the process, action, or system that explains the relationship between the intervention and the outcome.
In engineering research, the mechanism could be thought of as the technical principles, physical processes, or operational dynamics that make the intervention work. It can be easily confused with the Intervention. The intervention is what is being applied (e.g., modular housing), while the mechanism is how or why it works (e.g., the adaptability of modular designs improves structural resilience). By focusing on the processes or systems that occur because of the intervention, you can clarify this distinction.
PICO is often used in clinical research but can be adapted for other disciplines like engineering. It works well when you’re comparing interventions or approaches.
Example Research Question: In bridge construction, does the use of high-performance concrete compared to traditional concrete lead to better structural longevity?
PICO Framework Elements:
PEO is typically used in qualitative research but can be adapted for engineering, especially when looking at the effects of certain exposures.
Example Research Question: How does exposure to heavy traffic impact the longevity of asphalt roads?
PEO Framework Elements:
SPICE is useful in social sciences and can also be adapted for engineering, focusing on evaluations and comparisons within a specific setting and perspective.
Example Research Question: In coastal city development projects, from the perspective of civil engineers, does using green infrastructure compared to traditional infrastructure result in better flood control?
SPICE Framework Elements:
Many of these frameworks include a "population" element. In engineering the population is not often a group of people, but rather the subject or object being studied, such as materials, structures, or systems. Understanding the difference between population, context, and exposure can be challenging, so here’s how to distinguish them in the context of engineering research:
| population |
In engineering, the population typically refers to the main subject or object under study—what or who is being affected by the intervention or being observed. It answers the question: What is the focus of your study? Examples could include: types of materials, types of structures, systems |
| context | Context refers to the environment or conditions in which the population exists or the study takes place. It sets the background and describes the broader situation in which the population operates. Context answers the question: Where or under what circumstances is this happening? |
| exposure | Exposure refers to any external factors or conditions that affect the population. It describes the influencing variables or risks the population encounters. Exposure answers the question: What external factors are influencing or acting on the population? |
If you use all the elements of your search framework to combine terms, you may find you have narrowed the search too much and will struggle to find relevant studies. Try using only the most critical elements from the framework.
For example, in a CIMO search, you would often exclude the O (outcome) terms in your search strategy. If the M (mechanism) is the status quo, you wouldn't use those terms either.
Jensen, E., & Laurie, C. (Academic). (2017). Writing an effective research question [Streaming video]. Retrieved from SAGE Research Methods.
Thomas, J., Kneale, D., McKenzie, J. E., Brennan, S. E., & Bhaumik, S. (2019). Determining the scope of the review and the questions it will address. In Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (6th ed.). Retrieved from https://training.cochrane.org/handbook/current
The Writing Center. (2018). How to write a research question [Blog post]. Retrieve from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/how-to-write-a-research-question
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