Forming the right question to get the right results
Using the PICO formula will help you to think about your question. How specific do you need to be? Which key concepts must be in the articles you find? Break your question down:
Are there alternative names or spellings for the things you're looking for? You might need to use them to find all the articles on your chosen subject.
Patient | = children OR child OR childhood OR infant |
Problem | = eczema OR eczematous dermatitis |
Intervention | = light therapy OR phototherapy OR ultraviolet therapy |
Comparison | = topical steroids OR steroid cream |
Outcome | = reduce irritation OR relieve symptoms |
The PICO formula is designed to answer questions about which interventions are most effective, therefore it won't fit all your questions. It is always useful to break your question down into its component key concepts, even if you don't use the full PICO formula.