The first step on the research journey is to plan your search. Just like you (are supposed to) write an outline before writing your paper, you should take 1-2 minutes to develop your PICO(T) question.

About a PICO(T) Searching Strategy

When you are ready to research a topic, you can use a PICO(T) searching strategy. This is a strategy that will help you find the best evidence about your topic, using our library's databases. This video from our friends at Binghamton University provides a great overview of developing a search strategy based on a PICO(T) question:

First, create search terms you can use for your final paper using the steps from the "Use a PICOT Search Strategy" video. You can use the PICO(T) Search Strategy Table Worksheet:

Hint: This chart will not have a comparison or a timeframe. Here is an example chart:

Hint 2: If you do not have an intervention, you can use keywords like intervention or treatment or therapy or program or strategy or best practices to help uncover what some options might be.

Move on to the next step in your research journey—4. Search for Sources