Search concept tools

BeHEMoTh - identification of theories for realist synthesis questions

Be Behaviour of interest

H Health context (the service, policy, programme or intervention)

E Exclusions (for reviewers to exclude non theories)

MoTh: Models or Theories

Booth, A. and Carroll, C. (2015), Systematic searching for theory to inform systematic reviews: is it feasible? Is it desirable?. Health Info Libr J, 32: 220–235. doi:10.1111/hir.12108

CLIP –Health service management questions

C Client – at whom is the service aimed?

L Location – where is the service sited?

I Improvement – what do you want to find out?

P Professional – who is involved in providing/improving the service?

CMO or CIMO - Realist Synthesis questions

C Context

I Intervention

M Mechanism

O Outcome

Wong G, Greenhalgh T, Westhorp G, Buckingham J, Pawson R. RAMESES publication standards: realist syntheses. BMC medicine. 2013 Jan 29;11(1):21.

ECLIPS(E) – Health service management questions

E Expectation—what does the search requester want the information for (the original ‘I’s)?

C Client Group.

L Location.

I Impact—what is the change in the service, if any, which is being looked for? What would constitute success? How is this being measured?

P Professionals.

S Service—for which service are you looking for information? For example, outpatient services, nurse-led clinics, intermediate care.

Wildrige V & Bell L. How CLIP became ECLIPSE: a mnemonic to assist in searching for health policy/management information; HILJ 2002;19(2)113-5

MIP – Medical ethics questions

M Methodology e.g. in-depth interviews or questionnaires

I Issues e.g. Healthcare Rationing or end-of-life decision-making

P Participants e.g. physicians or patients

Strech D, Synofzik M, Marckmann G. Systematic reviews of empirical bioethics. J Med Ethics 2008;34:472-477

PICO – Reviews of interventions for health

P Patient or population

I Intervention

C Comparator

O Outcomes

Richardson W S, Wilson M C, Nishikawa J, & Hayward R S A.The well-built clinical question: A key to evidence-based decisions. ACP Journal Club 1995;123 A12-13.

Nb add ‘S’ on end if study type is significant, a ‘C’ if context is significant or ‘T‘ for timeframe

SPICE – Social science questions

(designed for librarian research questions)

S Setting – Where? In what context?

P Perspective – For who?

I Intervention (Phenomenon of Interest)– What?

C Comparison – What else?

E Evaluation – How well? What result?

Booth A. Clear and present questions: Formulating questions for evidence based practice. Library Hi Tech. 2006; 24(3), 355-68.

SPIDER – Qualitative evidence synthesis

S Sample

PI Phenomenon of Interest

D Design

E Evaluation

R Research type

Cooke A; Smith D; Booth A; Beyond PICO : The SPIDER Tool for Qualitative Evidence Synthesis – Qual Health Res. 2012; 22(10) 1435-1443