Develop an appropriate research question using PICO criteria and format.

The PICO (population, intervention, comparison and outcome) criteria is a helpful tool when developing research questions as it helps ensure that the question being posed is relevant to the topic at hand. For example if I wanted to explore how different light therapies could help reduce symptoms associated with seasonal affective disorder in adults, my research question would be: “In adult patients diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, does light therapy compared to no treatment result in a decrease in symptoms?”

To better explain this question let us break it down into its individual components. The population are adults diagnosed with SAD which serves as the focus of this study. The intervention refers to light therapy which will be used as the primary means of treating patients while the comparison will involve those who do not receive any form of treatment. Finally looking at outcomes we can see that researchers are aiming to measure whether or not symptom severity has decreased after utilizing this particular approach.

Overall by following the PICO format one can create an effective research question that allows them to easily identify key elements related to their study thus making it easier for them to delve further into their topic while ensuring they are providing accurate information when interpreting results.