Sometimes PICO is not the best framework for your question. Here are two alternatives.
SPICE
Setting | Context of your question, i.e. where |
Perspective | View of stakeholders, future users, or service of product |
Intervention | Action being taken |
Comparison | Alternative actions or outcomes |
Evaluation | What are the end results/outcome |
SPIDER
Sample | Size my vary but useful to define at beginning of research |
Phenomenon of Interest | Consideration of relevant interventions, behaviors, and experience |
Design (of study) | Can impact robustness of study |
Evaluation | What are the outcomes or results? |
Research Type | What research types are relevant? |
Before you start your research you want to have a well formed and thought out question. There are many ways to structure your question and one of those ways is using PICO. It's a form traditionally used in clinical medicine and stands for Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome. Sometimes it goes by PICOT, with the T standing for Time.