Questions range from background to foreground questions, increasing in specificity and complexity as you move along the spectrum.
Background questions seek foundational information. They may be looking for facts, like the side effects of a drug, or the symptoms of a disease. They could also be about processes, like how to insert a central venous line.
Foreground questions are very targeted, bringing together several concepts of a specific research scenario. These types of questions will require sufficient background knowledge as a foundation.
Background QuestionsWhat is idiopathic scoliosis and how is it diagnosed?How does a CT image scan work? |
Foreground QuestionsWhat imaging options are the most conclusive for a diagnosis of idiopathic scoliosis? For an adolescent with idiopathic scoliosis, what assessments are frequently used to assess quality of life? |
Many questions start with collecting background information to build a knowledge base and move into more specific and detailed foreground questions.
Identifying the type of question that you are asking (background vs foreground) will help to construct a searchable question, guide you in determining what information sources will be most helpful, and will provide some direction as to where to start your search.
To help you develop a searchable question, whether it be a background or foreground question, there are some question frameworks that we can use. These serve to help us identify the key concepts of our research question and build these into a question.
