• A research topic is a subject or issue that a researcher is interested in when conducting research. 

• Choosing a topic is an ongoing process by which researchers explore, define, and refine their ideas.

• The first step in any research project is to clearly define the research question, since it will be the basis for developing and conducting the research project.

• A study question reflects an uncertainty that you want to try to resolve, everything included in your study must relate to your study question and study objective.

• It gives information about the patients to be studied, interventions to be compared, and primary outcomes to focus on.

F.I.N.E.R Criteria:

There are different criteria that define a good research question.

The best research question is one that attempts to fill a knowledge gap in the literature, enough to be answerable and researchable, should be relevant to the study‟s objective, should avoid duplication of previous work, should be feasible and cost- effective, and should be doable within a specified time frame allocated for the research project. Moreover, it needs to meet the minimum ethical standards.

The researcher formulates a research question through different means. Personal interest, Literature reading might help a researcher identify the areas that need further study, and thus a hint towards a research question. Another method is patients‟ observation through clinical experience which might pose different researchable questions. Other methods include previous research, journal clubs, and conferences

P:  Patient / population / problem. 

It describes patients characteristics, such as age, gender, disease status, or any other patient-related  characteristic.

I:  Intervention to be tested. 

It is important to identify the exposure intended  to be studied in the research project. This may  include  the use of a specific diagnostic test, treatment, adjunctive therapy, medication, etc. (what you plan to do for you patients?).