Before approval
When you approve the Question stage, the question and its breakdown are fixed so the method cannot change halfway through. Review them carefully. Create a new project to investigate a different question.
Write the question
- Write it in natural language. Phrase it as you would explain it to your supervisor. It does not need to be perfect at first.
- Choose the project language. This controls the language of AI-generated criteria, verdicts and reasons.
- Select “Break down question with AI”. The app places the question into the fields of the appropriate framework and leaves them for you to review. Nothing saves itself.
- Review and edit the proposal. The fields are optional, but they feed the search and criteria suggestions. An empty field does not restrict the search on that axis. Fill only fields that genuinely narrow the question.
Choose the framework
A framework is a template that divides a question into searchable parts. The app suggests one based on your wording; “Choose another framework” lets you change it. All seven are available on every plan.
| Framework | Use |
|---|---|
| PICO | Test whether a treatment works: an intervention compared with an alternative. |
| PECO | Relate an exposure to an effect: risk factors, aetiology or associations. |
| PCC | Map the evidence on a topic. Used for scoping reviews: what has been studied and what is missing. |
| CoCoPop | Measure how many people have a condition: prevalence or frequency. |
| PIRD | Evaluate a diagnostic test against a reference standard. |
| PEO | Study what affects an outcome: population, exposure or prognostic factor and outcome, without a comparison field. |
| SPIDER | Understand experiences and perceptions in qualitative or mixed-method research. |
The framework decides which fields appear and guides later suggestions. You can also continue with the question alone, without a structured breakdown.
If you get stuck
- I do not know how to phrase the question. Open “See PICO example”, or the example for the suggested framework, to see a real question split into fields.
- I do not know which framework applies. Write the question and request the breakdown. The app suggests one and explains why. Change it if it does not fit.
- The breakdown proposes nothing. This can happen. Fill the fields by hand or try again.
- I want to change the question, but cannot. Approval fixes this stage. Create a new project for a different question.