pico-application

name	pico-application
description	SOP: apply the PICO/PICOTS framework to structure a research question
version	1.0.0
category	hypothesis-formation
type	sop
campaign	research-question
input	Research intent + hypothesis
output	Complete PICO fill-in + RQ statement
dependencies	{"skills":["subagent-spawning"]}

PICO Application

Apply the PICO/PICOTS framework — suited to quantitative/interventional research.

HARD-GATE

Input must contain: a clear research intent (involving an intervention or quantitative comparison).

Pipeline

1. Precondition check: confirm the research is suited to the PICO framework
2. P (Population): define the target population/subjects (specific characteristics)
3. I (Intervention): define the intervention/exposure/method
4. C (Comparison): define the control group/alternative
5. O (Outcome): define the expected outcome/measurement indicator
6. T (Timeframe): optional — define the time range
7. S (Setting): optional — define the research setting
8. Assembly: assemble the components into a complete RQ sentence
9. Output: PICO fill-in table + RQ statement

Output Format

P: [Specific population description]
I: [Specific intervention description]
C: [Specific comparison description]
O: [Specific outcome indicator]
T: [Time range] (optional)
S: [Research setting] (optional)

RQ: "In [P], does [I] compared to [C] improve [O] (within [T], in [S])?"