Asking Your Question: Background vs. Foreground Questions

What's the difference between background and foreground questions in Nursing research?

Background Questions	Foreground Questions
More general and foundational Asked when you don't know much about the topic, and need more information get started Asked when you need more general, foundational knowledge about a disorder, disease, patient population, policy issue, etc. to develop an effective foreground question Question may begin with what or when Too general for an effective Nursing research topic NOT good for a PubMed search	More specific question that will provide evidence for clinical decision making Usually related to a specific patient, population, or treatment (Who/What/How) Uses the PICO acronym to narrow and define the question One of four content areas: treatment, diagnosis, etiology, and prognosis Good for an effective Nursing research topic Good for a PubMed search Links to an external site.
Literature resources:	Literature resources:
Textbooks	Research databases such as CINAHL, PubMed Links to an external site.
Examples of Background Questions:	Examples of Foreground Questions:
"What are the unique barriers or challenges related to blood sugar management in adolescents with TII diabetes?" "What are the measures of effective blood sugar control?" "What is an effective 'telehealth' consultation?" "What are the qualitative differences in patient experience in telehealth versus in-person interactions with healthcare providers?"	"For adolescents with type II diabetes does the use of telehealth consultations compared to in-person consultations improve blood sugar control?"

Adapted from NYU Libraries Links to an external site. Capstone and PICO Project Toolkit Links to an external site.

Adapted from Stillwell, S. B., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., & Williamson, K. M. (2010). Evidence-Based Practice, Step by Step: Asking the Clinical Question. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 110(3), 58–61. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.naj.0000368959.11129.79