Research Guides: Social Work Research Guide: EBP & PICO

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is “a process involving creating an answerable question based on a client or organizational need, locating the best available evidence to answer the question, evaluating the quality of the evidence as well as its applicability, applying the evidence, and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the solution.

EBP is a process in which the practitioner combines well-researched interventions with clinical experience, ethics, client preferences, and culture to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services.”

-National Association of Social Workers

Creating a research question with PICO

The PICO model is a useful method of formulating research questions, developed for use in evidence-based medicine. Although its origins are in the health sciences, the PICO method can also be an excellent tool to formulate, narrow, or refine research questions in social work.

P = Population, problem, or patient	What are the characteristics of the population (ex: age, gender, race, etc.)? What is the problem or diagnosis you hope to address (ex: poverty, homelessness, depression, etc.)?
I = Intervention	What type of intervention are you considering for this population? Do you want to treat, diagnose, observe, take a preventative measure?
C = Comparison	What are the alternatives to this intervention? This could be the standard of care, a different intervention, or no intervention.
O = Outcome	What do you hope to accomplish, affect, or measure? E.g. disease incidence, rate of disease progression, survival rate, etc.

Some examples:

In college students with anxiety (P), how effective is physical activity (I) in reducing anxiety symptoms (O), compared to medication (C)?

For adult criminal offenders (P), does group counseling (I) reduce recidivism rates (O) compared with no counseling (C)?

In LGBTQ+ youth (P), what is the effect of GSAs or LGBTQ+ clubs (I) on sense of belonging (O) at school, compared to when no clubs are available (C)?

Where to find evidence

In addition to the library’s databases, you may find the following EBP registries and web resources helpful for your search.

Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development
Provides a registry of evidence-based positive youth development programs designed to promote the health and well-being of children and teens. Blueprints programs are family, school, and community-based and target all levels of need — from broad prevention programs that promote positive behaviors while decreasing negative behaviors, to highly-targeted programs for at-risk children and troubled teens that get them back on track.
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
Provides a searchable database of child welfare related programs and a description and information on research evidence for specific programs. Also provides guidance on how to make critical decisions regarding selecting and implementing programs and tools and materials to provide support for choosing, implementing and sustaining a program.
Connecticut Department of Public Health: Where to Find Evidence Based Methods and Interventions
Maintained by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health, this is a list of key resources to find evidence-based interventions and methods in a variety of heath and public health topics.
Evidence-Based Practices for Substance Use
A small, but growing, database of evidence-based interventions for treating substance use disorders. Interventions were selected according to criteria described on the About EBP page. Each record in the database includes a description of the intervention and its implementation, populations for which it has been shown to be effective, references to supporting literature, the availability of instructional manuals, and author/developer notes and other useful information.
The Campbell Library
Promotes positive social and economic change through the production and use of systematic reviews and other evidence synthesis for evidence-based policy and practice. It includes studies in the areas of crime and justice, education, international development, knowledge translation and implementation, methods, nutrition and social welfare.
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Provides a registry of evidence-based practices and programs for suicide prevention.
Washington State Institute for Public Policy
A nonpartisan public research group which conducts applied policy research for the state legislature in Washington. WSIPP works closely with legislators, legislative and state agency staff, and experts in the field to ensure that studies answer relevant policy questions.

Social Work Research Guide

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Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Creating a research question with PICO

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