Developing evidence-based librarianship: practical steps for implementation

“We Collect TONS of Data … We Report What We Think Our Community Cares the Most About … We Learn so Much from It:” School Librarians’ Evidence Collection and Sharing Practices

Evidence-based practice (EBP) offers school librarians a systematic process for developing, assessing, and revising their school library programs. Two of the seven steps in this process involve collecting and sharing meaningful evidence with appropriate stakeholders, often for advocacy purposes, strategically selecting communication channels and methods aligned with target audiences. Through a survey collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, 161 school librarians in Kentucky, Virginia, and Texas shared their experiences with evidence-based practice. The study reported here focuses on school librarians’ evidence collection and sharing practices. Findings indicate school librarians collect easily obtainable data and share evidence of practice widely; however, they are most likely to share with building-level administrators, and the channels through which they communicate with school personnel differ from those chosen to communicate with other stakeholder groups. Approximately half of participants share evidence for advocacy purposes, and only slightly more than half share evidence of their practice with other school librarians.

Efficacy of Autologous Intrauterine Infusion of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Patients with Unexplained Repeated Implantation Failures in Embryo Transfer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Controversial conclusions have been made in previous studies regarding the influence of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the reproductive outcomes of women with repeated implantation failures (RIF) who are undergoing embryo transfer (ET). (2) Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of PRP intrauterine infusion in patients with unexplained RIF, who are undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic injection (ICSI), by a systematic review and meta-analysis. (3) Results: A fixed-effects model was used, and 795 cases and 834 controls were included in these studies. The pooling of the results showed the beneficial effect of PRP which were compared with those of the control in terms of the clinical pregnancy rates (n = 10, risk ratio (RR) = 1.79, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.55, 2.06; p < 0.01, I2 = 40%), live birth rates (n = 4, RR = 2.92, 95% CI: 2.22, 3.85; p < 0.01, I2 = 83%), implantation rates (n = 3, RR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.34, 2.26; p < 0.01, I2 = 0%), and positive serum β-HCG 14 days after the ET (n = 8, RR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.54, 2.03; p < 0.01, I2 = 36%). However, we did not find that the miscarriage rates indicated a significant difference between the two groups (n = 6, RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.72, 1.51; p = 0.83, I2 = 0%). (4) Conclusions: The findings of this systemic review and meta-analysis suggest that PRP appears to improve the results of IVF/ICSI treatments in the cases of unexplained RIF.

Effect of evidence-based information management and practice training on librarians’ critical thinking: A randomized educational trial

Critical thinking is one of the most important elements in making the right decision in every profession. Evidence based practice shows potential to empower the critical thinking skills of practitioners. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of evidence-based information management and practice (EBIMP) training course on the promotion of medical librarians’ critical thinking. This study is a randomized double-blind educational trial in the form of a parallel trial. A sample of 60 librarians were recruited nationwide in the study through the volunteer enrollment to the evidence-based information management and practice training course. Intervention group received a 10-module virtual course focusing on evidence-based information management. But the control group received a basic course of evidence-based medicine. The courses were delivered through virtual learning system and data was collected through California Standard Critical Thinking Skills Questionnaire Form B (CCTST). Data were analyzed with Covariance Analysis (ANCOVA), Chi-square (χ²), Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Levin tests, and t-test, using SPSS 25. The findings showed that the critical thinking skills of participants after training of the information management and evidence-based practice (EBIMP) had significant improvement in the intervention group compared with the control group regarding the “inference” (4.86 ± 1.94 vs 4.20 ± 1.32), “assessment” (7.90 ± 1.77 vs 5.90 ± 1.70), “Inductive reasoning” (8.67 ± 2.32 vs 6.37 ± 1.87), “deductive reasoning” (6.47 ± 2.04 vs 5.77 ± 1.97) subskills. Education of evidence-based information practice could be effective in promotion of critical thinking skills of medical librarians. This study suggests evidence-based information practice to be added to the curriculum of medical library and information science fields.

Trial registration: This study was registered with number 9000.1v1 in Registry of Efficacy and Effectiveness Studies (REES).

Assessing the perceived research competencies of academic librarians in Pakistan: Implications for work performance

This study aims to investigate the research experience, perceived research capabilities, and role of LIS education in reading and doing research. It further explores their preferred educational activities to learn research skills and the impact of research competencies on their work performance. An online survey was conducted through a questionnaire and the data were collected from the librarians working in academic libraries in Pakistan. The findings revealed that a majority of the academic librarians wrote either journal article/s or presented their research in conferences. With regard to research competencies, academic librarians indicated their high confidence in performing discrete steps involved in a research project. However, the participants noted their lack of confidence in knowing which statistical test(s) to run and how to code qualitative data to identify themes and sub-themes. The study also revealed that Library Information Science (LIS) qualification more adequately trained academic librarians to read about rather than conduct research. Academic librarians considered continuing education programs (i.e. workshops, seminars, sessions, and attending conferences) as an effective delivery mode for learning research methods. The research competencies of the participants also came out as a positive predictor of work performance. The study suggests that academic libraries, LIS schools, and other organizations, should be keenly aware of librarians’ research learning needs and facilitate them by creating a supportive environment for learning and applying research knowledge.

Development of nursing care guideline for burned hands

Aim

To develop an evidence-based guideline to care for hand-burned patients.

Design

An integrative review.

Method

The search was conducted of EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Clinical Key, Iranmedex, Magiran, Scientific Information Database (SID), Cochran, CINAHL and Google Scholar databases from January 2000-August 2019. Following the formation of the research team, two researchers independently selected the eligible studies. The initial search resulted in 2,230 records; ultimately, 40 articles were identified to be the review after screening the records based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality of selected studies was evaluated with the MMAT method.

Results

Data syntheses of selected studies, coded by highlighting the relevant parts of the text, and assigning code words to these areas were done. Following this, a constant comparison was used to develop categories by combining codes. Finally, hand burns nursing care guideline was developed by categorizing descriptive themes in two main phases.

Conclusion

This review results have shown that evidence-based guidelines present high-quality recommendations for the healthcare team, which improves the quality of clinical care. Due to a lack of established guidelines in our context, it seems to be helpful to use evidence-based guidelines in managing burned hands.

The implementation of the nursing process in lower-income countries: An integrative review

Aims

This review study aimed to investigate the strategies for implementing the nursing process in the clinical practice and the assessment of the implementation rate of this process in clinical settings of lower-income countries.

Design

An integrative review.

Method

The search was conducted of EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus and ISI databases from 1975-July 2018. Following the formation of the research team, two researchers independently selected the eligible studies; finally, 39 articles were approved by the research team for this study.

Results

The researchers identified three themes: Effects of implementing the NP in clinical settings, Development and application of electronic software in the NP and Factors affecting the implementation of the NP. This review revealed that nurses and nursing managers in hospitals are interested in implementing the nursing process in the form of widely and continuously. But the necessary infrastructure, such as manpower, electronically or manually tools, has not yet been provided, and the implementation of the nursing process is done either imperfectly or not done.

Being Evidence Based Makes Sense!

This article presents a brief introduction to EBLIP, from its initial foundations in the health sciences to its application in contemporary libraries. The key elements of the EBLIP model are explained and its application in professional practice is illustrated through brief case studies drawn from academic, public and special libraries. The ultimate goals of EBLIP are to improve the quality of the decisions we make, to demonstrate the value of the services and programs we provide and to secure the long-term support of our funding bodies.

A data-driven analysis of the knowledge structure of library science with full-text journal articles

In previous studies, full-text analyses and mining techniques have not been combined to identify and trace changes in the knowledge trends of library science over the past 20 years (1997–2016). Thus, to grasp the knowledge trends of library science at a fine-grained level, this study analyzes full-text journal articles from six top-ranked library science journals by applying text-mining techniques such as co-word analysis, text summarization, and topic modeling. Visualization tools were used to map the knowledge structure of library science. The findings indicate that, during the past 20 years, library science has developed into an interdisciplinary knowledge structure that integrates librarianship topics with a range of other fields, generating major topics that include the academic library, the digital library, research methodology, library marketing, information retrieval, digital information, document citation, and so on. In the past ten years, the library science discipline has focused increasingly on research methodology and evaluation and become more concerned with digital information management.

Learning while doing: program evaluation of the Medical Library Association Systematic Review Project

OBJECTIVES

The Medical Library Association (MLA) Systematic Review Project aims to conduct systematic reviews to identify the state of knowledge and research gaps for fifteen top-ranked questions in the profession. In 2013, fifteen volunteer-driven teams were recruited to conduct the systematic reviews. The authors investigated the experiences of participants in this large-scale, volunteer-driven approach to answering priority research questions and fostering professional growth among health sciences librarians.

METHODS

A program evaluation was conducted by inviting MLA Systematic Review Project team members to complete an eleven-item online survey. Multiple-choice and short-answer questions elicited experiences about outputs, successes and challenges, lessons learned, and future directions. Participants were recruited by email, and responses were collected over a two-week period beginning at the end of January 2016.

RESULTS

Eighty (8 team leaders, 72 team members) of 198 potential respondents completed the survey. Eighty-four percent of respondents indicated that the MLA Systematic Review Project should be repeated in the future and were interested in participating in another systematic review. Team outputs included journal articles, conference presentations or posters, and sharing via social media. Thematic analysis of the short-answer questions yielded five broad themes: learning and experience, interpersonal (networking), teamwork, outcomes, and barriers.

DISCUSSION

A large-scale, volunteer-driven approach to performing systematic reviews shows promise as a model for answering key questions in the profession and demonstrates the value of experiential learning for acquiring synthesis review skills and knowledge. Our project evaluation provides recommendations to optimize this approach.

Enhancing the research and publication efforts of health sciences librarians via an academic writing retreat

BACKGROUND

This case study describes the South Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association (SCC/MLA) initiative to develop an academic writing retreat for members who sought the necessary time and support to advance their research projects toward publication.

CASE PRESENTATION

SCC/MLA staged a dedicated writing retreat to coincide with the organization's 2012, 2013, and 2014 annual meetings. Each cohort met over two days to write and to workshop their peers' manuscripts. Organizers distributed an online survey one month after each retreat to evaluate attendees' perceptions.

CONCLUSIONS

Three years' worth of writing retreats yielded fourteen peer-reviewed articles and one book chapter. Participants indicated that the retreat helped them meet or exceed their writing goals by offering protected time and a setting conducive to productivity. The format of the retreat is cost effective and easily adaptable for fellow professionals who wish to organize a formal event as a conference offering or simply support a writing group at their home institutions. In SCC/MLA, the retreat revitalized interest in writing and demystified the scholarly publication process.

Assessing Parliament of Zimbabwe’s informatics database as a tool for providing evidence-based information for decision making

The application of information and communication technologies to parliamentary activities is growing. Informatics databases represent a growing trend used for gathering, collation, processing, storage and dissemination of parliamentary information to Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff and the general public. Many parliaments are moving forward, assisted by development partners to implement informatics projects from constituency level where the public can access information manually or electronically through parliament itself. The purpose of this article was to assess Parliament of Zimbabwe’s informatics database in providing evidence-based information for decision making. This is achieved by sampling 25 Members of Parliament and 25 Office Assistants from constituencies, and Parliament staff as important respondents. The instruments of data collection were questionnaires, interview schedules and analysis of documents. Findings revealed that constituents were the largest beneficiaries, followed by the education sector, and Members of Parliament. Data also showed that Members of Parliament improved their knowledge and participation in parliamentary activities based on real facts from the informatics data base. The study identified challenges affecting the informatics database. Results recommend that resources be provided for information and communication technology equipment, staff should be trained and an online informatics database be implemented.

A Content Analysis of Librarianship Research

Objective: To conduct a content analysis of library and information studies (LIS) literature published in 2001 and test the domains developed by Crumley and Koufogiannakis. Methods: A comprehensive list of refereed library and information studies journals was compiled and reviewed independently by two researchers to derive a list of included journals. Articles published in 2001 from included journals were independently assessed for relevancy by two researchers. Researchers separately extracted and checked data from included articles.

Results: 217 LIS journals were reviewed and 107 were included; 91 journals provided data. 2664 journal articles were examined, with 807 (30.3%) classified as research. The Top 10 journals for research published in 2001 were: 1) JASIST, 2) Scientometrics, 3) Info Proc & Man; 4) Coll & Res Lib, 5) Tie: J Lib Adm/Bull Med Lib Assn, 7) Libs & Culture, 8) J Doc, 9) Tie: J Info Sci/J Acad Libr. For the period studied, descriptive research (329 out of 807 articles) was published far more frequently than any other type. The domain Information Access & Retrieval had the highest number of research articles (314/807), followed by Collections (193/807), Management (135/807), Education (95/807) and Reference (77/807). Two new possible domains were identified: Library History and Professional Issues. Conclusions: Because 36 articles fell into the domain of Professional Issues, a case can be made to add this domain to Crumley and Koufogiannakis’ taxonomy. Library History was not added as a domain because historical research is not used for evidence-based decision-making. There was no evidence to support keeping the Marketing & Promotion domain. LISA provides the best coverage of the top 10 LIS research journals identified in this study.

A journal club is an effective tool for assisting librarians in the practice of evidence-based librarianship: a case study

OBJECTIVE

To establish a journal club for librarians, which aimed to develop appraisal skills and assist in the application of research to practice.

METHODS

Fourteen health librarians were invited to attend a journal club. Each month a librarian was responsible for preparing a scenario, choosing a research paper, and selecting a checklist. The paper was appraised by the club, and a critically appraised topic (CAT) prepared. Six months later, a questionnaire was sent to all librarians.

RESULTS

Six out of 14 librarians attended the journal club and five out of six returned the questionnaire. All five agreed that attending the journal club helped them develop appraisal skills, write a CAT and be more critical of research. Four agreed they always identified a research paper first, then formulated a question. One librarian agreed that applying results to their own practice was difficult, one disagreed and three were neutral.

CONCLUSION

Journal clubs can be effective at developing appraisal skills and writing a CAT, as well as increasing the reading of library research. Librarians still need assistance in identifying and using questions directly from their own practice. The journal club has helped some librarians to apply evidence to practice, but others find the research is not always directly relevant.

Evaluation of methodological search filters--a review

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the study were: to provide an overview of approaches to methodological search filter development; to identify and critically review the stages of methodological search filter development; to devise a search filter appraisal checklist based on the review.

METHODS

An iterative approach to searching was employed utilizing health and library databases, the world wide web and citation searching. Further systematic methods included hand searching of key journals in the field of search filter development, contacting known experts in the field and scanning reference lists of relevant papers to identify additional studies. Altogether, 51 potentially relevant papers were found, of which 20 met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Four stages of search filter development were identified from the literature (search term selection, identification of a gold standard, evaluation and validation). Variations in the methods used to approach these four stages were identified, most importantly in the extent to which search filters are tested and validated.

CONCLUSION

Awareness of the process and limitations involved in search filter development is essential to make an informed decision on the applicability and validity of search filters. The findings of this review indicate a considerable agenda for future research, in particular, to improve the quality of reporting of search filters and to inform users on their use and application. Based on the review, guidance in the appraisal process of search filters is given in the form of a checklist.

Awareness, use and opinions of methodological search filters used for the retrieval of evidence-based medical literature-a questionnaire survey

The aim of this study was to determine the level of awareness of methodological search filters among health and academic librarians in the UK and Ireland, their use of filters and views on the perceived benefits, limitations and ways to increase usage of search filters. A random proportional sample of health and academic librarians were surveyed by telephone and fax. Overall, 88% (196/224) completed the telephone survey to establish awareness and use of filters. Eighty-four per cent (51/61) completed a fax survey focusing in more depth on usability issues surrounding filters. Results indicate a high level of awareness of methodological filters, but low level of usage. Furthermore, a high level of awareness did not necessarily correlate with a high level of knowledge or understanding. Examination of responses revealed limitations and recommendations beyond those reported in the literature and highlights the relationship between understanding and effective use of filters. Improved dissemination and publication of filters is required to better inform librarians on the concept of filters and how to use them effectively.

The randomised controlled trial design: unrecognized opportunities for health sciences librarianship

OBJECTIVE

to describe the essential components of the Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) and its major variations; to describe less conventional applications of the RCT design found in the health sciences literature with potential relevance to health sciences librarianship; to discuss the limited number of RCTs within health sciences librarianship.

METHODS

narrative review supported to a limited extent with PubMed and Library Literature database searches consistent with specific search parameters. In addition, more systematic methods, including handsearching of specific journals, to identify health sciences librarianship RCTs.

RESULTS

While many RCTs within the health sciences follow more conventional patterns, some RCTs assume certain unique features. Selected examples illustrate the adaptations of this experimental design to answering questions of possible relevance to health sciences librarians. The author offers several strategies for controlling bias in library and informatics applications of the RCT and acknowledges the potential of the electronic era in providing many opportunities to utilize the blinding aspects of RCTs. RCTs within health sciences librarianship inhabit a limited number of subject domains such as education. This limited scope offers both advantages and disadvantages for making Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL) a reality.

CONCLUSIONS

The RCT design offers the potential to answer far more EBL questions than have been addressed by the design to date. Librarians need only extend their horizons through use of the versatile RCT design into new subject domains to facilitate making EBL a reality.

Research governance: implications for health library and information professionals

The Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care published by the Department of Health in 2001 provides a model of best practice and a framework for research in the health and social care sector. This article reviews the Department of Health Research Governance Framework, discusses the implications of research governance for library and information professionals undertaking research in the health- and social-care sector and recommends strategies for best practice within the information profession relating to research governance. The scope of the Framework document that covers both clinical and non-clinical research is outlined. Any research involving, amongst other issues, patients, NHS staff and use or access to NHS premises may require ethics committee approval. Particular reference is made to the roles, responsibilities and professional conduct and the systems needed to support effective research practice. Issues such as these combine to encourage the development of a quality research culture which supports best practice. Questions arise regarding the training and experience of researchers, and access to the necessary information and support. The use of the Framework to guide research practice complements the quality issues within the evidence-based practice movement and supports the ongoing development of a quality research culture. Recommendations are given in relation to the document's five domains of ethics, science, information, health and safety and finance and intellectual property. Practical recommendations are offered for incorporating research governance into research practice in ways which conform to the Framework's standards and which are particularly relevant for research practitioners in information science. Concluding comments support the use of the Research Governance Framework as a model for best practice.

From EBM to EBL: two steps forward or one step back?

The author employs his vantage point as a contributor to Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) and Evidence-based Librarianship (EBL) in the United Kingdom to anticipate obstacles to be overcome by the emerging EBL paradigm. After reviewing and synthesizing three proto-definitions of EBL, he discusses issues around the potential domains to be populated by research findings. He then briefly considers the contribution that critical appraisal skills can make to an evidence-based profession. In concluding that "evidence-based librarianship" is a self-limiting "label," he encourages health information professionals instead to promote the contribution of librarianship to evidence-based practice, a role for which they are uniquely qualified.