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Select the button below to ask a general question:

Use this form to ask a general question, or return to the first tab to find a subject specialist.

Please provide as much detail as possible, including information on resources you have already consulted.

This helps us determine what additional resources, collections, and/or services you might have available to you locally.

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Yes. The Library provides photocopying and printing services and scanners in most public research areas.

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Yes. Screening takes place at all entrances to the Library of Congress, and many public reading rooms also restrict the materials that researchers may bring with them.

Yes. The Teachers  website provides instructions and examples for citing primary sources from the Library's collections.

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Chat with a Librarian

Welcome to PA’s 24/7 virtual reference service –  Chat with a Librarian – where experienced librarians help Pennsylvanians find factual answers and provide them with research guidance.

Our librarians use information available in the POWER Library’s databases and other online resources to find the most accurate answers available.

Our librarians are accessible via 24/7 chat, email, or text – help  when  you need it,  where  you need it, and  how  you need it!

To match you to the best librarian for the job, tell us whether you are a…

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See below for tips and help on using Chat with a Librarian!

What kind of chat is best for me.

Chat with a Librarian is great for:

• Asking general questions
• Getting help with databases
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• Learning about citations

Email a Librarian is great for:

• Questions that don’t need an immediate answer
• Topics that could take a lot of time to research
• Getting book recommendations
• Library-specific questions

Text a Librarian is great for:

• Quick questions
• Random Trivia
• On-the-go information
• Finding library locations/hours

Who is answering Chat?

• Local librarians from your library or school
• Librarians from across the state
• Libraries from around the county and beyond, when our librarians aren’t available

What to expect using CWAL?

• Expert help from a real live librarian
• Assistance finding resources and locating sources
• Help solving your school-related problems

What not to expect using CWAL?

• Someone to do all your homework for you
• Someone to sit and talk with you when you’re bored

Our Policy of Mutual Respect:

• We treat our Chat with a Librarian users with respect and expect the same in return. If you use abusive orinappropriate language, we will terminate the session and take appropriate action.
• Librarians staffing Chat with a Librarian protect the privacy of your question and identity. However, people who make threats or use offensive language will be reported to the appropriate authorities
• We contact schools and Internet service providers to report inappropriate use.
• While librarians are very skilled at finding the information you need, it may take a few minutes or more for thelibrarian complete their search. The typical session lasts 10-15 minutes. Therefore, please allow enough time for the li- brarian to find the answer. If you only have one or two minutes to allow for a session, please logon and ask your question when you will have more time. This will ensure that both you and the librarian assisting you will have a suc- cessful experience.

This project is made possible in part by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Library Access funds administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Commonwealth Libraries. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services or the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

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The Indispensable Role of Today’s Research Librarian

Rarely do today’s research librarians fit the old-fashioned stereotype: bespectacled, severe, and fiercely protective of the silence, found amidst tall stacks of books and journals, and spending days cataloguing and maintaining order in the collection.

Instead, as the researchers whose success they support are well aware, present-day research librarians do far more than curate materials or enable access to information.

Yes, corporate and academic librarians still help their end-users locate archived documents, find articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and navigate their way through a bewilderingly vast—and rapidly-growing—sea of digital scholarship. In fact, they are integral in shortening the research and development lifecycle by translating this over-abundance of information into relevant, useful, and practical adoption.

But that’s just scratching the surface as librarians and information specialists handle a broad range of duties and increased responsibilities.

The Modern-Day Research Librarian Wears Many Hats

In their quest to make knowledge access as effortless and productive as possible, librarians work hard (and often behind the scenes) to achieve a variety of critical objectives, including:

• Simplifying copyright-compliance within the organization
• Ensuring researchers have fast, easy access to peer-reviewed articles
• Negotiating, managing, and optimizing scholarly journal subscriptions
• Empowering research teams to collaborate and share content legally
• Developing a smart acquisition strategy to minimize literature costs
• Creating an efficient article access and invoicing workflow

To meet these goals, librarians often seek out, assess, and help deploy a range of technology solutions. And they do so with a dual focus on providing the best customer experience possible for researchers—and the best ROI for the organization.

As automated tools for literature search and discovery become more sophisticated, stakeholders may be tempted to believe that the research librarian’s role has been taken over by the Internet. It’s more accurate, however, to say that the librarian’s role has shifted—from a gatekeeper for information access to someone who helps researchers locate what’s most important and pertinent as quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible.

This makes the research librarian a vital and indispensable partner in the creation of knowledge. In today’s highly competitive scientific research landscape, a skilled librarian can make the critical difference between success and failure.

Research Librarians Help Speed Scientific Discovery and Reduce Unnecessary Costs

It’s common knowledge that the rate and volume of scientific publications has increased exponentially. But adding to that is a rise in new access venues for disseminating research findings, code, and data. That makes finding the most relevant information that much harder—and the need for efficiency and seamless access all the more pertinent. When researchers are forced to toggle back and forth between various websites to order full-text papers and then wait around for those documents to be delivered, for example, their workflows become fragmented and less productive.

Knowledge management professionals keep a close eye on new and emerging technologies in the world of research publication. According to a 2017 study , there are already over 400 tools and innovations just within the research workflow. Librarians know which search tools and databases are likely to yield the richest results for a particular project, and they understand relevant research performance metrics that can help identify which resources they should continue using or acquire to have the biggest positive impact for their users and the organization.

For instance, when it comes time to access peer-reviewed articles and other scholarly content, research librarians can help their customers locate the right resources—at the best price. If the research solution they have in place includes advanced filtering tools, for example, librarians can ensure the end-users are not paying for content that’s available in an Open Access version or via an existing subscription, or placing a duplicate order for a paper they already own.

In the digital age, where change is constant, research librarians and information specialists provide the stability and security of knowing that when information is needed, it will be there. They play an essential role in delivering the information researchers and organizations need to innovate, flourish, and thrive—all while saving time, money, and frustration.

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How Librarians Can Support Your Research

The research life cycle illustrates how information is created and used during the research process, and librarians are instrumental in this work. Librarians are best known for helping scholars find resources, and yet this is just one of several steps in the research process. We are equipped to assist both student and faculty researchers at any phase of the research process, whether you're just getting started and need help deciding what to research or you've already published your work and need help measuring impact. Contact a librarian and let us know where you are in the process.

The Seven Steps of the Research Life Cycle:

  1. research planning.

Just getting started? Not sure where to even begin? Our librarians can help you with strategic planning, Evidence Synthesis advising, and conducting a survey of the literature. We can also connect faculty and staff members with the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs to assist with grant writing.

  2. Finding Resources

This is the most common step where students and faculty seek guidance. During a research consultation, our librarians can help you with creating a literature review; searching through databases and journal subscriptions; accessing books and materials hosted in digital repositories; examining holdings in Special Collections and University Archives; and seeking resources not held by Pepperdine through interlibrary loan.

  3. Evaluating and Citing Sources

Once you have a wealth of resources, let us assist you in evaluating which ones would best suit your needs. At this step in the research life cycle, we can also help you with properly citing your sources.

  4. Developing a Publishing Strategy

Congratulations! By this step, you have a completed text. The question remains: Where to get it published? Our librarians can help you find publishers to contact to get your work in a scholarly journal popular among your peers -- with the hopes that your work will add to scholarly conversation and be cited.

  5. Promoting Published Works

Once you're published in the most suitable journal for your research, we can help get your work noticed! Our librarians will work with you to maintain author profiles, self-archive in institutional repositories, make your work more widely available with open access publishing and host lectures about your research.

  6. Measuring Your Impact

At this point, your work has been available to the scholarly community for some time. But who's looking at it? During this step, we'll help you find and interpret scholarly metrics so you can see how much of an impact your research is making.

  7. Showing Your Impact

In this final step of the research life cycle, our librarians will explain the contexts and meaning of the metrics from the above step and appropriately interpret and analyze these metrics.

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Librarians are here to help you with your research..

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Need help now? Librarians are online and available 24/7 to assist you.

Chat online or Zoom with a HVCC librarian. Prefer to meet using Zoom? Ask in the chat to start screensharing. Screensharing is only available during HVCC hours .

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Search and browse for answers to even more frequently asked questions (FAQs) at the Dwight Marvin Library.

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Make a research appointment for one-on-one assistance from a HVCC librarian. Appointments require 24-hour advance notice. 

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Table of Contents

Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, seek help from librarians.

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Joseph M. Moxley - University of South Florida

Consult librarians when in doubt about where to obtain information.

Sometimes people are embarrassed about asking for help in using the library; they feel as if they should know how to use the library once they get into college. However, librarians are information technology specialists who are employed by colleges and universities to serve as research mentors. Information technologies are radically transforming research processes and even well-published professors commonly seek help from librarians.

Librarians can help you decide which library databases are most likely to contain material on your topic. They can help you develop a list of search terms to use with library and internet resources.

They can help you identify scholarly journals vs. popular magazines. If material you need is not at your library, they can explain the interlibrary loan system and other document delivery services that might be available to you. They can help you determine if other libraries in your area have the information you need. They can provide you with information about searching through library resources off-campus, too.

Librarians can give you the best help if you have given yourself ample time to do your research. With all the resources that are available, you can’t always get instantaneous results. Give yourself some time to identify, find, evaluate, and select the material best suited for your project. For example, sometimes instructors say, “Don’t use anything from the Internet!” Your instructor may want you to become familiar with journals and magazines. Whenever possible, ask your instructor for clarification. Can you use journals found in your library’s databases? A lot of libraries are now using the Web to deliver electronic copies of the same journals and reference sources they once received in paper copy.

When discussing your topic, the librarian may ask you some questions to clarify what you need. Are you working on a major research paper? A short persuasive piece? Did your instructor ask you to concentrate on learning to use certain kinds of sources? Any information you can provide about the purpose of your research will help.

Keep in mind that not everyone who works in a library is a librarian!

So where can you find one? Look around for a reference desk or information desk. Also, look at your library’s web site. Librarians are using both email and chat software to provide reference service to their users. You may see a link to an “ask-a-librarian” service. Try your library first since it will know the resources that are available to you and will provide the quickest service, but you might like to know some additional examples of electronic reference services:

Librarian Chat Rooms

Below are links to chat rooms sponsored by universities that are accessible to students worldwide.

• Ask a Librarian (Library of Congress) : Designed for researchers and sponsored by the U.S. Library of Congress, this site offers practical, concise help on research. Users may also chat online with a librarian.
• Ask an ipl2 Librarian : Hosted by The iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology, with major support from the College of Information at Florida State University, this service allows you to email questions to professional librarian volunteers and graduate students in library science programs.

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Take advantage of the expert research support provided by our librarians. Chat live online, book an appointment, search commonly asked questions in our FAQ, or browse our Guides to Research Resources.

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Book a librarian appointments.

Subject specialist librarians are available for online or in-person appointments for personalized research assistance.

Guides to Research Resources

Designed by our expert librarians specifically to help USC patrons navigate and use the University Libraries extensive research resources.

Subject Guides

These guides point to the top research tools in any particular subject area/discipline for finding scholarly articles, books and other resources.

Course Guides

Created especially for specific courses at USC, these guides direct you to the best research resources for your assignment.

Special Topic Guides

Need to find a play review or an industry report? Researching a special topic such as LGBTQ issues or sustainability? These specialized guides can help.

Citation Guide

Access a variety of citation examples as well as links to extra help for the most common styles: AMA, APA, MLA and Chicago.

Research Data Analysis and Statistics Assistants

Get support for doing exploratory data analysis and help with quantitative and qualitative statistical software products.

Our librarians are constantly creating and updating how-to videos and instructional tutorials to help you in your research efforts.

Search Our FAQ

Find an answer in our bank of frequently asked questions or submit a new question. You'll get a personal response from a librarian and your question may be added to the list to help others.

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

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• v.106(1); 2018 Jan

Roles for librarians in systematic reviews: a scoping review

Associated data.

What roles do librarians and information professionals play in conducting systematic reviews? Librarians are increasingly called upon to be involved in systematic reviews, but no study has considered all the roles librarians can perform. This inventory of existing and emerging roles aids in defining librarians’ systematic reviews services.

For this scoping review, the authors conducted controlled vocabulary and text-word searches in the PubMed; Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts; and CINAHL databases. We separately searched for articles published in the Journal of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries, Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, the Journal of the Canadian Heath Libraries Association, and Hypothesis. We also text-word searched Medical Library Association annual meeting poster and paper abstracts.

We identified 18 different roles filled by librarians and other information professionals in conducting systematic reviews from 310 different articles, book chapters, and presented papers and posters. Some roles were well known such as searching, source selection, and teaching. Other less documented roles included planning, question formulation, and peer review. We summarize these different roles and provide an accompanying bibliography of references for in-depth descriptions of these roles.

Librarians play central roles in systematic review teams, including roles that go beyond searching. This scoping review should encourage librarians who are fulfilling roles that are not captured here to document their roles in journal articles and poster and paper presentations.

INTRODUCTION

Health sciences librarians have been involved with systematic reviews since this genre of publication emerged during the 1990s [ 1 ]. Since then, librarians have been most widely known for their prowess in searching for the evidence needed to create systematic reviews. Even during the early years, however, librarians and other information professionals (hereafter referred to as “librarians”) were involved in other aspects of the systematic review process [ 2 , 3 ]. Two case studies during the mid-2000s suggested some potential roles for librarians in the creation of systematic reviews—such as searching, source selection, citation management, document supply, and critical appraisal. These studies were based on the limited experiences of the authors [ 4 , 5 ]. Cooper’s 2013 systematic review of changing roles for health sciences librarians clearly identified participating in systematic reviews as a central role [ 6 ]. In recent years, the Medical Library Association (MLA) has regularly sponsored continuing educational training on systematic reviews.

This article offers a comprehensive inventory of roles filled by librarians in connection with conducting systematic reviews. In so doing, the authors seek to expand the potential suite of systematic review services that health sciences librarians can offer to their colleagues beyond literature searching.

Scoping reviews are intended to be broad, exploratory reconnaissance searches of the relevant literature to determine key characteristics of the subject [ 7 , 8 ]. Our scoping review involved multiple search strategies in three databases and several websites that were used for professional communication. Our searches were conducted in February 2017, and our search strategies are described in detail in supplemental Appendix A .

We first ran a PubMed search in which we combined the Journal of the Medical Library Association OR Bulletin of the Medical Library Association OR Medical Reference Services Quarterly OR Health Information & Libraries Journal with the text-words and filters (“systematic review” OR (systematic AND review*) OR sysrev_methods[sb] OR systematic[sb]). A second PubMed search combined the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms “Information Services” OR “Information Storage and Retrieval” with the text-words (librarian* OR “information scientist*” OR “information specialist*” OR informationist) and the text-words (“systematic review*” OR systematic AND review* OR sysrev_methods[sb]) OR systematic[sb]). This search was combined using the Boolean “NOT” with the first PubMed search of the four journal titles. A third PubMed search used the MeSH term “Librarians” combined with the text-words (“systematic review*” OR (systematic AND review*) OR sysrev_methods[sb] OR systematic[sb]). A fourth PubMed search used the MeSH terms “Review Literature as Topic” and “Librarians.”

We next searched the Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) database for the keywords (systematic AND review*) OR “systematic review*” combined with the keywords librarian* OR “information profession*” OR “information specialist*” OR “information scientist*”. A second search in LISTA combined controlled vocabulary and text-word approaches with the descriptor “literature reviews” and keyword systemat*.

We next searched the CINAHL database for the keywords (systematic AND review*) OR “systematic review*” combined with the keywords librarian* OR “information profession*” OR “information specialist*” OR “information scientist*”. A second search of CINAHL used the descriptor “librarians” OR “health sciences librarians” AND the keyword “systematic reviews”.

Because of limited indexing coverage for CINAHL of some journals, we ran additional searches in the Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association using the term “systematic” on the main web page. We searched the Journal of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries using the keyword “systematic” by employing the search feature in the portable document format (PDF) viewer and scanning the table of contents. We screened the journal Hypothesis by searching the PDF files using the term “systematic” and scanning the tables of contents. We also scanned Evidence Based Library & Information Practice using the search feature on the website for the term “systematic”.

We then reviewed MLA meeting paper and poster abstracts archived on MLANET (Abstracts for MLA Annual Meeting, 2010–15 and Abstracts for MLA Annual Meeting, 2001–09; login required) for the years 2002 to 2015. We searched for the keyword “systematic” using the search feature in the PDF viewer. We also scanned the 2016 abstracts using the search feature for the meeting (MLA ’16 meeting) . Finally, we searched the indexes in two textbooks on health sciences librarianship edited by M. Sandra Wood, FMLA [ 9 , 10 ].

We included references that discussed any roles that librarians or information professionals performed in systematic reviews. We tried to be as broad as possible with roles that we thought a librarian might perform during a systematic review based our training, experience, and knowledge of the systematic review process. We also used two previously published articles [ 4 , 5 ] to guide our identification of potential roles. We excluded references that were book reviews, advertisements for continuing education, articles on updating a systematic review, or reviews of other articles. Most of these exclusions were based on the title and abstract, but for some references we reviewed the full text for clarity.

We used Mendeley for citation management. The results of each search were placed into separate folders, with subfolders for inclusion or exclusion. We then imported all of the included abstracts into a Word document to screen for duplicates.

Supplemental Appendix A provides the complete search methods, and Figure 1 shows the PRISMA flow diagram. Our searches resulted in 310 relevant articles, book chapters, presented papers, and posters ( supplemental Appendix B ). Collectively, these writings demonstrated the diverse roles that librarians play in the systematic review process. We identified a total of 18 distinct roles filled by librarians for which we provided summaries, arranged alphabetically, and highlight specific examples.

PRISMA flow diagram

Table 1 summarizes the major professional communications channels reporting on roles of librarians in systematic reviews. The Journal of the Medical Library Association and Health Information and Libraries Journal contained the most published articles on this topic. Other peer-reviewed journals included the Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association , Medical Reference Services Quarterly , the Journal of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries , and Evidence Based Library and Information Practice .

Major professional communications channels reporting on the roles of librarians in systematic reviews

Many articles and abstracts gave overviews of the roles that librarians could play in systematic reviews. For example, Harris mentioned that librarians could be involved in searching, writing the methodology, and creating a flow diagram of the article selection process [ 5 ]. She also acknowledged librarians’ knowledge of indexing and searching complexities as skills that were valued in systematic reviews. Roles mentioned in other papers or posters included planning, searching, citation management, source selection, bias assessment, data synthesis, and supplying of documents [ 4 , 11 , 12 ], although these roles were not always discussed in detail in the articles or abstracts.

Citation management

Systematic reviews involve tracking a large amount of citations. These citations need to be exported into a citation management tool or spreadsheet and then documented for inclusion or exclusion. Most librarians are knowledgeable about citation management tools and often play a role in this aspect of systematic reviews. Citation management software can also be used as a screening tool [ 13 ].

Collaboration

Collaboration determines how systematic review teams will work together and the role that each member will play in the process. As one example, an article discussed steps that librarians took after receiving multiple requests to collaborate on systematic reviews [ 14 ]. Koffel conducted a survey of authors’ reasons for why researchers chose to partner with librarians [ 15 ]. He found that working with a librarian increased the quality of searches, particularly when the librarian was knowledgeable about systematic reviews via either training or past experience. Perceived barriers included extra time for coordination with the librarian, lack of librarian subject expertise related to the systematic review topic, or cost of the service.

De-duplication of search results

Librarians often identify and remove duplicate records from systematic review searches, which can be a time-consuming task. However, citation management tools, tools in databases, and other software can be used for de-duplicating. Some reports have examined different methods of de-duplication for specific products and databases, and analyzed the strengths and weaknesses for each method [ 16 , 17 ].

Evaluation of search strategies

Librarians review searches and past papers to evaluate the precision and sensitivity of search strategies. Librarians have retrospectively evaluated different search strategies, interfaces, and databases to demonstrate their and strengths and weaknesses [ 18 – 22 ].

Formalized systematic review services

Because of the growth in demand for conducting systematic reviews, librarians are now developing formal systematic review services. Librarians at one institution described how they developed a fee-based service and educated users on what was involved in conducting a systematic review before offering further services [ 23 ].

Impact and outcomes

Librarians advocate for their inclusion in systematic review teams by demonstrating how they improve the quality of systematic reviews. Librarians’ research has demonstrated the positive impact that they have as being part of a systematic review team, resulting in more effective search strategies [ 24 – 27 ].

Indexing of database terms

Effective indexing assists in locating relevant resources. Librarians have analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of indexing for specific databases and offered suggestions on how to improve indexing [ 28 – 30 ].

Peer review of search strategies

The Institute of Medicine recommends that librarians peer review search strategies for systematic reviews [ 31 ]. Sampson composed an evidence-based guideline for peer reviewing search strategies [ 32 , 33 ]. Crumley documented one example of librarians peer reviewing search strategies and described the value of this process [ 34 ]. This peer-review role can sometimes overlap with the evaluation role.

Planning is the first step for a potential team to decide if they want to conduct a systematic review. Librarians can clarify what is involved in pursuing a systematic review and how long it will take. This step provides an opportunity for librarians to discuss their potential roles in the systematic review process and set expectations. Goode described the different issues that librarians might want to discuss during the planning process [ 35 ].

Question formulation

Librarians have extensive skills in question formulation that can be traced back to the traditional reference interview. This role of librarians in the systematic review process has rarely been mentioned [ 9 , 10 ], perhaps because question formulation blends seamlessly with other librarian roles. In a randomized controlled trial, Eldredge tested the effect of library and informatics training on question formation and noted that public health professionals were able to better articulate questions after training by librarians [ 36 ].

Reporting and documentation

Both the Institute of Medicine [ 31 ] and the Cochrane Collaboration [ 37 ] offer guidance on reporting and documenting systematic reviews. Both recommend adherence to the PRISMA statement [ 38 ]. Surprisingly, when Yoshii performed an analysis of search strategy reporting in Cochrane systematic reviews [ 39 ], none of the fifty-six papers that were reviewed contained all seven elements that the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions indicated must be included .

Research agenda

In 2012, the MLA Research Section published the results of the top-priority answerable research questions facing health sciences librarians [ 40 ]. These fifteen questions led to the formation of teams of librarians that conducted systematic reviews to answer these important questions [ 41 ].

Search filters and hedges

Wilczynski stated, “A methodologic search filter is a search term or terms that select studies that are the most advanced stages of testing for clinical application” [ 42 , 43 ]. Librarians have built these search filters and hedges to use in systematic reviews [ 44 – 46 ] and evaluated the performance of hedges and filters to see if they were accurate in their retrieval [ 47 – 78 ]. Librarians also developed checklists and critical appraisal tools to determine which filters might be appropriate to use for particular types of searches [ 49 , 50 ].

The Institute of Medicine requires that librarians perform searches for systematic reviews [ 31 ]. The Cochrane Collaboration also recommends having a librarian perform the search for a systematic review [ 37 ]. MLA issued a policy statement that defined librarians as expert searchers [ 51 ]. In the present scoping review, we consistently found searching to be the dominant role of librarians, as documented in the literature. Therefore, we have created subcategories to describe variations in librarians’ roles in searching for systematic reviews.

Databases and other resources

Several articles are devoted to searching specific databases or other resources for use in systematic reviews. The use of Scopus to help in semi-automation of manual searching, the need to search ClinicalTrials.gov, and the need to search published errata were all different approaches documented in the literature [ 58 – 60 ].

McGowan echoed MLA’s policy in her article, “Systematic Reviews Need Systematic Searchers,” that outlines how librarians were involved in the various steps of a systematic review. Some of the steps that she mentioned were the reference interview, development of a search strategy, source selection, and report writing. She mentioned the importance of librarians as expert searchers to construct systematic reviews [ 52 ].

Grey literature

In 2016, Ford moderated a session discussing different viewpoints on the use of grey literature for systematic reviews and techniques for searching grey literature [ 53 ].

Protocol development

The protocol for a systematic review usually states the review questions, the sources that will be searched, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and sometimes a preliminary search of the literature. Every protocol article that we found stated that a librarian was consulted in the construction of the search query [ 54 – 57 ].

Search strategies

Search strategies typically consist of controlled vocabulary and text-word combinations that vary for each database used in the systematic review. DeLuca mentions selecting databases, selecting terms, testing the database, running the search, refining the search, and performing a manual search as steps in performing a systematic review [ 61 ].

Subject- or topic-specific searches

The literature documents the best search strategies for identifying adverse effects, theory, and prognosis studies [ 62 – 64 ].

Some other articles on searching did not fit perfectly into a specific category, such as the use of an analytic framework when librarians grapple with searching complex questions, comparing text-word and MeSH searching, and knowing when to stop searching for abstracts [ 65 – 67 ]. These articles reflect the wide-ranging scope of what is involved in searching for a systematic review.

Source selection

Librarians help guide researchers in selecting the databases and other resources that should be searched and inform team members about the strengths and weaknesses of these resources. Some of the possible resources needed for systematic reviews include databases, reference lists, personal communication, and hand searching [ 68 ]. Searching multiple databases and using a checklist is recommended for systematic reviews [ 69 , 70 ]. Some non-biomedical sources need to be searched for pharmacologic policy [ 71 ]. Lam reported that the number of databases searched for systematic reviews has increased between 1994 and 2014 [ 72 ].

Systematic reviews in librarianship

Over ninety systematic reviews on librarianship subjects have been published [ 73 ]. Some of the earliest examples include Brettle’s 2003 work on information skills training [ 74 ], Wagner’s 2004 study on measuring the effectiveness of clinical medical librarian programs [ 75 ], and Weightman’s 2005 evaluation of the impact of library services on patient care [ 76 ]. Teams around the world are currently performing additional systematic reviews on high-priority librarianship topics [ 77 , 78 ].

Librarians play a role in teaching others, including other librarians, about how to perform systematic reviews. Harris identified this teaching role in one of the first communications on librarians’ roles in conducting systematic reviews [ 79 ]. Traditional classroom, flipped classroom, and virtual mentoring have all been used to teach librarians or researchers how to perform systematic reviews [ 80 – 83 ]. These methods reflect the diversity of learner needs and approaches that librarians use to teach others about systematic reviews.

Technological and analytical tools

Librarians are developing and using technological tools to aid in systematic review production. McKibbon employed the use of the Capture Mark-Recapture method to estimate how many studies might be found for a specific systematic review [ 84 ]. Bradford’s Law of Scattering has provided another analytical tool for projecting the number of references for a systematic review [ 85 ].

Other roles

Not all the reviewed works fit into the above categories. For instance, Sampson promoted submitting systematic reviews to the Journal of the Medical Library Association in 2014 [ 86 ], and de Jonge encouraged librarians to share literature search blocks among themselves [ 87 ]. Search blocks are saved strategies that have not been verified and are often shared with other librarians in the same institution. Gore provided an overview for managers who are not familiar with systematic reviews on how librarians are involved with systematic reviews and the areas where they might need support such as training [ 88 ]. Bullers analyzed how much time librarians spent on systematic reviews [ 89 ]. Also, Foster created an MLA special interest group to share knowledge about systematic reviews [ 90 ].

This scoping review produced a bibliography of 310 works related to librarians’ 18 core roles in systematic reviews. Our scoping review uncovered both expected and less expected roles that librarians performed in systematic reviews. Expected roles included searching, source selection, and evaluation, whereas less documented roles were planning, question formulation, and peer review. It is important to note that some of the roles that Beverley and Harris mentioned (e.g., data abstraction, data extraction, bias assessment, critical appraisal, data synthesis, document supply, report writing) [ 4 , 5 ] were not further described by other works, and therefore, we did not include these among our list of 18 roles.

We encourage those who provide these services to communicate about their experiences. The diversity of these roles demonstrates many of the roles that librarians can play in the systematic review process. This inventory should serve as a helpful checklist for librarians to showcase the roles that they can play while still in the planning stages of systematic reviews. While many librarians might be familiar with many of these specific roles, some librarians will be not be familiar with all of them. For example, many hospital librarians might not provide a comprehensive suite of services for systematic reviews due to the time commitment involved but might be able to use this inventory to see what specific roles they can provide to support their researchers.

We reasoned at the outset of this research project that we should capture the grey literature related to librarians’ roles in systematic reviews to provide a more complete spectrum of roles. Very little of this grey literature resulted in publication in peer-reviewed journals. Thus, the presence of many meeting papers and posters reinforced the frequent observation that one needs to consult the grey literature when accessing a professional knowledgebase.

We likely missed a few references for articles, papers, or posters in cases where librarians were not acknowledged, their roles were not documented in professional communications, or their job titles might have eluded the search strategies’ reach. We acknowledge that some of the roles overlap and that many of the articles, papers, and posters included more than one role. Also, some references might not have been indexed using the terms searched.

Our scoping review indicates that librarians play central roles in systematic review teams, including roles beyond searching. We hope that this scoping review broadens librarians’ knowledge of the roles that they currently play and that librarians can use our findings as a tool to educate others on the diverse roles that they can offer.

Supplemental Files

Angela J. Spencer, MLS, [email protected] , orcid.org/0000-0001-6233-053X, Manager, C. Alan McAfee, MD Medical Library, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chesterfield, MO

Jonathan D. Eldredge, MLS, PhD, AHIP, ude.mnu.dulas@egderdlej , orcid.org/0000-0003-3132-9450, Associate Professor, Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program < http://www.mlanet.org/page/independent-reading-program >.

Integration and Implementation Insights

A community blog and repository of resources for improving research impact on complex real-world problems

How librarians contribute to interdisciplinary research teams

By Kelly Miller and Kineret Ben-Knaan

What can librarians contribute to interdisciplinary research teams working on complex problems? We suggest that librarians add value in the following three ways:

• finding and accessing information resources across disciplines
• connecting teams to experts and resources, and
• improving collaboration and communication strategies.

Our experience comes from being part of the University of Miami’s Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge initiative, also known as U-LINK, which aims to address the world’s most compelling problems through interdisciplinary inquiry. From 2018-2020, teams of scholars from multiple disciplines have received funding to pursue solutions to global challenges.

Librarians have been embedded in each of the teams. This opportunity has provided librarians with direct knowledge of the needs and demands of interdisciplinary teams. It has also allowed them to deepen their relationships with research faculty members and experiment with new ways to share their expertise and skills for the benefit of all.

Of the three contributions that librarians make to interdisciplinary research teams, the first―finding and accessing information resources across disciplines―is not surprising. The other two―connecting teams to experts and resources, and improving collaboration and communication strategies―show that librarians are serving as connectors and also helping the teams cohere and engage more meaningfully.

Examples of how these three contributions have manifested in individual projects include librarians conducting extensive literature searches, connecting their team to community stakeholders, and identifying and managing project collaboration software for the team.

Our experience and the literature demonstrate that, with their unique skill sets and neutral vantage points, librarians can help teams address some common challenges, including how to:

• manage large teams
• navigate difficulty communicating with team members, and
• find a common language with which to address the proposed problem.

Librarians also found that participation on interdisciplinary research teams was personally rewarding and helped them grow professionally. For instance, James Sobczak, who served as the librarian on a U-LINK team addressing the need for improved coastal resilience in the face of climate change, commented that:

“Not only did U-LINK provide me with a direct opportunity to learn and engage with new science and engineering faculty, but it also allowed me to learn more about research practices and information needs across the wider university. I could then translate this ‘hands-on’ experience with faculty conducting active research into my daily practice as a librarian. Helping to organize, collect, and communicate a variety of research outputs generated by the team provided a testing ground to experiment with new collaboration tools and workflows.”

To get the most value from librarian involvement, we recommend that interdisciplinary researchers:

• include librarians on teams as early as possible in the team-formation process
• involve librarians in all team meetings and interactions, and
• value the librarians’ skills in listening, connection-making and collaboration, as well as their expertise in information and information-seeking behaviors.

What has your experience been with librarians participating in interdisciplinary research teams? Are there additional contributions that librarians can make? Are you aware of any pitfalls to be avoided?

To find out more about U-Link, the University of Miami’s Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge initiative, see: https://ulink.miami.edu/

This blog post is based on a lightning talk presented at the 11 th Annual International Science of Team Science Conference , in June 2020, which was a virtual conference. For more on the conference see: Applying human-centered design to virtual conference planning by Kristine Glauber, Ben Miller and Christine Ogilvie Hendren https://i2insights.org/2020/09/15/human-centered-conference-design/ .

Biography: Kelly Miller PhD is Associate Dean for Learning and Research Services at University of Miami Libraries in Coral Gables, Florida, USA. Her interests include emerging librarian roles, designing library spaces and services to support learning and research, and the beneficial role that libraries can play in supporting health and well-being .

Biography: Kineret Ben-Knaan MA MIS is Research and Assessment Librarian at University of Miami Libraries in Coral Gables, Florida, USA. Her interests include understanding, predicting, and accommodating user needs, as well as enhancing organizational effectiveness .

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19 thoughts on “how librarians contribute to interdisciplinary research teams”.

• Pingback: CNI Fall 2020 Membership Meeting: Exploring Roles for Librarians on Interdisciplinary Research Teams: A Collaboration between the University of Miami’s Office of Research and Libraries

I appreciated this post about the role of librarians in research teams. The journal (I co-edit) “Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies” regularly publishes on teams, but none has included a librarian that I can recall. It makes so much sense. In another vein, when my undergraduate program started including regular planned sessions with a librarian in our required interdisciplinary courses, the courses and student learning got better. The librarian now knows our courses and has become a critical part in their delivery.

Thank you, Sven, for making the connection with the journal, “Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies.” We think this is an area for further inquiry, so perhaps there is an opportunity for future publications on the topic?

And it’s wonderful to hear that the presence of a librarian in your undergraduate program has made such a difference. Here’s to ongoing collaboration that benefits student learning!

Although it does not deal specifically with teamwork, the 1992 volume of the AIS journal focused on information access. It was rich in librarians’ insights about interdisciplinary. Would be great to think about another special issue on the role of librarians since it’s nearly 20 years later now (Gasp!). Here’s the link to ISSUES publication:

https://interdisciplinarystudies.org/volume-10-1992/

Future publications? Absolutely Kelly. My co-editor and I would be happy to see ideas or submissions from you or others reading this. And thanks for the shout-out dighummama. The journal website is here: https://interdisciplinarystudies.org/issues/ . You will see a stellar international editorial board (incl. Gabriele 🙂 and instructions for authors. We are looking for submissions now to peer-review for the 2021 volumes (we are published by Texas Tech UP).

I join others in being pleased to see this posting about librarians. If I may, I’d add a fourth attribute. They are bellwethers of change. Users from multiple disciplines, fields, professions, and communities arrive at their doorsteps and screens with needs and interests at the forefront of change. That puts librarians on the frontline of addressing complex problems and questions through crossdisciplinary searching and collection building. I’d add that when I wanted to start a crossdisciplinary Digital Humanities Collaboratory on my campus I located it wthin the library. The Technology Resource Center at the time had a talented team of web designers who were working with other specialist librarians to craft forward-looking research projects and educational resources.

Thank you for sharing your insights and experience with us. Yes, I agree that librarians serve as “bellwethers,” in part, due to their position at the crossroads of campus intellectual life and technological change. And it’s wonderful that you found a home in the library for your Digital Humanities Collaboratory and were able to get the expert support you needed there.

Excellent point! Librarians definitely have a unique vantage point for recognising innovations and trends as they are happening and pollenating other domains with these developments.

“Pollenating” is a great metaphor, Caryn, for the ways librarians incubate and crossfertilize ideas.

Thank you so much for all the beautiful comments. Librarians hold unique qualities and have experience that can help interdisciplinary research teams overcome challenges. In addition, librarians play a dual role in research teams. They function both as contributors and coordinators, connecting their team members to resources and the array of services and spaces that libraries have to offer.

This work was such a great contribution to the 2020 SciTS Conference. The concept of librarians “serving as connectors and…helping the teams cohere and engage more meaningfully” really strikes a chord for me. As a science communicator, I try to perform this role as well, in my own way. I think more and more researchers are coming to understand that including professionals like librarians and communicators in their teams can add immense value!

We appreciate your kind comments about our 2020 SciTS Conference presentation, Ben! For other readers, who are interested in seeing our lightning presentation at the June conference, here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-0hmgLXd_4&feature=youtu.be

And thank you for letting us know that the idea of librarians as connectors resonated with you! We definitely think it’s an area for further exploration.

I am so pleased to see this post about librarians and interdisciplinary research. Based on my experience developing libraries all over the world, editing a library & information science research journal, and teaching many aspects of librarianship, I agree whole-heartedly with the points made by these authors and previous commenter.

I would like to dive a little deeper on two reasons why librarians are uniquely trained and experienced to make the contributions mentioned.

Librarians are rarely fully appreciated for their skills as “knowledge brokers” and not just knowledge finders. Brokering is about facilitating the exchange of resources and providing connections, which requires broad networks of both information and people. Academic libraries, even specialist ones, provide specific and personal services to hundreds, if not thousands, of scholars, students, and teaching faculty each semester. As a result, most librarians have some of the largest and most diverse personal networks in the university and experience with a large variety of research scenarios. This is what makes them valuable assets for connecting research teams to experts and resources across disciplines.

Another important librarian skill rarely discussed outside our field, can be summed up in what we call “the reference interview”: determining what information is really needed by the patron/scholar. As all librarians know, the question someone asks is frequently very different from the information they actually need. Every accredited librarian has completed a required course in “Reference”, much of which trains librarians in how to communicate with people in order to identify what their real information need is, regardless of what question they start with.

In many ways, we librarians are like psychologists. We know how to use iterative communication processes to ask the right questions and interpret language, behaviour, and context in order to determine what the real problem is. As such, most librarians are exceptionally skilled in “reading” a variety of personality types and circumstances. Like a parent who can instantly determine whether their child is crying because they are hurt, hungry, frustrated or tired, identifying fundamental information needs is second nature for librarians.

Combine these interpretative and problem-solving communication skills with librarians’ vast networks, and it is easier to see how and why librarians can be so valuable in connecting interdisciplinary teams with valuable experts and resources, in facilitating more effective collaboration and communication, and in providing useful insight from a much larger and holistic view of the research.

Thank you, Caryn, for sharing your thoughtful observations on our post! We agree that librarians’ networks, experience, and reference-interview training add to their value as team members on interdisciplinary research teams.

Thank you for this post. I am a librarian who has worked with a number of research teams. And I wholeheartedly agree with everything written. Another advantage of working with librarians is that we often have a more holistic view of the research being conducted by the team. This big picture view can be helpful and can be used to see connections and solutions to problems that aren’t always obvious to someone immersed in the research being conducted.

Thane runs the WordPress blog “kusp fyi: what’s new in the world of KT (knowledge translation), QI (quality improvement) and aging”: [Moderator update – In March 2024, this link was no longer available and so the link structure has been left in place but the active link deleted: kuspfyi.com]. Another great example of what librarians can contribute.

Thank you, Thane, for the work you are doing on research teams! And it’s so interesting to learn more about KT, QI, and aging via your website that Gabriele kindly shared.

Thanks to you both.

Thank you, Thane, for your encouraging comments! We agree that librarians offer unique perspectives that can lead to creative connections and solutions.

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Your current subscription allows you to be actively logged in on up to three (3) devices simultaneously. click on continue below to log out of other sessions and log in on this device., librarians can help make research assessment more effective. here’s how.

Research assessment, or the process that universities use to measure the value of published papers and other research outputs, plays a critical role in hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions. It can have a profound effect on the job stability and reputation of researchers. 

Research assessment, or the process that universities use to measure the value of published papers and other research outputs, plays a critical role in hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions. It can have a profound effect on the job stability and reputation of researchers. With such high stakes involved, it’s important for universities to get this process right—and librarians can help their institutions achieve this goal.

For years, the key metric that many institutions used in assessing the value of research was the Journal Impact Factor, a figure designed to measure the relative importance of a journal within its field.

However, this approach to research assessment is problematic. 

In using the Journal Impact Factor, “you’re putting too much emphasis on the venue where the article is published,” says Joseph Lerro, open research business development manager for Taylor & Francis Group. “You’re not considering the actual article itself.”

A better way

In 2012, a group of editors and publishers of scholarly journals met during the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting in San Francisco to address the need for improving research assessment practices. The group developed a set of recommendations, referred to as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment ( DORA ).

DORA called on universities and funding agencies to assess research on its own merits, rather than on the basis of the journal in which it’s published. 

“Measures like these are more indicative of what a research article can add to the scientific record,” Lerro observes.

How librarians can help

As information science experts who have a broad understanding of the research publishing landscape, librarians are well positioned to help their institutions use altmetrics to improve the research assessment process.

“One way they can assist is by providing support and education to the people who are conducting research reviews to help them understand the various metrics available and the pros and cons of using each one,” Lerro says. 

By familiarizing themselves with altmetric tools, creating databases or knowledge articles with research assessment resources, and having conversations with Research Office staff and assessment boards, librarians can ensure their institution is taking a more holistic approach to research assessment.

“Librarians can help their universities put together the most comprehensive system possible, one that paints a clearer picture of the practical, real-world impact of research outputs,” Lerro says.

Publishers also play a role

Academic publishers also play a key role in supporting better research assessment. For instance, Taylor & Francis and its  F1000   open research platform display altmetrics for each published article to help researchers and institutions understand the impact of their work.

Lerro will be co-presenting an October 25 Library Journal webinar on the future of research assessment—and the role of librarians in shaping it—along with Liz Allen, director of strategic initiatives for F1000; Sheila Craft-Morgan, research impact librarian and assistant professor at Ohio State University; and Michael Levine-Clark, dean of the University of Denver Libraries.

During this free, one-hour event, titled “Responsible research assessment: How librarians can help drive change,” the panel will reflect on how research assessment works today—and how librarians can help transform it for the better. To learn more or register, click here .

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