RE-246347-OLS-20 Advancing Systematic Review Practices beyond the Health Sciences: Training Librarians to Support Evidence Synthesis in Emerging Contexts

Abstract

Application for IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Cornell University, and Carnegie Mellon University will recruit and train up to 120 librarians in systematic review processes and practices. A systematic review is a research method in which a team formulates a research question and applies a systematic and transparent method to search, select, and appraise existing literature for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to make evidence-based decisions. The use of systematic reviews and related methods are growing rapidly, particularly in the life sciences and social sciences. However, librarians working in these disciplines lack training in providing support for this type of research. To fill this gap, collaborators will deliver six institutes over three years, which will equip academic and special librarians with a background in evidence synthesis methods and search strategy skills, enabling them to comply with established standards and meet researcher needs.