Medical Reference Services Quarterly最新文献

Examining the strategic selection and utilization of library resources by medical students could enhance library services for this demographic. A narrative case study focused on a medical student who served as a medical library assistant for three years. Analyses were directed by particular questions. Discussions address the effectiveness of library resources in fulfilling medical students' information needs, potential areas for enhancement, and directions for future research. Libraries are essential for addressing the information needs of medical students. This case study demonstrates methods to enhance library services in response to the evolving educational needs of future physicians.

Recent results show that Health Sciences and Medical Librarians have increasingly been asked to support their institutions since the NIH data sharing guidance in the last decade. This study aims to assess health sciences librarians' data skills based on the conceptual framework developed by Federer and how hteya re able to solve any gaps in knowledge or training. In this cross-sectional survey, we are looking to determine if the health science libraries are adjusting to the demands of medical data preservation and sharing support and to determine whether health sciences librarians perceive there to be a need for increased assistance for these emerging responsibilties. This study will also examine what particular areas need support (i.e. data visualization, data preservation, or supporting an institutional respository).

This manuscript introduces a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted prompt template designed to help users translate their self-compiled keyword lists into database-ready, syntactically correct search strategies. The template is supported by detailed, step-by-step guidance for executing and managing searches across major databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. A small pilot test with three independent reviewers demonstrated that the workflow was usable and generated search strategies that ran without syntax errors. The complete two-part prompt and accompanying resources are openly available at https://github.com/ResearchCore/prompt2query.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that hiring managers and hiring committees are seeing small numbers of applicants for vacancies at their health sciences libraries, making recruitment difficult. Several challenges are often cited for this, but little has been said about geographic considerations. Our objective was to analyze early career health sciences job postings in the United States for one year, and identify any geographic disparities relevant to recruitment. We explored medical and health science librarian job postings from MLA's website, ALA's joblist, medlib-l, and caucus listservs, which were compiled from January to December 2023. Early career postings were determined based on predefined criteria. Based on the medical/health science librarian job postings from 2023, there were 216 total postings including 105 early career positions (requiring one year or less of experience), reflecting approximately 49% of all job postings during this period. A plurality of early career postings (27%) were located in the Mid-Atlantic region while the fewest (5%) were from the Mountain West. Researchers analyzed the early career postings finding that instruction (67%) and reference (58%) duties were most prominent. Geography is important, as a new LIS graduate living in a region with fewer opportunities may be forced to move in order to obtain a medical library position, and optimal approaches to recruitment will vary depending on the employer's location. As this highlights just one aspect of the challenge, there are further research directions that may be taken from this analysis.

Scientific studies conducted without adhering to ethical principles or without obtaining necessary approvals may lead to retractions, thereby undermining both scientific credibility and public trust. This study examines Retractions due to Ethical Violations or Lack of Approval (REVLA) in medical and allied disciplines, analyzing the trend over time, classifying the reasons for retractions, and explaining how they are communicated. REVLA published between 2003 and 2022 were identified using Web of Science and Scopus. Reasons for retraction were extracted from the Retraction Watch Database (RWD). A total of 969 articles meeting the criteria were identified. Original research and clinical studies accounted for over 95% of REVLA. The number of retractions increased substantially in the last decade. 37.67% of REVLA are either under a paywall or unavailable on the journal pages. Papers on clinical practice constitute 57.79% of REVLA, followed by biological sciences (20.02%) and cancer research (15.69%). The analysis shows that no publishers or journals are immune to REVLA. Strengthening institutional review boards (IRB), imparting education on research and publication ethics, and ensuring public access to retraction notices and articles are essential to uphold research integrity. Stricter editorial vigilance and peer review are crucial to prevent the publication of ethically compromised studies, thereby reducing the need for future retractions.

Health sciences librarians play a critical role in supporting evidence synthesis, mostly systematic and scoping reviews. This paper reflects on the author's decade of evidence synthesis services (2015-2025). During this time, the author provided extensive support to the health sciences researchers, faculty, students, and staff at a large research university through consultation and collaboration on systematic and scoping reviews. The author discusses the roles undertaken, practice guidelines adhered to, information sources frequently searched, SR tools utilized, challenges encountered, and lessons learned throughout the experiences. The paper concludes with some recommendations for enhancing systematic review services in health sciences libraries.

Costs for UpToDate, the library's primary point of care clinical tool, had increased to half of the acquisitions budget but without user affiliation data to facilitate cost sharing. A working group led by librarians was formed to review alternatives. Surveys indicated users preferred UpToDate and renewal was recommended by the working group, with costs being shared between the academic unit and the hospital. These results showed that the library can effectively lead analysis projects with this level of visibility, but persuading users to consider alternatives to a trusted tool can be challenging.

The health sciences librarian and data management librarian partnered with a health professions faculty member to develop integrated library instruction for a distance PhD dissertation seminar. The librarians employed a variety of best practices techniques for maximizing adult learning, adapted the course for each cohort, and maintained the librarians' presence in the course, even after the COVID-19 pandemic forced permanent changes in hybrid instruction. Feedback from faculty and cohorts is continuously sought, and library instructors are looking to future implications for library instruction with the advent of new technologies, such as affordable course content and generative artificial intelligence.

Health sciences librarians are increasingly assuming the role of instructional partners, with a core responsibility to teach evidence-based practice (EBP) skills that go beyond basic information retrieval. Like information literacy, EBP skills are built on critical thinking. This column explains how health science librarians can use thinking routines to enhance critical thinking abilities. Thinking routines are simple, adaptable strategies created by Harvard University's Project Zero as part of the Visible Thinking initiative. These routines provide structured yet flexible methods to support essential EBP, information literacy, and critical thinking skills.