Sandra McKeown

Sandra McKeown is a Health Sciences Librarian at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where her main liaison areas are postgraduate medicine and public health sciences. Prior to becoming an academic librarian in 2016, she spent eight years working as a hospital librarian at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario. Sandra has over 15 years of experience supporting knowledge synthesis activities and led the development of a formalized knowledge synthesis library service at Queen’s. She advocates for high quality synthesis methods and reporting in her role at Queen’s and has presented and published on various systematic review topics at local and international conferences. Scholarly profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2728-6702 Email: sandra.mckeown@queensu.ca


Intervention

04/06
15:50
20minutes
The development of a freely available module series introducing researchers to all stages of the systematic review process
Sandra McKeown

Introduction: Many libraries continue to grapple with the growing demand for systematic review support and how to address gaps in researcher knowledge. Our previously reported survey results of Ontario medical schools and affiliated hospitals found that all 13 library respondents would find free online modules useful for supporting researchers conducting systematic reviews. Description: Our interprofessional team developed a module series that introduces all stages of the systematic review process. The module series is accredited for continuing professional development by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada and the College of Family Physicians Canada. Outcomes: Individual modules have been posted online via Queen’s University Library as they are created and links to the modules have been shared with the health sciences library community via listservs. Researchers at Queen’s who contact the library for systematic review support are referred to the content, and all students are required to complete the module on searching and submit proof of a knowledge check task before meeting with a librarian. While usage statistics for the modules have been high, it’s apparent during librarian consultations that many researchers are still unclear of the process and that students may not be doing the required module on searching. Discussion: Modules cannot replace the value that direct support from librarians, biostatisticians, or methodology experts can provide, however, they may help with addressing researchers’ gaps in the systematic review process and offer libraries and institutions a more efficient way of familiarizing researchers with best practices for performing a high-quality review.

Knowledge Synthesis
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