Updated and Revised eLearning Module Available on Responsible Literature Searching

“Responsible Literature Searching for Research: A Self-Paced Interactive Educational Program” is an online module to teach clinical researchers the fundamentals of responsible literature searching for research practice.

In October 2015, the module was updated with new content and resources. To access the module, go to “Responsible Literature Searching” on the Internet-based Studies in Education and Research: University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences eLearning Environment Web site.

To view the module content, click on the Powered by HSConnect icon in the upper right corner and follow the directions to create your free access account.

Completion of this module is highly recommended for individuals involved in human subject research. It provides clinical researchers with knowledge of how to locate scientific literature to enable design of scientifically sound research studies and to protect human subjects from harm.

The program provides a framework, instruction, and guidelines on

1. accepted practices and principles associated with the biomedical literature search process;
2. identification and use of major information resources;
3. the role of HSLS resources and reference librarians in the literature search process;
4. the limitations of information resources; and
5. how to determine what is an adequate literature search for topics on drug safety and identification of adverse events.

This program was developed by the Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) with support from a contract granted through a cooperative agreement between The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The application by HSLS was sponsored by the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL). The author of this module is Charles Wessel, MLS, head of reference and research initiatives.

To learn more about this program, read “Evaluation of a Self-paced Learning Module to Teach Responsible Literature Searching for Research,” by Charlie Wessel, Nancy Tannery, and Barbara Epstein, in the Journal of the Medical Library Association, January 2010.