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Did I Write a Systematic Review?

Systematic reviews are time- and labor-intensive to produce. Even if the authors start with a PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)1 compliant protocol, and knowledge of current standards for producing systematic reviews,2 over the course of the project circumstances may lead to cutting corners in the review methods. The questions then are “Did I write a systematic review?” and “Have I met the standards to publish it as a systematic review?” To answer these questions, apply a tool for critical appraisal of systematic reviews to your article.

AMSTAR (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews)3 is a widely-used 11-item checklist for critically appraising systematic reviews. Potential for bias is considered as well as quality factors. A newer instrument, ROBIS (Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews),4 focuses only on assessing risk of bias in systematic reviews. Risk of bias is assessed in four domains—study eligibility for inclusion, identification and selection of studies for inclusion, data collection and study appraisal, and synthesis and findings—along with the overall risk of bias.

If your assessment reveals a significant risk of bias in your methods, you may want to consider publishing it as a review article rather than a systematic review, or investing more time in your review to raise its quality. If you decide to publish it as a review, state this clearly in your article. You may still include elements associated with systematic reviews in your article, such as the search strategy used, tables summarizing the included articles and a PRISMA flowchart of the process, but be sure to indicate that you have produced a review article incorporating some systematic review methods into the process. This will save you from having to explain to a peer reviewer what type of article you have written.

For more assistance on publication standards and systematic reviews, please contact the HSLS Main desk at 412-648-8866 or Ask a Librarian.

References are available upon request by sending an e-mail to Barbara Folb.

~Barbara Folb

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ClinicalKey App Now Available

The ClinicalKey App provides evidence-based answers at the point of care. The app is available to Pitt and UPMC users through the HSLS subscription to the full ClinicalKey database.

Content and Features

The ClinicalKey App provides access to over 1,400 medical topics, MEDLINE abstracts, 600 full text journals, 1,000 textbooks, 4,500 practice guidelines, 2 million images, and 17,000 videos. Among the many evidence-based resources are First Consult and Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Continue reading →

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PubMed Tutorial for Nurses

Nurses: do you need a quick brush up on your PubMed skills? A new PubMed tutorial, developed specifically for nurses, is now available from the National Library of Medicine. Created in consultation with nurses and nursing librarians from around the United States, this series of five videos can be watched in less than 30 minutes and includes several interactive exercises to reinforce learning of basic concepts. Continue reading →

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Treasures from the Rare Book Room: What about Vesalius?

Last year, 2015, marked the 500th anniversary of the birth of the great anatomist Andreas Vesalius. This was celebrated around the world by many events and writings lauding his famous work, Humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1543). This book is arguably the greatest treasure in Falk Library’s Rare Book Collections. Our contribution to the festivities is more practical than spectacular in nature, but it still shows our appreciation and the care with which we look after the De Fabrica. We upgraded the five-line description, which for years served to identify the work in our public catalog, to “full cataloging.” It may seem like a minor step, but to have a record describing the details of the volume, which precisely identify the copy that we have in our collection, is a matter of increased security. It is nearly as important as our physical safekeeping of the book behind a locked door in a climate-controlled environment.

The new description reveals the details specific to our copy. It traces the provenance to the 1914 purchase of the volume from a German bookseller by Dr. James D. Heard. He later donated 147 books from his collection (including the Vesalius) to our library. The enhanced description identifies all pages with handwritten annotations. It also describes the original 16th century binding and the remnants of its closures, and relates the physical state of the volume. These details characterize elements that are unique to our copy, and that are helpful in identifying variants, e.g., noticeable differences between copies of the same edition due to the manual process of printing and binding. It gives detailed information on pagination and numbering errors. Also provided are notes about large folded plates and their placement.

Alternate link for catalog record animation.

The record for the second edition of Vesalius’ De Fabrica (1555), also held in Falk Library’s Rare Book Collection, received the same “anniversary upgrade” as the 1543 edition.

These materials can be viewed in the Rare Book Room by appointment.

~Gosia Fort

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HSLS Staff News

The HSLS Staff News section includes recent HSLS presentations, publications, staff changes, staff promotions, degrees earned, etc.

Publications

Author names in bold are HSLS-affiliated

Barbara Epstein, HSLS director, published “In Their Own Words: Oral Histories of MLA Past Presidents” in the Journal of the Medical Library Association, January 2016, 104(1): 3-14. This is the published version of her Janet Doe Lecture on the history or philosophy of medical librarianship, presented at the 115th Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association in Austin, Texas, on May 18, 2015.

Jonathon Erlen, history of medicine librarian, along with co-author Megan Conway, published “Disability Studies: Disabilities Abstracts” in The Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 2016, 11(4).

J. Rodakowski, E. Saghafi, reference librarian, M.A. Butters, and E.R. Skidmore, published “Non-pharmacological Interventions for Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early Stage Dementia: An Updated Scoping Review” in Molecular Aspects of Medicine, June-October 2015, 43-44: 38-53.

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Classes February 2016

HSLS offers classes on database searching, software applications such as Prezi, bibliographic management, molecular biology and genetics, and library orientations. For more information, visit the online course descriptions.

Classes are held on the first floor of Falk Library (200 Scaife Hall) in Classroom 1 and on the upper floor of the library in Classroom 2. All classes are open to faculty, staff, and students of the schools of the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, who will need a valid Pitt ID or e-mail account. They are also open to UPMC residents and fellows, who will need to show their UPMC IDs. Continue reading →

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Should I Publish in This Journal?

Have you ever received an e-mail inviting you to submit an article to a journal you don’t recognize? Or perhaps you have received an invitation to be the editor of an unfamiliar journal. Do you delete these e-mails or does the e-mail invitation spark your interest?

checkjournal

Some things to consider when approached by a journal: Continue reading →

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Which Data Repository to Choose?

Many journals and funding agencies are requiring researchers to deposit their data in publicly accessible databases or repositories. This not only helps to ensure the long-term accessibility and preservation of the data but also increases its discoverability and reuse.

The number of sustainable online repositories available to host and archive research data may seem overwhelming. Guidance for repository selection is offered below. Also available is the HSLS Data Management Repository Web site. Note: before selecting a repository, researchers should review the deposit directions and policies for the specific repository. Continue reading →

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“How-To” Talks by Postdocs, Now on YouTube

PostDoc_YouTube

“‘How-To’ Talks by Postdocs” are a collaboration between the HSLS Molecular Biology Information Service (MBIS), the Center for Postdoctoral Affairs in the Health Sciences, and any postdoc at the University of Pittsburgh conducting biomedical research.

Modeled after the MBIS workshops, instructors teach a 1-2 hour workshop in a computer classroom located in Falk Library. The topic can be ANYTHING related to health sciences, not specifically molecular biology or bioinformatics, as long as the talk is in a “how-to” style rather than a seminar. The MBIS works with postdocs to create a workshop that is a positive teaching experience for the postdoc, as well as instructive to attendees, who range from grad students to fellow postdocs to PIs to lab techs to clinicians. Although taught by postdocs, attendance at the workshops is open to one and all.

Postdoc instructors receive feedback on their teaching, a letter of acknowledgement from the HSLS library director, and an optional digital recording of their session with the opportunity to have it posted on the Pitt HSLS YouTube Channel. Previous “‘How-To’ Talks by Postdocs” that are available for viewing on YouTube include:

Postdocs–don’t miss a great chance to expand your teaching portfolio with this unique opportunity! Request a spot in the next round of “‘How-To’ Talks by Postdocs,” Winter/Spring 2016. Contact MBIS for more information.

~Carrie Iwema

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Snapshot — A Day in the Life of a Medical Librarian at HSLS

Unlike the conventional image of the library as a quiet sanctuary, most medical libraries are vibrant venues animated by the importance of in-depth scholarly research occurring there. Have you ever wondered what librarians actually do all day?

My first activity on November 11th was to complete a systematic review project into an EndNote Library culminating weeks of searching multiple databases. The searches retrieved articles on drug therapy for an intractable condition, assimilating evidence available world-wide to find new knowledge.

As I was preparing to send this to the requester, my e-mail pinged with two clinically-related searches from an affiliated physician. I asked the requester to prioritize the topics, so I could research the most important question first.

Continue reading →

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New Historical Marker Commemorates the Founding of the Medical Library Association

World’s oldest medical library association founded here in 1898 to facilitate access to reliable medical literature for the improvement of health care. Among the US and Canadian founders were George M. Gould, MD; Sir William Osler, MD; and Margaret R. Charlton, librarian.
World’s oldest medical library association founded here in 1898 to facilitate access to reliable medical literature for the improvement of health care. Among the U.S. and Canadian founders were George M. Gould, MD; Sir William Osler, MD; and Margaret R. Charlton, librarian.

Like many travelers, I frequently notice historical markers in small towns, in cities, and on roadsides. When I have time, I love to stop, read the marker and be reminded that history is all around us. Pennsylvania has over 2000 such markers and has a database to find ones in a given location or on a specific topic. On November 4, 2015, I had the unique pleasure of celebrating the unveiling of a new marker in Philadelphia. The marker commemorates the founding of the Medical Library Association (MLA), the national professional association of health sciences library and information professionals.

The marker was the brainchild of June Fulton, a fellow and past president of the Medical Library Association. When I asked Fulton what made her decide to apply for a historical marker, she provided the following explanation. Continue reading →

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HSLS Staff News

Barbara Epstein
Barbara Epstein

News

Congratulations to HSLS and NN/LM MAR Director Barbara Epstein who was elected President-Elect of the Medical Library Association. She will assume the position at the conclusion of the association’s annual meeting in May.

 

 

Melissa Ratajeski has been appointed to the position of Coordinator of Data Management Services. She will continue to serve as reference librarian and IACUC liaison. Continue reading →

This information is over 2 years old. Information was current at time of publication.

Classes January 2016

HSLS offers classes on database searching, software applications such as Prezi, bibliographic management, molecular biology and genetics, and library orientations. For more information, visit the online course descriptions.

Classes are held on the first floor of Falk Library (200 Scaife Hall) in Classroom 1 and on the upper floor of the library in Classroom 2. All classes are open to faculty, staff, and students of the schools of the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, who will need a valid Pitt ID or e-mail account. They are also open to UPMC residents and fellows, who will need to show their UPMC IDs. Continue reading →