Developing a code of practice for literature searching in health sciences: a project description

• Published in: The journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association Vol. 43; no. 1; pp. 12 - 27
• Main Author: Ballantyne Scott, Brooke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thunder Bay Canadian Health Libraries Association 01.04.2022; Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association; University of Alberta
• Subjects: Content analysis; De Recherche; Health sciences; Health services; Information science; Jargon; Librarians; Literature reviews; Medical libraries; Performance management; Professionals; Quality standards; Working groups
• ISSN: 1708-6892; 1708-6892
• DOI: 10.29173/jchla29409

Introduction: Libraries have provided mediated search services for more than forty years without a practice standard to guide the execution of searches, training of searchers, or evaluation of search performance. A pan-Canadian group of librarians completed a study of the literature on mediated search practices from 2014-2017 as a first step in addressing this deficit. Methods: We used a three-phase, six-part content analysis process to examine and analyze published guidance on literature searching. Card sorting, Delphi methods, and an online questionnaire were then used to validate our findings and build a code of practice. Results: Our code of practice for mediated searching lists eighty-five search tasks arranged in performance order, within five progressive levels of search complexity. A glossary of 150 search terms supports the code of practice. Discussion: The research literature on mediated search methods is sparse and fragmented, lacking currency and a shared vocabulary. A code of practice for mediated searching will provide clarity in terminology, approach, and methods. This code of practice will provide a unified and convenient reference for training a new hire, upholding standards of search service delivery, or educating the next wave of health library professionals.