Leveraging Research Synthesis for Promoting and Expanding Library Services and Educational Programs

Abstract

Research synthesis (or systematic review) uses systematic techniques to comprehensively search, select, appraise, and summarize separate empirical studies to minimize bias in the review process. The past decade saw a growing interest in research synthesis in health sciences and other disciplines. Librarians as information professionals and knowledge workers are well poised to educate faculty and students about the systematic review as one type of research methodology and diffuse it into the traditional hypothesis-driven research discourse and undertakings. This article illustrates how a medical library at a medical school developed strategies to leverage research synthesis for expanding library services and educational programs.