Research submission categories.

Abstract

The Journal of the Medical Library Association's (JMLA's) research submission categories have four subsections. Articles are positioned in subsections according to the strength of their research evidence. The strength of research evidence depends on the quality, quantity, and type of studies conducted. Levels of research evidence are a continuum. This is as true for library-related research as it is for clinical science, social science, and other disciplines. It is important to remind both makers of research results and users of research results of this fact. Systematic reviews of high-quality experimental studies provide the strongest evidence (both positive and negative) for research users in their library practice decisions. Next to them, controlled trials and cohort studies can provide strong evidence. Descriptive surveys and qualitative studies can provide important initial information. They can provide insights, stimulate discussion, and serve as a basis for generating outcome studies. The weakest evidence comes from expert opinions and commentaries. More than fifteen years ago, Jonathan Eldredge, AHIP, outlined levels for evidence-based librarianship (EBL) research and offered standards to be integrated into the health sciences librarian culture [1]. Evidence levels of EBL research ranged from high to low are: systematic reviews, randomized control trials, controlled-comparison studies, cohort studies, decision analysis, and qualitative research that includes focus groups, ethnographic observations, and historical analysis. To support the EBL process and make it clearer both for those who conduct research and for those who read research, the JMLA research submission categories now comprise the following four research category labels. These are essentially the same as the previous JMLA categories, except they are aligned more closely with the concept of levels of evidence. Please note that these levels apply to the strength of the evidence, not the quality of the research. People often confuse strength of evidence with quality of research. Very high-quality research can occur at each level.