Searching and Synthesis

Identifying credible resources and using them effectively to answer complex questions.  Bringing together information from a range of sources and disciplines to inform debates and decisions on specific issues. 

Literature searches

Librarians are the go-to resource when patrons need help finding what they’re looking for, or aren’t entirely sure what they’re looking for at all.

Hundreds of requests were fielded with prompt and expert assistance through askbecker@wustl.edu, over the phone phone and in person.

Systematic review service

Becker librarians are recognized as national experts in systematic review searching. This year, as their own systematic review service completed 29% more systematic reviews than the previous year, they offered their fifth annual Designing Search Strategies for Systematic Reviews course; a three-day synchronous workshop designed to instruct other librarians in these professional skills. The class attracted 19 students from across the United States, Canada and even as far away as Poland.  

Systematic review management software

In FY22, the library purchased Covidence, a management tool intended to streamline the review process, and made it available to systematic review teams. Over the year, 150 accounts were created.

Improved intake

A new webpage and intake form helped librarians handle requests for systematic reviews more efficiently, as well as better differentiate between types of reviews. 

Reciprocal webpage links were created to cross-reference between the library’s Systematic Review Service and the Division of Biostatistics’ Consulting Service, which is closely linked with Becker Library under the umbrella of the Office of Health Information and Data Science, and with which librarians frequently consult or cross-refer based on a patron’s assessed needs for consultation.

Educational sessions  

Librarians collaborated with faculty to provide evidence-based medicine instruction during Module One of the Keystone Curriculum. Throughout Phase One, librarians and faculty co-scored multiple self-directed learning assignments that impart skills for acquiring knowledge easily and skillfully throughout life.  

Librarians provided an evidence-based medicine instructional session to all medical students in Module One, Molecules to Society. Librarians also provided feedback for accompanying self-directed learning assignments that were co-scored with faculty.

Self-directed learning assignments assess each student’s ability to:

Identify a knowledge gap

Ask an answerable question

Judge the credibility of the resources and answers obtained

Explain how the answers obtained apply to the trigger for the question

Librarians participated in two clinical immersion assignments where each student formulated a question based on a patient seen during their hospital rotation. In Module Five, Metabolism & Reproduction, librarians again co-scored a self-directed learning assignment. 

For the first time, a Becker librarian also provided PubMed instruction for a torts class at Washington University School of Law.