Involvement of medical librarians in systematic reviews: the case of the Network of African Medical Librarians (NAML)

Abstract

The study set out to examine the role of medical librarians in conducting systematic reviews in higher institutions of learning. The study was contextualized on 7 universities in Africa that are affiliated to the Network of African Medical Librarians (NAML). The study sought to: examine the ways in which the medical librarians support systematic reviews, the skills and competences required of medical librarians to conduct systematic reviews, the challenges facing medical librarians in conducting systematic reviews; and the strategies for improving the performance of medical librarians in conducting systematic reviews. The study was informed by the Neo-Institutional Theory developed by DiMaggio and Powell in 1983. An embedded mixed methods design was adopted. The main respondents were the medical librarians in NAML affiliated institutions. Their views were substantiated by inclusion of researchers as key informants. The medical librarians were selected using simple random sampling while both purposive and convenience sampling were used to select the researchers. The sample for this study was 64 respondents comprising 58 medical librarians and 6 researchers. Data were collected using focus interviews and questionnaires. Questionnaire data were analysed descriptively using charts, percentages, mean and standard deviation while interview data were analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Results revealed that medical librarians supported researchers carrying out systematic reviews with refining of research questions, publishing the protocols, deduplication of the searched materials, development of the search strategy and in drawing the flow diagrams among others. However, the study established that the medical librarians were not proficient in all the activities that are involved in producing systematic reviews research outputs such as meta-analysis, working knowledge about in-text and end-of-text citations across all the citation systems and proficiency in the use of the systematic reviews guidelines such as PRISMA, among others. As a result, the medical librarians faced a number of challenges including the inability to handle the changing dynamics in systematic reviews and full participation in studies that were focusing on meta-analysis. Amidst these challenges, the study equally established that if leadership of NAML developed a framework to guide medical librarians on the better methods of conducting systematic reviews, organizing refresher training, sending medical librarians to vestibule training centres and encouraging the researchers to include the medical librarians as co-authors among others, systematic reviews would greatly improve as the medical librarians would be motivated to take an active part in the execution of systematic reviews research process. The study concluded that medical librarians have greatly supported systematic reviews and therefore, it recommended that efforts ought to be taken to improve their skills and competences in the area as well as improving the levels of motivation.