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Health librarians in research teams: Poles apart or a natural fit?

Health librarians in research teams: Poles apart or a natural fit?. Cecily Gilbert Health and Biomedical Informatics Centre University of Melbourne 18 September 2014. Two study questions:. What are the skills & competencies needed by Research Assistants in health?

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Health librarians in research teams: Poles apart or a natural fit?

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  1. Health librarians in research teams: Poles apart or a natural fit? Cecily Gilbert Health and Biomedical Informatics Centre University of Melbourne 18 September 2014

  2. Two study questions: • What are the skills & competencies needed by Research Assistants in health? • How do these compare with the skills & competencies of health librarians?

  3. Research Tasks • Analysed RA job advertisements – essential criteria only • Studied competencies for Australian health librarians • Compared competencies for each

  4. Key finding: In the Australian academic & health sectors there is significant overlap in competencies of RAs and health librarians.

  5. So What? • Is this a future direction for health librarians? • Implications for research, • library service, and librarians.

  6. Coming up: • Analysis of health RA job advertisements • Details of comparison with health librarian competencies • Implications - if health librarians have an active role in providing research assistance… • Reflections

  7. Results - 39 RA job advertisements in health • Advertised nationally January – July 2014 • Tertiary degree specified for all but one job: • Health, social or behavioural sciences 40% • ‘Relevant’ discipline 35% • 17 competencies in total: • 7 research-related • 10 generic skills or personal qualities

  8. Skills sought most frequently in RA jobs (60% or more): • Oral & written communication • Self-direction • Time management • Computer literacy • Research experience

  9. Literature searching, review, appraisal or synthesis = specified in 50% of jobs. • Skills sought less frequently (30% or less): • Data and statistical analysis • Data collection • Problem-solving • EndNote, teaching, project management

  10. Competencies for Health Librarians • Info technology & systems • Teaching and education • Research • Lifelong learning • Health care environment • Services to users • Manage info resources • Leadership and strategy Generic librarian skills – ALIA: communication critical & creative thinking ethics human resources ICT partnership building problem solving project management supervision teamwork

  11. RA and health librarian skills match in many areas • Very high correlation in generic skills • Also literature searching and EndNote • Good correlation for knowledge of research publications and grants • Possible correlation for • Research experience • Data collection • Data analysis • Health librarians’ research competency may include these

  12. If health librarians take an active role in providing research assistance: • embed roles as expert searcher and teacher of searching methods • enhance information management in research • gain broader research experience Research leaders gain access to • continuing staff • with RA expertise

  13. Personal experience as an RA Tasks:New? Acquire subject knowledge Yes Lit search & synthesis No/Yes Focus group Yes Online survey No Phone interviews No Analyse data Yes Permission to re-use images No/Yes Discussion paper No/Yes Proof-reading, publications No Admin for research team: Draft ethics application Yes Meetings & follow-up No Report to funder No

  14. Limitations • Advertisements - imperfect source • Vague wording in job descriptions • High-level wording in librarian competencies • Non-expert exploration

  15. Acknowledgements: Dr Kathleen Gray Research partners at HaBIC Health library colleagues Contact- cecilygilbert@yahoo.com.au

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