Synthesising the literature: A Guide for Health Librarians

Abstract

To address the gaps between practitioners and researchers, it's crucial to acknowledge the unique strengths and roles of medical librarians. While they are adept at conducting searches and providing information, incorporating research into everyday operations can be more complex. In this presentation, I will outline how medical librarians can effectively synthesise literature to ensure that decisions are wellinformed and evidence-based within the library context. In this 20-minute presentation, I will provide step-by-step guide to the synthesis process itself in scoping review or rapid review in library context. Synthesis involves reviewing and integrating data extracted from individual studies in a unique manner. It entails drawing conclusions by identifying similarities, differences, patterns, directions, and themes that emerge across the studies (Buchholz, & Dickins, 2023). Through this presentation, attendees will: • Learn practical techniques for synthesising data from various studies to generate novel perspectives and solutions relevant to Library context. • Acquire best practices for organising and disseminating synthesised literature effectively to support informed decision-making in library context. Presentation outline: • Objectives • Begin the Synthesis process • Review the protocol • Review the extracted data • Reflect on the initial findings • Describe the data narratively • Generate new ideas