The librarian's roles in the systematic review process: a case study

QUESTION/SETTING: Although the systematic review has become a research standard, little information addresses the actions of the librarian on a systematic review team.

This article is an observational case study that chronicles a librarian's required involvement, skills, and responsibilities in each stage of a real-life systematic review.

Examining the review process reveals that the librarian's multiple roles as an expert searcher, organizer, and analyzer form an integral part of the Cochrane Collaboration's criteria for conducting systematic reviews. Moreover, the responsibilities of the expert searcher directly reflect the key skills and knowledge depicted in the "Definition of Expert Searching" section of the Medical Library Association's policy statement, "Role of Expert Searching in Health Sciences Libraries."

Although the librarian's multiple roles are important in all forms of medical research, they are crucial in a systematic review. As an expert searcher, the librarian must interact with the investigators to develop the terms required for a comprehensive search strategy in multiple appropriate sources. As an organizer and analyzer, the librarian must effectively manage the articles and document the search, retrieval, and archival processes.