Library research support services in China's universities of traditional medicine: Understanding user requirements

In this article, Ms Yihang Chen with her supervisor, Prof Lihong Zhou, reports on her MA in Library Science study aimed to identify user requirements of library research support services (RSS) at the universities of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China. This study adopted an inductive qualitative approach, employed as a case study and 14 TCM researchers and academic librarians using semi-structured interviews. The research findings point to 28 RSS requirements in five main themes: mastering, planning, project, publication and electronic preservation stages. Although this research is situated in China, it has implications for libraries worldwide in supporting research into holistic and indigenous medicine. F.J.