Introducing the Library of Guidance for Health Scientists (LIGHTS): A Living Database for Methods Guidance

Area of Science:

• Health Research Methodology
• Information Science

Background:

• Improving methodological quality is crucial in health research.
• Accessing relevant methods guidance is difficult due to inconsistent terminology and database indexing.
• The Library of Guidance for Health Scientists (LIGHTS) database was developed to address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Library of Guidance for Health Scientists (LIGHTS) database.
• To provide a centralized, searchable resource for methods guidance articles in health research.
• To enhance the discoverability and utilization of high-quality research methods information.

Main Methods:

• LIGHTS includes journal articles offering guidance on performing, reporting, and assessing health research quality.
• Eligible articles undergo continuous identification and manual indexing by a team of experts.
• Search strategies involve focused journal and database searches, alongside researcher suggestions.

Main Results:

• As of September 20, 2022, LIGHTS contained 1246 articles, categorized into reporting guidelines, quality assessment tools, and other methods guidance.
• The database features a user-friendly interface with filters for study type, methodological topic, research context, guidance type, and development process.
• Automated matching of alternative methodological terms improves search query effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• LIGHTS is a peer-supported initiative designed to improve access to and use of methods guidance.
• The database serves a wide audience, including researchers, statisticians, ethics boards, and journal editors.
• By consolidating and organizing methods guidance, LIGHTS aims to support better health research practices.