Meeting the unique information needs of
clinical and translational researchers: assessment,
preparation, and intervention
Michele R. TennantAssistant Director, Health Science Center Libraries
Bioinformatics Librarian, UF Genetics Institute
Jennifer A. LyonClinical Research Librarian, Health Science Center Libraries
Rolando Garcia-MilianBasic Biomedical Sciences Librarian, Health Science Center Libraries
Hannah F. NortonLiaison and Reference Librarian, Health Science Center Libraries
Cecilia E. BoteroAssociate Dean of the George A. Smathers Libraries and
Director of the Health Science Center Libraries
UF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute
• Grant awarded in 2009• Over 800 investigators from all 16 of UF’s colleges• Medicine, journalism, law, arts and sciences, etc.
• Provost provided “Clinical Research Librarian” position to work with CTSI
Clinical Research Librarian
• Works closely with RKRS• Participated in CTSI strategic planning• Instruction in CTSI programs:• Summer “Introduction to Clinical and Translational
Research” class for faculty (additional librarians work with small groups)
• CTSI MD/PhD students• CTSI administration staff
• Go-to person for CTSI information needs
2011 Online Assessment - CTSA Librarians
• Purpose – learn more about information services offered at libraries affiliated with institutions awarded CTSAs
• Sent only to library directors and librarians at such libraries – facilitated assessment
• Limitation – left out non-US and non-CTSA libraries in which clinical and translational researchers are served
2011 Online Assessment – What we Learned
• Traditional librarian roles such as expert searching and instruction are important services for translational research
• Although library support for bioinformatics, data curation and collaboration were seen as important, actual support lagged behind
• New roles related to community engagement and research impact were identified
NNLM/SEA Funded Study
• Use online assessment, interviews and focused discussion to understand the information needs of UF CTSI researchers• General information needs• Information needs related to data*• Information needs related to bioinformatics
• Use online assessment to identify services provided by other libraries (update 2011 assessment)*
NNLM/SEA Funded Study
• Train UF HSCL librarians in areas identified through assessment• Systematic reviews*• Assessing research impact*• Assisting with CTSA renewal process*
• Use new knowledge to create effective and innovative services for the UF CTSI community
Internal Data Needs Assessment
• 20 question IRB-02 exempted online assessment• Questions developed in collaboration with:• Director of UF’s High Performance Computing Center• Digital Library Center
• E-mailed to over 800 UF CTSI investigators• Open for one month• 59 respondents; 7.1% response rate
What we Learned
• Multiple types of data collected:• Medical (69%), numerical (62%), tabulated (48%), molecular (42%),
text (38%)• Stored in multiple ways:
• Unit network (79%), personal computer (39%), external hard drive, DVD, CD (35%), institutional storage (31%)
• 96% of researchers are willing to share with immediate collaborators, but only 35% are willing to share with others in their field
• 68% plan to share their data through journal publication, while 22% make them available on request. 10% won’t share data
What we Learned
• How long should data be stored?• Raw: 6-10 years• Working: 1-5 years• Processed: 6-10 years
• BUT:• 22% (raw data), 8% (working data), and 18% (processed data) should
be saved FOREVER
• While the greatest needs reported by researchers involved computing expertise and storage capacity, 44% indicated that training on data management, and 51% data management systems for data organization – roles that can be filled by librarians and libraries
External Librarian Assessment
• Updated 2011 online assessment of CTSA librarians• Used what we learned in 2011:• Assessing research impact• Facilitating researcher collaboration• Community outreach/consumer health
• Expanded focus to include non-CTSA institutions• Sent to multiple email lists:• MEDLIB-L, MolBio-SIG, Informationist SIG, CTSA-Lib, ACRL,
SLA-DBIO, CANMEDLIB, the UK’s LIS-MEDICAL
External Librarian Assessment
• Primarily covered seven areas of service provision:• Searching (literature, systematic reviews, impact*)• NIH Public Access Policy/Open Access• Institutional Repositories (or their equivalents)• Community Engagement/Consumer Health*• Data Management, Curation• Bioinformatics Support• Facilitating Research Collaboration; Profiling Tools
What we Learned
• 120 responses • US, UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, Serbia, Iran, India
• 50.9% of respondents work in libraries affiliated with a CTSA institution (n=114)
• 88.9% work with CTS researchers (n=108) • 8.6% were involved in the development of the
institution’s CTSA application (n=58) • 22.8% have been involved in the renewal (n=57)
(20% not yet applied for renewal)
• 30.3% are officially affiliated with the CTSI (n=53)
Searching Services (n=85)
No Searching Services
IACUC Search
Teach Critical Appraisal
Assist with Systematic Reviews
Train to Search for Impact
Search for Research Impact
Expert/Critical Appraisal
Perform General Lit Search
Assist Search Strategies
Teach Searching
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
1.20%
21.20%
31.80%
44.70%
51.80%
52.90%
54.10%
83.50%
87.10%
89.40%
IR (n=80); Open Access/Public Access (n=84)
No OA Services
No NIH PA Services
Submit to PMC
Provide Info on NIH PA
Provide General OA Info
No Institutional IR
Have IR, No Services
Submit to IR
Provide IR Instruction
Provide General IR Info
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
11.90%
26.20%
11.90%
57.10%
67.90%
33.80%
25.00%
12.50%
25.00%
41.30%
Community/Consumer Health Services (n=84)
No CHI/CommEngage Services
Employed as CHI Specialist
Modify Docs for Literacy Levels
Facilitate Comm/Res Partnerships
Provide CHI Consultations
Partner in Community Collab
Training to Locate CHI
Provide CHI Info
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
28.60%
2.40%
15.50%
22.60%
27.40%
31.00%
40.50%
46.40%
Bioinformatics (n=84); Data Services (n=81)
No Data Services
Write DMPs
Manage or Curate Datasets
Teach Data Management/Curation
Provide Info on Other DMPs
Provide Info on NIH/NSF DMPs
Serve on Data Committee
No Bioinformatics Services
Create Resource Compilations
Provide Consultations
Provide Resource Instruction
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
65.40%
1.20%
4.90%
14.80%
16.00%
21.00%
23.50%
53.60%
31.00%
33.30%
34.50%
Facilitating Collaboration and Networking (n=75)
No NetWork/Collaboration Services
Organize or Host Networking Events
Library Hosts Networking/Profiling Tool
Teach Networking/Profiling Tool
Perform Network Analysis
Teach Network Analysis
Make 1-to-1 Connections/Referrals
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
46.70%
8.00%
9.30%
17.30%
17.30%
21.30%
22.70%
Training for Librarians
• MLA-approved CE courses “Introduction to Systematic Reviews” and “Advanced Systematic Reviews”
• Course developers and instructors Jan Glover and Karen Odato taught 11 HSCL librarians over 2 days
• Next steps:• Determine feasibility of developing and marketing
systematic review service given current staffing • Explore funding sources for tools such as EMBASE and
EndNote – or feasibility of service without tools• Explore likely impact of such a service
Training for Librarians
• Training in assessing and enhancing research impact and contributing to the CTSA renewal process
• Five HSCL librarians traveled to the Becker Medical Library at Wash U for training by Kristi Holmes and Cathy Sarli
• Next steps:• Develop sample packet of materials and present to CTSI
leadership• Explore funding sources for tools such as Scopus and
Essential Science Indicators• Integrate into CTSI evaluation team
What’s Next
• Complete general information and bioinformatics online needs assessments
• Perform interviews and focused discussions with researchers regarding general, data and bioinformatics information needs
• Take what we have learned and identify at least nine actionable needs
• Develop innovative and relevant services for UF’s CTSA community
This project has been funded in part with Federal funds from the
National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health,
under Contract # HHS-N-276-2011-00004-C
Thank you!