New Cochrane e-learning modules launched by Wiley Publishers
Wiley InterScience, the publishers for the Cochrane Library have just launched a new range of e-learning modules which are designed to provide quick and informative overviews of their products and services. If you would like to find out more about using and searching the Cochrane Library, simply click on the links below and begin.
The Cochrane Library : An Introduction (8 minutes)
Tips on Advanced and MESH searching (7 minutes)
These modules are extremely quick and easy to use lasting no more than a few minutes each. Please ensure that the audio on your computer is switched on while viewing the module.
A new Cochrane Library User Guide has just been launched
Download the new Cochrane Library User Guide
About the Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Collaboration is a not-for-profit and independent organisation dedicated to making up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of healthcare interventions readily available worldwide. It produces and disseminates systematic reviews of healthcare interventions in over fifty topic areas and makes them available as The Cochrane Library. In 2002, Ireland became the first country to provide free national access to the Cochrane Library, an initiative co-funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the Research and Development Office (RDO) in Northern Ireland. In addition to providing and promoting free national access, the HRB and RDO have developed an annual series of training courses in conjunction with the UK Cochrane Centre and a fellowship scheme to allow health professionals, researchers and policy makers protected time to develop their capacity in conducting systematic reviews.
Access the Cochrane Library here
If you have any questions about Cochrane in Ireland, please contact HSLG Cochrane Liaison Officer, Fiona McCarthy
The Cochrane Library Search enhancements on Wiley InterScience launched on Monday, June 26th
Useful links for more information
1. General Information on these enhancements can be found in the Release Notes Page of the Cochrane Homepage at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/mrwhome/106568753/ReleaseNotes.html
2. Detailed information for each features is available in the search enhancement FAQ at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/homepages/106568753/search_faq.doc
3. For users with saved searches, in addition to the above FAQ, a powerpoint presentation is also available for those interested in converting older searches to the new format http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/homepages/106568753/ConvertingSavedSearches.ppt
XIV Cochrane Colloquium, Dublin October 23rd - 26th 2006
The Cochrane Colloquium is the Annual Conference of the Cochrane Collaboration and since it’s inception in 1993, it holds an established place in the Cochrane Calendar. The Colloquium provides a unique opportunity to celebrate what has been achieved within the Collaboration to date and to assess how it can continue to grow and evolve in the future.
It was with great anticipation that we received the news that the Cochrane Colloquium was to be held in Ireland for the very first time. The event which was hosted by the UK Cochrane Centre and the Health Research Board was held in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin on October 23rd-26th 2006.
More than 800 Health Practitioners, Patients, Information Specialists, Carers and Policy Makers converged on Dublin in October 2006 for this major event. The Colloquium this year also had an interactive theme as some of the conference proceedings were also beamed to thousands of people via the Internet. The sheer volume of people attending the Colloquium highlighted the global scale of the Cochrane Collaboration and the important impact of research evidence in relation to everyday healthcare decisions.
The Colloquium kicked off on Monday, 23rd October with a special “All Ireland Cochrane session” which focused specifically on the development of Cochrane within the Island Of Ireland. The day provided an interesting and fruitful discussion from a variety of speakers with diverse interests in Cochrane and was very well attended by Health Librarians.
The next few days were jam packed with a wide range of meetings, workshops, parallel and plenary sessions. The schedule was so tight that many of the sessions ran simultaneously and most participants found themselves hopping in and out of conference rooms trying to pack everything in! The “Meet the Entities” sessions provided an opportunity to meet old friends and also make new ones. There was also one to one instruction available on different areas of Cochrane. Over 160 posters were displayed at the Colloquium which explored current work and research undertaken by Colloquium participants and their colleagues. One of the highlights of the plenary sessions was the thought provoking talk given by Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland on human rights issues relating to tackling the AIDS pandemic.
The contribution of Health Librarians to the Cochrane Collaboration was highlighted in the workshop facilitated by Joanne Callinan entitled: “Librarians: facilitators in the Cochrane process” Joanne is the Librarian in St Vincents Centre, Navan Road, Dublin and is also currently in the process of conducting a Cochrane review. This workshop was very well attended by a Health Librarians from a variety of nationalities and from diverse work environments. The theme gave rise to a very fruitful and interesting debate. The results of this discussion are displayed at the end of this article.
The Colloquium took on a light hearted theme in the evenings when participants were able to partake in numerous social activities; an ideal way to unwind after the buzz of the daytime activity. The overseas delegates were able to avail of genuine Dublin hospitality and were treated to a number of cultural events such as a trip to the Guinness Storehouse and the traditional conference dinner, complete with Irish dancers and a live band.
The XIV Dublin Colloquium culminated in the closing plenary session when Alvaro Atallah invited participants to the next Colloquium in 2007 which will be held in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The general consensus among delegates seemed to be that the Dublin Colloquium had provided new challenges, information and subjects for debate. On a lighter note, it was also a time to get re-acquainted with old friends, possibly make new ones and enjoy the “craic” that Dublin had to offer. It is now time to look forward to Sao Paolo, Brazil, in 2007. Registration is now open for the upcoming Colloquium and can be accessed at www.colloquium.info
DISCUSSION RESULTS FROM "LIBRARIANS: FACILITATORS IN THE COCHRANE PROCESS?", COCHRANE COLLOQUIUM 2006
Workshop participants were asked to discuss 5 central points relating to Librarian’s contributions to the Cochrane Collaboration. These are the results.
Q1 Define the key roles Librarians have in the Cochrane Collaboration
Trial search co-ordinators - Register of trials
- Hand searchers- Hand-searching key journals, proceedings etc.
- Authors- ?Writing and editing reviews
- Information Retrieval Methods Groups
- Cochrane Library user group
- Educator:
- Training their users to search the Cochrane Library
- Training / Teaching e.g. review authors to search specific databases
- Focusing the question
- Raising awareness
- Promoting Cochrane Library
- Developing searches & comprehensive literature searching
- Providing access to databases, e-journals, and other sources
- Collaborating with experts in the field
Q2. What skillset do librarians possess that is useful in the Cochrane Process?
Ability to formulate research questions- Literature searching skills
- Knowledge of identifying key information resources
- Developing search strategies
- Knowledge of information sources
- Knowledge of databases for other information resources e.g. grey resources
- Searching skills
- Knowledge of information retrieval and advanced searching techniques
- Understanding of database structure/language, different interface
· Information management and Information literacy skills
- Training skills
- Training and enabling the other team members to search for evidence
· Document delivery
· Recording and documenting the search results (reference management software)
· Report writing
· Advocates for evidence-based health care
- Communication skills and interpersonal skills
- Facilitation skills
- Critical appraisal
- Subject knowledge
- Organization
- Attention to detail
Q3. What skills do librarians require to enable us to contribute more?
Skills in research methodology
- Critical appraisal skills
- Detailed reference-interview techniques
- More knowledge of Cochrane Collaboration
- Trainer the trainer sessions
- Systematic review courses – methods and data extraction
- Reference manager
- English for non-native speakers
- Understanding of statistics
- Promoting the benefit of involving a librarian
- Inter-professional networking
- Confidence
- Intra-professional support and networking
Q4. What are the potential barriers that discourage/inhibit librarians from becoming (more) involved?
· Lack of time
· No funding
- Stereotyping:
- Perception of others of the librarian’s role,
- That the librarian is not needed
- Subject knowledge
- Lack of inter-professional support
- Lack of funding for training
- Lack of support from managers
- Failure
Q5 Outline useful ways that we as librarians could overcome these difficulties
· Seek new funding opportunities
· Participation in collaborative activities
· Network with other systematic reviewers (mailing lists, blogs, conferences, workshops)
· Do research,publish- collaborate –other librarians, interdisciplinary
· Take greater responsibility for our own CPD
- Seek training opportunities
- Share training resources
- Consult
- Marketing our skills and raising awareness of the librarian role
- Accept new roles and opportunities
- Attend Cochrane Colloquium and /or local/ national conferences
- Promote skillset during training
- Develop self-efficacy
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