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!