1. s
Research, Education, and
Clinical Support (RECS)
Division
Survey Questions
Library Guide
Home Page
Introduction
• Evidence-based information is
important for effective public health
practice.
• Training in and access to evidence-
based information is a challenge in
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
• There is a lack of “free-flow” of
scholarly information (1, 2).
• This has resulted in deficiencies in
public health research and
development in SSA (3).
• RECS is a division in the New York
University Health Sciences Library
(NYUHSL).
• Provides research, education, clinical
and patient support for effective and
efficient use of evidence-based
information and data.
• My internship project at the RECS
division was aligned strategically with
the goals of the division in providing
access to evidence-based public health
information for research in SSA.
Methods
• Used NYU Health Sciences Library (NYUHSL)
website to build evidence-based research library
guide (libguide)
• Used Qualtrics to create and distribute a 17-
question survey instrument to scholars in the CaRT
(SSA), and PRIDE (United States) programs,
through convenience sampling, to assess their
literature searching and review proficiency. The
survey contained both multiple-choice and text
entry questions.
•Used Qualtrics to report survey results on literature
searches and review proficiencies.
MPH Program
Competencies
Developed
• Developed skills in analyzing and
interpreting data through training in
Qualtrics.
• Realized the importance of easy
access to and use of evidence-based
information for healthcare.
• The libguide has enabled me to
provide evidence-based information, as
well as tools for research to
researchers.
include specific
Literature Cited
1. Ngobeni, S. (2010). Scholarly Publishing in Africa: Opportunities
& Impediments. South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa.
2. Ondari-Okemwa, E. (2007). “Scholarly Publishing in sub-
Saharan Africa in the Twenty-first Century: Challenges and
Opportunities.
3. Kavulya, J. M. (2007). “Digital Libraries and development in Sub-
Saharan Africa”, The Electronic Library, Vol. 25 Iss 3 pp. 299 –
315.
Acknowledgements
• Dorice Vieira MLS, MA, MPH
• Dr. Olugbenga Ogedegbe MD. MS, MPH,
FACP
• CaRT, PRIDE, and CSDS scholars and
faculty
• NYUHSL Staff
“Promoting and Evaluating Evidence-Based Public Health Online
Databases and Other Research Tools”
Student: Abigail Addison
Preceptor: Dorice Vieira
Organization: NYU Health Sciences Library
Internship Project
• Responsible for developing a web-based tool
(library guide) to provide evidence-based
information to scholars in the Cardiovascular
Research Training (CaRT) in SSA. Scholars
on the Programs to Increase Diversity Among
Individuals Engaged in Health-Related
Research (PRIDE) program were later
included. It is a program that addresses
challenges “junior investigators face in
establishing independent academic research
programs and negotiating academic ranks.”
• Assisted in planning and coordinating the
PRIDE short course.
Outcomes
• The response rate from the survey was
about 56%.
• 35 (66.04%) of participants rated their
proficiency in literature search as
intermediate (fig. 1).
• 35 (66.04%) of participants have never
conducted a literature review. (fig. 2).
---
• The evidence-based research guide is
ready and is being accessed by
scholars (fig. 3)
• Scholars have been sending in requests
for support of their research projects.
Discussion
• The libguide will improve the literature
searching and review proficiency of
scholars in SSA and help provide better
outcomes in their research by making
evidence-based information more
accessible.
• “Brain gain” replaces “Brain drain” by
bringing instruction and resources to the
point of need.
• Free flow barriers can be broken
through technology.
• Accessibility might be a challenge,
though, in areas where internet
connection is poor or absent.
• The libguide needs to be replicated at
another SSA site and where such
resources are scarce.
Fig. 2
Have you ever conducted a systematic
review?
Fig. 1
How would you rate your proficiency in
literature searching?