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Literature Search Peer Review Buddy Scheme: Round 7 Now Open

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The HSLG Committee is pleased to announce Round 7 of the Literature Search Peer Review Buddy Scheme.

About the scheme

The scheme began in 2023 as a way for library staff and information specialists in Ireland to learn from each other about literature searching. It gives librarians who run searches a chance to meet peers and share expertise, which helps improve the quality of their searches.

How it works in Round 7

This round pilots a new activity. You act as a journal peer reviewer and appraise the search strategy of a published systematic review.

All librarians and information specialists based in Ireland are welcome to register. Once registration closes, you will be placed in a group of 4-5 participants. Your group will discuss your notes on the article’s search strategy. The PRESS Checklist 2015 (Table 9) can help you structure your appraisal, but you don’t have to use it.

Timeline

  • 1 to 20 October 2026: Registration is open.
  • 21 October: Participants are told their group and sent a link to the systematic review assigned to it. You will also receive instructions on how to plan your feedback.
  • 21 October to 1 December: Each participant appraises the search strategy of the assigned paper. Your group then arranges a 1-hour virtual meeting to discuss your approach and agree what to tell the journal editor. Everyone should contribute, and the group should aim to reach a joint conclusion.
  • After 1 December: One member of each group completes the evaluation form.

Register

Register for Round 7 here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/t/MHXAI4/

Courses · Events

Webinar: Moving Targets of AI in Systematic Reviews: Where Are We and How to Keep Up

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HSLG is hosting an online webinar on Thursday 26th November 2026, from 11:00 to 12:30 GMT. Register on Eventbrite.

Library clients’ questions and needs have expanded. Common questions include which tools to choose, how to use them correctly, and how to report their use. Assessing vendors’ claims independently is crucial, and health libraries are a trusted source of guidance in bridging the responsible-use gap between the tech’s rapid growth and the slow development of legal and ethical guardrails.

This webinar provides a practical guide to choosing appropriate search approaches, writing prompts, evaluating tools and their outputs, and teaching researchers how to use them responsibly.

Learning objectives

  • Distinguish the search types and explain their relevance to systematic reviews
  • Outline copyright and licensing considerations and identify relevant AI features
  • Describe selected prompt engineering techniques and frameworks
  • Identify key checks when choosing a tool for a systematic-review task
  • Recognise limitations of different AI approaches and identify appropriate checks on outputs
  • Outline a practical plan for keeping up with AI developments

About the speaker

Dr Farhad Shokraneh is Evidence Synthesis Manager at the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO), University of Oxford. He has a PhD in Medicine and has worked as an Evidence Scientist at King’s College London, University College London, UCLH, and Cambridge University. With 22 years of experience in evidence synthesis, he has led teams from five continents and delivered projects for organisations including WHO, UN, UNICEF, FDA, NHS, UK NIHR, Cochrane, AWMF, and NICE.

Courses

Wiley Cochrane Library training

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Cochrane&ESI

Cochrane and Evidence Synthesis Ireland are providing training from Wiley on the Cochrane Library on 29 September (Introduction) and 20 October (advanced) at 2pm, online: https://evidencesynthesisireland.ie/training/

Introduction course (29 Sept)

  • What’s in the Cochrane Library?
  • What’s new in the Cochrane Library?
  • How to run searches and browse content
  • How to set up alerts
  • Where to find help

Advanced course (20 Oct)

  • How to run advance searches
  • How to use the Search Manager
  • New PICO search
  • How to use MeSH

 

Also, from Evidence synthesis Ireland – Webinar, 12,00, 24 September 2020

Informing policy using mixed methods evidence reviews – Case studies from the Health Research Board’s Evidence Centre

In this webinar, the speakers will describe their approach to conducting mixed methods evidence reviews using two case studies. They will focus on how they design mixed methods search strategies, their use of machine learning via text mining for screening, and how they analyse and integrate qualitative and quantitative findings.

Speakers include:

– Louise Farragher, Senior Information Specialist, HRB Evidence Centre:

Louise Farragher is an information specialist in the Health Research Board’s Evidence Centre.
In the Evidence Centre, she leads a team of information specialists who work with researchers to design and implement appropriate search strategies to find published and grey literature evidence for evidence reviews of complex policy questions.

– Joan Quigley, Research Officer, HRB Evidence Centre:

Joan Quigley is a Research Officer in the Health Research Board’s Evidence Centre.
In the Evidence Centre she leads systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Previously, she worked as a health technology assessment consultant for UK and global pharmaceutical companies.

– Camille Coyle, Research Officer, HRB Evidence Centre:

Dr. Camille Coyle is a Research Officer in the Health Research Board’s Evidence Centre and an Adjunct Associate Professor in Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for Global Health.
In the Evidence Centre, she leads systematic reviews, and in the Centre for Global Health she teaches qualitative research methods and supervises dissertations. Previously, she worked as a health research consultant for various UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.

 

Courses · Events

Writing and Publishing for Librarians Study Day – Presentations now available!

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Click on the links below to view presentations from our recent CPD course in the Ashling Hotel. Thanks again to all our wonderful speakers.

Creative Writing for Health Service Librarians – Mike Gogan, Head of Customer Language, AIB

Scholarly Communications Librarianship – Grainne McCabe, Scholarly Communications & Research Support Librarian, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland

Bootcamp and Beyond: developing research support in AIT Library – Tania Marsh, Scholarly Communications Librarian, Athlone Institute of Techonology

Open Access Research: Why, What and How – Laura Rooney Ferris, Library Resources Manager, National Health Library & Knowledge Service

Open Access – What now? What next? – Niamh Lucey, St. Vincent’s University Hospital Library

What is Plan S? – Louise Farragher, Health Research Board

Courses

Writing & Publishing for Librarians – study day

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This full day event will feature presentations, posters and workshops on the following topics:
• Writing for Publication
• Publishing and Promoting your Writing/Research
• Scholarly Communications
• Reference Management using EndNote
• Open Access Publishing
• Research Bootcamps

Venue: Ashling Hotel, Parkgate Street, Dublin 8
Date: 4th September 2019, 10am to 4pm
Cost: €10 HSLG or LAI members ; €22 for all others

Continue reading “Writing & Publishing for Librarians – study day” →
Courses

CPD event: Supporting quality in systematic reviews and other research by Dr Valerie Smith

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The HSLG Committee are delighted to offer a one day workshop on ‘Supporting quality in systematic reviews and other research’
By Dr Valerie Smith, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing & Midwifery

Date: Friday 24 November 2017
Time: 09.30- 15.30
Venue: HRB Boardroom, Grattan House, 67-72 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2

09.30 – Registration
10.00 – 12.30 (with 15 min coffee break)
12.30 –13.30 lunch
13.30 –15.30

Content will include:
• Hierarchy of evidence and systematic reviews: developments to date
• Overview of search methods (including Cochrane criteria)
• Appraising the methodological quality of research studies
• Reporting guidelines and checklists

This CPD event is €10 for HSLG members and €20 for others.

Register on Eventbrite

HSLG email: contacthslg@gmail.com

Courses

Systematic Reviews for Beginners

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Date & Time: Fri 18 Aug 2017, 10am – 1pm

Location: systematic reviewHealth Sciences Library, UCD- Room D111

This is a half day hands on workshop targeted to MLIS students and recent graduates who want to obtain an overview of the subject of Systematic Reviews. The workshop is led by 3 experienced librarians in this area; Jane Burns, UCD/RCSI, Anne Madden, UCD/St. Vincent’s and Diarmuid Stokes, UCD Liaison Librarian. There are PCs available in the training room so no need to bring your own. The broad topics covered are:

1. Defining Systematic Reviews and what they are about (Jane Burns)

Types and how to decide what to use Tools and Resources (Instruments, etc. )Searching Tips

2. Resources- how and what to use (Diarmuid Stokes)

Databases EndNote (just an overview)

3. Practice Exercises (Anne Madden)

4. What’s in for you as a Librarian? Workshop Wrap up (Jane Burns)

Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/systematic-reviews-for-beginners-tickets-35561133307

 

Courses

Competencies for Health Librarians

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As you know competencies and education and training for librarians, including health librarians, is a topic of growing interest and concern.  Below are some recent developments HSLG members may be interested in. Kate Kelly (Director of Library Services, RCSI) was a member of the task force to review and update the competencies and HSLG EAHIL, UHMLG and CILIP representatives were invited to provide feedback to the task force.

  1. The US Medical Library Association has updated “Competencies for Life-Long Learning and Professional Success” which defines competencies and performance indicators for health information professionals.  This is now available on MLAnet http://www.mlanet.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1217 .  From May 15 a free self-assessment tool will also be available on MLAnet. Kate Kelly (RSCI
  2. The Spring Forum of the University Health & Medical Librarians Group focused on knowledge, skills and competencies and the presentations are available at https://uhmlg.wordpress.com/2017/04/12/spring-forum-2017-tooling-up-knowledge-skills-competencies/  the Summer Forum will follow up on some of this, programme coming soon.
  3. LAI members will be aware that LAI licensed CILIP’s PKSB (Professional Knowledge and Skills Base) as a benefit to LAI members.  A PKSB for Health is also available to CILIP members.