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Systematic Reviews

How Will the Librarian be Given Credit?

Regarding librarian credit: 

It is considered best practice to include a librarian as a team member when conducting a systematic or scoping review.  Acknowledging a librarian helps your paper, as it lets readers know that you followed this recommended best practice. 

  • If you plan to include a librarian-developed search strategy (either as an appendix or in the text), please acknowledge the librarian by name.  Copying and pasting a search string, word-for-word, justifies an acknowledgment by name. Possible acknowledgment:  “We would like to thank (librarian) from the Library of RUSH University Medical Center for her work on the literature search strategy for this review.” 

  • If the work was extensive and the librarian made a significant contribution (such as refining the topic, many extensive reviews of the search strategy, and/or writing part of the methods section, etc.), co-authorship is merited.  Please get in touch when you start drafting the Methods section of the paper.  Please note that the library does not have funds for any potential author processing charges.