HSL Librarians published in the British Medical Journal

Health Sciences Librarians Karen Crowell, a Clinical Information Specialist, and Lara Handler, the School of Medicine Liaison Librarian, have had a paper published by the British Medical Journal. Crowell and Handler began research on the project in March 2012 and completed it last November. The paper, which is titled, “Non-Publication of Large Randomized Clinical Trials,” was accepted for publication in September of this year.

“I had worked with one of the clinician researchers on a systematic review a couple of years ago,” said Handler. “When one of the researchers became involved with this new project, he remembered working with me and contacted me to ask me to help again. Because of the large scope of this research, Karen also was invited to participate. We both did the searching for this project, and are listed as co-authors along with the three clinicians and one biostatistician.”

“Librarians are trained in the principles of evidence-based medicine,” said Crowell. “The potential for bias is an important consideration in critical assessment of published research. Our experience working on systematic reviews has also helped us understand the effect of publication bias – when studies and their results are only selectively reported by researchers.”

Crowell serves as a clinical librarian for the department of Surgery in the School of Medicine and provides literature searches in support of patient care and research for residents and fellows in training at the UNC Health Care System. Handler is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science and an adjunct assistant professor in the UNC Department of Family Medicine.