Background: Researchers and clinicians may find it challenging to identify relevant articles about limb prostheses in online databases. Searches may be improved by using standardized strategies, also known as filters or hedges. Objectives: To develop and validate a highly sensitive MEDLINE (EBSCOHost) search strategy for limb prostheses. Study Design: Search strategy development/validation. Methods: A gold standard (GS) list of peer-reviewed articles on the topic of limb prostheses was created using a relative recall method. This involved identifying and including relevant systematic reviews/meta-analyses and then adding articles that were included in the analysis section of these reviews. Possible terms for the search strategy were identified through brainstorming and exploration of medical subject headings in MEDLINE (MeSH) and standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Concepts were grouped using relevant Boolean operators (e.g. AND and OR) and database record search fields (i.e. MeSH terms, title, and abstract). Part of the GS was used to refine the search strategy and reduce the number of records retrieved in total. The remaining GS set was used to validate and calculate sensitivity of the search strategy. Performance of the search strategy was compared against searches using only relevant MeSH terms. Results: After screening, the final GS totaled 853 records. The developed search strategy was highly sensitive (99.80%) and performed with higher relative recall than searches with relevant MeSH terms. Conclusions: This study provides a highly sensitive search strategy that can be used by clinicians and researchers when searching for relevant literature on limb prostheses in MEDLINE (EBSCOHost).

Abstract Objective – Doctoral studies offer a unique phase in the development and legitimization of researchers, in which PhD students shift from the consumption to the production of knowledge. If librarians are to support this process in an evidence based manner, it is essential to understand the distinct practices of this user population. While recent reviews exist concerning the information behaviours of graduate students and researchers, there is little knowledge synthesis focused on the information literacies of PhD students in specific disciplines. The aim of this article is to explore the depth and breadth of recent evidence which describes the information literacies of students pursuing a doctoral degree in the health sciences. Methods – Strategic searches were performed in databases, hand-searched key journals, and reference lists. Records were screened independently by both authors based on pre-determined criteria. General trends within the literature were mapped based on the extraction of the following data: geographic location, population, study aims, and method of investigation. Further analysis of the articles included charting the academic disciplines represented, summarizing major findings related to PhD students in health sciences, and which databases indexed the relevant articles. Results – Many studies fail to treat doctoral studies as a unique process. PhD students are often grouped together with other graduate students or researchers. Studies tend to be based on small populations, and the number of PhD students involved is either unclear or only equals a few individuals within the entire group of study. In addition, of the limited number of studies which focus exclusively on PhD students, few conduct explicit examination of information practices in the health sciences. The result is that this user group is underrepresented within recent journal publications. Conclusion – This review highlights the need for more primary, in-depth research on the information literacies of PhD students in the health sciences. In addition, librarians are encouraged to share their knowledge in scholarly publications which can reach beyond their own professional circles.

Doctoral studies offer a unique phase in the development and legitimisation of researchers, in which PhD students shift from consumption to production of knowledge. While literature exists concerning the information behaviour of graduate students and researchers, there is little work which focuses specifically on the information literacies of PhD students within the health sciences. To better understand this user group, we undertook a qualitative study at the Research School of Health and Welfare in J€ onk€ oping, Sweden. Twelve open-ended interviews with both PhD students and their supervisors were conducted and analysed according to a hermeneutic dialectic process. Findings revealed that the supervisors commonly assumed that PhD students already have necessary information literacy skills. Yet some of the students self-reported feeling uncertain when searching and getting 'stuck' with one strategy. Responses also indicated that the PhD students and their supervisors were often unaware of what services and support the library could provide.

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