The authors' purpose in this article is to report the results of their search and retrieval efforts to date in an ongoing study to develop the procedural, analytic, and interpretive techniques to conduct qualitative meta-synthesis projects, using studies on women with HIV infection as the method case. For researchers conducting qualitative meta-synthesis projects, the ideal goal is to retrieve all of the relevant studies in a field--not simply a sample of them. Bates's model of berrypicking is used as the framework to describe the techniques used to conduct these searches. The authors discuss, in particular, the challenges of working with bibliographic databases, including choosing which databases to search, learning about the idiosyncrasies of working with each database, developing a list of search terms, and refining inclusion criteria regarding which studies to include in the meta-synthesis. Recommendations are given for searchers and writers of qualitative research.
Public libraries are located in all communities, and two thirds of adults visit one each year. Libraries give the public access to computers and the Internet, and librarians offer technical assistance for accessing information. The interests and training needs of public librarians for assisting the public in accessing health information have not been addressed. One public library/librarian in each North Carolina county was randomly selected to complete a written questionnaire to assess health-related information services and librarians' skills for providing these services. 84% of librarians (83/99) completed the questionnaire. Results indicate that librarians answer more than 10 health-related questions per week, feel moderately comfortable answering these questions, and are very interested in receiving additional training for addressing health-related questions. Creating public library/public health partnerships holds much promise for enhancing the ability of community members to access desired health information.
OBJECTIVES:To 1) compare the number of articles published about prostate, colon, and breast cancer in popular magazines during the past 2 decades, and 2) evaluate the content of indepth prostate and colon cancer screening articles identified from 1996 to 2001. DESIGN:We used a searchable database to identify the number of prostate, colon, and breast cancer articles published in three magazines with the highest circulation from six categories. In addition, we performed a systematic review on the in-depth (≥ ≥ ≥ ≥2 pages) articles on prostate and colon cancer screening that appeared from 1996 through 2001. RESULTS:Although the number of magazine articles on prostate and colon cancer published in the 1990s increased compared to the 1980s, the number of articles is approximately one third of breast cancer articles. There were 36 in-depth articles from 1996 to 2001 in which prostate or colon cancer screening were mentioned. Over 90% of the articles recommended screening. However, of those articles, only 76% (25/ 33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 58% to 89%) cited screening guidelines. The benefits of screening were mentioned in 89% (32/36; 95% CI, 74% to 97%) but the harms were only found in 58% (21/36; 95% CI, 41% to 75%). Only 28% (10/36; 95% CI, 14% to 45%) of the articles provided all the necessary information needed for the reader to make an informed decision. CONCLUSIONS:In-depth articles about prostate and colon cancer in popular magazines do not appear as frequently as articles about breast cancer. The available articles on prostate and colon cancer screening often do not provide the information necessary for the reader to make an informed decision about screening. Unfortunately, the media's direct and indirect effects frequently lead to misperceptions about health conditions and may lead individuals to make uninformed health choices. 8-10Misperceptions about cancer and cancer screening can be documented from all media formats. Previous research on cancer coverage in the media, however, has focused mostly on popular magazines, a common source of medical information for the general public. [11][12][13][14][15][16] Studies have primarily focused on women's magazines, 12,14,[17][18][19][20][21] documented that breast cancer is the site with the highest frequency of coverage 12,17,18 with limited media coverage of other cancers, such as colon cancer 17 and prostate cancer, and has demonstrated misconceptions due to incomplete or inaccurate health reporting. Given the strong emphasis on breast cancer and breast cancer screening in popular magazines and having demonstrated misconceptions related to health reporting, we wondered how other cancer and cancer screening information was presented in popular, nationally distributed magazines and how the frequency of these messages compared with messages about breast cancer. We chose specifically to examine prostate and colon cancer screening because prostate and colon cancer are important causes of cancerrelated morbidity and mortality, and because decisions about screeni...
For more than a decade, the demographic prognosticators have been saying that the racial, ethnic, and cultural makeup of the United States is on the verge of a major shift; and that not long after the turn of the new century, segments of the population that had previously been in the minority will collectively become the majority, with Hispanics being the largest minority group. The implications of such an unprecedented event have prompted private- and public-sector institutions to question whether they will be equipped to work with their “new” constituencies. Schools of library and information science (LIS) are not exempt from such self-examination and must make every effort to prepare all their graduates to work in larger multicultural environments. However, such preparation may mean altering several courses in a school’s curriculum. These kinds of changes are likely to meet with greater success when all parties involved, both inside and outside the classroom, hold a committed and vested interest in the reorganization efforts. This article discusses issues of diversity in LIS education programs and how these efforts can be addressed positively to better serve students and their future users.
Medical informationists can make significant contributions to the intersection of medicine and information and library science. Based on input from approximately 50 medical informationists, a checklist of needed knowledge/skills was compiled. The curricula of 19 schools of information and library science (ILS) were then evaluated, in terms of their coverage of the required knowledge/skills. Course offerings on topics related to technology and information content were abundant, while coverage of topics related to users/people, communication and interpersonal skills, and intellectual outlook/personal attributes was spotty. Based on this analysis, the potential of ILS schools to educate medical informationists is discussed.
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