SRLibProblems
@srlibproblems.bsky.social
Discussing all things #EvidenceSynthesis, quotes from #SysRev consultations, & critiquing published non-systematic #SysRev searches. I am a 🇨🇦 #skybrarian. #canmedlib #medlibs
Chasing down abstracts while pulling records for citation chaining (in this case, backwards citation chaining) is no fun and reduces efficiency. Tools like Citation Chaser are awesome, but (as I noticed earlier this week) the process becomes less efficient when some records are missing abstracts.
Lens.org
September 29, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Chasing down abstracts while pulling records for citation chaining (in this case, backwards citation chaining) is no fun and reduces efficiency. Tools like Citation Chaser are awesome, but (as I noticed earlier this week) the process becomes less efficient when some records are missing abstracts.
Not liking this spreading practice where database providers now require use of an account to download any records or in specific formats (RIS); not even a small number. I know advanced users (including evidence synthesis librarians/researchers) will create their accounts and continue along but
September 3, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Not liking this spreading practice where database providers now require use of an account to download any records or in specific formats (RIS); not even a small number. I know advanced users (including evidence synthesis librarians/researchers) will create their accounts and continue along but
Saw a post about moving searches out of custom folders in EBSCO, which reminded me to get on it.
I moved 105 saved searches from 20 custom folders into one saved searches folder 😒. Thankfully, no renaming needed as I used this naming convention from the start: libguides.ucalgary.ca/DMPforSR/dat...
I moved 105 saved searches from 20 custom folders into one saved searches folder 😒. Thankfully, no renaming needed as I used this naming convention from the start: libguides.ucalgary.ca/DMPforSR/dat...
Library: Guide to the DMP Assistant Template for Systematic Review Projects: Data Collection
Companion guide to the Portage DMP Assistant Template for Systematic Review Projects
libguides.ucalgary.ca
August 4, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Saw a post about moving searches out of custom folders in EBSCO, which reminded me to get on it.
I moved 105 saved searches from 20 custom folders into one saved searches folder 😒. Thankfully, no renaming needed as I used this naming convention from the start: libguides.ucalgary.ca/DMPforSR/dat...
I moved 105 saved searches from 20 custom folders into one saved searches folder 😒. Thankfully, no renaming needed as I used this naming convention from the start: libguides.ucalgary.ca/DMPforSR/dat...
The 'Search History' screen on the new EBSCO UI now shows result numbers for each line. We can finally take screenshots to demonstrate the remaining problems 😅 - Happy Friday #IYKYK #Medlibs #CanMedlibs
April 4, 2025 at 9:53 PM
The 'Search History' screen on the new EBSCO UI now shows result numbers for each line. We can finally take screenshots to demonstrate the remaining problems 😅 - Happy Friday #IYKYK #Medlibs #CanMedlibs
I have been playing around in the new #EBSCO interface and have thoughts 😅
Has anyone noticed that the symbol used to combine queries in the new EBSCO interface is very similar to that used by #Scopus?
And now I'm starting to see more similarities across the two systems 🤔 #Medlibs #ExpertSearching
Has anyone noticed that the symbol used to combine queries in the new EBSCO interface is very similar to that used by #Scopus?
And now I'm starting to see more similarities across the two systems 🤔 #Medlibs #ExpertSearching
March 25, 2025 at 11:18 PM
I have been playing around in the new #EBSCO interface and have thoughts 😅
Has anyone noticed that the symbol used to combine queries in the new EBSCO interface is very similar to that used by #Scopus?
And now I'm starting to see more similarities across the two systems 🤔 #Medlibs #ExpertSearching
Has anyone noticed that the symbol used to combine queries in the new EBSCO interface is very similar to that used by #Scopus?
And now I'm starting to see more similarities across the two systems 🤔 #Medlibs #ExpertSearching
They state "For publication or regulatory-grade systematic reviews, you will often have to default to traditional, keyword-based search methods"
I guess, all researchers who thought they could do a "systematic review" in minutes and submit for journal publication are going to be disappointed!
I guess, all researchers who thought they could do a "systematic review" in minutes and submit for journal publication are going to be disappointed!
Perhaps a small thing at a time like this, but I need @elicit.com to stop saying things like "regulatory-grade systematic reviews." If your tool doesn't meet the regulations, it's not doing a systematic review! WORDS MEAN THINGS.
March 18, 2025 at 10:17 PM
They state "For publication or regulatory-grade systematic reviews, you will often have to default to traditional, keyword-based search methods"
I guess, all researchers who thought they could do a "systematic review" in minutes and submit for journal publication are going to be disappointed!
I guess, all researchers who thought they could do a "systematic review" in minutes and submit for journal publication are going to be disappointed!
Reposted by SRLibProblems
Perhaps a small thing at a time like this, but I need @elicit.com to stop saying things like "regulatory-grade systematic reviews." If your tool doesn't meet the regulations, it's not doing a systematic review! WORDS MEAN THINGS.
March 18, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Perhaps a small thing at a time like this, but I need @elicit.com to stop saying things like "regulatory-grade systematic reviews." If your tool doesn't meet the regulations, it's not doing a systematic review! WORDS MEAN THINGS.
Reposted by SRLibProblems
🔥 Hot tip! Before starting a systematic review, make sure an information scientist/research assistant is part of the review team. They have specialised skills to develop and implement a comprehensive search strategy 🔎
synthesismanual.jbi.global
#MedLibs #JBImethodology #EvidenceSynthesis
synthesismanual.jbi.global
#MedLibs #JBImethodology #EvidenceSynthesis
March 4, 2025 at 9:15 AM
🔥 Hot tip! Before starting a systematic review, make sure an information scientist/research assistant is part of the review team. They have specialised skills to develop and implement a comprehensive search strategy 🔎
synthesismanual.jbi.global
#MedLibs #JBImethodology #EvidenceSynthesis
synthesismanual.jbi.global
#MedLibs #JBImethodology #EvidenceSynthesis
That feeling you get when you find THE error that is causing your search to misbehave 😁 #SearchGeek
February 2, 2025 at 8:22 PM
That feeling you get when you find THE error that is causing your search to misbehave 😁 #SearchGeek
It always surprises me when peer reviewers ask for details that aren't expected for the article type submitted.
Example: A reviewer commenting on a protocol said they would have liked to see the results (and not in a "I look forward to seeing the results of the review" sort of way).
#Reviewer2 😵💫
Example: A reviewer commenting on a protocol said they would have liked to see the results (and not in a "I look forward to seeing the results of the review" sort of way).
#Reviewer2 😵💫
January 10, 2025 at 7:45 PM
It always surprises me when peer reviewers ask for details that aren't expected for the article type submitted.
Example: A reviewer commenting on a protocol said they would have liked to see the results (and not in a "I look forward to seeing the results of the review" sort of way).
#Reviewer2 😵💫
Example: A reviewer commenting on a protocol said they would have liked to see the results (and not in a "I look forward to seeing the results of the review" sort of way).
#Reviewer2 😵💫
"Hey #EBSCO, See you at #CHLA2025 in Vancouver! Sponsoring a dance party might be the perfect way to help us shake off the memory of this morning’s surprise interface switch. We'll bring the moves, you bring the fixes. #JustSaying #ShakeItOff
January 7, 2025 at 6:04 PM
"Hey #EBSCO, See you at #CHLA2025 in Vancouver! Sponsoring a dance party might be the perfect way to help us shake off the memory of this morning’s surprise interface switch. We'll bring the moves, you bring the fixes. #JustSaying #ShakeItOff
Reposted by SRLibProblems
Hey #medlibs and #canmedlibs ! Did you see the call for papers at CHLA is open? Come join us in Vancouver this June! Photo of my daughter riding the fire truck in Stanley Park: www.chla-absc.ca/welcome_to_c...
December 10, 2024 at 8:18 PM
Hey #medlibs and #canmedlibs ! Did you see the call for papers at CHLA is open? Come join us in Vancouver this June! Photo of my daughter riding the fire truck in Stanley Park: www.chla-absc.ca/welcome_to_c...
Happy to accept the compliments. Now I know what my cat persona would be 😅 - "a cat in a library chasing a laser pointer."
My #BlueSkyRoast #Skybrarian
blueskyroast.com/roast/srlibp...
My #BlueSkyRoast #Skybrarian
blueskyroast.com/roast/srlibp...
December 5, 2024 at 6:30 AM
Happy to accept the compliments. Now I know what my cat persona would be 😅 - "a cat in a library chasing a laser pointer."
My #BlueSkyRoast #Skybrarian
blueskyroast.com/roast/srlibp...
My #BlueSkyRoast #Skybrarian
blueskyroast.com/roast/srlibp...
In my hastiness to put this thread together, I oversimplified and said this incorrectly.
Ovid allows ANY other word to take the place of the stop-word, not just any other stop-word. It retains the distance so (web "anyword" science) is how it sees it. ospguides.ovid.com/OSPguides/me...
Ovid allows ANY other word to take the place of the stop-word, not just any other stop-word. It retains the distance so (web "anyword" science) is how it sees it. ospguides.ovid.com/OSPguides/me...
1) Ovid replaces a stop-word with any other stop-word, so searching "Web of Science" also retrieves "Web for science" unless you add a truncation or wildcard symbol to the stop-word.
Ovid's list of stop-words can be found here: ospguides.ovid.com/OSPguides/me...
Ovid's list of stop-words can be found here: ospguides.ovid.com/OSPguides/me...
December 3, 2024 at 12:34 AM
In my hastiness to put this thread together, I oversimplified and said this incorrectly.
Ovid allows ANY other word to take the place of the stop-word, not just any other stop-word. It retains the distance so (web "anyword" science) is how it sees it. ospguides.ovid.com/OSPguides/me...
Ovid allows ANY other word to take the place of the stop-word, not just any other stop-word. It retains the distance so (web "anyword" science) is how it sees it. ospguides.ovid.com/OSPguides/me...
I was working on a search and needed to search for "Web of Science", and ran into the stop-word issue again, so I needed to figure out how each of the database interfaces (Ovid, EBSCO, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest) handles it.
#SearchTips #Medlibs #CanMedLibs
As mentioned in the thread:
#SearchTips #Medlibs #CanMedLibs
As mentioned in the thread:
Here is your semi-regular reminder about how to #search for phrases that include stop-words in Ovid databases. I use this tip a lot!
Simply add a truncation symbol to the stop-word (tip courtesy of the amazing UX Caucus tips blog: uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2022/06/tip-...).
Simply add a truncation symbol to the stop-word (tip courtesy of the amazing UX Caucus tips blog: uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2022/06/tip-...).
December 2, 2024 at 9:04 PM
I was working on a search and needed to search for "Web of Science", and ran into the stop-word issue again, so I needed to figure out how each of the database interfaces (Ovid, EBSCO, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest) handles it.
#SearchTips #Medlibs #CanMedLibs
As mentioned in the thread:
#SearchTips #Medlibs #CanMedLibs
As mentioned in the thread:
Ran into an issue while helping troubleshoot #Scopus today. Half the search strings were running fine, but the other half were not. Scopus would say "syntax error", but what? See screenshot from MS Word below. String looked normal to me. I tried replacing the usual suspects (quotes, brackets, etc)
November 29, 2024 at 1:08 AM
Ran into an issue while helping troubleshoot #Scopus today. Half the search strings were running fine, but the other half were not. Scopus would say "syntax error", but what? See screenshot from MS Word below. String looked normal to me. I tried replacing the usual suspects (quotes, brackets, etc)
Can't believe I didn't do this earlier in my career. I've started writing my #acknowledgments into the first draft of a manuscript (redacted) so I don't forget to add it in later.
November 28, 2024 at 11:00 PM
Can't believe I didn't do this earlier in my career. I've started writing my #acknowledgments into the first draft of a manuscript (redacted) so I don't forget to add it in later.
Sadly, this doesn't work in the EBSCOhost interface. In fact, if you forget you did this & translate your search to CINAHL (for example), you will end up with a poor search. #EvidenceSynthesis
Using the same example as earlier, if you tried the two options:
"review* of review*" = 7495 results
Using the same example as earlier, if you tried the two options:
"review* of review*" = 7495 results
Here is your semi-regular reminder about how to #search for phrases that include stop-words in Ovid databases. I use this tip a lot!
Simply add a truncation symbol to the stop-word (tip courtesy of the amazing UX Caucus tips blog: uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2022/06/tip-...).
Simply add a truncation symbol to the stop-word (tip courtesy of the amazing UX Caucus tips blog: uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2022/06/tip-...).
November 20, 2024 at 7:13 PM
Sadly, this doesn't work in the EBSCOhost interface. In fact, if you forget you did this & translate your search to CINAHL (for example), you will end up with a poor search. #EvidenceSynthesis
Using the same example as earlier, if you tried the two options:
"review* of review*" = 7495 results
Using the same example as earlier, if you tried the two options:
"review* of review*" = 7495 results
Here is your semi-regular reminder about how to #search for phrases that include stop-words in Ovid databases. I use this tip a lot!
Simply add a truncation symbol to the stop-word (tip courtesy of the amazing UX Caucus tips blog: uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2022/06/tip-...).
Simply add a truncation symbol to the stop-word (tip courtesy of the amazing UX Caucus tips blog: uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2022/06/tip-...).
November 19, 2024 at 7:15 AM
Here is your semi-regular reminder about how to #search for phrases that include stop-words in Ovid databases. I use this tip a lot!
Simply add a truncation symbol to the stop-word (tip courtesy of the amazing UX Caucus tips blog: uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2022/06/tip-...).
Simply add a truncation symbol to the stop-word (tip courtesy of the amazing UX Caucus tips blog: uxcaucustips.blogspot.com/2022/06/tip-...).
2 minutes earlier: "Export service failed" <-- The message received when trying to export results from EBSCO APA PsycInfo, causing me panic & the resignation that I might have to do "the other tedious method" to get my export
Now: Email arrived with a link to my export 😒
#Annoyed & #relieved. #Why
Now: Email arrived with a link to my export 😒
#Annoyed & #relieved. #Why
November 1, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Was reading this recent article (doi.org/10.32384/jeahil20607) and noticed a couple of awesome things:
1) They used 6 datasets and included records from trial registries (clinicaltrials.gov and WHO ICTRP) alongside bibliographic databases.
2) This 👍 visual explaining terms incl precision and recall.
1) They used 6 datasets and included records from trial registries (clinicaltrials.gov and WHO ICTRP) alongside bibliographic databases.
2) This 👍 visual explaining terms incl precision and recall.
October 29, 2024 at 1:45 AM
Was reading this recent article (doi.org/10.32384/jeahil20607) and noticed a couple of awesome things:
1) They used 6 datasets and included records from trial registries (clinicaltrials.gov and WHO ICTRP) alongside bibliographic databases.
2) This 👍 visual explaining terms incl precision and recall.
1) They used 6 datasets and included records from trial registries (clinicaltrials.gov and WHO ICTRP) alongside bibliographic databases.
2) This 👍 visual explaining terms incl precision and recall.
Months ago I asked #Librarians what flowchart-making tools they were using. Today I learned about Miro (miro.com), a whiteboard tool (& more). The flowchart or process diagram capabilities look great, & have some of the same cool features as Draw.io which is what I eventually used a few months ago.
October 24, 2024 at 7:51 PM
Months ago I asked #Librarians what flowchart-making tools they were using. Today I learned about Miro (miro.com), a whiteboard tool (& more). The flowchart or process diagram capabilities look great, & have some of the same cool features as Draw.io which is what I eventually used a few months ago.
New or did I just not notice it? Either way, happy to see it #CochraneHandbook Ch4
"Ovid MEDLINE (segment name ‘MEDALL’) covers all of the available content and metadata in PubMed with a delay of one working day... Aside from the MEDLINE records, Ovid includes all content types available in PubMed"
"Ovid MEDLINE (segment name ‘MEDALL’) covers all of the available content and metadata in PubMed with a delay of one working day... Aside from the MEDLINE records, Ovid includes all content types available in PubMed"
October 24, 2024 at 6:31 AM
New or did I just not notice it? Either way, happy to see it #CochraneHandbook Ch4
"Ovid MEDLINE (segment name ‘MEDALL’) covers all of the available content and metadata in PubMed with a delay of one working day... Aside from the MEDLINE records, Ovid includes all content types available in PubMed"
"Ovid MEDLINE (segment name ‘MEDALL’) covers all of the available content and metadata in PubMed with a delay of one working day... Aside from the MEDLINE records, Ovid includes all content types available in PubMed"
Reposted by SRLibProblems
Hi I would like to repost this 5,000 times over the next five years please.
Nurse faculty, the arbitrary five year limit has GOT TO GO!
jmla.mlanet.org/ojs/jmla/art...
Nurse faculty, the arbitrary five year limit has GOT TO GO!
jmla.mlanet.org/ojs/jmla/art...
Fostering change, empowering faculty: comments on the NURSLITT study and the five-year rule
| Journal of the Medical Library Association
jmla.mlanet.org
October 21, 2024 at 5:46 PM
Hi I would like to repost this 5,000 times over the next five years please.
Nurse faculty, the arbitrary five year limit has GOT TO GO!
jmla.mlanet.org/ojs/jmla/art...
Nurse faculty, the arbitrary five year limit has GOT TO GO!
jmla.mlanet.org/ojs/jmla/art...
Reposted by SRLibProblems
Happy to see the preprint syntax table cited in the revised Cochrane Handbook. Syntax table: lib.uvic.ca/preprintsear... Chapter 4 of the Handbook: training.cochrane.org/handbook/cur...
Chapter 4: Searching for and selecting studies
training.cochrane.org
October 18, 2024 at 6:12 PM
Happy to see the preprint syntax table cited in the revised Cochrane Handbook. Syntax table: lib.uvic.ca/preprintsear... Chapter 4 of the Handbook: training.cochrane.org/handbook/cur...