By way of background, the idea for the paper essentially came out of my experience working in a hospital library - a very different context to a research or academic library, and one where the focus is on identifying, using and integrating evidence and information with clinical practice. We often think of information literacy in a purely education context, but recent reports such as Project Information Literacy's "Learning Curve: How College Graduates Solve Information Problems Once They Join the Workplace", highlight it as a very real issue for lifelong learning, the workplace, and everyday life.
Whilst I often refer to and use a number of IL models in my instructional practice (particularly ANCIL), the SCONUL Seven Pillars Model struck me as a useful framework for developing an Evidence Based Practice Model for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the 2011 revision increased the emphasis on skills and behaviours compared with the older version, and so I felt the SCONUL model was a bit more 'up to date' than the ACRL Standards for instance, which are currently being revised. But the primary reason was the lens feature, which allows the original generic core model to be adapted for specific user groups and needs, to increase the context and relevance. There is currently a research lens, a digital literacy lens, and an open educational resource lens. This flexibility was a big attraction, as I felt I could tailor the basic model, to incorporate the specific needs and information problems of clinical staff based on their feedback from interviews. The lens format can potentially be adapted for lots of different user groups, and I would love to see additional lenses developed in the future.
I would love to hear any comments people may have regarding the paper, and the use of the lens in practice. One of the biggest limitations with the study is the small sample size, so I think a larger study may produce even richer data. Or perhaps other groups, such as GPs, could be a useful population to study to compare and contrast information behaviours. I'm looking forward to lots of discussion on the 28th!
For those seeking a shorter version of my paper, I also have a slideshare from a recent pecha kucha presentation on the full paper.
Hello Michelle,
ReplyDeleteYou may be interested in my related ongoing work looking into Information Literacy as it is experienced in Nursing (especially focusing on Evidence-Based Practice):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22749246
The broader ethical implications of Information Literacy's role in the evidence based professions is discussed in my paper recently published in JIL:
http://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/JIL/article/view/1783
Marc Forster
University of West London
Hi Marc - apologies, I only noticed this comment now! I have read your JIL article previously - I think you are spot on; information literacy feeds into professional competencies and professional ethics so much in healthcare. I myself have consciously tried to move away from the 'database searching' (or gathering pillar) to focus on it in a more holistic and embedded way.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say how pleased I am to see that you have really understood and embraced the concept behind the 7 Pillars model and lenses. The idea behind the new approach was that folks would be able to do just what you have done, take the broad concept and adapt the terminology and emphasis to fit a specific user group. It's so good to see that it works! Like you, I'd like to see more lenses devloped. At present there's no easy way to add new lenses to the SCONUL website, but they could perhaps sit on the IL website
Best wishes
Moira Bent.
Thanks Moira! That means a lot. I love the concept and flexibility of the lenses - it would be great to see more developed and I am sure there will be some great ideas in that respect in the discussion tonight.
ReplyDeleteHi, looking forward to the discussion, which will start at 8pm UK time (in 10 minutes). Some hints for discussion are:
ReplyDelete- Refresh the page often, to see the latest conversations
- Please use "reply" to a comment if you are commenting on the same topic as the blog comment. Otherwise post a new comment (and if you aren't sure - just do what you feel like ;-)
Thanks for organising Sheila and Niamh!
ReplyDeleteThanks for agreeing to get the conversation going!
DeleteHi all - would be really interested in hearing what others think of the SCONUL lens format and any other contexts it could be applied to. I took a lot of my inspiration for the study from the digital literacy and research lenses already out there - I love the idea of adapting models to increase the context and relevance for specific user groups.
ReplyDeleteI love the lens model and did some initial work towards developing a 'Transition to University' model for my Masters dissertation. I didn't feel what I did was broad enough to be generalisable but I'd love to work with others on developing this further if anyone's interested.
DeleteI think that sound excellent Niamh and definitely worth developing. It is such a specific and difficult transition with students entering an entire new world of resources and unfamiliar territory. I am also looking a lot at curation as learning at the moment and was thinking of a curation lens!
DeleteWe are always keen to get good ideas for dissertations to suggest to Masters students here, so perhaps next year I might tempt someone to continue the transition work.... I have had one or two students a year looking at information behaviour in computer gaming in their Masters dissertations, so "The World of Warcraft" lens might be interesting - NB that is actually a serious suggestion!
DeletePeople always ask me why I chose the SCONUL 7 Pillars and not another model, and the main factor was the lens aspect to be honest. No other model offered this that I could see and I do see great potential in it.
DeleteI particularly enjoyed your article for the insight it gave into the difference in priorities of healthcare professionals. It all makes perfect sense of course, and echoed some of the things Victoria said during her talk at Umbrella this year. I suspect other groups of professionals, including librarians themselves, would probably be similarly frustrated by the hunting for needles in haystacks that goes on when you're trying to get an answer to a specific question and wonder if that might put people off taking the evidence-based approach to every day practice?
ReplyDeleteLinked to Niamh's question - I wondered whether you considered giving more space in the lens to the non-published of information that they need to acquire and process in making decisions - information given by the patient about symptoms, expert knowledge from colleagues, patient records etc.?
DeleteAbsolutely Niamh - I think the lack of time and difficulty in finding very specific information make the task and idea of using research in everyday practice seem difficult. The more you do it, the easier it gets though so it is a vicious circle I guess! Synthesised and summarised resources are key in this context and therefore I think a key point to get across t healthcare staff is the right type of source to use for this kind of information in particular. It makes it seem a lot more achievable.
DeleteI agree - it's one of the things I particularly like about the EBLIP journal in fact, the variety of types of articles included.
DeleteI think the decision making process of which of the many questions that arise in any patient/clinician encounter actually get followed through to an answer is an interesting one. Also, what happens to the questions that don't find an answer quickly but that might be the most pertinent for the patient - DUETs is a great resource, but how many people feed their un-answers questions into it?
DeleteSheila - that's an excellent point. I suppose why i didn't may be because HCPs seem to already be quite comfortable, used to using this kind of information as it is essential in a sense. External research evidence is often the 'cherry on top' that falls by the wayside. Also I was focusing on the potential for using the lens to guide my own instruction which is mainly geared towards external research and information. But it would be great to see a more holistic model also and could be really effective in medical education for example.
DeleteYes I was thinking of trying to help people see that the cherries should be mixed in, so to speak, by acknowledging that there are ingredients like flour and sugar too and the key is getting the balance right (or something...)
DeleteLove that analogy Sheila! There are aspects of the lens that try to get this across e.g. Integrate the best available clinical evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences;Incorporate the use of evidence based resources into existing clinical workflows; Scrutinise internal and local evidence and information systems.
DeleteHi Michelle, and everyone,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your paper, and while you didn't get many interviews, they seemed to encapsulate everything that you'll ever hear a healthcare professional (hcp) about dealing with information.
I'm left with several questions - around the sort of training that librarians generally do (of medline etc) versus the reality that HCPs face which is a quick answer 10 minutes ago.
Other questions are about the increasing need for clinical librarians, and also when/why do HCPs come to the library to get help with a question.
Too much for one post really...
Thanks Isla - I have changed my approach to training in recent imes based on the realisation that exactly what most HCPs want as you say - a quick answer in ten minutes. Showing staff the right/best type of source to use for this kind of information - Trip, Point of care tools, Pubmed Health Vs PubMed etc. - can be quite effective and an accessible gateway into evidence for those completely unfamiliar with concepts like journals and databases.
DeleteFor those doing detailed research etc. it is a very different need and context, and they also have more time to learn and develop the skills.
are there any apps in particular that you point people towards? (I'm devising a "library in your pocket" session for new students, so am fishing for ideas!)
DeleteI usually point people towards imedical apps as they are simply so many out there (apart fro the obvious ones like NICE, Resus, BNF, Medscape, Epocrates etc.) I also include Evernote and Keep and how they can be used for organising notes, audio recordings and photos of slides at conferences etc.
Deletethanks for these!
DeleteAny info on the OER lens, not linked? (nor is it here http://www.informationliteracy.org.uk/information-literacy-definitions/sconul-seven-pillars-of-information-literacy/)
ReplyDeleteSeems to be here http://www.sconul.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/OER_lens.docx SCONUL dissolved the infolit working group and the documents are in a rather unhelpful long list at http://www.sconul.ac.uk/publications (not exactly a model of effective information organisation!)
DeleteThanks for saving me finding that link Sheila. I do think it would be nice if all the lenses could be brought together in one central place as Moira suggested earlier.
DeleteHmm, the more I look at the SCONUL site, the more I think it isn't exactly a great advert for the information management skills of university librarians ;-(
DeleteHi Sheila. I agree, the new SCONUL site makes it very difficult to do what we'd originally hoped, which was for the model to develop organically over time, with new lenses feeding in as they came along, even pillars changing names (which I know you're keen on) Unfortunately the way the structure of SCONUL has changed means that I no longer have any direct involvement, but I don't see why we couldn't develop a section of the IL website to do this. Perhaps the CILIP group could help?
DeleteMoira
Maybe we could put together a 'related resources' section under each of the articles discussed on our overview page?
DeleteYes thanks. Confess I haven't *yet* read Michelle's paper and though healthcare isn't directly relevant to me I'm interested in infolit resources in the context of my day job specifically around oer. Must say that document isn't terribly inspiring and might try to develop into something more...interesting, along with more general infolit oer with colleagues at my institution. All of which, I dare say, will find their way into the new infolit collection proposed by Jorum - http://www.jorum.ac.uk/news/a-new-jorum-information-literacy-collection
DeleteWe haven't discussed OER article yet - do you have any suggestions for openly accessible articles that could be used for this journal club?
DeleteExcellent Nick - will keep an eye out - it is such a growing area that an OER lens could have great value.
DeleteNiamh - just realised we haven't updated the "our discussions" page for a while, oops, - but could add them there, or have a separate post-discussion post with links, and link in "Our discussions" to the main blog post + any follow up post.
DeleteI'll have a think Niamh - what are the rules I'm new to this club?!
Deletelol Nick the first rule of infolit journal club is that there are no rules to infolit journal club
Deleteor more seriously, suggest the paper to one of us, and if you are willing to lead the discussion also that would be great, and we will agree a date
DeletePresume I'm allowed to talk about it though?
Delete@Nick, yes!
DeleteSheila - yes, that's what I was thinking too, and that's where I thought they could go (makes note to update that page tomorrow)
DeleteNick - no rules, as Sheila says, but we aim to have a discussion once a month(ish) at 8-9pm on an information literacy-related topic. If you're open to writing an intro post has Michelle did for this discussion so much the better! The one thing we try to do is minimise barriers to participation by avoiding articles that are behind a paywall although we have in the past used versions available through institutional repositories.
Should be a relevant formally published paper?
DeleteI don't think it has to be - maybe a discussion could contribute to the development of some research? And then we'd get a bit of publicity through the credits once published! We're pretty open to suggestions really.
DeleteWell I'm very interested in synergies between OA research and OER eg.http://www.medev.ac.uk/oer13/73/view/
DeleteHappy to write a blog post along these lines (oriented more to infolit)?
And/or the Jorum infolit collection
DeleteFantastic, thanks Nick! If you wouldn't mind sending your google ID in a dm I'll add you to the blog and we can arrange a day for the discussion. I think you've just followed me on Twitter so I'll follow you back.
DeleteMichelle, I noticed that one of the themes that emerged from your qualitative study was affective issues - I wondered how you saw these being addressed - would it be through the way that information literacy was taught (e.g. getting people to keep diaries, talk about their emotions when solving problems, confidence building?) Looking at the 7 pillars, there doesn't seem an obvious place to cover the emotional side of information behaviour!
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent point Sheila (is it time for an 8th pillar, or even a foundation??). Personally I have reoriented my training to focus on confidence-building aspects, encouraging staff to try out 'quick wins' during sessions so they experience success with relatively little effort, which encourages them to continue to more difficult problems (hopefully!)
DeleteAlso I see an interesting paper just published in HILJ (ePub 24th Aug) on a related idea: "Learn something new in 20 minutes: Bite Size sessions to support research and teaching" - a nice idea that breaks down the idea / problem into something more manageable.
DeleteI love that idea - a) it keeps attention b) it's a realistic amount of time to take up in a team meeting c) it gives both librarian and clinician a quick win
DeleteThis discussion is full of ideas for me rob - I mean borrow and build on...
DeleteI wonder how you'd evaluate these bitesize sessions?
DeleteSounds like a whole other research study Isla lol! :)
DeleteLooking again at Michelle's EBP additions I'm wondering if any of them could/should be added to the core model. One that jumps out is "Document the process of gathering and using information in a transparent and systematic way." Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what the methodology of a systematic review should achieve. But I suppose this is a very academic element (relevant is lots of situations) - it's not going to happen so much when there's a fast-turnover clinical question arising at the bedside.
DeleteYes, good idea! "Identify and evaluate where new information can enhance their practice" - getting across the idea that you think more about how the information will be useful, not just find it and dump it. Also "Identify when the clinical query has been answered" - more generally "know when to stop searching"
DeleteInteresting suggestion Niamh! I suppose I was thinking of it from a paper-trail / medical ethics / electronic health record point of view, but it is certainly a valuable behaviour across the board.
DeleteWell if they want to rename the original SCONUL model after me I won't complain... ;-)
DeleteHi Niamh
DeleteAgain, this is making me want a space to pull together all this kind of discussion and work around the model and the lenses so folks can see other people's views and use them to make the model frame their own situation. When we first started updating it that was really how I saw it growing.
Moira
Yes, I knew you were very open to suggestions for development which is why I didn't feel too cheeky posing the question! Maybe a dedicated 7 Pillars blog would be the way to go? Then there could be a list of relevant resources and regular blog posts highlighting research and developments as they come out alongside case studies of how the model is used in different settings?
DeleteA Seven pillars blog sounds like a fantastic idea actually - guest posts on how people use the model in practice etc as well??
DeleteYes, that sounds a very good idea to me too.
DeleteI would be very happy to help with that if you decide to go that way Moira.
DeleteThanks so much for the feedback, ideas and discussion all! (and for adding to my download stats :D )
ReplyDeleteImpact? What? ;)
DeleteIt's gone 9pm, so the live session is officially "over", but we will leave comments unmoderated til tomorrow, then we'll switch moderation on again (so there will be a slight delay before comments appear). Thanks everyone, and especially thank you to Michelle!
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, thanks everyone! Do continue the discussion as long as you like.
DeleteHi Michelle
ReplyDeletewell done on a very interesting study and one that would good to further test with a larger dataset/group. I use the EBP 5 step model when teaching and your Lens reflects this (EBP) - I think the use of clinical language is particularly important. I agree that the "quick wins" approach works very well in practice.
I was just wondering what you would envisage as being the ideal scenario in a clinical setting - more clinical librarians providing the evidence or more information literate clinicians? Aoife
Thanks Aoife! I think the ideal situation is probably more information literate clinicians and healthcare professionals - there is no replacement or substitute for their subject-specific knowledge in many cases, and I think anything that encourages independent learning is positive and it's a broader transferable skill. Clinical librarians have a role to play and do an excellent job but if they were to try and deal with every query in everyday practice, you would need so many that it's probably not a sustainable model. That's just my view - but it's an excellent question!
ReplyDelete