title: Librarian co-authors correlated with higher quality reported search strategies in general internal medicine systematic reviews.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether librarian and information specialist authorship was associated with better reported systematic review (SR) search quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  SRs from high-impact general internal medicine journals were reviewed for search quality characteristics and reporting quality by independent reviewers using three instruments, including a checklist of Institute of Medicine Recommended Standards for the Search Process and a scored modification of the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies instrument.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of librarian and information specialist participation was significantly associated with search reproducibility from reported search strategies (Χ(2) = 23.5; P < 0.0001). Librarian co-authored SRs had significantly higher odds of meeting 8 of 13 analyzed search standards than those with no librarian participation and six more than those with mentioned librarian participation. One-way ANOVA showed that differences in total search quality scores between all three groups were statistically significant (F2,267 = 10.1233; P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Problems remain with SR search quality and reporting. SRs with librarian or information specialist co-authors are correlated with significantly higher quality reported search strategies. To minimize bias in SRs, authors and editors could encourage librarian engagement in SRs including authorship as a potential way to help improve documentation of the search strategy.
authors.affiliation: Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah, 10 N. 1900 E. Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. Electronic address: mlrethlefsen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rethlefsen
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Leah C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Osterhaus Trzasko
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
authors.forename: Tara J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Brigham
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001319:Authorship / Q000592:standards*; D007255:Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007388:Internal Medicine; D055811:Journal Impact Factor; D016245:Librarians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012196:Review Literature as Topic
keywords: Authorship; Librarians; Publishing; Quality control; Standards; Systematic review