What SCIE researchers need from Social Care Online & Library Information Service Deborah Rutter Nadira Sharif (research analysts)

What SCIE researchers need from Social Care Online & Library Information Service

Deborah Rutter

Nadira Sharif

(research analysts)

What do we do/need? Library & information support for: Commissionin g of systematic maps, reviews, knowledge briefings (different commitments) Bidding for research funding Internal briefing on programme topics

Library & information support for:

Commissionin g of systematic maps, reviews, knowledge briefings (different commitments)

Bidding for research funding

Internal briefing on programme topics

Challenges Constantly changing policy environment; Need for up to date, reliable & relevant information on social care; 5 types of knowledge (organisations; practitioners; the policy community; research (gathered systematically with a planned design); service users and carers) – not traditional ‘health service hierarchy’; Breadth of info/databases needed for topic areas; Search terms very challenging.

Constantly changing policy environment;

Need for up to date, reliable & relevant information on social care;

5 types of knowledge (organisations; practitioners; the policy community; research (gathered systematically with a planned design); service users and carers) – not traditional ‘health service hierarchy’;

Breadth of info/databases needed for topic areas;

Search terms very challenging.

SCOPING Scoping supports initial systematic activity; Have to use databases from health & social care & children’s, adults’, older people’s, educational, etc; Endnote libraries/Mind maps; Pull together resources on programmes (LACs) as well as research questions; Identify gaps – what might be commissioned Enough to support bids?

Scoping supports initial systematic activity;

Have to use databases from health & social care & children’s, adults’, older people’s, educational, etc;

Endnote libraries/Mind maps;

Pull together resources on programmes (LACs) as well as research questions;

Identify gaps – what might be commissioned

Enough to support bids?

Library & Information Services Basis of most SCIE work; Scopes identify key themes & gaps: what is possible, what is intelligent! For systematic maps/reviews, apply in/exclusion criteria; Library organises retrieval (SCIE has Athens password), advises on cost (British Library); Information trawl can be updated/expanded because well documented.

Basis of most SCIE work;

Scopes identify key themes & gaps: what is possible, what is intelligent!

For systematic maps/reviews, apply in/exclusion criteria;

Library organises retrieval (SCIE has Athens password), advises on cost (British Library);

Information trawl can be updated/expanded because well documented.

Social Care Online Database of 90,000 refs & abstracts, all types of material; Resource of first call in social care (cuts through wide no. of databases); Used by SCIE, by policymakers, academics, practitioners; Simple – advanced searching possible; Links to online documents – we often need the full texts (as quickly/cheaply as possible)

Database of 90,000 refs & abstracts, all types of material;

Resource of first call in social care (cuts through wide no. of databases);

Used by SCIE, by policymakers, academics, practitioners;

Simple – advanced searching possible;

Links to online documents – we often need the full texts (as quickly/cheaply as possible)

What next for Social Care Online? Complements National Social Care Research Register (some challenges to iron out: not used widely enough; no capacity to chase final reports; reports not published, but could go onto database) Quality ratings or kitemarking for SCO material; Challenges: variability of material; could not be retrospective; contested schemes for rating (academic/practice) & SCIE must be rigorous (source of evidence base); meaningful to all, including practitioners; difficulty rating innovative practice.

Complements National Social Care Research Register (some challenges to iron out: not used widely enough; no capacity to chase final reports; reports not published, but could go onto database)

Quality ratings or kitemarking for SCO material;

Challenges: variability of material; could not be retrospective; contested schemes for rating (academic/practice) & SCIE must be rigorous (source of evidence base); meaningful to all, including practitioners; difficulty rating innovative practice.