Evidence Synthesis Methods Interest Group

  • 1.  Feedback requested on Known Author Search

    Posted Feb 15, 2023 02:50 PM

    Hi All,

     

    A ScR team I'm working with received feedback from a reviewer after submitting their manuscript to a journal that suggested that they should conduct a known author search as part of their search strategy.  The team members are wondering about the worthwhile of doing such a search as part of their resubmission.  If it should be done and/or justification as to why they should not (that they could share upon resubmitting).  They did do a Key Journals search as part of their hand searching/ancillary searches of their ScR.  So to me, it seems like a little overkill, but would appreciate your hearing your thoughts.

     

    Is an additional Known Author search a good idea in the context of a Scoping Review? Why or why not?  

     

    Many thanks,

    Colleen

     

    Colleen MacKinnon, she/her
    User Experience and Teaching & Learning Librarian
    Brock University
    Niagara Region  |  1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way  |  St. Catharines, Ontario  L2S 3A1
    brocku.ca/library | Email Me | cmackinnon@brocku.ca">Connect on MS Teams

     

    Brock University is located on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum agreement. This territory is home to many First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples and acknowledging this reminds us that our standard of living is directly related to the resources and friendship of Indigenous people.

     



  • 2.  RE: Feedback requested on Known Author Search

    Posted Feb 15, 2023 03:09 PM

    Hi Colleen,

    Generally I advise researchers that if they have more than one work by an author in their set of included full text articles, they should search that author's name as part of the handsearching process, and spot-check articles by title to see if any relevant works were missed in the original search. I wouldn't begin with a known author search as part of the original searching process, unless the scoping review was specific to that author's work, theories, etc.

    I hope this helps!

    Thanks,
    Rebecca



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    Rebecca Renirie
    Medical and STEM Librarian
    Central Michigan University Libraries
    She/Her/Hers
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