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Tag: Research Guides

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Himmelfarb’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEI Committee) is pleased to announce the release of the new Antiracism in Healthcare research guide! This guide is one of many ways Himmelfarb Library is showing its commitment to cultivating an inclusive and welcoming environment within the library. The guide features healthcare organizations, journal collections, virtual tutorials and more to help you learn about antiracism and racial biases in healthcare. Some of the resources listed include:

Please note that some of the resources, such as ebooks and journal collections, may require GW credentials to access. 

The DEI Committee envisions this guide growing over time and we are interested in community feedback and being transparent about the selection process. To show our commitment to community building and transparency, the resource selection criteria is featured on the guide’s homepage and the Committee will evaluate suggested resources based on the five listed categories and evaluation questions. Students, staff and faculty members are invited to submit resources they believe will make an excellent addition to the guide. If there is a book, documentary, podcast show/episode, online training, healthcare organization or other valuable resource that you believe should be included, please fill out the ‘Resource Suggestion Google Form’.

Additionally, if you are a member of a GWU organization and would like for your organization to be featured on the research guide or if you’re interested in partnering with the DEI Committee, please contact the current committee chair, Rachel Brill, at rgbrill@gwu.edu!

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Himmelfarb Library just launched a Research Guide on the NIH’s Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) requirements that come into effect in the new year. If you are applying for a research grant or renewing an existing grant through NIH on or after January 23, 2023 that will generate scientific data, you will need to comply with the new requirements and include a plan in your grant application.

Screenshot of Himmelfarb Library's NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) Research Guide
Screenshot of Himmelfarb Library's NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) Research Guide

The new research guide will help step you through the process of developing a plan, from general information to get you started, to storing, sharing and budgeting options. If you’re unsure if you need to comply, it defines what scientific data is and what activity codes are subject to the policy. The guide also includes freely available tools and sample DMSPs from a variety of sources.

Understanding and applying FAIR principles are key to a successful DMSP. FAIR stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. The Getting Started page breaks down the FAIR principles and how to apply them to your data practices.

The guide includes videos from a variety of sources, including a two webinar series from the NIH that provide an overview and more in depth look at the policy. You’ll find other videos on the Getting Started page on commonly used tools including the DMPTool site, NLM Common Data Elements Repository, and LabArchive.

Storage options available to you at GW are covered as well as options for sharing archived data through general and specialized repositories. Guidance on estimating costs and building them into your grant round out the guide.

Through the fall we’ve published a series of blog posts on data management and sharing, including data management resources, best practices for writing a data management plan and file naming conventions. All of these articles are linked on the guide’s homepage. We are planning additional blog posts in the coming months, so stay tuned to this space and check the Research Guide for updates and new materials.

Questions about DMSPs that you can’t find answers to in our research guide? You can reach out directly to Sara Hoover, Metadata and Scholarly Publishing Librarian, at shoover@gwu.edu for more information and guidance.

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The vast reach of medical misinformation, particularly on social media, is a pressing issue for healthcare professionals. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the emerging Monkeypox public health crisis, physicians and researchers continue to educate the general public on safe, research-tested, effective treatment plans. But engaging in conversations about the dangers of medical misinformation is difficult, especially if the participants believe they are unable to speak openly without ridicule or judgment. Himmelfarb’s new Correcting Misinformation with Patients research guide provides resources, readings, educational videos and more to help you navigate conversations with your patients when addressing medical misinformation. 

Correcting medical misinformation is important because many people do not have the background or expertise to assess the accuracy of information that is spread via social media. This can cause lasting harm that could even result in serious illness or death. A recent NPR article examined how some patients rely on unproven and dangerous COVID-19 treatment plans:

“But for Americans like Stephanie who don’t trust the medical establishment, there’s a network of fringe medical doctors, natural healers and internet personalities ready to push unproven cures for COVID. And a shady black market where you can buy them. Stephanie was plugged into that alternative medical network, and doctors say it ultimately cost her life.” [Brumfiel, 2022]

While this research guide is filled with valuable resources, consider starting with the Narrative & Graphic Medicine section which offers a definition of ‘graphic medicine,’ medicine related graphics and books, and more to help you engage with patients. The Misinformation and Cultural Competency tab contains information that explores how to engage with different cultural groups in a respectful manner. Finally, the Communication Techniques tab offers communication methods you can use with your patients. 

In the Confronting Health Misinformation advisory document from the Office of the Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy writes “Limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic imperative that will require a whole-of-society effort.” [Office of the Surgeon General, 2021]. Our Correcting Misinformation with Patients Guide will empower you to engage in open, respectful dialogue with your patients and provide them with the resources to locate accurate health information. 

References:

Brumfiel, G. (2022, July 19). Doubting mainstream medicine, COVID patients find dangerous advice and pills online. NPR. npr.org

Office of the Surgeon General. (2021). Confronting Health Misinformation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment.

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Woman sitting in hall with book over her face.
Photo by Teslariu Mihai on Unsplash

Keeping up with the latest information in the health sciences can be tricky, yet it is so vital in reinforcing the life-long work of health science professionals. There are so many sources you could go to, some better than others. And then the question of what do you want to keep up with - broader health sciences information, discipline-specific information, a mix of the two? Where are the best places to go for each of those? To help you wade through the tide of information, Himmelfarb has set up a new Keeping Up with Health Sciences Information Guide. Our how-to guide includes information on setting up a curated journals shelf via Browzine, database and journal alerts, and more! We even have curated podcast lists courtesy of our Podcasts Guide.

If you have any ideas for resources we can include to help others keep up with health sciences information, please let us know! We have a form on our Podcast Guide’s “What Are You Listening To?” page. You can submit individual episodes or entire shows, it’s up to you! If your suggestion isn’t a podcast, email it to us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu and one of us will be in touch.

As always, if you run into any issues or have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu. 

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Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

 Are you working on a research project with a data component? Unsure what you need to do to meet data management requirements? Himmelfarb Library’s new Data Management Research Guide can help! Tom Harrod, our Research Support Librarian, has compiled a guide full of answers and resources.

Covering the major components of the data lifecycle, the Data Management Research Guide features information on: data-related funding requirements from the NIH and NSF; data management plan resources and examples; documentation and metadata requirements; a discussion of storage and security concerns; information on sharing your data; and resources to help identify appropriate data repositories for your research.

If you have further questions about data management and the data lifecycle, you can always contact our Reference and Instruction staff at himmelfarb@gwu.edu, or connect with us via our Ask Us chat service.

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Himmelfarb Library is excited to introduce a new resource, our Early Career Researchers Guide!

Traditionally, students and early career researchers learn about the research lifecycle from faculty mentors and more experienced colleagues, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made such networking more difficult. To help bridge that gap, Himmelfarb librarians have put together this new research guide to get you started.

Unsure what opportunities are available to you at GW? We’ve compiled the various funding, training, and support resources in one place to make them more easily accessible. Each tab in the guide focuses on a different part of the research lifecycle, helping you hone in on the resources you need depending on where you find yourself in your research. The “Getting Started with Research” tab offers an overview, while each of the subsequent tabs focuses on proposals, literature reviews, publishing, data management, promoting your research, and how to showcase your research as you progress in your career.

Have additional questions after reviewing the guide? You can always contact us at himmelfarb@gwu.edu with questions about research and publishing.

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The expanded Research Guide is a one stop for the latest health care and public health focused news, research, literature resources, and clinical guidelines on COVID-19.  It also includes the latest University news and resources for the GW health care community.

The News page includes breaking news, regularly updated newsfeeds like Kaiser Health News and NEJM’s Physician First Watch, and podcasts. Check out JAMA’s regular Q&A’s on COVID-19 for CME credit and CDC’s weekly COCA calls.

The Literature, Database and Data Resources page has portals developed by trusted publishers like BMJ, Springer Nature, and Wiley, and targeted search services like NLM’s LitCovid. Datasets include those that populate Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Dashboard and sequence data from NLM Genbank.

Additional pages support clinical, laboratory, and infection control services, and resources for specific medical specialties. Among these are Airway & Management guidelines by Dr. Jeffrey Berger, GW Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, and a Critical Care Primer on resources for non-ICU clinicians called on to support ICU patients, developed by Laura Abate at Himmelfarb.  Also access Master Protocols from University of Washington and UCSF here.

Public health and emergency management resources include tracking maps and dashboards, as well as critical resources from CDC and WHO (daily situation summaries and guidance). State and local public health department COVID-19 information and emergency management agencies are also listed.

The guide will be updated regularly and we encourage you to share any resources we’ve missed by emailing himmelfarb@gwu.edu.  As always, our team of health sciences librarians is here to assist you with using any of these resources or other information needs at this time. Email us or chat us Monday-Thursday from 8:30am-8pm and Friday 8:30am-5pm.

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Most of us are aware of the critical information resources on COVID-19 provided by the CDC and WHO. Many trusted publishers and literature search services in the health sciences now have devoted sites with resources for health care and public health professionals. These resources and more are now available on Himmelfarb’s Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Research Guide.

Here’s a sampling of resources on the guide:

Along with these resources you can find trusted sources for news, clinical guidelines, drug trials, health department information, and protective measures for health care professionals on the Research Guide. 

Do you know of resources not included on our guide that you would like to recommend? Send them to himmelfarb@gwu.edu or jlt@gwu.edu.

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