Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Journal of the Medical Library Association
Publication Date
2024
Keywords
embedded librarian, qualitative research, consultations, nursing students, university library
Abstract
Objective: This qualitative research project was undertaken to discover how students perceive the embedded librarian in their nursing class. The researchers determined how a required group research meeting was valued by students and whether that value warranted the necessary time and energy by an embedded librarian.
Methods: Researchers conducted focus groups with twenty-three students from two different sections of the same nursing research methods undergraduate course. Students’ responses to a series of five questions were recorded within Zoom and supplemented by handwritten notes. Data was coded by hand and patterns that emerged from the five focus groups were analyzed.
Results: Participants reported overall satisfaction with the embedded librarian and students felt they benefited from the required research meeting with the librarian, which was part of the searching assignment rubric and closely tied to the assignment itself.
Conclusion: Based on the data, a required research meeting with an embedded librarian, who is familiar with the course assignments, reinforces classroom instruction, point-of-need assistance with search strategies, and the opportunity to strengthen the relationship with the librarian for future research needs.
Funding Source
This research was funded by an Illinois State University - Milner Library University Research Grant.
DOI
10.5195/jmla.2024.1793
Recommended Citation
Franzen, S.R., Stewart, C., Jallas, M., & Newport, J. (2024). Consulting with an embedded librarian: Student perceptions on the value of required research meetings. Journal of the Medical Library Association 112(4): https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2024.1793
Comments
First published in Journal of the Medical Library Association (2024): https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2024.1793
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.