Bridging the Research-Practice Gap? The Role of Evidence Based Librarianship

Abstract

Librarianship has had a long preoccupation with the research-practice gap. Practitioner-led research is criticised for its lack of rigour, academic research for its lack of relevance. Evidence based practice is a pragmatic approach to bridging this gap. This review starts by charting the development of evidence based practice from its origins in medicine through healthcare to other disciplines. It then examines the context for the development of evidence based librarianship, focusing on examples from the wider library literature and on the health information literature from 2002 onwards.

The review examines each stage of the evidence based practice process, examining the legacy from the wider paradigm as it specifically relates to information practice. Tools and methods developed within evidence based information practice are briefly summarised. The review concludes by outlining the challenges that remain if evidence based information practice is to be adopted within the profession at large.