Bibliographic Instruction in the Health Sciences

Abstract

In the 1980s, biomedical indexing and bibliography are at a level unmatched in history. In spite of a monumental effort by librarians, information specialists, and indexers, a large number of students and professionals in the health sciences are unable to capably use the biomedical indexing and abstracting tools that have been so laboriously produced. The authors attempt to trace the origins of bibliographic instruction to the health profession, examine the successes and failures of librarians who tried to teach the medical profession to do library research, and suggest why this type of instruction has not become more widely accepted as a compulsory part of medical education.