Introduction

The Research Toolkit is a starting point for librarians in the health sector wanting to undertake a research project, from a small-scale local study to larger more formal projects.

Research skills are a key area of professional expertise inthe CHartered Institute foe Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Professional Knowledge and Skills Base. 

They are defined as “the ability of librarians to use research techniques and knowledge of information sources to support personal research projects.“

Before you get started, consider whether your project is a research project, a service evaluation or audit.

• a research project aims to systematically investigate and study a library service, establish facts and reach new conclusions
• an evaluation focuses on the effectiveness of a library service
• an audit reviews a library’s service or services, perhaps using a predefined audit tool, to enable improvements to be made

These resources will help you decide whether your project is a research project:

The Medical Research Council and NHS Health Research Authority's Is my study research? decision tool will help you decide whether or not your study is research. 

The defining research table outlines the key features of research, service evaluation, audit, and usual practice.

This toolkit is based on a research flowchart originally developed by members of the defunct Health Information and Libraries for Evaluation and Research (HEALER) network.