Background: The purpose of this program is to provide an example of how librarians can leverage their involvement in Systematic Reviews to bring attention to issues of diversity in health sciences research. This program will highlight the issues of representation of diverse communities in health sciences research and literature and why representation is not only important but necessary. This program will explore why systematic reviews need to and should highlight issues of representation for diverse communities, and provide examples of ways to accomplish this important work that center the role of the librarian.
Description: Librarians who are involved with Systematic Reviews have the ability to shape what will be analyzed in a Systematic Review. Depending on the role a librarian plays, there are many ways that a librarian can suggest, request, or require that the Systematic Review team consider, highlight, and address issues of representation and diversity in their work. This case study presents what one librarian is doing to bring issues of diversity and representation to Systematic Review support offered at a large public university. It will provide examples of different ways that diversity and representation have been incorporated into systematic reviews conducted at this university and will provide examples of the various roles of the librarian how those different roles can take different actions to highlight the importance of diversity and representation in the work of a systematic review.
Conclusion: This case study presents multiple examples where the role of the librarian has successfully engaged with the systematic review on issues of representation and diversity during the review process. There is currently no data available on published systematic reviews, but there are helpful insights into barriers faced when this work is written into in the systematic review and the systematic review undergoes resistance during the peer review process. Is the hope of the author that by the time of this presentation, concrete examples of published reviews will be available.