Research Support and Consultation

Expert Literature Search Service

Literature Search request form

The Medical Library provides Literature Search Services to support SIUSOM students, staff, faculty, and residents’ educational and research needs.

We receive a high volume of search requests. Turn around times for each request will vary depending on question complexity, desired service tier, and librarian availability. After your request is submitted, a librarian will reach out to you within 72 hours to confirm any details about your request and provide an estimated completion date. 

Library faculty will:

• Develop a robust search strategy based on the information provided by the requestor.
• Provide the search string and results via a Word document and/or .RIS file for bibliographic management programs.

Library faculty will not:

• Synthesize data or otherwise interpret results.
• Complete literature searches for course assignments. Please contact reference@siumed.edu for assistance with research assignments.

The Medical Library offers 3 service tiers for literature searches, each with varying deliverables:

• Tier 1 – Rapid Review: Results will provide researchers with a sense of the existing literature and will be adequate for the initial stages of research.
• Tier 2 – Scoping Search: Results will be more comprehensive than Tier 1 and will be sufficient for a literature review but not a systematic review. In most cases, multiple librarians will review the search. A meeting with library faculty is encouraged but not required.
• Tier 3 – Comprehensive Search: Results of this search may not be exhaustive enough to serve as the basis of a systematic review or meta-analysis, but will be substantially more developed than Tiers 1 and 2. A meeting with library faculty is required for Tier 3 requests. 

Due to the in-depth and time-intensive nature of this work, library faculty can only work on a limited number of literature searches at a time. The service may not be immediately available if we have already reached our maximum capacity. In such cases, we will contact you with an estimated start date.

Library Group Instruction

Instruction Request Form

The Medical Library is happy to collaborate with fellow educators to deliver information literacy instruction to School of Medicine faculty, staff, students, and residents. These sessions are tailored to meet group or class needs and cover specific research tools and skills. Instruction sessions can include, but are not limited to:

• Practice using databases and resources relevant to class needs.
• Learning to use bibliographic management programs such as EndNote.
• Introduction to the research process and literature search basics.

Please complete the form to schedule a library instruction session that will meet the needs of your group or class.

Ask a Question

Ask a Librarian Form

Need more assistance? Send us a question! The Medical Library can help you with:

• Scheduling a one-on-one research consultation with a Librarian.
• Questions about a specific book, journal, or database.
• Finding materials and resources in the Library.