Birmingham City University has recently implemented a discovery tool and this is a summary of the first pilot which took place in the University’s Faculty of Health. We report on its findings and feedback from an online survey looking into where students start their search in different scenarios. Topics covered include how healthcare students themselves viewed such tools, when compared to the traditional database search engines that they are used to, and whether these new ways of finding information demand a change in how information literacy is traditionally taught by healthcare librarians.

1. Discovery tools:
involving healthcare students in
search/discovery
Mark Brown @mcbjazz
Jo Alcock @joeyanne
http://bit.ly/11Me4wI
@BCUlibrary @evidencebase www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity

2. Scenario-based survey
1. Research essay
(Dignity in nursing care)
2. Group poster
(Evidence-based PICO)
3. Clinical research in practice
(Evidence-based research)
@BCUlibrary @evidencebase www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity

3. Methodology
Hypothesis 1:
Students start their search using the tool they
are most familiar with or prefer to use.
Hypothesis 2:
Students start their search in a different place
depending on the scenario.
@BCUlibrary @evidencebase www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity

4. Finding 1
For theoretical research, health students tend to
start their search using the tool they are familiar
with.
Google or Google Scholar
Library catalogue
Group poster
Summon Research essay
Journal indexing services such as
CINAHL, Medline or PsycINFO
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
@BCUlibrary @evidencebase www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity

5. Finding 2
For evidence based clinical research, health
students tend to start their search using specific
journal indexing services.
Google or Google Scholar
Library catalogue
Clinical research in
Summon practice
Journal indexing services such as
CINAHL, Medline or PsycINFO
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
@BCUlibrary @evidencebase www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity

6. Conclusions
Finding Implication
Students wanted to narrow Refining and filtering options
down searches are important
Students used a variety of Information literacy needs to
different tools support transferable skills for
life
Students jumped from one Seamless access useful
tool to another
@BCUlibrary @evidencebase www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity

7. Thank you
Please visit http://bcuelibrary.wordpress.com
for further information
Mark Brown Jo Alcock
mark.brown@bcu.ac.uk jo.alcock@bcu.ac.uk
@mcbjazz @joeyanne
@BCUlibrary @evidencebase www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity