Year: 2023

Information Literacy, STEMM

Critical Appraisal Tools for Health Research

What is Critical Appraisal? The process of critically appraising a study for validity and applicability is a daunting one – not only for students but for professionals as well. Critical appraisal is “the skill to criticize medical [or scientific] literature and decide if results are credible or not” (Dans et al., 2017). Critical appraisal is an important part of the Evidence-Based Medicine skill set, and … Continue reading Critical Appraisal Tools for Health Research

Samantha WalshLeave a comment
Open Access, STEMM

What is Open Science Anyways?

Open Science is a hot topic right now, but it can be a little confusing as to what it all entails. Broadly speaking, Open Science is about making scientific research transparent and accessible to all. It encourages knowledge to be developed through increased collaboration. More specifically, “Open Science is the practice of science in such a way that others can collaborate and contribute, where research … Continue reading What is Open Science Anyways?

Leah DiCiesare1 Comment
Earth Sciences, Open Access, Reader's Advisory

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The book The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert reviews the five previous mass extinction events on Earth and warns that we are currently faced with another, this time driven largely by man-made causes. Providing members of the public, conservation organizations, and government officials with reliable information and generating awareness about those species in danger of potential extinction is one step in countering … Continue reading IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Edward LenerLeave a comment
Data Science, GitHub, reproducibility, Tools & Resources

Lab manuals for data management and reproducibility

I am a collaborator in my institution’s Responsible Conduct in Research instruction. After one recent session on data management best practices, a postdoc participant requested a consultation with us. He wanted guidance about how to establish and maintain a lab culture that fosters reproducible science. This question has taken on special urgency in the wake of the highly publicized case of former Stanford University President … Continue reading Lab manuals for data management and reproducibility

Elliott SmithLeave a comment
Information Literacy, Publishing, STEMM

PRISMA-Statement.org: Your one-stop shop for everything PRISMA

What is PRISMA? Published for the first time in 2009, “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement” (Moher et al., 2009) provides succinct and (relatively) manageable guidance for structuring, and therefore conducting, Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses. Evinced by the primary image on its Wikipedia page, PRISMA is known for its flow diagram, where authors illustrate the systematic process of screening … Continue reading PRISMA-Statement.org: Your one-stop shop for everything PRISMA

Samantha WalshLeave a comment
Data Science, Open Access, Tools & Resources

DrugBank Online

DrugBank Online is a free database that provides information on FDA-approved drugs and drug targets.  The database started in 2006 in Dr. David Wishart’s lab at the University of Alberta, Canada. The database is now managed by OMx Personal Health Analytics and the University of Alberta (Wishart et al., 2018). DrugBank is described as a “… bioinformatics–cheminformatics database with a strong focus on quantitative, analytic … Continue reading DrugBank Online

Marie SpeareLeave a comment
Artificial Intelligence, Information Literacy, STEMM

Incorporating ChatGPT in Information Literacy Activities and Assignments

Given that students at different educational levels are discovering ChatGPT and its functionalities, it is beneficial to demonstrate how to utilize this tool to enhance their learning. For instance, ChatGPT can be a useful tool when teaching information literacy to support students’ learning and development of research skills. Here are some ways in which ChatGPT can be used in the classroom: 1. Reverse research: One … Continue reading Incorporating ChatGPT in Information Literacy Activities and Assignments

Sanja GidakovicLeave a comment
Open Access, Publishing, Tools & Resources

Research Organization Registry

I work for an institution that is commonly referred to in a dozen different ways, among them University of California Berkeley (also with a hyphen, comma, or “at” after “California”), UC Berkeley (also with periods after the initials), UCB, California, Cal, Cal Berkeley, and just plain Berkeley. Even institutions that are referred to in less variable ways can change names, merge with another organization, split … Continue reading Research Organization Registry

Elliott SmithLeave a comment
Equity & Inclusion

Free Speech on Campus

In March 2023, a student group at the University at Buffalo invited a speaker to campus who regularly espouses inflammatory rhetoric. Outraged and saddened by the speaker’s views, the campus community asked the administration to revoke the invitation. The administration responded with the following statement: “First, let me state unequivocally what I hope is patently clear to all members of our university community: Hateful and … Continue reading Free Speech on Campus

A. McCormickLeave a comment
STEMM

Birdwatching Resources: eBird and Merlin

eBird (https://ebird.org) is a citizen science initiative created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University. Through the website and mobile app, users can create a free account and contribute their bird sightings, including data such as the species, time, date and place. With an eBird account, birdwatchers have a secure place to store their sightings and checklists. Photos and audio can be uploaded … Continue reading Birdwatching Resources: eBird and Merlin

kreycrafLeave a comment