Dear HIFA colleagues,
Below are the citation and abstract of a new paper in Information Development. Information Development describes itself as 'a peer-reviewed journal that aims to provide authoritative coverage of current developments in the provision, management and use of information throughout the world, with particular emphasis on the information needs and problems of developing countries'. As such, it would be one of the primary sources for HIFA. Ironically, however, the full text is behind a paywall and is therefore inaccessible to most of us.
CITATION: Borji, S., Panahi, S., & Razmgir, M. (2024). The role of health librarians in combating misinformation: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. Information Development, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/02666669241306721
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in numerous human and financial losses. During this period, a great deal of information about the disease was disseminated; resulting in the emergence of a high volume of misinformation, which posed a threat to public health. Many organizations and healthcare professionals, including health librarians, were involved in managing misinformation. The present study aimed to investigate the role of health librarians in combating misinformation.
Methodology: This study employed a qualitative research method using a content analysis approach in 2022. The data collection method was semi-structured interviews, and sampling was done purposively. A total of 25 library professionals participated in the interviews including health librarians, library science academic staff, and library managers. The data were collected through mobile phones and face-to-face interactions and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: The results showed that “lack of reliable information” and “lots of gossip” are the main reasons for spreading misinformation. Medical librarians were recognized as key players in combating health misinformation. The study led to the identification of 4 roles for health librarians that significantly influence managing misinformation. These roles were “educational role”, “evaluation role”, “information counseling role”, and “research role”. The “educational role” was the most frequent role revealed.
Conclusion: It is recommended to establish secure channels for sharing accurate information. Moreover, systematically documenting libraries’ experiences and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic or similar crises is essential for improving their preparedness for any future crisis.
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
