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Dissertations into Practice: 10 years on, 40 articles later.

Frances Johnson, Regular Feature Editor, looks back on the first 10 years of student projects published in Dissertations into Practice. Forty articles later, she notes that the value of these short features, then as now, is in recognising the potential of student research to a wider audience and the implications of their research on practice.

Wanted! Health information students & early career health information workers new to writing for publication.

Invitation to health information students and early career health information workers new to writing for publication to share evaluations of existing services or investigations into service improvement.

Celebrating 75 years of the Health Libraries Group.

To mark the CILIP Health Libraries Group celebrations of their 75th anniversary, this year's Virtual Issue brings together Health Information and Libraries Journal manuscripts that have been particularly influential or generated most interest in our readers, or represent a significant event in the journal's own history, while still having relevance to contemporary health library and knowledge service practice.

Content analysis of dissertations for examination of priority areas of nursing science.

BACKGROUND: Based on current and future research priorities to inform Ph.D. education, emerging and priority areas were developed through the Idea Festival Advisory Committee of the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the bibliographic, methodologic, study topic characteristics, and emerging and priority areas of two randomly selected samples of nursing doctoral dissertations from the Proquest Digital Dissertations and Theses database between January 2017 and September 2018. METHODS: Using human- (N = 101) and computer-coding (N = 242), we analyzed text data using descriptive statistics and data visualization. FINDINGS: Health behavior (32.7%) and quantitative sciences (17.8%) were the most common emerging and priority areas, and translation science and -omics/microbiome were absent. Health, practice, education, and leadership were four study topic themes. DISCUSSION: This approach may serve as a metric for the state of Ph.D. nursing education. A replication study is recommended in three to five years.

Discussing teamwork in health care: from interprofessional collaboration to coordination and cooperation.

This doctoral research investigates teamwork, specifically collaboration, at two different hospitals both of which were highly involved in the promotion of interprofessional collaboration. The analysis of the field observations and data collected revealed that this concept did not accurately reflect daily interactions between health care professionals, but that other forms of interaction such as coordination and cooperation were more frequent. Furthermore, the use of these more specific concepts to discuss teamwork in health care enabled important differences to be observed between the clinical settings. The impact of this research in practice suggests that adopting more specific concepts would make it easier to identify relevant literature and to design policies and educational programmes that address teamwork in health care. FJ.

A National Survey Examining Manuscript Dissertation Formats Among Nursing PhD Programs in the United States.

PURPOSE: Among research-focused nursing doctoral (PhD) programs in the United States, the traditional dissertation format has recently given way to a series of publication-ready manuscripts, often bookended by introduction and conclusion chapters. To help programs make decisions about the use of these formats, this study undertook a national survey of programs offering PhDs in nursing. The purpose of this study was to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the traditional format versus manuscript option for dissertations among nursing PhD programs in the United States. DESIGN: Cross-sectional census survey of U.S. nursing PhD programs. METHODS: A web-based survey was administered to all U.S. nursing PhD programs. Respondents indicated formats offered, factors contributing to decisions of which formats to offer, and lessons learned. Descriptive statistics and inductive content analyses were used for analysis. FINDINGS: Of 121 eligible institutions, 79 provided eligible responses (66.7%). The majority (59%) offered both formats; 11% offered the manuscript option only, and 24% offered the traditional format only. Faculty support (or lack thereof) contributed to adoption (or not) of the manuscript option. Respondents' approaches to the manuscript option (e.g., number of papers) and advice are summarized. CONCLUSIONS: Manuscript option dissertations are commonly offered and provide benefits to students and faculty; however, thoughtful implementation is critical. Programs need to agree upon clear expectations and have graduate school support (e.g., formatting). Faculty need mentorship in advising manuscript option students who choose to use this format, and the time and support. Finally, students need additional writing skills that could be provided through coursework or via individual work with mentors. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: As nursing education continues to expand further into doctoral research, programs must examine dissertation formats in order to both prepare future nurse scholars and disseminate nursing research that is critical to improving nursing education, patient care, and clinical practice.

Grey literature in systematic reviews: a cross-sectional study of the contribution of non-English reports, unpublished studies and dissertations to the results of meta-analyses in child-relevant reviews.

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews (SRs) are an important source of information about healthcare interventions. A key component of a well-conducted SR is a comprehensive literature search. There is limited evidence on the contribution of non-English reports, unpublished studies, and dissertations and their impact on results of meta-analyses. METHODS: Our sample included SRs from three Cochrane Review Groups: Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), Infectious Diseases (ID), Developmental Psychosocial and Learning Problems (DPLP) (n = 129). Outcomes included: 1) proportion of reviews that searched for and included each study type; 2) proportion of relevant studies represented by each study type; and 3) impact on results and conclusions of the primary meta-analysis for each study type. RESULTS: Most SRs searched for non-English studies; however, these were included in only 12% of reviews and represented less than 5% of included studies. There was a change in results in only four reviews (total sample = 129); in two cases the change did not have an impact on the statistical or clinical significance of results. Most SRs searched for unpublished studies but the majority did not include these (only 6%) and they represented 2% of included studies. In most cases the impact of including unpublished studies was small; a substantial impact was observed in one case that relied solely on unpublished data. Few reviews in ARI (9%) and ID (3%) searched for dissertations compared to 65% in DPLP. Overall, dissertations were included in only nine SRs and represented less than 2% of included studies. In the majority of cases the change in results was negligible or small; in the case where a large change was noted, the estimate was more conservative without dissertations. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of SRs searched for non-English and unpublished studies; however, these represented a small proportion of included studies and rarely impacted the results and conclusions of the review. Inclusion of these study types may have an impact in situations where there are few relevant studies, or where there are questionable vested interests in the published literature. We found substantial variation in whether SRs searched for dissertations; in most reviews that included dissertations, these had little impact on results.

Learning from the past to inform the future.

In this final issue of 2017, we are in a reflective mood at the Health Information and Libraries Journal as we say goodbye to Audrey Marshall, Regular Feature Editor of Dissertations into Practice. While Audrey departs, Dissertations into Practice is now a firm fixture of the Health Information and Libraries Journal; there remains no better place for students to see their writing, possibly for the first time, in print. This issue also provides an opportunity to review the breadth of health information writing through the editorials of past Virtual Issues of the Health Information and Libraries Journal, all still available, free of charge, via the journal's home page at http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hilj.

The impact of body image on Fitbit use: a comparison across genders.

This article is the first in the feature to explore personal tracking devices - in this case the Fitbit - and the relationship between their use and people's self-perceptions and behaviour. Amber Edwards conducted the research for her MA dissertation at the University of Sheffield, graduating with an MA in Librarianship in January 2017. Her study shows that body image plays a large role in Fitbit use and that this is slightly more evident in females than males, although the differences are subtle. She argues that the results have implications for information professionals involved in teaching health information literacy. Amber began working in the library at Bishop Grosseteste University in June 2016, while completing her dissertation. A. M.

The story continues: an overview of the 'Dissertations into Practice' feature.

The 'Dissertations into practice' feature began life in March 2012 with a dual aim: to encourage students, recent graduates and new professionals to write for publication and to highlight the impact of student research on policy and practice. This article reflects on the initiative and demonstrates that it has been extremely successful in achieving both aims. It highlights the diverse range of contributions to the feature so far and proves that student research can and does influence policy and practice. It also demonstrates that, with the right encouragement and support, students are willing and able to write for academic publication and that they gain a lot from the experience. A. M.

Are you a budding academic writer?

Academic writing can seem a daunting prospect although with the right support and information it can be more achievable than you think. In this first set of editorial comments of 2016, editors from all sections of the Health Information and Libraries Journal outline the origins of the individual section of the journal which they oversee and highlight some of the things you might want to consider when thinking of submitting your writing for publication.

Empowering international nursing students to become effective library users.

This article summarises the research conducted for a dissertation which addressed the needs of students and academic staff of the Bachelor of Nursing International programme at St. Angela's College, Ireland. Aoife Murray completed an MSc Econ Information and Library Studies in 2015 from Aberystwyth University via distance learning. She gained a distinction for her work and has co-written the article with Hugh Preston, her dissertation supervisor. Aoife highlights the recommendations she made as a result of her research and the programme put in place to deliver those recommendations. She also reports on some early evaluations of the new programme. AM.

Barriers to the use of the library service amongst clinical staff in an acute hospital setting: an evaluation.

This article reports on research into the reasons why clinical staff in an acute hospital may be reluctant to use library services. The research was conducted by Gaynor Thomas at the Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli in Wales as part of the dissertation she completed for an MSc in Economics. She graduated in July 2014 from Aberystwyth University and has co-written the article with Hugh Preston, her dissertation supervisor. The article summarises the key findings from the interviews undertaken as part of the research process and lists the resulting recommendations. Gaynor also highlights the initiatives which have been put in place with the express aim of removing barriers to use and encouraging clinical staff to make the most of the library which is, she argues, a time-saving resource. AM.

Slipping through the net: the paradox of nursing's electronic theses and dissertations.

AIM: The study's main aim was to gain in-depth understanding of how nurse scholars engage with electronic theses and dissertations. Through elicitation of opinions about challenges and opportunities, and perceptions of future development, the study also aimed to influence the design of a new international web-based forum for learning and sharing information on this topic. BACKGROUND: Electronic theses and dissertations provide an opportunity to radically change the way in which graduate student research is presented, disseminated and used internationally. However, as revealed by a multi-national survey in 2011, many nurse scholars in vanguard universities have little awareness of how to find and exploit this ever-expanding global knowledge resource that is increasingly available free in full text format. Within this context more detailed understandings of nurse scholars' thinking and actions are required. METHODS: A qualitative approach using a semi-structured interview guide was utilized to elicit perceptions from 14 nurse scholars. RESULTS: Thematic analysis of the interviewees' responses identified six major themes: initial exposure and effect; searching; accessing; handling; using; and evaluation. Insights were gained about the value of these resources and behaviours in using them as exemplars for structure, format and methodology. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND NURSING POLICY: Despite the small study size, the findings added valuable new insights to the overview gained from the 2011 survey. These have been used to inform development of a new global initiative: the International Network for Electronic Theses and Dissertations in Nursing. Featuring an educational website (www.inetdin.net), this initiative aims to support and challenge nursing's policy makers, practitioners and especially educators to utilize this neglected but exponentially increasing wellspring of international nursing knowledge.

The story so far: a summary of the contributions to the 'Dissertations into practice' feature.

The 'Dissertations into practice' feature began life in March 2012 with a dual aim: to encourage students and new professionals to write for publication and to highlight the impact of student research on policy and practice. This article reflects on the initiative and to summarise what has been achieved so far. It highlights the diverse range of contributions to the feature so far and proves that student research can and does influence policy and practice. It also demonstrates that, with a bit of encouragement and support, students are willing and able to write for academic publication. AM.

An investigation into the feasibility of designing a framework for the quantitative evaluation of the Clinical Librarian service at an NHS Trust in Brighton, UK.

This feature presents research undertaken by Archana Deshmukh for her MA dissertation at the University of Brighton. She worked closely with Tom Roper, the Clinical Librarian at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, in a project to explore the feasibility of applying quantitative measures to evaluate the Clinical Librarian service. The investigation used an innovative participatory approach and the findings showed that although an exclusively quantitative approach to evaluation is not feasible, using a mixed methods approach is a way forward. Agreed outputs and outcomes could be embedded in a marketing plan, and the resulting framework could provide evidence to demonstrate overall impact. Archana graduated in July 2014, gaining a Distinction in the MA in Information Studies, and she is currently looking for work in the health information sector.

Scholarly impact of the dissertation requirement for postgraduate medical education and factors affecting transformation into publication: A bibliometric analysis of 2434 dissertations in the field of emergency medicine.

OBJECTIVES: In Turkey, conducting research for a dissertation is necessary to obtain a specialist degree, but publication of this research is not mandatory. Previous studies have shown a low rate of publication for dissertation-derived research. The aim of this study was to determine publication rates, factors affecting the transformation of the dissertations into high-quality publications, and bibliometric analysis of published articles in the field of emergency medicine (EM). METHODS: This was a retrospective bibliometric study of EM dissertations submitted between 1998 and 2021 to the National Thesis Center. Research characteristics, publication status, journal characteristics, indexing, citation analysis, and institution characteristics were recorded. Journals indexed in the web of science (WOS) were defined as high-quality journals. A logistic regression was performed to identify factors affecting publication in high-quality journals. RESULTS: A total of 2434 dissertations were included. Of these, 864 (35.5%) were published and 474 (54%) were published in WOS-indexed journals. The most common area of research was trauma (n = 150, 17%), and the most common journal was the American Journal of EM (n = 74, 8%). Prospective data collection (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8-2.5), experimental design (OR = 2, 95%, CI = 1.3-3), university-type residency program (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.02-2.1), and duration between year of graduation and publication (OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.84-0.95) were associated with publishing in WOS-indexed journals. CONCLUSION: EM is a relatively successful specialty for publishing dissertation-derived studies. Prospective and experimental research design, graduation from a university-type residency program, and shorter duration between the graduation and publication may increase the chance of publishing in high-quality journals.

Dissertation writing in post graduate medical education.

A dissertation is a practical exercise that educates students about basics of research methodology, promotes scientific writing and encourages critical thinking. The National Medical Commission (India) regulations make assessment of a dissertation by a minimum of three examiners mandatory. The candidate can appear for the final examination only after acceptance of the dissertation. An important role in a dissertation is that of the guide who has to guide his protégés through the process. This manuscript aims to assist students and guides on the basics of conduct of a dissertation and writing the dissertation. For students who will ultimately become researchers, a dissertation serves as an early exercise. Even for people who may never do research after their degree, a dissertation will help them discern the merits of new treatment options available in literature for the benefit of their patients.

Forty-year Tunisian bibliometrics of general surgery theses in the four national faculties of medicine (1980-2019).

The objective of this work was to establish the bibliometric profile of Tunisian theses in 'general surgery' and to describe their themes, their study designs, and their writing quality. This is a retrospective descriptive bibliometric study, covering all the theses in medicine in the specialty of 'general surgery', defended in the four medical faculties of Tunisia, during the forty last years from 1980 to 2019. During the study period, 739 theses in 'general surgery' were discussed in Tunisia, with an average of 19 theses per year. The most studied research topic was emergencies (41%), followed by common surgical pathologies (26%) and digestive oncology (21.5%). Descriptive studies and case studies represented the majority of study designs with respective proportions of 56.9% and 40.6%. Only 20.7% of these theses had a scientific writing quality deemed satisfactory. The least respected elements in writing their summaries were statistical (confidence intervals and standard deviations) and documentary (keywords). Despite the plethora of themes of Tunisian theses in 'general surgery', their basic methodology and their editorial non conformity require the educational reform of the dissertations, both doctoral students and supervisors, by strengthening their skills in research methodology and scientific communication written.