The European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL) will be holding a workshop in Edinburgh this summer in collaboration with the International Conference of Animal Health Information Specialists (ICAHIS) and the International Clinical Librarian Conference (ICLC). This event forms one of a series of biennial workshops and other related events designed to support healthcare librarians and information professionals in their work.

The workshop, which runs from Wednesday 10th to Friday 12th June, aims to enhance delegates’ appreciation and understanding of research methods. This goal relates primarily to supporting the improvement of library and information services provision for user communities. In addition to this, the organisers hope that the ideas and experiences shared at the event will help delegates identify new means of analysing their own services and practices in robust ways, and encourage them to conduct and publish good quality research.

Dr Alison Brettle

I have accepted an invitation to present the opening keynote paper at this event on Wednesday 10th June. Dr Alison Brettle, Reader in Evidence Based Practice at Salford University, will lead a second keynote session on Thursday 11th. Between us we plan outline the rationale for incorporating a research-minded approach in professional practice, linking this to themes such as reflective practice and evidence-based librarianship.

I will be arguing that research is not just something that ‘other’ people removed from everyday services delivery do, but an activity that underpins a range of library and information practices such as the evaluation of services, strategic thinking, and the measurement and communication of service value. I will be referring to the findings of a number of initiatives and research projects in my presentation, including the Library and Information Science Research Coalition, the two Research in Librarianship Impact Evaluation Studies (RiLIES) projects, and Developing Research Excellence and Methods (DREaM). In her keynote presentation Alison will focus on methods, methodology and epistemology, and why we should care about these concepts.

Early bird registration for the workshop opens on 9th February 2015 (£280), with full fee registration from 16th March (£330).