Memorial University Libraries  |  Health Sciences Library

In support of Memorial University's vision and mission of research excellence, the Health Sciences Library offers a literature search service for our researchers and clinicians. Eligible users may submit their research question, and a librarian will perform the search and provide the resulting references in a timely fashion.

Note: For systematic or scoping reviews, see Librarian Participation in Systematic Reviews, Scoping Reviews, and Other Comprehensive Searches.

Eligibility and Fees

This service is provided free of charge to Memorial faculty, staff, residents*, and research assistants, and Eastern Health staff (Health Sciences Centre site).

*Medical residents may submit requests for literature searches unrelated to their resident research project. For searches related to the resident research project, we are happy to provide searching guidance and advice.

Undergraduate and graduate students are not eligible for this service as they are expected to perform searches themselves as part of their education. Students may, however, request a consultation with a librarian for one-on-one searching assistance. 

Search requests from the general public or health professionals not affiliated with Memorial or Eastern Health (HSC site) will be charged at a rate of $100 per hour.

Process

Once you submit your request, a librarian will perform the necessary search(es) and will send you the results (citations and abstracts). If you use a specific citation manager or would prefer a particular file format, please specify when you submit your request. 

Turnaround Time

Approximately two business days.

Systematic and Scoping Reviews

Due to their complexity, requests for systematic and scoping reviews are not eligible for the HSL Literature Search Service; however, a number of HSL librarians are trained in systematic and scoping review techniques and are available to join review teams, subject to availability. Please see Librarian Participation in Systematic Reviews, Scoping Reviews, and Other Comprehensive Searches.