The University of Sheffield
Information Resources

Andrew Booth BA (Reading), Dip Lib (Aberystwyth) MSc (Wales) MCLIP

Andrew Booth

Reader in Evidence Based Information Practice and Director of Information

Address:
Information Resources Group, HEDS, ScHARR
The University of Sheffield
Regent Court, 30 Regent Street
Sheffield S1 4DA

Tel: (+44) (0)114 222 0705
Fax: (+44) (0)114 272 4095
E-mail: a.booth@sheffield.ac.uk
Room: 1022

Biography

I joined the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) here at the University of Sheffield in 1994 and for almost 15 years I was responsible for management of the Information Resources (IR) Section (1994-2008). My previous roles in the field of health information had spanned more than 25 years working in a variety of health library and information units in the NHS, the Medical Research Council and at the King's Fund, London.

A systematic review methodologist since 1995, I teach on the Masters in Public Health and MSc in Health Informatics (within the Department of Information Studies). I am a co-covenor for the international Cochrane Collaboration Qualitative Research Methods Group. Along with colleagues at ScHARR I hosted the first ever conference in Evidence Based Library and Information Practice in 2001 and since then I have been a leading international figure within this paradigm.

I currently occupy an academic role that combines my interests in the evidence base for my own discipline with supporting the evidence based practice of others, mainly health professionals, through critical appraisal and systematic reviews. At the same time I occupy an executive function within ScHARR as Director of Information. In July 2011 I was awarded the Cyril Barnard Memorial Prize by the CILIP Health Libraries Group in recognition of "an outstanding contribution to health librarianship"

Research interests

My research interests focus on all methods of evidence synthesis, evidence based practice, and knowledge translation. I have been involved in development of a wide range of tools for dissemination, both web based and as online briefings.

Teaching Interests

My teaching interests lie in Systematic Reviews and Critical Appraisal, Evidence Based Healthcare Information, Public Health Informatics and Use of Secondary Data Sources. I have a keen interest in e-learning and developed the Facilitated Online Learning Interactive Opportunity (FOLIO) programmes for the National Health Service and the Australian Library and Information Associate (ALIA). I also co-ordinate the Annual Short Course Evidence Synthesis of Qualitative Research in Europe (ESQUIRE).

I am interested in supervising Research Students in topics/areas such as systematic review methodology, qualitative evidence synthesis (including meta-ethnography, realist synthesis and meta-narrative approaches), and implementation and dissemination research. I am particularly interested in qualitative systematic reviews in topics of importance to developing countries.

Professional Activities

I am an active member of Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Health Libraries Group and serve on the Editorial Board for the Group's journal, Health Information & Libraries Journal. I am also on the Editorial Boards of Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries and the International Journal of Mixed Methods Approaches.

Current Projects

Key publications

  1. Carroll C, Booth A, Leaviss J, Rick J. "Best fit" framework synthesis: refining the method. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2013 Mar 13;13:37. doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-13-37.Abstract.
  2. Booth A, Carroll C, Ilott I, Low LL, Cooper K. Desperately seeking dissonance: identifying the disconfirming case in qualitative evidence synthesis. Qual Health Res. 2013 Jan;23(1):126-41. doi: 10.1177/1049732312466295.Abstract.
  3. Carroll C, Booth A, Lloyd-Jones M. Should we exclude inadequately reported studies from qualitative systematic reviews? An evaluation of sensitivity analyses in two case study reviews. Qual Health Res. 2012 Oct;22(10):1425-34. doi: 10.1177/1049732312452937. Abstract.
  4. Grant MJ & Booth A (2009). A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal 26(2):91-108.Abstract.
  5. Ilott I, Booth A, Rick J, Patterson M. How do nurses, midwives and health visitors contribute to protocol-based care? A synthesis of the UK literature. In J Nurs Stud 2010 Feb 17 [Epub ahead of print]Abstract.