Evidence based practice and LIS
Evidence based practice (EBP) is an approach or a "paradigm" which started in medicine (evidence based medicine, EBM) and spread to other fields, e.g. evidence based psychology, evidence based nursing, evidence based librarianship and information practice. EMP is more successful in some domains compared to other domains (e.g., successful in medicine but not in nursing).
EBP may be interpreted as a distinct empiricist approach. EBP tends to disregard all but quantitative data. It tends to operate with a priory evaluation of research methods, which are ordered in a hierarchy from the most valuable to the least valuable. EBP tends to disregard approaches which are favored by other epistemologies such as rationalism, hermeneutics and pragmatism. It should be emphasized that nobody denies the need for evidence based practices, but it is the kind of evidence needed, that is controversial. Critics of EBP claim that it tend to test blindly disregarding the needs a deeper understanding of basic mechanisms.
The ideals of EBP may (or may not) operate on many different levels:
Research (Medical researchers, for example, tend to prefer certain research methods and to pose certain research questions, while ignoring other methods and questions. They also tend to cooperate and cite other researchers sharing the same ideals and ultimately to organize themselves and to develop specific communication channels, special languages etc).
Practice (Medical treatments may be based rather mechanically on manuals which claims to present the most valid approach).
Scientific documentation. The design of research papers is influenced by EBP. For example, the recent innovation of scientific abstracts to a structured form (Purpose; Methodology/Approach; Findings; Research limitations/implications (if applicable); Practical implications (if applicable) and, the Originality/value of paper).
In Library and Information Science: The understanding of information needs, indexing and searching information. The medical database MEDLINE, for example, has changed indexing policies in response to the needs of EBM. A part of EBP is meta-analysis, which have developed the most explicit procedures for searching literature.
EBP is also a recent approach or paradigm in Library and Information Science (LIS). See, for example, Booth & Brice (2004). As such, its advantages and limitations should be examined by examination of its philosophical assumption relative to other approaches to LIS.
To the degree that other epistemologies such as rationalism, hermeneutics and pragmatism have valid arguments may such arguments imply limitations of EBP on all levels. This is just another demonstration of the importance of epistemology and philosophy of science.
Literature:
Booth, A. & Brice, A. (Eds.). (2004). Evidence-Based Practice for Information Professionals: A Handbook. London: Facet Publishing.
Bovbjerg Schultz, S. & Sønderstrup-Andersen, E. (2006). Paradigmatisk medicin. En undersøgelse af epistemologiske tilgange og ontologiske positioner i det medicinske fagdomæne. Speciale ved Danmarks Biblioteksskole, Kandidatuddannelsen i biblioteks- og informationsvidenskab.
Charlton, B. G. & Miles, A. (1998). The rise and fall of EBM, QJM [Quarterly Journal of Medicine], An International Journal of Medicine, 91(5), 371—374.
Charman, D. (2003). Paradigms in current psychotherapy
research: A critique and the case for evidence-based psychodynamic psychotherapy
research. Australian Psychologist, 38(1), 39-45.
Cohen, A. M., Starvi, P. Z., & Hersh, W. R. (2004). A categorization and analysis of the criticisms of Evidence-Based Medicine. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 73, 35-43. Manuscript available at:
http://0-medir.ohsu.edu.library.lanecc.edu/~cohenaa/Criticisms-of-EBM-20031103c.pdf
Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group (1992). Evidence-based medicine. A new approach to teaching the practice of medicine. JAMA [The Journal of the American Medical Association]. 268, 2420-2425. A version is reproduced on: http://www.cche.net/usersguides/ebm.asp#Paradigm
Greenhalgh, T. & Hurwitz, B. (1998). Narrative Based Medicine: Dialogue and discourse in clinical practice. London: Bmj Publishing Group.
Harari, E. (2001). Whose evidence? Lessons from the philosophy of science and the epistemology of medicine, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 35(6), 724—730.
Smith, R. (2002). Reflections of an editor of research and practice? Granada. PowerPoint presentation. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/talks/reflections/sld001.htm
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, a peer-reviewed, open access journal. Published quarterly by the University of Alberta Learning Services, 2006- . http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/EBLIP/index
Birger Hjørland
Last edited: 25-05-2007