Faculty mentor/PI email address
jim010@aol.com
Is your research Teaching and Learning based?
1
Keywords
Medical literature discoverability; search optimization; graduate medical education; scholarly communication; diffusion of innovation; medical education curriculum
Date of Presentation
5-6-2026 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Background: In modern academic medicine, trainees are taught how to search the biomedical literature but rarely taught how to structure their own scholarly work so that it can be discovered. This creates a diffusion gap in which high‑quality educational innovations, case reports, and operational insights remain difficult to locate despite being presented or archived.
Objective: To propose a concise educational module that teaches residents the principles of search literacy and scholarly discoverability.
Methods: A conceptual curriculum framework was developed drawing on literature from information science, medical education, and diffusion theory. The module introduces the paired competencies of 'Finding Waldo' (literature search literacy) and 'Helping Waldo Be Found' (discoverability design).
Results: The curriculum could be delivered in 45 minute workshop integrated into existing scholarly activity programs. Core topics could include search system behavior, title and abstract design, metadata awareness, and figure‑caption indexing.
Conclusions: Teaching discoverability may improve the visibility and diffusion of trainee scholarship while requiring minimal curricular time.
Disciplines
Library and Information Science | Medical Education | Medicine and Health Sciences | Scholarly Communication
Included in
Helping Waldo (the Poster) Be Found: Teaching Search Literacy, Discoverability and Search Engine Optimization as Core Scholarly Skills in Graduate Medical Education
Background: In modern academic medicine, trainees are taught how to search the biomedical literature but rarely taught how to structure their own scholarly work so that it can be discovered. This creates a diffusion gap in which high‑quality educational innovations, case reports, and operational insights remain difficult to locate despite being presented or archived.
Objective: To propose a concise educational module that teaches residents the principles of search literacy and scholarly discoverability.
Methods: A conceptual curriculum framework was developed drawing on literature from information science, medical education, and diffusion theory. The module introduces the paired competencies of 'Finding Waldo' (literature search literacy) and 'Helping Waldo Be Found' (discoverability design).
Results: The curriculum could be delivered in 45 minute workshop integrated into existing scholarly activity programs. Core topics could include search system behavior, title and abstract design, metadata awareness, and figure‑caption indexing.
Conclusions: Teaching discoverability may improve the visibility and diffusion of trainee scholarship while requiring minimal curricular time.