Evidence Summary
A Mapping Review of Poster Presentation Publications Across
Time and Academic Disciplines
A Review of:
Rowe, N. (2017). Tracing the 'grey literature' of poster presentations:
A mapping review. Health Information
& Libraries Journal, 34(2), 106-124.
Reviewed by:
Ruby Warren
User Experience Librarian
University of Manitoba Libraries
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Email: ruby.warren@umanitoba.ca
Received: 3
Dec. 2017 Accepted: 2 Feb. 2018
2018 Warren.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
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International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/),
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly attributed, not used for commercial
purposes, and, if transformed, the resulting work is redistributed under the
same or similar license to this one.
Abstract
Objective – To map
the development and use of poster presentations in order to determine
disciplines in which they are particularly prolific and how their popularity or
presence may have changed over time.
This will potentially assist health and interdisciplinary librarians
asked to search for poster presentations in systematic reviews.
Design –
Informetric mapping review.
Setting – An
unnamed UK University Library search facility which processes 249 international
databases and research publications. Databases and publications range across 37
research disciplines, including literature, medicine, and engineering.
Subjects –
Published literature connected to poster presentations – the authors state that
this could be poster presentations themselves, abstracts, title listings in
conference proceedings, or any variety of materials. They also state that over
99% of the results of this review were title citations or abstracts of
conference poster presentations.
Methods – An informetric mapping review was conducted via a UK
University Library search facility by searching for the term “poster
presentation” in 249 databases spanning 37 research areas. An index of
databases used is provided as an appendix to the article. Results were not
connected by the search facility to an individual database. Search results were
categorized by discipline and decade of publication. Scholarly and peer-reviewed
search limiters were used to obtain an idea of the themes and contributions to
what could be considered core literature, and the search was also run in Google
Scholar to provide a comparator. Duplications across databases were removed by
the search service, although several results appeared both in aggregate (for
example, conference proceedings encompassing all poster presentations) and
individual form. Review of results took an informetrics
approach, concerned with quantitative analysis (number of publications over
time, number of publications in specific areas or by certain authors, etc.) of
production, publication, and use of information, and not with its origins or
quality.
Main
Results – Even with limiters for peer reviewed or scholarly sources applied,
over 99% of returns were abstract or title citations for conference poster
presentations – sources which by themselves may not meet the requirements for
being scholarly information. From 1937-1969, results only uncovered references
to poster use in an educational context. From 1970-1979, the researchers found
that poster presentations became a common conference feature, although a less
prestigious one than papers. 1980-1989 reiterated the commonality of academic
posters, and saw publication of works to advise poster preparation and running
poster sessions. During the years 1990-1999, health related disciplines became
the main users of posters as an academic medium with 68% of search returns
being in health care disciplines. The prominence of posters in health and
medicine increased over time. From 2000-2009, search returns in this study show
an increase of 360% from those located in 1990-1999. This could indicate an
increase in poster sessions, an increase in search accuracy and online availability
of material, or both. Health care and medical disciplines have demonstrated the
most prominent use of poster sessions since the 1990s, although all disciplines
have visible poster presentation activity.
Conclusions – The
author concludes that consistently increasing levels of return for poster
abstracts indicate that poster presentations are a fulfilling and popular
activity that will continue to be practiced by academics worldwide, but that
literature in this review raises issues with the effectiveness of posters as
ways to disseminate and discuss research. Locating and acquiring conference
poster content, not just abstracts or titles, has been a recognized issue in
libraries for many years. The authors conclude that the increasing number of
poster presentations over time makes it more urgent that we determine what the
personal and objective needs of poster users are and ensure that we are meeting
them.
Commentary
Although there is a substantial body of literature on conducting poster
sessions and creating poster presentations, Rowe’s work provides an insightful
overview of the proliferation of the poster presentation in academic literature
over time. Observations regarding the growth of poster sessions as a form of
academic dissemination, and the lack of significant change observed across the
author’s search returns in poster presentations as a medium, should prove
interesting for librarians and conference organizers.
This study does not achieve validity according to Glynn’s EBL Critical
Appraisal Checklist (2006), receiving 70% when overall
validity is calculated with relevant sections (data collection, study design,
results). An appraisal tool more targeted to informetrics
mapping, if it exists, might produce a more nuanced understanding of the study’s
validity. A lack of clarity regarding specific research questions and variables
of interest damage the study’s face validity, and the author does not strongly
connect study results to their initial research concerns or objectives. The
study also does not screen returned search results for relevance or validity,
and the use of a single search string across all databases would likely achieve
uneven returns and/or omit relevant results. The author does note alternate
explanations or possible confounding variables for the drastic increase in
returns during 2000-2009. The author also acknowledges that study replication
could be hindered by changes to database algorithms or indexed journals, but
indicates that their general observed patterns in the numbers, discipline
areas, and content of returns should remain consistent. This seems to be
supported by consistent increase patterns viewed between the author’s review of
selected databases and their comparator review of Google Scholar.
Even if they do not completely address stated study objectives,
authorial conclusions follow logically from study results. In particular, the
observation that over 99% of returns consisted of poster titles or abstracts,
which by themselves do not reliably convey the full breadth and depth of
information necessary from a scholarly source. In light of this result, the
author’s suggestions for further research into the needs and motivations of
poster users of all kinds seems a necessary next step to determine how
libraries and academic communities may better provide access to the information
contained in poster presentations.
References
Glynn, L.
(2006). A critical appraisal tool for library and information research. Library Hi Tech, 24(3), 387-399. doi:10.1108/07378830610692154