Small-Scale Interventions Improving Literature Search Skills Among Resident Doctors: An Observational Study

Introduction Literature search skills (LSS) are fundamental to research practices, writing scientific articles, quality improvement projects, and audits. There is no formal LSS teaching in postgraduate residency training in the United Kingdom (UK), and the literature lacks consensus on which LSS domains should be taught. The purpose of our pre-post observational study was to evaluate the improvement in confidence levels across selected LSS and views on the inclusion of LSS teaching in the postgraduate curriculum among resident doctors, following a small-scale intervention at our District General Hospital. Methods A two-hour workshop, delivered by the clinical library team and aimed at resident doctors in their first two years of UK residency, covered eight selected LSS domains, including defining a research question and screening abstracts. Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires assessed participants' confidence levels across the LSS domains using a five-point Likert scale. Confidence data (non-parametric) were analysed using a right-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Feedback on the course was collected separately to evaluate participant satisfaction and insights. Results For the included 22 participants, median pre-workshop confidence across the eight LSS domains ranged from 2.0 (IQR 1.0-3.3) to 3.0 (IQR 1.8-3.0). Post-workshop, median confidence ranged from 4.0 (IQR 4.0-5.0) to 4.5 (IQR 4.0-5.0). The right-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed a statistically significant increase (p < 0.01) in confidence across all domains, with a large effect size (r > 0.8). All participants rated the workshop as highly useful and expressed interest in additional sessions, confirming its applicability to future practice. Conclusion Even a small-scale intervention improves LSS confidence across several domains, demonstrating the efficacy of such activities for resident doctors. This is key for broader professional training goals in the healthcare sector and should be integrated as part of formal training programmes.