see the evidence
Living literature review
Evidence is the heartbeat of work at the Information Futures Lab. The abundance of research available to us through peer-reviewed studies is undeniably useful in revealing evidence gaps and forming best practices, but there are many challenges. Access to journals, time to read lengthy text, and the breadth of research methods, theoretical discussion and discipline-specific information needed to interpret and contextualize insights amid the landscape of research contribute to the likelihood that practitioners – and often, researchers – are not able to make the best use of available evidence across all fields.
Enter: The Information Futures Lab Living Literature Review.
Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and by Cochrane’s methods for conducting a living systematic review (LSR), we continuously gather research from peer-reviewed journals and synthesize findings into an accessible resource for anyone who works in or is interested in contributing to quality information systems. Our search knows no disciplinary, theoretical or methodological boundaries and offers both a bird’s-eye view of information research as well as interpretations of trends and findings. As with any good literature review, the IFL Living Literature Review identifies gaps in the literature, highlighting needs and opportunities for programs and study.
Our Process
The initial phase of our living literature review centers around interventions such as fact checking, influencer endorsement campaigns, labeling of misleading content, and digital literacy initiatives, among others. Using Covid-19 misinformation as a starting point, we are investigating the literature to better understand what has worked and what hasn’t. Not only do we examine the effectiveness of interventions, but we also know that what works in one context or community might be ineffective in another. Our review explores the existing intervention literature from every angle: country, platform, demographic, intervention type, academic field, impacts and more.
In coming months our research team will analyze findings and create a rich and searchable database of intervention-related studies. This database, which will be updated as new studies are published, will inform a public-facing dashboard hosted on IFL’s website, where policy makers, researchers, journalists, community organizations and the public can easily access and make sense of this growing body of literature.
Sign up for updates and news as we embark on this important mission.