In early 2007, the Institute for Natural Resources started a pilot project with the Oregon Department of Forestry to explore the use of the Systematic Evidence Review (SER) process to assess and
collate "best available science" on focused natural resource questions. The pilot questions was "Does instream wood placement affect salmonid growth, survival or habitat complexity?" SERs were
originally developed in the medical profession as a way to assess existing science, in particular medical trials. Our challenge was to see if these "turbocharged lit reviews" could be adapted as a
way to package available knowledge that would be useful to diverse stakeholders looking for objectivity. A key component of SERs is their use of a review protocol that spells out in detail how the
review will be conducted, including the specific question being addressed and the search strategy that will be used to locate all pertinent evidence. Enter the library. Jeff Behan of the INR
contacted Janet Webster of the OSU Libraries for assistance in creating the search strategy and identifying where to use it. In this presentation, Jeff Behan and Janet Webster will describe the idea
behind using SERs in natural resources, explain our process, and describe the challenges and the results.
