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Medical Sciences Library

Medical Sciences Library - Staff Profiles

Margaret Foster

I am the Evidence Synthesis and Scholarly Dissemination Librarian and Head of the Center for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses at the Medical Sciences Library, Texas A&M University. With two decades of experience collaborating on reviews, I have published reviews in medicine, veterinary medicine, education, agriculture, and other fields. My goal is to collaborate on the production of high-quality systematic reviews and evidence syntheses following standards and best practices, with my focus on information retrieval.

What I Can Do For You

  • provide guidance on systematic review and evidence syntheses projects
  • present workshops on systematic review methods and software such as Covidence, Rayyan, and others

Selected Works

Books

Foster MJ and Jewell ST (Eds.) (2022) Piecing Together Systematic Reviews and Other Evidence Syntheses. (Medical Library Association Books Series) Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. Dec 2022.

Foster MJ and Jewell ST (Eds.) (2017) Assembling the Pieces of a Systematic Review: A Guide for Librarians (Medical Library Association Books Series) Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Recent Articles

Fausak, E., Funaro, M. ., Kepsel, A., Eldermire, E., Foster, M., Norton, H., Mears, K., Crews, M., Brennan, M., L. Currie, G., LaFollette, M., O’Connor, A., Smith, A., Wever, K., & Fricke, S. (2023). Systematic reviews of animal studies – Report of an international symposium. Veterinary Evidence, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.18849/ve.v8i3.653

Ganz, J. B., Pustejovsky, J. E., Reichle, J., Vannest, K., Foster, M., Pierson, L. M., Wattanawongwan, S., Fuller, M. C., Haas, A., Sallese, M. R., Smith, S. D., & Yllades, V. (2023). A Case for increased rigor in AAC research: A methodological quality review. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 58(1), 3-21.

Ganz, J. B., Pustejovsky, J. E., Reichle, J., Vannest, K. J., Foster, M., Pierson, L. M., Wattanawongwan, S., Bernal, A. J., Chen, M., Haas, A. N., Liao, C., Sallese, M. R., Skov, R., & Smith, S. D. (2023). Participant characteristics predicting communication outcomes in AAC implementation for individuals with ASD and IDD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 39(1), 7-22. 10.1080/07434618.2022.2116355

Gandara, E., Harvey, I. S., Foster, M., Luo, W., McKyer, L., Burdine, J., & Martinez, D. (2023). Facilitators and Barriers When Conducting Adult Health Programs Within the African American Church: A Systematic Review. J Relig Health. 62(4), 2496-2531.

Khreis, H., Sanchez, K. A., Foster, M., Burns, J., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Jaikumar, R., Ramani, T., & Zietsman, J. (2023). Urban policy interventions to reduce traffic-related emissions and air pollution: A systematic evidence map. Environment International, 172, 107805. 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107805

Reichle, J., Pustejovsky, J. E., Vannest, K. J., Foster, M., Pierson, L. M., Wattanawongwan, S., Chen, M., Fuller, M. C., Haas, A. N., Bhat, B. H., Sallese, M. R., Smith, S. D., Yllades, V., Rodriguez, D., Yoro, A., & Ganz, J. B. (2023). Systematic Review of Variables Related to Instruction in Augmentative and Alternative Communication Implementation: Group and Single-Case Design. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 32(4), 1734-1757. 10.1044/2023_AJSLP-22-00314

Wattanawongwan S., Ganz JB, Hong ER, Dunn C, Yllades V, Pierson LM, Baek E, and Foster M. (2023) Interventions for Improving Social-Communication Skills for Adolescents and Adults with ASD: a Meta-analysis. Rev J Autism Dev Disord 10, 391–405 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-021-00300-8

Talwar, D., Chen, W., Yeh, Y., Foster, M., Al-Shagrawi, S., & Chen, L. (2018). Characteristics and evaluation outcomes of genomics curricula for health professional students: A systematic literature review.
published online on Nov 6, 2018 to Genetics in Medicine. doi: 10.1038/s41436-018-0386-9

Adetunji, S. A., Ramirez, G., Foster, M. J., & Arenas-Gamboa, A. (2019). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of osteoarticular brucellosis.. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 13(1), e0007112-e0007112.

Foster MJ, Gary JC, and Sooryanarayana SM. (2018) Direct observation of medication errors in critical care setting: a systematic review. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly 41(1):76-92. PMID 29210769; doi: 10.1097/CNQ.0000000000000188

Foster M, Halling TD, and Pepper C. (2018) Systematic reviews training for librarians: planning, developing, and evaluating. Journal of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL), 14(1): 4-8. [Open Access] http://ojs.eahil.eu/ojs/index.php/JEAHIL/article/view/248

Martin JP, Winterer, E, Borrego MJ, Froyd, JE, Choe NH, and Foster MJ. Interventions Supporting Baccalaureate Achievement of Latinx STEM Students Matriculating at 2-year Institutions: A Systematic Review. (2018) Journal of Research in Science Teaching  p1-25 [epub ahead of print] DOI:10.1002/tea.21485

Morin KL, Ganz JB, Gregori EV, Foster MJ, Gerow SL, Genç-Tosun D & Hong ER (2018): A systematic quality review of high-tech AAC interventions as an evidence-based practice. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 34(2):104-117. DOI: 10.1080/07434618.2018.1458900

Spears EC, Foster MJ and Bonner TJ. (2018) Diabetes prevention for African Americans: a scoping review. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 5(5): 947-965. doi: 10.1007/s40615-017-0443-0, PMID: 29218497

 

Professional Affiliations

National Committees

    Medical Library Association,

          Systematic Review Services Specialization Working Group, 2019-, Member

          Systematic Review Caucus, Past Chair 2021, Chair, 2020-2021, Founder/lead convener 2014-2019

 

International Committees

 Joanna Briggs Institute Information Science Methods Group, 2018-

Campbell Collaboration, Information Specialists group, 2018-

Education

Masters of Public Health, Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 2009

Masters of Science, Library and Information Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX. Aug 2003

B. S. Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX  Dec 1998