In honor of Doody’s Collection Development Monthly’s 10^th anniversary, we’re counting down the eight most popular reviews that have made DCDM a mainstay in health sciences collection development. To date, librarians far and wide have contributed reviews of nearly 100 resources, and we’re thrilled to continue bringing reviews written “for librarians, by librarians” to your inbox each month. Buckle up, some of these may surprise you!

#8 Facts & Comparison eAnswers

Pamela Herring’s review of Fact & Comparison eAnswers was published in April 2019 and then updated in February 2022. Herring is one of several librarians who have reviewed three distinct resources for DCDM. Of this particular database, published by Wolters Kluwer, Herring noted it “is a valuable resource for faculty and students” especially at institutions with a “pharmacy school or pharmacologists integrated into the curriculum”.

#7 CINAHL

The review of CINAHL by EBSCO was one of the first reviews published to DCDM in August 2015. Penned by none other than Helen-Ann Brown Epstein, the review notes that “any version of CINAHL would provide more focused retrieval” of nursing literature than Google Scholar and other databases. Brown Epstein’s review update was also one of the first of its kind published to DCDM in April 2018 and remains one of the most instructive updates to date.

#6 JoVE

The Journal of Visual Experiments (JoVE) was reviewed by Heidi Zuniga in December 2018, noting that its “video articles are high quality, peer reviewed, and include many useful tools and features”. Zuniga’s review update in April 2021 maintained the same message and today JoVE remains the only-peer reviewed scientific video journal.

#5 Visible Body

With Lori Driscoll’s groundbreaking review in July 2017, Visible Body easily takes the fifth spot on this list. Driscoll noted that Visible Body “offers a uniquely engaging product suite for teaching, learning, and reference in multiple disciplines”. In addition to the initial review, Driscoll’s review update in June 2019 remains one of the most popular updates on DCDM to date.

#4 AccessMedicine

Since 2016, Lisa Adriani has reviewed three different resources for DCDM, tied for the most of any DCDM contributor. To date, her January 2016 review of AccessMedicine from McGraw Hill remains her most popular and claims the fourth spot on this list. Adriani defined AccessMedicine as “an excellent resource for students as well as medical residents and clinical practitioners”. In her July 2018 review update, Adriani noted that the improvements made since her original review made AccessMedicine “even more valuable to both hospital and academic libraries”.

#3 ScienceDirect

Like Adriani and Herring, Alissa Fial is a three-peat-er, having reviewed three different resources for DCDM. However, it is her review of ScienceDirect by Elsevier in May 2021 that is her most popular and takes the third spot on this list. Of the resource, Fial noted its “extensive coverage across multiple disciplines and its interconnectivity of content…can provide a more profound search experience for its users”. Fial’s May 2023 review update gives a nod to more open access content.

#2 BMJ Case Reports

Published in June 2018, Deedra Walton’s review of BMJ Case Reports is one of the reviews we hear about the most. In addition to its educational value, Walton observed the “unique business model and simplified manuscript preparation process offers publishing opportunities to healthcare professionals who may not have published before”. Given the review’s popularity, it’s no wonder why Walton’s review update in August 2020 remains one of the most popular updates to date.

Before we jump into the #1 spot, it’s worth noting that the first, second, and eighth spots on this list are reviews by librarians at the Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. All three have written reviews of multiple resources for DCDM. Special shout out to all three librarians and to Nadine Dexter, who serves on the Doody’s Library Board of Advisors, for their deep and collective impact on Doody’s publications.

#1 JBI SUMARI

Drum roll, please! The number one spot on our list goes to the May 2019 review of JBI SUMARI written by Shalu Gillum. Published by JBI, an Australian research institute turned global health information solutions provider, JBI SUMARI is “designed to help researchers and health practitioners with the entire systematic review process”. Given the rise in systematic review offerings and training among health sciences librarians in the late 2010s and early 2020s, it’s no wonder that a review of a systematic review solution would gain such traction. Gillum’s assessment, which rang similar in the July 2021 review update, is especially noteworthy: “For users embarking on their first systematic review, JBI SUMARI takes the guesswork out of the systematic review process”.

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A huge thank you to all the librarians who contribute reviews for DCDM and support Doody’s publications. Did any of these reviews surprise you? Are there other DCDM reviews that made an impact on your work? Sound off in the comments below to let us know your thoughts. If you are interested in writing a DCDM review, let us know today!