Medical librarian as expert witness: the truth, and nothing but the truth

Medical librarians are very comfortable in the library environment, where they research, analyze and disseminate information. But most are not as comfortable in an environment where their research methods, technique and expertise are called into question. This is an account of the activities of a medical librarian who became an expert witness in a malpractice case involving an oncology patient, and a prosecuting attorney filing suit against a prominent oncologist. As an expert witness, the testimony given by the medical librarian was based on research performed as a result of verifying 342 citations of published works included in the oncologist’s curriculum vitae. The roles that the medical librarian fulfilled, the methodology used to uncover the facts of the case, and the credibility factors that contributed to the degree of certainty of this expert witness’s testimony are illustrated in this article, where the truth – and nothing but the truth – is revealed.