Impostor phenomenon, also known as impostor syndrome, is the inability to internalize accomplishments while experiencing the fear of being exposed as a fraud. Previous work has examined impostor phenomenon among academic college and research librarians, but health sciences librarians, who are often asked to be experts in medical subject areas with minimal training or education in these areas, have not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to measure impostor phenomenon among health sciences librarians.

A survey of 2,125 eligible Medical Library Association (MLA) members was taken from October to December 2017. The online survey featuring the Harvey Impostor Phenomenon scale, a validated measure of impostor phenomenon, was administered, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine relationships between impostor phenomenon scores and demographic variables.

A total of 703 participants completed the survey (33% response rate), and 14.5% of participants scored ≥42 on the Harvey scale, indicating possible impostor feelings. Gender, race, and library setting showed no associations, but having an educational background in the health sciences was associated with lower impostor scores. Age and years of experience were inversely correlated with impostor phenomenon, with younger and newer librarians demonstrating higher scores.

One out of seven health sciences librarians in this study experienced impostor phenomenon, similar to previous findings for academic librarians. Librarians, managers, and MLA can work to recognize and address this issue by raising awareness, using early prevention methods, and supporting librarians who are younger and/or new to the profession.

Presented at the 2018 Medical Library Association Conference.

Objective

Imposter phenomenon is the inability to internalize accomplishments while experiencing the fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite informal discussion and interest among the medical librarian community, no research has been conducted on this topic within our field.  Our research objective is to measure imposter phenomenon (IP) among US health sciences librarians.

Methods

In this mixed methods study, a census of all eligible Medical Library Association members, excluding students, retired members, unemployed members, and international members, was taken from October to December 2017. The census population was 2179, and 325 responses (15%) were expected. We administered an anonymous online survey using REDCap, featuring the Harvey Imposter Phenomenon scale, open-ended questions about coping strategies to address imposter phenomenon at work, and demographic information. Demographic variables included race, gender, age, type of library setting, years of experience, and educational background in the health sciences.  

Results

Results are pending. We hypothesize that imposter phenomenon will be greater in librarians with less work experience, younger librarians, and those without a health sciences educational background.  Descriptive statistics will be used to look for trends and bivariate analyses will be used to examine relationships between imposter phenomenon measurements and other variables (e.g. type of library setting). Thematic analysis will be used to discover themes among strategies for addressing imposter phenomenon.

Conclusions

Conclusions are pending; we will have conclusions to present by May 2018. Our conclusions will help inform awareness-raising and advocacy efforts around this issue.

Presented at the 2019 Medical Library Association Conference. 

Objective

Impostor phenomenon is the inability to internalize accomplishments while experiencing the fear of being exposed as a fraud. Impostor phenomenon can have serious adverse effects including: anxiety, depression, lack of confidence, decreased job satisfaction and performance, and burnout. Our research objective is to discover effective coping strategies to help health sciences librarians address feelings of impostor phenomenon.

Methods

In our study, the first to measure impostor phenomenon in health science librarians, we distributed an anonymous online survey via REDCap to measure impostor phenomenon among US health sciences librarians and learn about strategies to cope with impostor phenomenon. We used the Harvey Impostor Phenomenon scale (higher scores are associated with feelings of fraudulence) and asked two open-ended questions about coping with feelings of inadequacy at work. The first question asked what strategies respondents used to address these feelings, and the second asked how effective the respondents believed the strategies were. We performed a thematic analysis of the responses to the open-ended questions. 

Results

Our study found that one in seven health sciences librarians experienced impostor phenomenon and, importantly, younger and newer librarians had higher impostor scores. 703 participants completed the survey, of those, 459 answered the open-ended questions. Participants reported many strategies to cope with feelings of inadequacy; 75% reported their strategies were effective. We categorized strategies as either “external” (seeking help outside oneself) or “internal” (coping alone). External strategies include: educational opportunities, mentorship, and talking to others. Internal strategies include: avoidance, “fake it til you make it”, or mindfulness. We found that external strategies were associated with lower impostor scores. 

Conclusions

Feelings of impostor phenomenon can be harmful to those who experience them. Individual librarians, managers, and professional organizations all have a role in addressing impostor phenomenon in the profession. Recognizing the signs of impostor phenomenon and understanding the most effective strategies to cope with it, such as mentoring, colleague support, and educational efforts, are beneficial to health sciences librarians, particularly to younger or newer librarians who experience more feelings of impostorism. 

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will be able to define impostor phenomenon.Participants will be able list 2-3 coping strategies to address impostor phenomenon.Participants will be able to describe the difference between external and internal coping strategies.