Virtual Reference in an Academic Environment: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Users’ Information Needs

Li, Rowena; Faber, Toby; Puacz, Jeanne Holba; Stephens, Wendy

Title:

Virtual Reference in an Academic Environment: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Users’ Information Needs

dc.contributor.author	Li, Rowena
dc.contributor.author	Faber, Toby
dc.contributor.author	Puacz, Jeanne Holba
dc.contributor.author	Stephens, Wendy
dc.contributor.corporatename	University of North Texas
dc.date.accessioned	2006-05-26T13:21:49Z
dc.date.available	2006-05-26T13:21:49Z
dc.date.issued	2006-03-23
dc.description	Rowena Li, a school media specialist at Bayside High School in New York, is a Ph.D. student in information science at the University of North Texas. She received her Master Degree of Library and Information Science from Queens College, CUNY, in 1997. She has worked in her current position for more than four years. Prior to that, she worked as a senior reference librarian at Queens Borough Public Library in New York, a prospect researcher at Queens College Foundation, and a lecturer at Nankai University in China. Her research interests focus upon cross-lingual information retrieval and cultural dimensions of documentations and website designs.	en
dc.description.abstract	This study investigates patrons' information seeking behavior and information needs demonstrated in the virtual reference environment, by examining the usage patterns and service effectiveness of virtual reference services in a large academic library. Both live chat and e-mail reference questions are analyzed quantitatively by mapping peak usage times, usage patterns, question types, and response times. Complete transcripts are considered qualitatively by examining the process of the reference interview, the correctness and completeness of the response, the authority of sources cited and recommended and the inclusion of follow-up inquiries. The results of an online survey asking patrons’ experience with virtual reference service are also analyzed. By examining virtual reference service provided by one large academic library, this study can provide insight into patrons' information seeking behavior and information needs for virtual reference service generally applicable to all academic libraries. Recommendations for service improvement to better meet patron information needs are proposed in response to this study’s findings.	en
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf
dc.format.mimetype	application/octet-stream
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1853/10162
dc.language.iso	en_US	en
dc.publisher	Georgia Institute of Technology	en
dc.subject	Access	en
dc.subject	Virtual reference services
dc.subject	Live chat and e-mail reference questions
dc.subject	Online patron satisfaction survey
dc.subject	Technology assistance requests
dc.subject	Usage data
dc.title	Virtual Reference in an Academic Environment: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Users’ Information Needs	en
dc.title.alternative	Information needs and information seeking behavior in an academic virtual reference environment: a quantitative and qualitative study
dc.type	Moving Image
dc.type	Text
dc.type.genre	Proceedings
dc.type.genre	Presentation
dspace.entity.type	Publication
local.contributor.corporatename	Library
local.relation.ispartofseries	Electronic Resources and Libraries Conference
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication	bf0ff3d1-48ff-4cf4-baa3-4c783958e37a
relation.isSeriesOfPublication	1bc138f4-a871-4adf-a5c0-383f29cc06ed