Understanding Reference Transactions Transforming an Art into a Science

Each year, millions of questions are asked in public libraries and information centers around the world. However, despite the digital revolution, little has been done to improve the answering capabilities of these institutions. Therefore, improving accuracy rates and maintaining and increasing user satisfaction rates are top priorities. Understanding Reference Transactions discusses how reference research developed in the twentieth century and presents the current status of reference research. The book reports on a meta-analysis of research findings and a new model of question negotiation, and looks at research findings related to influences upon accuracy, satisfaction, and utility. Many practitioners feel that they learn little about the process of question-answering during their studies, and most of what they know is an art they pick up as they work day to day. By creating models of the reference transaction supported by empirical evidence, the authors hope to advance the understanding of question-answering to a science. Key Features: * Powerful research models help explain what is happening in the reference transaction. * Encompasses a comprehensive review of the research literature. * Offers a unique systems analysis of the reference transaction. * Includes a detailed appendix of the concepts, operational definitions, and research variables used to measure outcomes as well as statistical results from all known prior studies. A Volume in the Library and Information Science SeriesRichardson, John V., Jr. is the author of 'Understanding Reference Transactions Transforming an Art into a Science', published 2002 under ISBN 9780125877800 and ISBN 0125877803.