Research on Digital Reference

he Research: Theory and Applications feature area of portal will report on current research projects from within our profession (librarianship in general and academic librarianship in particular) and explore ways we can use the findings of these efforts to bring about improved services. In a similar manner, research findings in related fields will also be addressed. From time to time, features will take a historical approach. Interviews with active researchers about the implications of their current and past research projects will also be offered.

This feature will report upon both newly initiated projects and completed research efforts. Areas where we need research will be offered, and 'agendas for research' that may be put forward by different groups will also be reported. Suggestions for research projects to be featured or topics to be addressed are always appreciated. Send suggestions to nk20@umail.umd.edu.

The research into the effectiveness of our new digital reference services is the topic of this first column. We do have a growing body of research addressing our digital reference services (email or web-based reference service). We also have a great number of opinion articles on the topic.

Three published empirical research studies and one forthcoming study provide us with some answers to key questions. Additional research is needed to help us understand how effective these services are and what role they can and will play in our service offerings. These four studies are:

Lara Bushallow-Wilbur, Gemma DeVinney, and Fritz Whitcomb, "Electronic mail reference service: a study," RQ 35(1996):359-371.

David Carter and Joseph Janes, "Unobtrusive data analysis of digital reference questions and service at the Internet Public Library: An exploratory study," (to be published in Library Trends, Fall 2000, vol. 49, no. 2)

Beth A. Garnsey and Ronald R. Powell, "Electronic mail reference services in the public library," Reference & User Services Quarterly 39(2000): 245-254.

Joseph Janes, David Carter, and Patricia Memmott, "Digital reference services in academic libraries," Reference & User Services Quarterly 39(1999): 145-150.

It is most informative to read and ponder the research questions addressed by these four research projects. These questions are listed here.

Bushallow-Wilbur, DeVinney, and Whitcomb's study was to determine

• Who uses e-mail reference

• What types of questions are asked

• When they were transmitted

• From where are they transmitted

• Whether those who use e-mail prefer it over more traditional means of asking reference questions; namely, in person, by telephone, or by mail correspondence.

(p. 361)

Carter and Janes' research questions were:

• What are important characteristics of questions and users (user-assigned subjects, self-identification of users)?

• How frequently do IPL administrators override user-defined subjects and nature of questions?

• How frequently do IPL question-answerers use internal features of the question answering system?

• How long do answerers take to answer questions:

• Who sends thank-you messages back to the IPL?

• What are important characteristics of rejected questions?

(p. 2)

Garnsey and Powell's research questions were:

1. What are the characteristics of e-mail reference users?

13. What types of questions are asked via e-mail?

15. What factors influence a user's decision to ask a reference question via e-mail?

17. How satisfied are e-mail reference users with the service they received?

19. What are the characteristics of public library e-mail reference services?

(p. 247)

Janes, Carter, and Memmott asked

• What proportion of libraries conduct digital reference services?

• What are the characteristics of those digital reference services.

(p. 145)

Academic libraries were studied by Bushallow-Wilbur, DeVinney, and Whitcomb and by Janes and Memmott. Garnsey and Powell investigated public libraries. There is not space here to provide their findings in detail or to report the research methodologies used. The findings from these four studies are informative. Take the time to read these research reports. We should all use the findings to build our new services and support systems.

These four research studies add to our...