Reflections of Reference Practice: Analyzing Virtual Reference Transcripts

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Reflections of Reference Practice Analyzing
Virtual Reference Transcripts

• Presented by
• Marie L. Radford
• and
• Lynn Silipigni Connaway
• 2007 ALISE Conference
• Seattle, WA, January 15-18, 2007

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Presenters

• Marie L. Radford, Ph.D.
• Associate Professor,
• Rutgers University, SCILS
• Email mradford_at_scils.rutgers.edu
• www.scils.rutgers.edu/mradford
• Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D.
• Consulting Research Scientist
• Email connawal_at_oclc.org
• www.oclc.org/research/staff/connaway.htm

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Seeking Synchronicity Evaluating Virtual
Reference Services from User, Non-User, and
Librarian Perspectives

• 1,103,572 project funded by
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
• 684,996 grant
• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and
  OCLC, Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
  405,076 in kind contributions

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Seeking Synchronicity Evaluating Virtual
Reference Services from User, Non-User, and
Librarian Perspectives

• Project duration
• 10/1/2005-9/30/2007
• Four phases
• Focus group interviews
• Analysis of 1,000 QuestionPoint transcripts
• 600 online surveys
• 300 telephone interviews

Interviews surveys with VRS users, non-users,
librarians
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24/7-QuestionPoint Transcript Analysis

• Previous sample 24/7
• July 7, 2004 through June 27, 2005
• 263,673 sessions
• 25 transcripts/month 300 total
• New sample QuestionPoint
• December 1, 2005 through August 31, 2006
• 298,237 sessions
• 50 transcripts/month 450 total
• Total transcripts analyzed 750

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6 Analyses

• Geographical Distribution
• Originating library
• Librarian respondent
• Type of Library
• Wait Time Session Time
• Type of Questions
• Katz/Kaske Classification
• Subject of Questions
• Dewey Decimal Classification
• Interpersonal Communication
• Radford Classification

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VRS Session Times

• Wait time
• Mean 1.87 Minutes
• Median 1 Minute
• Minimum 1 Second
• Maximum 67 Minutes
• Session time
• Mean 12.42 Minutes
• Median 12 Minutes
• Minimum 12 Seconds
• Maximum 71 Minutes

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VRS Transactions by Library Type
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VRS Questions by Location of Originating Library
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Location of VRS Librarian Respondents
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(No Transcript)
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Wait Time for VRS
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VRS Mean Wait Time by Library Type
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VRS Mean Session Times by Library Type
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VRS Questions by Type
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VRS Questions by Subject
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Results Interpersonal Communication Analysis

• 2 Major Themes
• Relational Facilitators
• Aspects with positive impact on interaction that
  enhance communication.
• Relational Barriers
• Aspects with negative impact on interaction that
  impede communication.

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Comparison of Relational Facilitators
N558
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Comparison of Relational Barriers
N558
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Transcript Reading

• Positive Transcript Example
• Question Type Ready Reference
• Subject Type Economics
• Duration 19 min., 21 sec.
• Negative Transcript Example
• Question Type Subject Search
• Subject Type Parapsychology Occultism
• Duration 7 min., 29 sec.

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End Notes

• This is one outcome from the project Seeking
  Synchronicity Evaluating Virtual Reference
  Services from User, Non-User, Librarian
  Perspectives, Marie L. Radford Lynn Silipigni
  Connaway, Co-Principal Investigators.
• Funded by IMLS, Rutgers University and OCLC,
  Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
• Special thanks to Jocelyn DeAngelis Williams,
  Patrick Confer, Julie Strange, Susanna
  Sabolcsi-Boros, Timothy Dickey.
• These slides available at project website
  http//www.oclc.org/research/projects/synchronicit
  y/