The current state of digital reference: validation of a general digital reference model through a survey of digital reference services

Authors:
Jeffrey Pomerantz;Scott Nicholson;Yvonne Belanger;R. David Lankes
Affiliations:
School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC;School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY;Information Institute of Syracuse, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY;Information Institute of Syracuse, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Venue:
Information Processing and Management: an International Journal
Year:
2004

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Abstract

This paper describes a study conducted to determine the paths digital reference services take through a general process model of asynchronous digital reference. A survey based on the general process model was conducted; each decision point in this model provided the basis for at least one question. Common, uncommon, and wished-for practices are identified, as well as correlations between characteristics of services and the practices employed by those services. Identification of such trends has implications for the development of software tools for digital reference. This study presents a snapshot of the state-of-the-art in digital reference as of late 2001-early 2002, and validates the general process model of asynchronous digital reference.