Question master: An evaluation of a web-based decision-support system for use in reference environments

College and Research Libraries

Volumn 59, Issue 1, 1998, Pages 29-37

  Richardson Jr , John V ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0032345130     PISSN: 00100870     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.5860/crl.59.1.29     Document Type: Article

References (21)

1. Jesse Shera, "Automation and the Reference Librarian," RQ 3 (July 1964): 4.
2. Library of Congress, Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings, vol. 1 (Washington, D.C.: Cataloging Distribution Service, 1991), section H180, II, 3.
3. John V. Richardson Jr., "A Review of KBS Applications in General Reference Work," in Knowledge-based Systems for General Reference Work: Applications, Problems, and Progress (San Diego, Calif.: Academic Pr., 1995), chapter 8.
4. _, "The Development of a Knowledge Base for an Expert System in Reference Work," in Knowledge-based Systems for General Reference Work: Applications, Problems, and Progress (San Diego, Calif.: Academic Pr., 1995), chapter 5.
5. National Center for Education Statistics, Public Libraries in the United States, 1997 (Washington, DC: GPO, February 1997).
6. Matthew Saxton, "Reference Service Evaluation and Meta-Analysis: Methodological Issues in Summarizing Data from Multiple Studies," Library Quarterly 67 (July 1997): 267-89.
7. A more complete list of the actual requirements of an essential system are given in John V. Richardson Jr., "Understanding the Reference Transaction: A System Analysis Perspective," in progress.
8. See table 8.1, entries 1 and 24, as well as page 272, in Richardson, Knowledge-based Systems for General Reference Work.
9. Cherie B. Well, "Automatic Retrieval of Biographical Reference Books," Journal of Library Automation 1 (Dec. 1968): 239-49.
10. On page 106 of Weil's study, she indicates that scoring the computer's response was "A = It has the answer or at least part of it; B = Good choice but does not have the answer." She scored eight questions as A and two as B. In her final scoring, she reported 66 percent accuracy whereas the author scored her system as 64 percent accurate. The author interprets these results as having no significant difference after having dropped four of her original fourteen questions.
11. Deborah Henderson, Patti Martin, Lauren Mayer, and Pamela Monaster, "Rules and Tools in Library Schools," Journal of Education for Library and Information Sciences 30 (winter 1989): 226-27.
12. John V. Richardson Jr., "Teaching General Reference Work: The Complete Paradigm, 1890-1990," Library Quarterly 62 (Jan. 1992): 55-89.
13. John V. Richardson Jr. and Rex Reyes, " Expert Systems for Government Information: A Quantitative Evaluation," College & Research Libraries 56 (May 1995): 235-47. In the near future, the author expects that Matthew Saxton will present a methodology (e.g., a seven-point Likert scale modifying Childers's work) in his dissertation tentatively titled: "Evaluation of Reference Service in Public Libraries Using Structural Equation Modeling: The Role of Multivariate Analysis in Testing Theory."
14. John V. Richardson Jr. and Rex Reyes, " Expert Systems for Government Information: A Quantitative Evaluation," College & Research Libraries 56 (May 1995): 235-47. In the near future, the author expects that Matthew Saxton will present a methodology (e.g., a seven-point Likert scale modifying Childers's work) in his dissertation tentatively titled: "Evaluation of Reference Service in Public Libraries Using Structural Equation Modeling: The Role of Multivariate Analysis in Testing Theory."
15. Michael J. Prasse and R. Tigner, "The OCLC Usability Lab: Description and Methodology," in 13th National Online Meeting Proceedings-1992 Meeting, New York, May 5-7, 1992, ed. Martha E. Williams (Medford, N.J.: Learned Information, Inc., 1992), 255-61.
16. Using four test subjects will uncover at least 75 percent of a system's problems, according to Robert A. Virzi, "Refining the Test Phase of Usability Evaluation: How Many Subjects Is Enough?" Human Factors 34 (August 1992): 457-68.
17. Michael J. Prasse, "The Video Analysis Method: An Integrated Approach to Usability Assessment," in Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 34th Annual Meeting: Orlando '90 (Santa Monica, Calif.: The Human Factors Society, 1990), 400-404.
18. The OCLC Usability Lab: Supporting Efficient Development of Excellent Products (Dublin, Ohio: OCLC Inc., 1996), 1.
19. The videotape of the user sessions along with Dr. Michael Prasse's Usability Evaluation Summary Report are filed in the OCLC Information Center.
20. For a commercial system, this requirement could be modified to recommend more sources or simply those in a single language, such as English.
21. For more on persistent uniform resource locators (PURLs), point the browser to http:// purl.oclc.org.