A Systematic Review of Research on Live Chat Service

Matteson, Miriam L.; Salamon, Jennifer; Brewster, Lindy

doi:10.5860/rusq.51n2.172

Cited by 57 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…So much so, that in 2011, Matteson, Salamon, and Brewster published a systematic review of research on live chat reference services (Matteson et al, 2011). Of the 59 studies in their review, 13 analyzed the transcripts for types of questions asked (Matteson et al, 2011). Their review also highlighted the fact that while the coding schemes used in these studies were usually developed by building upon one another, the Library and Information Science community still lacks a common question type coding scheme that would allow for cross-institutional analysis (Matteson et al, 2011).…”

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confidence: 99%

Digging deeper into virtual reference transcripts

Cooke

Matheson

2015

Reference Services Review

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PurposeThe purpose of the study is to identify the information needs of patrons in a large Canadian academic library system by analyzing the types of questions asked through the Library's "Ask A Librarian" system. The results provide information on specific areas of competencies and training for staff providing virtual reference services. MethodologyThis article looks at virtual reference data collected between January and April 2012 from a large Canadian academic library and provides an analysis of the types of questions asked by library users. The researchers developed a detailed coding scheme for the analysis of question type and referrals made, and used the qualitative analysis software NVivo™ to code and analyze the data. FindingsThe results of this analysis found that patrons often tap into synchronous online library help when they encounter challenges with online library resources. Specific areas of patron training to be developed were also identified. Finally, areas for staff training were uncovered which will help the library provide a consistent level of service to patrons. OriginalityThis is the first study in the library community to conduct a detailed analysis of the virtual reference transcripts from a large Canadian university using the NVivo™ content analysis software. The study developed and employed more detailed coding categories then has been used in previous studies in order to provide more information about the questions that patrons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 IntroductionVirtual Reference (VR) also referred to as chat reference, is defined by the American Library Association as "…a reference service initiated electronically, often in real-time, where patrons employ computers or other Internet technology to communicate with reference staff, without being physically present. Communication channels used frequently in virtual reference include chat, videoconferencing, Voice over IP, co-browsing, e-mail, and instant messaging" (Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services, 2004). The text transcripts of these reference interactions provide Library and Information Science (LIS) researchers with a wealth of data which can be analyzed in numerous ways to provide insight into patrons' use of the library and its resources.Libraries continue to struggle to provide more and better service to patrons while in the midst of ongoing budget reductions. The improvement and expansion of virtual services will be seen as a logical and economical solution to this ongoing challenge. One of the challenges of any reference service is providing a consistent level of service. Differences in staff competencies, subject knowledge, and experience will impact the success of each reference transaction and patron satisfaction. This is particularly true of institutions that have more than on...

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confidence: 99%

Digging deeper into virtual reference transcripts

Cooke

Matheson

2015

Reference Services Review

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“…This analysis of the literature starts from the premise that virtual reference services are important, especially in the context of their increasing popularity and reported general user satisfaction. 3 Morais and Sampson note that "chat reference service is a very popular, heavily used, and appreciated service" and Nicol and Crook observe that some libraries are seeing increased use of virtual reference services at the same time as statistics are showing decreased or flattening reference desk use. 4 A systematic review of virtual reference services published in 2011 by Matteson, Salamon, and Brewster identified fiftynine papers on the topic, the majority of which were from FEATURE academic library settings.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do You Want to Chat? Reevaluating Organization of Virtual Reference Service at an Academic Library

Côté¹,

Kochkina²,

Mawhinney³

2016

RUSQ

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Since their inception, virtual reference services have evolved considerably and are now a significant component of library services in many types of library environments. The current paper reports on a study undertaken at a research-intensive academic library that analyzed and evaluated a decade-old virtual reference service. The main goal of the study was to obtain a broad and comprehensive picture of the current service, grounded in the actual day-to-day provision, usage, and organization of the service. The group of librarians involved in the study developed a feasible, efficient, and adaptable methodology for assessing and evaluating a virtual reference service. The developed methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative methods can be used and applied for a similar evaluation of the service in any type of library environment.

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“…Natural language responses to questions about transactions were already noted as particularly helpful in prior research. 35 Meeting…”

Section: Narrative Formmentioning

confidence: 99%