Main point

How to think about the value of information

Need for better reference services

Electronic tools exacerbate lower quality service

Structure influences/communicates meaning

Importance of interpersonal impressions in reference services

Questions

Human time is finite resource but is not the time spent in interaction more satisfying?

Are we equipped to handle the growth of online inquiry if our in-person service is so poor?

Why care so much about distinguishing (labeling) primary vs secondary sources? Note Cochrane Reviews

Is there a correlation between good service and good products?

How to apply our structure analysis to better IA?

How to improve reference services? (how much is due to the patron?)

Why not intermediary readings closer to info seeking readings?

Paper discussions

Moorehead et al: Alex Vidas

Sonnenwald: Marchionini

Pool: Steve Segedy

Harnad: Mark Sanders

Smith: Juliet Rumble

2. Informetrics and Bibliometrics

queueing theory, circulation models, operations research

citation analysis, from individuals to groups to organizations; from doc to doc to doc to field to field to field

Problems of citation analysis

Multiple authors

Self-citations

Homographs (same name/different authors)

Synonyms (name variants)

Types of sources (books vs journals, some journals limit citations)

Implicit citations (discussed or implied but not cited)

Time fluctuations (year to year)

Field variations (e.g., humanities vs sciences)

Errors

Applications

Various literature studies

User studies

Historical studies

Communication patterns (e.g., how ideas spread)

IR (e.g., google, Clever today)

Collection development

Recommendation systems

Logical Assumptions (Griffith, Drott & Small)

1. X cited by Y is more likely to be related to Y than arbitrary A not cited

1. X cited by Y and A not cited by Y=>more likely that X was used in preparation of Y

2. Y and Z cite X=>more likely Y and Z are related than A and B citing no docs in common

Y cites X and Z=>X and Z more likely related to each other than to A not cited by Y (not co-cited with X and Y)

4. Readings for next meeting:

Dibbell, J. (1996). A rape in cyberspace: How an evil clown, a Haitian trikster spirit, two wizards, and a cast of dozens turned a database into a society. In Mark Stefik (Ed.) Internet dreams: Archetypes,

myths, and metaphors. Cambridge, MIT Press.

Optional: Constant, D., Kiesler, S., & Sproull, L. (1994). What's mine is ours, or is it? A study of attitudes about information sharing.

5. One-minute paper concept

What was the big point you learned in class today?

What is the main, unanswered question you leave class with today?