Digital reference services Cracow May 2003

Exercises B - Thursday

Exercise B-1 (about 1 hour)

Choose a digital reference service (in a language you can read). Evaluate the service on the basis of

• Virtual Reference Desk (2000). Facets of quality for digital reference services, version 4

Please take notes - you will need the notes for the group discussions during lecture B.

Exercise B-2 (about 30 mins)

If you received an answer to your question in exercise A - write a brief evaluation of the answer (5-10 lines is OK). Was it helpful? Accurate? Detailed?

If you did not receive an answer - select a typical transaction (question + answer) from a service with an archive and write a brief evaluation. Does the answer look helpful? Accurate? Detailed?

Forward (by email)

• the question you sent
• the answer you received
• the evaluation you wrote

to my address:

• tord.hoivik@jbi.hio.no

I will edit and publish your responses on the course web.

Some Q&A-services with archives

General

1. Google answers.
2. Internet Public Library. Ask a question (FAQ archive)
3. Stumpers-L (US)

Science

1. Drexel University Math Forum. Ask Dr. Math (US)
2. Scientific American*. Ask the experts.
3. Washington State University. Ask Dr. Universe

Education

1. Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC). AskERIC. Government service.
2. About College (home). Q&A (24 hours)

Health

1. Children with diabetes. Ask the diabetes team
2. Columbia University. Go Ask Alice! (on health)
3. iVillage. Ask the dentist. Web community.
4. University of Washington. Neuroscientist network

Daily life

1. North Carolina State University. Ask the specialist. Questions about daily living.

Children

1. Yahooligans. Ask EARL (for children)

*The journal Scientific American is one of the world`s leading publications on popular science.