Coding into the Great Unknown: Analyzing Instant Messaging Session Transcripts to Identify User Behaviors and Measure Quality of Service

摘要

After one year of providing virtual reference service through an instant messaging (IM) service, Binghamton University (BU) Libraries, under the purview of its Digital Reference Committee (DRC), undertook a study of collected session transcripts. Thegoals of this work were to determine who was using the IM service and why; if staffing for the service was adequate and met our in-person reference standards; and if improvements to the libraries' existing reference services were needed. The findings revealed that 31 percent of identifiable users were students and 5 percent of users were campus community members. The analyses also revealed that many used the service for complex questions and not just ready reference, policy, and directional questions as had been expected. The most common question types were Web site navigation help (29% of all sessions), research assistance (22%), and instructional questions (23%).