Lynn Silipigni Connaway - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Lynn Silipigni Connaway
Reference & User Services Quarterly
For librarians to continually demonstrate superior and high-quality service, they must meet the n... more For librarians to continually demonstrate superior and high-quality service, they must meet the needs of current and potential users. One way that librarians have met the needs of users is by expanding their service offerings online via virtual reference services (VRS). This expansion is particularly critical in the current time of COVID-19. To provide high-quality VRS service, librarians can learn from social question-answering (SQA) sites, whose popularity reflect changing user expectations, motivations, use, and assessment of information. Informed by interviews with 51 users and potential users of both platforms this research examines how strengths from SQA can be leveraged in VRS, and what can be learned from SQA practices to reach potential library users. This study represents one of the few comparisons between VRS and SQA that exist in the literature.
Scholarly Identity (SI) encompasses scholars' efforts to promote their reputation and impact ... more Scholarly Identity (SI) encompasses scholars' efforts to promote their reputation and impact (Brigham 2016) using digital tools and social networking sites (SNS) (e.g., ORCID). The need to cultivate an academic SNS presence is pressing, particularly for individuals who are in tenure-track positions, working towards promotion, etc. Managing SI is complex, and disciplinary standards differ for selecting SNS and establishing impact measurements. This panel provides diverse perspectives from academic librarians and researchers to address: a) How should/could academic librarians assist users who wish to build their SI? b) What services are currently offered? c) What opportunities, as well as concerns, surround SI work? The library and information science (LIS) literature has shed some light on academic libraries' SI assistance (Ward et al. 2015). Reed et al. (2016) assert that academic libraries can build support services to help users craft and manage their SI. Academic libraria...
With an exponentially growing set of e-services and social networks that allow people to be not o... more With an exponentially growing set of e-services and social networks that allow people to be not only consumers, but also producers of information, information seeking and sharing behaviors are rapidly changing. Innovations in areas such as information exchange and knowledge management are coming from scholarship in data sciences, and the “wisdom of the crowd” has become more than a passing trend. The focus of this event would be to discuss the latest developments in the field of social media and crowdsourcing specific to information seeking, knowledge management, and innovative methods for collaborative question-answering. Specifically, the event will facilitate discussions about and engage the audience in topics such as social search, community-based question-answering, and hybrid models for information seeking. These discussions will be guided by the organizers who come from a variety of backgrounds, institutions, and research areas.
Journal of Documentation, 2020
PurposeScholarly identity refers to endeavors by scholars to promote their reputation, work and n... more PurposeScholarly identity refers to endeavors by scholars to promote their reputation, work and networks using online platforms such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu and Twitter. This exploratory research investigates benefits and drawbacks of scholarly identity efforts and avenues for potential library support.Design/methodology/approachData from 30 semi-structured phone interviews with faculty, doctoral students and academic librarians were qualitatively analyzed using the constant comparisons method (Charmaz, 2014) and Goffman’s (1959, 1967) theoretical concept of impression management.FindingsResults reveal that use of online platforms enables academics to connect with others and disseminate their research. scholarly identity platforms have benefits, opportunities and offer possibilities for developing academic library support. They are also fraught with drawbacks/concerns, especially related to confusion, for-profit models and reputational risk.Research limitations/implicationsThi...
Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 2016
This investigation of new approaches to improving collaboration, user/librarian experiences, and ... more This investigation of new approaches to improving collaboration, user/librarian experiences, and sustainability for virtual reference services (VRS) reports findings from a grant project titled “Cyber Synergy: Seeking Sustainability between Virtual Reference and Social Q&A Sites” (Radford, Connaway, & Shah, –2014). In‐depth telephone interviews with 50 VRS librarians included questions on collaboration, referral practices, and attitudes toward Social Question and Answer (SQA) services using the Critical Incident Technique (Flanagan, ). The Community of Practice (CoP) (Wenger, ; Davies, ) framework was found to be a useful conceptualization for understanding VRS professionals' approaches to their work. Findings indicate that participants usually refer questions from outside of their area of expertise to other librarians, but occasionally refer them to nonlibrarian experts. These referrals are made possible because participants believe that other VRS librarians are qualified and w...
Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2008
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2009
This panel presents three different approaches, methods of analysis and data collection technique... more This panel presents three different approaches, methods of analysis and data collection techniques to evaluate several digital reference formats. Radford and Connaway evaluate criteria important for perceptions of success across different generations of digital reference users, non-users, and librarians. They compare Baby Boomer vs. Millennial generations through 497 in-depth online surveys. Both content delivery and interpersonal communication were found to be important to successful chat encounters. Pomerantz presents a project to evaluate the Slam the Boards effort on Yahoo! Answers (YA) which is the largest web-based community answer board. The volume of questions and answers on YA is massive with librarian-provided answers comprising a small amount. Studies of YA users are required to determine if questioners find value in having questions answered by librarians. New practices, metrics, and organizational partnerships must be developed to make future quality evaluation possible. Mon discusses the use of new technologies in digital reference education and practice, and explores information behavior at the Internet Public Library (IPL). The IPL is building an online learning community site to support teaching, learning and research in digital reference. This paper reports the result of research that informs the implementation of digital technologies within the learning community site.
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2012
Online question-answering (Q&A) services are becoming increasingly popular among information seek... more Online question-answering (Q&A) services are becoming increasingly popular among information seekers. While online Q&A services encompass both virtual reference service (VRS) and social Q&A (SQA), SQA services, such as Yahoo! Answers and WikiAnswers, have experienced more success in reaching out to the masses and leveraging subsequent participation. However, the large volume of content on some of the more popular SQA sites renders participants unable to answer some posted questions adequately or even at all. To reduce this latter category of questions that do not receive an answer, the current paper explores reasons for why fact-based questions fail on a specific Q&A service. For this exploration and analyses, thousands of failed questions were collected from Yahoo! Answers extracting only those that were fact-based, information-seeking questions, while opinion/adviceseeking questions were discarded. A typology was then created to code reasons of failures for these questions using a grounded theory approach. Using this typology, suggestions are proposed for how the questions could be restructured or redirected to another Q&A service (possibly a VRS), so users would have a better chance of receiving an answer.
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2013
Research design is a vital consideration when embarking on any research venture. The careful sele... more Research design is a vital consideration when embarking on any research venture. The careful selection of method (or combination of methods) and project design are integral to obtaining funding, completing a successful study, and having your research accepted for presentation and publication. This panel adopts a format similar to the Antiques Roadshow to focus on research design, with interactive audience participation. The show will begin with three experts (Connaway, Radford, and Wildemuth) briefly discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the design for a particular study they conducted. Another panelist (Shah) will present the panelists with a study that he would be interested in conducting, and describe one or more aspects of the research design (his treasure) that he has found to be challenging. The panelists will offer their advice and comment on any additional obstacles he might expect to face in conducting the study. Shah will then invite the audience to join in by present...
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2009
Abstract Today's digital reference service environment faces many opportunities ... more Abstract Today's digital reference service environment faces many opportunities as well as a number of threats. This panel presents three different approaches, methods of data collection, and approaches to analyze and examine quality issues in virtual reference (VR) as well as other reference platforms. One threat has to do with sustainability of VR quality in this time of budgetary constraints. Radford and Connaway will present ���Thriving on Theory: A New Model for Synchronous Reference Encounters��� describing a new research-based ...
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2009
This panel brings together researchers who focus on Q A sites, those that focus on digital refere... more This panel brings together researchers who focus on Q A sites, those that focus on digital reference, and those who bridge between the two, into what we believe will be a lively discussion.
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2008
Prensky (2001) asserts that because of their total emersion in the digital information environmen... more Prensky (2001) asserts that because of their total emersion in the digital information environment from birth “…today's students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors” (np). This panel highlights ground‐breaking research on information‐seeking behaviors of Digital Natives, those born after 1989. Mounting evidence confirms the need for innovative approaches to understand their behaviors and their radically different use of electronic sources, services and systems. An urgently needed research agenda is proposed that draws attention to the need to identify the characteristics and preferences of this tech savvy group that surprisingly lacks basic skills in information evaluation and retrieval. Three studies that explore various aspects of the proposed research agenda are discussed below, including research in the areas of virtual reference services, selection of digital library resources, and collaborative information behavior in online envi...
The Library Quarterly, 2011
Erving Goffman's theoretical framework and concept of face-work has the potential to greatly incr... more Erving Goffman's theoretical framework and concept of face-work has the potential to greatly increase the understanding of interpersonal dynamics in computer-mediated communication realms. This research used an ethnography of communication approach and the concept of face-work to analyze the transcript of an interaction between a librarian and a library user in a Web-based virtual reference service environment. This highly goal-oriented interaction, even though it lacks the immediacy of face-to-face interaction, was found to be a rich source of face-work. A promise to take ritual care of his face is built into the very structure of talk. (Erving Goffman [1, p. 40])
Reference & User Services Quarterly, 2011
Libri, 2008
A major challenge facing today's libraries is to develop and update both traditional and digital ... more A major challenge facing today's libraries is to develop and update both traditional and digital collections and services to meet the needs of the multiple generations of users with differing approaches to information seeking. The different characteristics and information needs of Boomers and Millennials present a dichotomy for library service and system development. Results are reported for two research projects (Dervin, Connaway, and Prabha 2003; Radford and Connaway 2005) that investigated habits and needs of library users and non-users. Both studies employed a multi-method research design to identify how and why individuals seek and use information. The first study (Dervin, Connaway, and Prabha 2003) reports the findings of focus group interviews with seventy-eight randomly selected participants, and fifteen semi-structured interviews with a subset of these participants. The second study (Radford and Connaway 2005) reports the results of focus group interviews with twenty-three Millennials, and an analysis of 492 virtual reference services (VRS) transcripts. The studies indicate that both generations consistently identify Google and human sources as the first sources they use for quick searches. The younger Millennials (Screenagers) mentioned consulting parents most frequently, while the older Millennials consult friends and professors. Boomers indicated they consult their personal libraries and colleagues. The findings have implications for the development of next generation library online catalogs, as well as services, including VRS.
Libri, 2010
Page 1. Libri, Vol. 60, pp. 165180, June 2010 Copyright © by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New ... more Page 1. Libri, Vol. 60, pp. 165180, June 2010 Copyright © by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York. DOI 10.1515/libr.2010.015 Virtual Reference Service Quality: Critical Components for Adults and the Net-Generation Lynn Silipigni Connaway and Marie L. Radford ...
Library & Information Science Research, 2011
In today's fast-paced world, anecdotal evidence suggests that information tends to inundate peopl... more In today's fast-paced world, anecdotal evidence suggests that information tends to inundate people, and users of information systems want to find information quickly and conveniently. Empirical evidence for convenience as a critical factor is explored in the data from two multi-year, user studies projects funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The theoretical framework for this understanding is founded in the concepts of bounded rationality and rational choice theory, with Savolainen's (2006) concept of time as a context in information seeking, as well as gratification theory, informing the emphasis on the seekers' time horizons. Convenience is a situational criterion in people's choices and actions during all stages of the information-seeking process. The concept of convenience can include their choice of an information source, their satisfaction with the source and its ease of use, and their time horizon in information seeking. The centrality of convenience is especially prevalent among the younger subjects ("millennials") in both studies, but also holds across all demographic categories-age, gender, academic role, or user or non-user of virtual reference services. These two studies further indicate that convenience is a factor for making choices in a variety of situations, including both academic information seeking and everyday-life information seeking, although it plays different roles in different situations.
Reference & User Services Quarterly
For librarians to continually demonstrate superior and high-quality service, they must meet the n... more For librarians to continually demonstrate superior and high-quality service, they must meet the needs of current and potential users. One way that librarians have met the needs of users is by expanding their service offerings online via virtual reference services (VRS). This expansion is particularly critical in the current time of COVID-19. To provide high-quality VRS service, librarians can learn from social question-answering (SQA) sites, whose popularity reflect changing user expectations, motivations, use, and assessment of information. Informed by interviews with 51 users and potential users of both platforms this research examines how strengths from SQA can be leveraged in VRS, and what can be learned from SQA practices to reach potential library users. This study represents one of the few comparisons between VRS and SQA that exist in the literature.
Scholarly Identity (SI) encompasses scholars' efforts to promote their reputation and impact ... more Scholarly Identity (SI) encompasses scholars' efforts to promote their reputation and impact (Brigham 2016) using digital tools and social networking sites (SNS) (e.g., ORCID). The need to cultivate an academic SNS presence is pressing, particularly for individuals who are in tenure-track positions, working towards promotion, etc. Managing SI is complex, and disciplinary standards differ for selecting SNS and establishing impact measurements. This panel provides diverse perspectives from academic librarians and researchers to address: a) How should/could academic librarians assist users who wish to build their SI? b) What services are currently offered? c) What opportunities, as well as concerns, surround SI work? The library and information science (LIS) literature has shed some light on academic libraries' SI assistance (Ward et al. 2015). Reed et al. (2016) assert that academic libraries can build support services to help users craft and manage their SI. Academic libraria...
With an exponentially growing set of e-services and social networks that allow people to be not o... more With an exponentially growing set of e-services and social networks that allow people to be not only consumers, but also producers of information, information seeking and sharing behaviors are rapidly changing. Innovations in areas such as information exchange and knowledge management are coming from scholarship in data sciences, and the “wisdom of the crowd” has become more than a passing trend. The focus of this event would be to discuss the latest developments in the field of social media and crowdsourcing specific to information seeking, knowledge management, and innovative methods for collaborative question-answering. Specifically, the event will facilitate discussions about and engage the audience in topics such as social search, community-based question-answering, and hybrid models for information seeking. These discussions will be guided by the organizers who come from a variety of backgrounds, institutions, and research areas.
Journal of Documentation, 2020
PurposeScholarly identity refers to endeavors by scholars to promote their reputation, work and n... more PurposeScholarly identity refers to endeavors by scholars to promote their reputation, work and networks using online platforms such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu and Twitter. This exploratory research investigates benefits and drawbacks of scholarly identity efforts and avenues for potential library support.Design/methodology/approachData from 30 semi-structured phone interviews with faculty, doctoral students and academic librarians were qualitatively analyzed using the constant comparisons method (Charmaz, 2014) and Goffman’s (1959, 1967) theoretical concept of impression management.FindingsResults reveal that use of online platforms enables academics to connect with others and disseminate their research. scholarly identity platforms have benefits, opportunities and offer possibilities for developing academic library support. They are also fraught with drawbacks/concerns, especially related to confusion, for-profit models and reputational risk.Research limitations/implicationsThi...
Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 2016
This investigation of new approaches to improving collaboration, user/librarian experiences, and ... more This investigation of new approaches to improving collaboration, user/librarian experiences, and sustainability for virtual reference services (VRS) reports findings from a grant project titled “Cyber Synergy: Seeking Sustainability between Virtual Reference and Social Q&A Sites” (Radford, Connaway, & Shah, –2014). In‐depth telephone interviews with 50 VRS librarians included questions on collaboration, referral practices, and attitudes toward Social Question and Answer (SQA) services using the Critical Incident Technique (Flanagan, ). The Community of Practice (CoP) (Wenger, ; Davies, ) framework was found to be a useful conceptualization for understanding VRS professionals' approaches to their work. Findings indicate that participants usually refer questions from outside of their area of expertise to other librarians, but occasionally refer them to nonlibrarian experts. These referrals are made possible because participants believe that other VRS librarians are qualified and w...
Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2008
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2009
This panel presents three different approaches, methods of analysis and data collection technique... more This panel presents three different approaches, methods of analysis and data collection techniques to evaluate several digital reference formats. Radford and Connaway evaluate criteria important for perceptions of success across different generations of digital reference users, non-users, and librarians. They compare Baby Boomer vs. Millennial generations through 497 in-depth online surveys. Both content delivery and interpersonal communication were found to be important to successful chat encounters. Pomerantz presents a project to evaluate the Slam the Boards effort on Yahoo! Answers (YA) which is the largest web-based community answer board. The volume of questions and answers on YA is massive with librarian-provided answers comprising a small amount. Studies of YA users are required to determine if questioners find value in having questions answered by librarians. New practices, metrics, and organizational partnerships must be developed to make future quality evaluation possible. Mon discusses the use of new technologies in digital reference education and practice, and explores information behavior at the Internet Public Library (IPL). The IPL is building an online learning community site to support teaching, learning and research in digital reference. This paper reports the result of research that informs the implementation of digital technologies within the learning community site.
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2012
Online question-answering (Q&A) services are becoming increasingly popular among information seek... more Online question-answering (Q&A) services are becoming increasingly popular among information seekers. While online Q&A services encompass both virtual reference service (VRS) and social Q&A (SQA), SQA services, such as Yahoo! Answers and WikiAnswers, have experienced more success in reaching out to the masses and leveraging subsequent participation. However, the large volume of content on some of the more popular SQA sites renders participants unable to answer some posted questions adequately or even at all. To reduce this latter category of questions that do not receive an answer, the current paper explores reasons for why fact-based questions fail on a specific Q&A service. For this exploration and analyses, thousands of failed questions were collected from Yahoo! Answers extracting only those that were fact-based, information-seeking questions, while opinion/adviceseeking questions were discarded. A typology was then created to code reasons of failures for these questions using a grounded theory approach. Using this typology, suggestions are proposed for how the questions could be restructured or redirected to another Q&A service (possibly a VRS), so users would have a better chance of receiving an answer.
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2013
Research design is a vital consideration when embarking on any research venture. The careful sele... more Research design is a vital consideration when embarking on any research venture. The careful selection of method (or combination of methods) and project design are integral to obtaining funding, completing a successful study, and having your research accepted for presentation and publication. This panel adopts a format similar to the Antiques Roadshow to focus on research design, with interactive audience participation. The show will begin with three experts (Connaway, Radford, and Wildemuth) briefly discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the design for a particular study they conducted. Another panelist (Shah) will present the panelists with a study that he would be interested in conducting, and describe one or more aspects of the research design (his treasure) that he has found to be challenging. The panelists will offer their advice and comment on any additional obstacles he might expect to face in conducting the study. Shah will then invite the audience to join in by present...
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2009
Abstract Today's digital reference service environment faces many opportunities ... more Abstract Today's digital reference service environment faces many opportunities as well as a number of threats. This panel presents three different approaches, methods of data collection, and approaches to analyze and examine quality issues in virtual reference (VR) as well as other reference platforms. One threat has to do with sustainability of VR quality in this time of budgetary constraints. Radford and Connaway will present ���Thriving on Theory: A New Model for Synchronous Reference Encounters��� describing a new research-based ...
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2009
This panel brings together researchers who focus on Q A sites, those that focus on digital refere... more This panel brings together researchers who focus on Q A sites, those that focus on digital reference, and those who bridge between the two, into what we believe will be a lively discussion.
Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 2008
Prensky (2001) asserts that because of their total emersion in the digital information environmen... more Prensky (2001) asserts that because of their total emersion in the digital information environment from birth “…today's students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors” (np). This panel highlights ground‐breaking research on information‐seeking behaviors of Digital Natives, those born after 1989. Mounting evidence confirms the need for innovative approaches to understand their behaviors and their radically different use of electronic sources, services and systems. An urgently needed research agenda is proposed that draws attention to the need to identify the characteristics and preferences of this tech savvy group that surprisingly lacks basic skills in information evaluation and retrieval. Three studies that explore various aspects of the proposed research agenda are discussed below, including research in the areas of virtual reference services, selection of digital library resources, and collaborative information behavior in online envi...
The Library Quarterly, 2011
Erving Goffman's theoretical framework and concept of face-work has the potential to greatly incr... more Erving Goffman's theoretical framework and concept of face-work has the potential to greatly increase the understanding of interpersonal dynamics in computer-mediated communication realms. This research used an ethnography of communication approach and the concept of face-work to analyze the transcript of an interaction between a librarian and a library user in a Web-based virtual reference service environment. This highly goal-oriented interaction, even though it lacks the immediacy of face-to-face interaction, was found to be a rich source of face-work. A promise to take ritual care of his face is built into the very structure of talk. (Erving Goffman [1, p. 40])
Reference & User Services Quarterly, 2011
Libri, 2008
A major challenge facing today's libraries is to develop and update both traditional and digital ... more A major challenge facing today's libraries is to develop and update both traditional and digital collections and services to meet the needs of the multiple generations of users with differing approaches to information seeking. The different characteristics and information needs of Boomers and Millennials present a dichotomy for library service and system development. Results are reported for two research projects (Dervin, Connaway, and Prabha 2003; Radford and Connaway 2005) that investigated habits and needs of library users and non-users. Both studies employed a multi-method research design to identify how and why individuals seek and use information. The first study (Dervin, Connaway, and Prabha 2003) reports the findings of focus group interviews with seventy-eight randomly selected participants, and fifteen semi-structured interviews with a subset of these participants. The second study (Radford and Connaway 2005) reports the results of focus group interviews with twenty-three Millennials, and an analysis of 492 virtual reference services (VRS) transcripts. The studies indicate that both generations consistently identify Google and human sources as the first sources they use for quick searches. The younger Millennials (Screenagers) mentioned consulting parents most frequently, while the older Millennials consult friends and professors. Boomers indicated they consult their personal libraries and colleagues. The findings have implications for the development of next generation library online catalogs, as well as services, including VRS.
Libri, 2010
Page 1. Libri, Vol. 60, pp. 165180, June 2010 Copyright © by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New ... more Page 1. Libri, Vol. 60, pp. 165180, June 2010 Copyright © by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York. DOI 10.1515/libr.2010.015 Virtual Reference Service Quality: Critical Components for Adults and the Net-Generation Lynn Silipigni Connaway and Marie L. Radford ...
Library & Information Science Research, 2011
In today's fast-paced world, anecdotal evidence suggests that information tends to inundate peopl... more In today's fast-paced world, anecdotal evidence suggests that information tends to inundate people, and users of information systems want to find information quickly and conveniently. Empirical evidence for convenience as a critical factor is explored in the data from two multi-year, user studies projects funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The theoretical framework for this understanding is founded in the concepts of bounded rationality and rational choice theory, with Savolainen's (2006) concept of time as a context in information seeking, as well as gratification theory, informing the emphasis on the seekers' time horizons. Convenience is a situational criterion in people's choices and actions during all stages of the information-seeking process. The concept of convenience can include their choice of an information source, their satisfaction with the source and its ease of use, and their time horizon in information seeking. The centrality of convenience is especially prevalent among the younger subjects ("millennials") in both studies, but also holds across all demographic categories-age, gender, academic role, or user or non-user of virtual reference services. These two studies further indicate that convenience is a factor for making choices in a variety of situations, including both academic information seeking and everyday-life information seeking, although it plays different roles in different situations.