Do We Do It Good Well? A Bibliographic Essay on the Evaluation of Reference Effectiveness

ABSTRACT This bibliographic essay examines recent (1994–2006) research into the evaluation of reference effectiveness. Different methods for evaluating traditional in-person reference services are compared and contrasted from an unobtrusive or obtrusive methodology perspective, including those that use the “Willingness to Return” factor and the Wisconsin-Ohio Reference Evaluation Program (WOREP). A review of emerging trends is provided as well as recommendations for future research.

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