The Dimensions of the Reference Interview.

Many interviewing techniques and approaches useful in the reference interview have been developed for other purposes, such as for survey research or therapy. This paper develops a conceptual base for analyzing inter viewing literature for its usefulness to the reference in terview by identifying four dimensigns of the reference interview: structure, &riefecer ) pace, and length. A dimension is a characteristic or quality that describes the reference interview holistically. It is influenced by deci sions made during the interview, usually by the librarian, and by other factors not directly under the librarian's control. The factors affecting each dimension are dis cussed.