Reference Interview

Stages and Techniques

10/23/2012

Caveats…

An interview is not always needed

Confirmation is always needed

Interviews can be non-linear

Interviews can vary by channel (e.g., phone, email, chat) and by focus (e.g., research, instructional)

4 Overarching guidelines Quality: develop a shared understanding via

scaffolding Engagement: connect with the individual, not the

question, via reflection on the interplay of the cognitive & affective

Comprehension: watch for signposts, don’t assume their use

Instruction: encourage self regulation through positive reinforcement

7 Interview stages1. Opening2. Establishing the information need and

user’s affective state3. Confirming and clarifying the question4. Conducting the search5. Answering the question6. Making sense of the answer7. Closing the interview

1: OpeningAffective momentum: 38% of computer

use is frustratingMental model: expectations of the

interaction rarely match exactlyWorking memory: multi-tasking impairs

and slows its use

2. Establishing need & user state

Balance affective state with setting realistic expectations: mutual trust and respect develop from “politeness” and formality indicators; goal is harmony, not an identical match

Recognize intuitive judgments: abductive reasoning often replaces deductive/inductive reasoning as people make rapid-fire decisions based on intuition; don’t force explanations too early

3. Confirm & clarify question

Re-stating question: classic technique well supported by question forms but needed particularly to denote respect and clarify relevance criteria

Monitor computer & info self-efficacy: initial reluctance to leave a comfort zone (e.g., Google) can relate to confidence levels

4. Conduct the search

Information overload: avoid the data-dump approach unless invited; be ready to edit, condense, or segment information

Instructional need: 5 stages of cognitive apprenticeship; modeling, approximating, scaffolding, fading, generalizing

Agency and self-efficacy: use small cues to engagement and self-confidence

5. Answer the question

Relevance criteria: visible and hidden found through reflective pauses; stopping rules

Cognitive dissonance: knowledge and belief structures tend to stabilize,

6. Make sense of the answer

Evaluative integration of new information: threats emerge as information is processed

Asynchronous mental model adjustment: revisiting the original question can trigger concerns; using chat/email to return later can help

7. Close the interview

Lack of closure: pro forma closures can destroy trust and interpersonal connection

Premature closure: ambiguous social norms and resenting time spent in processing options for using information

Insights?

Examples of scaffolding?Examples of segmenting instructional

information?Examples of closure techniques?Tales to share?