Social reference: Toward a unifying theory

Shachaf, Pnina Social reference: Toward a unifying theory. Library and Information Science Research, 2010, vol. 32, pp. 66-76. [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

This article addresses the need for a theoretical approach to reference research and specifically concentrates on a lacuna in conceptual research on social reference. Social reference refers to online question answering services that are provided by communities of volunteers on question and answer (Q&A) sites. Social reference is similar to library reference, but at the same time, it differs significantly from the traditional (and digital) dyadic reference encounter; it involves a collaborative group effort and uses wikis and other Web 2.0 infrastructure. This article proposes a sociotechnical framework to analyze, evaluate, and understand social reference that relies on a systems approach to the reference encounter, combined with an input-process-output (IPO) approach to virtual group work. The framework also accounts for the collaborative process of question answering and the interplay between technology and users, in their contexts.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: social reference, virtual reference, digital reference, social question answering, collaborative question answering, virtual teams
Subjects: A. Theoretical and general aspects of libraries and information. > AA. Library and information science as a field.
A. Theoretical and general aspects of libraries and information. > AB. Information theory and library theory.
B. Information use and sociology of information > BA. Use and impact of information.
B. Information use and sociology of information > BC. Information in society.
B. Information use and sociology of information > BG. Information dissemination and diffusion.
Depositing user: Amanda Ferrara
Date deposited: 21 Oct 2013 01:55
Last modified: 02 Oct 2014 12:28
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/20320

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