The Reference Process Based on a Modified Jahoda Model: Sample Student Assignments

 

 

  1. Receive/Determine Query: Define "artificial intelligence."

    2.  

  2. Message Selection: Key terms - wanted > define; given > artificial intelligence.

    3.  

  3. Query Negotiation: Q) Do you simply want a concise definition? A) Yes.

    4.  

  4. Select Category of Answer-Providing Tool: Specialized (subject) Dictionary. Why: One of the

    5. characteristics of a dictionary is that it includes definitions; the patron has indicated this is he wants.

     

  5. Select Specific Title of Answer-Providing Tool: The Dictionary of Science, edited by Peter

    6. Lafferty and Julian Rowe. Simon and Schuster, 1993. Why: A subject dictionary would seem most

    appropriate because "artificial intelligence" is a scientific term. There were several dictionaries of

    this type available at my library, but the most recent publication appeared most likely to provide a

    definitive answer. In addition, this title was geared to both the student and the general reader.

     

  6. Search Strategy: The term "artificial intelligence" was searched alphabetically; the entry was

    7. found on page 42. It noted that AI is a branch of science concerned with creating computer

    programs that can perform actions comparable with those of an intelligent human. Current AI

    research covers such areas as planning (for robot behavior), language understanding, pattern

    recognition, and knowledge representation.

     

  7. Translation of Language of the Answer-Providing Tool into Language of the Query:
Perfect Match.

 

 (8) Is Patron Satisfied? Yes. [N. Elliott}

 

 

  1. Receive/Determine Query: What was the most popular car in the United States last year?

    2.  

  2. Message Selection: Key terms - Wanted > What; Given > most, popular, car, United States,

    3. last, year.

     

  3. Query Negotiation: Q) Do you mean the "most popular" in terms of sales or customer

    4. satisfaction? A) Sales; Q) Do you want to know the amount of sales? A) Yes; Q) If I

    can't find the 1997 data, will you settle for 1996? A) Yes.

     

  4. Select Category of Answer-Providing Tool: Almanac. Why: They include statistical--as well

    5. as factual--information on wide variety subjects; the query is asking for statistics regarding sales.

    Almanacs are also likely to be more current than the majority of reference tool categories.

     

  5. Select Specific Title of Answer-Providing Tool: The World Almanac and Book of Facts
  1. World Almanac Books, 1997. Why: This title is the most current of the library's almanacs.
 
  1. Search Strategy: I couldn't locate an index in the back of the tool, so I looked in the Table of
Contents. The latter lists the General Index beginning on page 4. In the General Index, I searched

alphabetically under "automobiles"; scimming under its subheadings, I noticed "sales," pages
    1. Turning to those pages, I noted sales charts by category. Page 213 included the chart
"Top-Selling Passenger Cars in the U.S. by Calendar Year, 1992-1996." Under 1996, I found a

Top 20 listing for cars. Ford Taurus was ranked number one with 401,049 in sales.

 

  1. Translation: Imperfect Match. It was necessary to locate a rank-order listing and then identify
the car ranked number one.

 

 (8 Is patron satisfied? Yes. [J. Wilson]