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Face-Work in Chat Reference Encounters

Face-Work in Chat Reference Encounters. Presented by Marie L. Radford and Lynn Silipigni Connaway Library Research Round Table June 24, 2006 ALA, New Orleans, Louisiana. Presenters. Marie L. Radford, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Rutgers University, SCILS

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Face-Work in Chat Reference Encounters

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  1. Face-Work in Chat Reference Encounters Presented by Marie L. Radford and Lynn Silipigni Connaway Library Research Round Table June 24, 2006 ALA, New Orleans, Louisiana

  2. Presenters • Marie L. Radford, Ph.D. • Associate Professor, • Rutgers University, SCILS • Email:mradford@scils.rutgers.edu • www.scils.rutgers.edu/~mradford • Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D. • Consulting Research Scientist • Email: connawal@oclc.org • www.oclc.org/research/staff/connaway.htm • Grant Website:http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/synchronicity

  3. Seeking Synchronicity:Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives • $1,103,572 project funded by: • Institute of Museum and Library Services • $684,996 grant • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and OCLC Online Computer Library Center $405,076 in kind contributions

  4. Seeking Synchronicity:Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives Project duration 10/1/2005-9/30/2007 Four phases: • Focus group interviews* • Analysis of 1,000+ QuestionPoint transcripts • 600 online surveys* • 300 telephone interviews* *Interviews & surveys with VRS users, non-users, & librarians

  5. Phase I: Focus Groups • 7 so far • 4 with non-users • 2 with VRS librarians • 1 with VRS users • 3 more to come • 3 more with VRS users

  6. Phase II: 24/7 Transcript Analysis • Generated random sample • July 7, 2004 through June 27, 2005 • 263,673 sessions • 25 transcripts/month = 300 total • 256 usable transcripts • Excluded system tests & technical problems • 226 of these analyzed for today’s presentation

  7. Classification Methodology Qualitative Analysis • Development/refinement of category scheme • Careful reading/analysis • Identification of patterns • Theoretical framework from Erving Goffman (1967)

  8. Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior (1967) Essay: “On Face-Work: An analysis of Ritual Elements in Social Interaction” Erving Goffman 1922-1982

  9. Face-Work “Much of the activity occurring during an encounter can be understood as an effort on everyone’s part to get through the occasion and all the unanticipated and unintentional events that can cast participants in an undesirable light, without disrupting the relationships of the participants” (Goffman, 1967, p. 41)

  10. Face Defined • Positive social value person claims • Self-image in terms of approved social attributes

  11. Establishing Face • Face is located in flow of events • Feelings about face reinforced by encounters • If better face is established – feel good • If expectations not fulfilled – feel bad or hurt • Neutral experience – expected, not memorable

  12. Positive Face • One can… • Have face • Be in face • Maintain face • Give face • Save face

  13. Librarian Facilitators

  14. User Facilitators

  15. Librarian and User Facilitator Comparisons

  16. Wrong Face • One can also… • Be in wrong face • Be out of face • Both result in feeling shame & inferior • Poise is ability to conceal shameface • In wrong face, can still be confident if others hide this from you

  17. Librarian Barriers

  18. User Barriers

  19. Librarians and User Barrier Comparison

  20. Expectations • To maintain an expressive order • regulates the flow of events • To go to certain lengths to save face of others & themselves • Otherwise seen as cold, heartless, ruthless. • To do this “willingly & spontaneously because of emotional identification” with others & their feelings

  21. Kinds of Face-Work • Rituals – Greetings & Farewells • Corrective Process – Repair & Apology • AvoidanceProcess– Prevent Threats to Face • Poise – Control Embarrassment

  22. Face-Work in Chat • Goffman provides a powerful way to frame analysis of chat encounters. • Face, face-work, & line of participants are located in flow of the transcript (event). • Analysis identifies instances of face-work. • Major categories – see handout.

  23. Transcript Reading • Positive VRS experience • Duration = 1 hour 11 minutes • Academic User • Question – Boston drug company - diabetes • Relational Work • Enthusiastic user • Helpful librarian • Less than positive VRS experience • Duration = 39 minutes • Middle school or high school student • Question – physics – car acceleration • Poor reference work • Extreme negative closure

  24. Positive Transcript Example

  25. Positive Transcript Example

  26. Negative Transcript Example

  27. Negative Transcript Example

  28. Endnotes • This is one of the outcomes from the project Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User, and Librarian Perspectives. • Funded by IMLS, Rutgers University and OCLC, Online Computer Library Center. • Project web site: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/synchronicity/

  29. Questions • Marie L. Radford, Ph.D. • Email:mradford@scils.rutgers.edu • www.scils.rutgers.edu/~mradford • Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D. • Email: connawal@oclc.org • www.oclc.org/research/staff/connaway.htm

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