Running

Head: DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEW Diagnostic Interview Hannah Wilson Emporia State University

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Abstract

Erica is in her second year of law school at the University of Colorado Boulder and is working on a seminar paper. She recently completed her first attempt at gathering information and resources for this project. Following her information search, I conducted a diagnostic interview with Erica regarding her information seeking experience. This paper will examine the ways in which her learning style affects her information search process in relationship to various information seeking theories and models. Keywords: sense-making, learning style inventory, neutral questioning

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Erica Gutherz is the subject of my diagnostic interview. She is a thirty-one year old

woman who lives in Westminster, Colorado. She is in her second year of law school at the University of Colorado Boulder and is anticipating graduation in 2013. She hasnt settled on a focus in her law program but is considering specializing in real-estate law. Erica is a full- time student and is not employed outside of school but is currently doing an internship with the Supreme Court in Denver. She was an exceptional student in her undergraduate studies and was accepted to all of the eleven law schools she applied to. She is intelligent, determined, and articulate, and she receives consistently high marks in her current program. Erica has recently been assigned a seminar paper for one of her classes. She was given free reign in choosing the topic and at the time of the interview, she had tentatively decided to research low-income housing policies and government sponsored, affordable housing programs. She was interested in Mixed-use development, which has been very popular in Colorado in recent years, and Hope VI laws and their effectiveness, sustainability, and effect on society. She explained Mixed-use as a live, work, play building style in which buildings and small communities are composed of a mixture of residential, commercial, office, and shopping spaces. Hope VI is a housing plan that would build upon failed public and subsidized housing projects to create mixed-income housing developments. I determined that Erica was somewhat informed on both of these social programs but was prepared to conduct a great deal of research for the seminar paper. She seemed genuinely interested in the topics and was clearly eager to develop her research.

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Based solely on her academic record, one could deduce that Erica is an experienced information seeker; she has conducted research in a scholarly realm on countless occasions. Although she stated that the actual time she spends in a library varies and is not always consistent, she believes that if she averaged all the time she has spent at the law library at her school in the past year and a half, it would equal at least five hours per week. Based on these facts and the information she shared throughout the course of the interview, I concluded that Erica is a highly experienced information seeker. A neutral questioning technique was applied throughout the diagnostic interview.

Neutral questioning, as described by Brenda Dervin and Patricia Dewdney (1986), is an interviewing method that uses open-ended questions to encourage the subject to elaborate in their responses. Closed questions, which initiate a simple yes or no as an answer, are avoided. They do not guide the interview in any sort of way and encourage the subject to fully express the details of the situation without the interviewer imposing any of their own interpretations. As I had anticipated, the neutral questioning technique led her to elaborate greatly during the interview and her responses often answered several of my questions at once. By using neutral questioning, I acquired an understanding of Ericas personality/learning styles and the methods and strategies she uses in seeking information. The Information-Seeking Experience As previously stated, Erica is an experienced information seeker and was generally

excited about the seminar paper assignment. Erica had roughly decided on a topic and was ready to begin her initial steps in seeking information. First, she headed to the William A.

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Wise Law Library at the University of Colorado Boulder. The law library is completely separate from the main library on campus; it has its own building and contains only law- related materials. This was her first research attempt and she had allotted one hour of time to spend in the library. Initially, she decided to search her two go-to databases: Westlaw and Lexus Nexus. She stated that she usually goes to these databases first as she is comfortable searching them and has had success retrieving information from them in the past. She performed two keyword searches and was flooded with results. She sifted through them quickly and after browsing for about five minutes, she decided to consult a librarian. Erica is not a stranger to this library but admits that she is a bit intimidated by the reference librarians. They are not the kind of librarians one would expect to encounter in a public library or an academic library; most of them are librarians and lawyers, and some of them are her peers. It doesnt seem that this fact paralyzed her with fear by any means, but it definitely added an element of anxiety to her experience. Nevertheless, she approached the reference librarian, whom she happened to recognize as one of her peers, and described her topic. Based on her account of the reference librarian interview, the librarian quickly moved through tons of databases, clicking through screens at a pace that she couldnt keep up with. She proceeded to throw out keywords to the librarian, all of which she felt were very useful and should have produced some meaningful results. Unfortunately, the librarian did not uncover anything that Erica was overly excited about. She expressed that she was disappointed with the results produced in the reference interview because she was expecting more. Erica left the reference librarian interview with a call number. She immediately headed to the stacks where she looked over the books

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for about fifteen minutes. She pulled six or seven books for review. Next, she returned to the library online catalog. Again, she searched Westlaw and Lexus Nexus, this time retrieving three articles. After reviewing the books and articles she had collected, she determined that a great deal of research and criticism already existed on the topic of Mixed-use developments in real estate. She felt that it would be difficult to develop an original angle on the topic. As she read about Hope VI laws, she became more interested in narrowing her search within this topic. She left the library with three articles and three books that she felt would be useful in writing about Hope VI policy. This concluded her information search. Personality Assessment and Learning Style Theory Throughout the course of the interview, I observed Ericas mannerisms, body language, and verbal and visual expressions. It became quickly evident when conversing with Erica that she is intelligent, articulate, and focused. She is clear and concise in her speech and doesnt waver in her answers yet I wouldnt describe her as overly serious; she smiled throughout the interview and spoke freely and openly. First, I analyzed Ericas learning style in relationship to Kolbs Learning Style Inventory (LSI). LSI consists of four different types of learning (Bergsteiner, Avery, & Neumann, 2010): concrete experience (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE). The combinations of the learning modes form four learning styles: the accommodative, (AE/CE), the divergent (CE/RO), the assimilative (RO/AC), and the convergent (AC/AE). Although people usually display signs of each of the four learning styles in some capacity, they generally have one dominant type,

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which is evident in the way they interact with other people. Based on my observations in the diagnostic interview, Erica is the accommodator. This learning type relies on concrete experiences mixed with active experimentation in a hands-on experience (Platsidou, & Metallidou, 2009). Throughout her information search, she returned on two occasions to the databases she consistently relies on; Westlaw and Lexus Nexus. She expressed in the diagnostic interview that she always prefers to check those databases first because she is comfortable searching them and believes that they consistently provide her with valuable results. But she also consulted a librarian and eventually found herself sifting through the stacks. It is evident that she prefers to try several techniques in the beginning stages of her information search but generally consults her trustworthy resources first. Randall Hensley (1991) interprets Paul P. Moks learning style theories and how librarians might consider personality types during reference interviews to improve their customer service skills. He cites four basic personality types: thinker, feeler, sensor, and intuitor. Based on my observations during the diagnostic interview, Erica is a thinker. Erica is determined, deliberative, and objective. Hensleys (1991) study determined the following to be typical of the thinker in information searches: They (the thinker) accept a large amount of responsibility for the outcome of their work in the library. They expect the librarian to be authoritative and knowledgeable, and appreciate ranked alternatives from which they, the user, can choose. They avoid a personal or informal interaction, and place an emphasis on the details of any action to be taken or resource to be used. (p. 205)

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Although Erica recognized the librarian, she didnt initiate any personal interaction. She expressed frustration in the fact that she couldnt follow his search process while he clicked through screens yet, she eventually settled for his limited service, rather than pushing him to go further and continue to help her. Based on the way she presented herself throughout the interview, it is evident that she would approach a reference librarian professionally and matter-of-factly and would expect the same demeanor from them. Information Seeking Process and Theory As librarianship trends have moved towards a user-centered vs. a bibliographic- centered paradigm, information seeking theories and models have shifted as well. Donald O. Case (2006) states that most information-seeking theories are rooted in psychology, sociology, and the study of communication (p. 160). He suggests that they directly stem from or are in some way related to Freuds pleasure principal theory. Freuds theory asserts that human activity is motivated by the need to alleviate emotional tensions by seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Brenda Dervins sense-making theory is a user- centered idea that considers the act of acquiring information to be a form of pleasure and proposes that individuals seek information because of a need to make sense of things. The sense-making theory proposes that individuals find themselves in a situation that lacks sense and once sense is made, resolution is achieved (Kuhlthau, 2004). Although every situation is composed of many different variables, according to the sense-making model, certain universals are present within all information seeking experiences. The theory suggests that there are three steps involved in the sense-making process; situation, gap, and use. Although these elements are independent, they consistently overlap. By using a

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neutral questioning strategy, I tested my ability to apply the sense-making theory while interviewing Erica.

Dervin's sense-making model I determined that there were many factors that composed Ericas situation or lack of information/sense. She was writing a seminar paper and needed more information to make sense of the Hope VI and Mixeduse development histories. The gap in her information seeking experience consisted of several factors. Firstly, she only allowed herself an hour to conduct research and she was still in the early stages of narrowing her topic. Secondly, an

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element of anxiety was present in working with the reference librarian. Based on her account of the reference interview experience, she felt like she was burdening the librarian and taking up too much of his time. The use consisted of resources to be used while writing her seminar paper. At this stage in her research, her search was somewhat vast as she was still learning about her topic and hadnt formed an angle. There is also an element within the model called the bridge. The bridge is composed of the elements present in the information seeking experience that assist the user in sense- making. Ericas previous academic and information searching experiences provided her with a solid foundation for conducting research in the library. She was positive, eager, and hopeful about taking on this project . Conclusions Based on the information seeking experience that Erica described in the diagnostic

interview, I believe her search was successful-- considering the parameters she set up for herself. Although she had only roughly decided on a topic, she gathered enough information to build a solid foundation from which she could begin working on her seminar paper; but she would certainly need to conduct subsequent information searches in the future to complete the paper. If she had allowed herself more time at the library, she may have found more information. I think that the reference librarian interview could have been a much more beneficial experience for Erica if the law librarian had utilized a neutral questioning strategy. Ericas topic wasnt made clear during the reference librarian interview, which made it difficult for him to find useful resources. Based on the keywords she provided, I

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believe he was searching for what he thought she might need rather than what she actually needed. Also, the librarian should have slowed down to allow her time to write down the databases he was accessing. If the librarian had explained the databases he was accessing and why he was accessing them, Erica may have had the opportunity to become familiar with databases beyond Westlaw and Lexus Nexus. In response to Dervins sense-making theory, I find it difficult to imagine that the actual model (or any model) could be applied literally to any situation. There are so many factors that make up each individual situation. Perhaps it makes more sense to view information-seeking models as guidelines rather than protocol for information professionals. I learned a lot by studying the neutral questioning technique and realized that even open questions can guide an interview. It requires a lot of preparation and practice to successfully utilize the neutral questioning technique.

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References

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Bergsteiner, H., Avery, G. C., & Neumann, R. (March 01, 2010). Kolb's Experiential Learning Model: Critique from a Modeling Perspective. Studies in Continuing Education, 32, 1, 29-46. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ880653 Case, D. O. (2008). Looking for information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior. Bingley: Emerald. Dervin, B., & Dewdney, P. (September 06, 1986). Neutral Questioning: A New Approach to the Reference Interview. Rq, 25, 4, 506-13. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ341559 Hensley, R. (2008). Learning Style Theory and Learning Transfer Principles During Reference Interview Instruction. Retrieved from https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/handle/2142/7729 Kuhlthau, Carol C. Seeking Meaning: A Process Approach to Library and Information Services. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. Platsidou, M., & Metallidou, P. (January 01, 2009). Validity and Reliability Issues of Two Learning Style Inventories in a Greek Sample: Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and Felder & Soloman's Index of Learning Styles. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 20, 3, 324-335. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ869318