Research Notes A Conjoint Analysis of Reference Services in Academic Libraries

Conjoint analysis has been used by market researchers for the development of many products and services. This article displays the potential of conjoint analysis for evaluating reference services in academic libraries. Six dimensions of reference service are included in the analyses: definitiveness of answer, in line wait times, service time, number of items given to patron, hours of service, and cost of service. Of greatest importance to users are cost of the service and the hours during which reference is available. Most users prefer that all reference services be free and that reference help be available at all times the library is open. ne of the primary goals of marketing is to provide prod-ucts or services that will ap-peal to the preferences of consumers. Preferences, however, may vary among individuals and the final product or service offered must involv