Description
FACET PUBLISHING Successful Enquiry Answering Every Time Thinking Your Way From Problem To Solution7Th Edition 2017 Edition by TIM BUCKLEY OWEN
Successful Enquiry Answering Every Time is designed to guide information professionals through all the stages of research, from finding out what the enquirer really wants, to providing a polished, value-added answer. When people want to satisfy their immediate curiosity they're much more likely to use a search engine on their mobile device than ask their local library. But while the days of personal intervention in this kind of enquiry are inevitably numbered, the professional skills that underpin them are not. This book uses technology as the enabler of the thought processes that information professionals need to engage in when answering enquiries, and makes the case that new technology, far from making them irrelevant, raises the skill stakes for all. Now in its 7th edition, this book is fully updated to cover new skills, such as: employing critical thinking to manipulate, categorise and prioritise raw search resultsusing strategic reading and abstracting techniques to identify and summarise the essential information the enquirer needs from the retrieved documentsdrawing on established story-telling practice to present research results effectively - whether orally or in writingworking to the POWER model: plan, organise, write, edit, review.This book is ideal for anyone who has to answer enquiries from users in any information role; those working in contact centres who are dealing with information enquiries, processing transactions or trouble-shooting technical issues; and information professionals working on enquiry desks in large or small academic, public, school or special libraries. Introduction: Why thinking skills matter Eight essential thinking skills for successful enquiry answering1. What do they really want? Using your analytical thinking skills to understand the questionAvoiding misunderstandingsAsking the right questionsDoes all this really work?Agreeing the taskFinding out how long you've gotComing next - when the enquirer's not there2. Why remote enquiry handling is different Anticipating problems by thinking emphatheticallyCan't see, can't hear - the risk of misunderstanding, even offenceKeeping your remote enquirer on-sideKeeping good recordsComing next - avoiding panic, thinking on your feet3. Getting started Dealing with the panic by thinking imaginativelyImagining the final answerChoosing the best type of source and delivery mediumDoes all this really work?Identifying actual sourcesComing next - smarter searching4. Smarter searching Developing efficient search strategies by thinking systematicallyWho needs to be able to search smarter?Working out your search strategySearching systematicallyMaking the most of indexesElectronic search toolsReading strategicallyMaking sure that what you find is reliableComing next - even more things that can go wrong5. Help! Everything's going wrong Using lateral thinking to get out of difficultiesVital versus urgent tasksYour working timetableManaging expectationsPlan BReferralsComing next - adding value6. Success! Now let's add some value Using your creative thinking skills to present your answer wellQuality-checking your answerPresenting your answer - orallyPresenting your answer - in writingCopyright, licensing, ethicsHas the answer arrived - and does the enquirer like it?Sign-off: what can we learn from this enquiry?Coming next - adding even more value7. Don't just give me another reading list! Using critical thinking skills to add further value to your answerPOWER and KISSMaking your search results manipulableSelecting, rejecting, prioritizing 140Strategic reading - finding the best bits of each documentCapturing the content for your reportNow you're ready to write!Making sure your work gets read and valuedComing next - choosing your toolkit8. Choosing your toolkit Using your predictive thinking skills to determine the resources you'll needMaking best use of your Time, Intellect and MoneyKeeping track of your enquiriesDiscovering information in your own resources (and beyond)Choosing and using the right search engineAdding value to your search resultsStarter SourcesYour goal: successful enquiry answering - every time