Was this guide helpful? Users' perceptions of subject guides | Emerald Insight Books and journals Case studies Expert Briefings Open Access Advanced search Was this guide helpful? Users' perceptions of subject guides Martin P. Courtois (Instructional Technology Assistance Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA) Martha E. Higgins (Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA) Aditya Kapur (Gelman Library, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA) Reference Services Review ISSN: 0090-7324 Publication date: 1 June 2005 Abstract Purpose – Most academic libraries make subject or research guides available on their web sites. Little is known, however, in terms of user satisfaction with guides. This study examines methods used to evaluate guides and reports on an online survey placed on each of more than 80 web‐based guides provided by Gelman Library, George Washington University. Design/methodology/approach – The survey, borrowing an approach used by Amazon.com and other web sites, consisted of a single question – Was this guide useful – and a comments box. Findings – Two hundred ten responses were received during Fall semester 2003. Fifty two percent of responses rated guides as Very Helpful or Somewhat Helpful, while 40 percent gave ratings of Not Helpful or a Little Helpful. Originality/value – Although limited in scope, this simple survey revealed positive elements of the guides and identified problems that could be addressed immediately. The survey also helped to identify larger issues that will benefit from additional user input. Keywords Research Assessment Surveys Customer satisfaction Internet Academic libraries Citation Courtois, M.P., Higgins, M.E. and Kapur, A. (2005), "Was this guide helpful? Users' perceptions of subject guides", Reference Services Review, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 188-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/00907320510597381 Download as .RIS Publisher : Emerald Group Publishing Limited Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited Please note you do not have access to teaching notes You may be able to access teaching notes by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account. Login If you think you should have access to this content, click the button to contact our support team. Contact us To read the full version of this content please select one of the options below You may be able to access this content by logging in via Shibboleth, Open Athens or with your Emerald account. Login To rent this content from Deepdyve, please click the button. Rent from Deepdyve If you think you should have access to this content, click the button to contact our support team. Contact us Opens in new window Opens in new window Opens in new window Opens in new window © 2020 Emerald Publishing Limited Services Authors Opens in new window Editors Opens in new window Librarians Opens in new window Researchers Opens in new window Reviewers Opens in new window About About Emerald Opens in new window Working for Emerald Opens in new window Contact us Opens in new window Publication sitemap Policies and information Privacy notice Site policies Modern Slavery Act Opens in new window Chair of Trustees governance statement Opens in new window COVID-19 policy Opens in new window × Support & Feedback Manage cookies We’re listening — tell us what you think Something didn’t work… Report bugs here All feedback is valuable Please share your general feedback Member of Emerald Engage? You can join in the discussion by joining the community or logging in here. You can also find out more about Emerald Engage. Join us on our journey Platform update page Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates Questions & More Information Answers to the most commonly asked questions here