Information types include books, government publications, photographs, and journal articles. A wide range of subjects are included. After completing the form, the user obtains an abstracted list of suggested resources. Reference Expert is designed to help users select appropriate reference books and indexes. Users select subject, information type, or keyword search at an initial screen.
Users selecting subject receive a large number of topics and subtopics from which to choose.
After selecting a particular subject, users select from a publication type list that includes choices such as abstracts, definitions, full text, and statistics. The end result is a list of recommended sources. Within a suggested research framework, users answer questions about subject area and types of information sought. The result is an abstracted list of recommended sources. The correct answer must be selected before the patron's next question is elicited.