The questionnaire--a quality control method for online searching?

The quality of the online search service in a university medical school/large hospital library was investigated by user survey. The use of a questionnaire as a tool to measure quality was assessed. The survey indicated that most users were satisfied with the quality of the service. User ratings for all search performance criteria were high and most readers found online searches to be good value for money. Information about user groups, frequency of searching, search applications, pre-search work and user expectations was obtained. The most important aspect of a computer search to the reader was 'savings in your time'. Three types of user were described based on search output analyses and reading levels. Some areas where the existing service could be improved were identified. The introduction of a standard questionnaire for monitoring the quality of computer searches and other library services was proposed.