Outcomes Assessment in the Networked Environment:Research Questions,Issues, Considerations,and Moving Forward.

THIS ARTICLE IDENTIFIES A NUMBER OF RESEARCH TOPICS related broadly to outcomes assessment in a networked environment and discusses issues affecting these research topics. It also proposes a framework to relate traditional evaluation components and terminology to the networked environment and identifies a number of factors in the networked environment that affect outcomes and other assessment methods. The article suggests that outcomes assessment has the potential to complement other assessment techniques to better assist libraries and related information organizations enhance their decisions in the provision of information services and resources. Given the increased rate at which libraries arc using the networked environment to provide services and resources, however, much work remains before most libraries can implement outcomes assessment efforts successfully.