Add Descriptive Codes

Libraries can use Descriptive Codes to categorize the questions that they receive. The codes help them analyze the questions. For example, librarians might select Descriptive Codes such as Catalog, Directional, Instructional, or Research to categorize questions. Then administrators can view reports showing how many Catalog, Directional, Instructional, or Research questions the library received.

If your library is part of a cooperative, so you help other libraries' patrons as well as your own, you should add Descriptive Codes only if the patron is one of your library's patrons or your cooperative has agreed to assign codes to one another's patrons. The 24/7 Reference Cooperative's policy is that Descriptive Codes are assigned only to sessions or transactions with one's own patrons.

To add, change, or remove up-to-four Descriptive Codes for a question:

1. Go to the Full Question page for a question.
   Note: If Descriptive Codes have already been added, they appear in the Descriptive Codes field in the Question Detail area.
2. Click the Add Descriptive Codes button.
   The Question Descriptive Codes page appears. It has four drop-down lists that each contain the Descriptive Codes that are available for you to select.
3. In each of the four drop-down lists, you can:
   Select a Descriptive Code if none is selected or you want to select a different one.
   Select [Select code] if you want to remove the code that is already selected.
   Note: [Replace inactive code] appears in a drop-down list for a code that is inactive (not currently included in your library's list of Descriptive Codes). If this appears, you can select a different code from the list or leave [Replace inactive code] to remove the inactive code.
4. Click the Add Descriptive Codes button to save your work.
   Or, click Cancel if you decide not to add, change, or remove any codes.
   If you click Add Descriptive Codes, QuestionPoint displays the Full Question page and acknowledges your changes. The Descriptive Codes appear in the Descriptive Codes field in the Question Detail area.