John Vinson Richardson Jr. is an American professor of information studies at University of California, Los Angeles, with a significant record of research and publications on intelligent question answering systems, reference service, and history of librarianship.
His current research focuses on assessment and evaluation issues related to virtual reference (i.e., chat) such as time in queue, service duration, content analysis or microanalysis of questions, as well as user satisfaction.
Currently, Richardson also serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University in NSW, Australia.
Richardson's research interests have focused on the development of intelligent question answering systems, the evaluation of reference services, and the history of librarianship.
Richardson's work has worldwide recognition, and he has studied and lectured in Aberystwyth University, Wales (Beta Phi Mu Scholar); Australia; Eritrea; in the Russian Federation (ALISE Teaching Fellow in Moscow and St. Petersburg) including the Russian Far East (Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and Sakhalin Island),[3] Tanzania; Turkmenistan; Uganda; and Zambia.