Jinfo: Blog

Jinfo Blog

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Date Archive

What's On An Info-Entrepreneur's Book Shelf? [ABSTRACT]
31st March 2008

One of the reasons I was able to quit my job and launch my research business back in 1991 was my background as a specialised librarian. While I did not appreciate it until later, I learned a lot about how to market information services, manage my time, and negotiate with clients – all skills that both employed and self-employed information professionals need. There are a few books on my book shelf that I consult regularly, and that are of use to any info pro.

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Exposing the secret state [ABSTRACT]
31st March 2008

There isn't an information professional in the world these days who doesn't have to demonstrate that they add value. But media librarians - the folk who work for news organisations, publications and broadcasters - probably need to try harder than most.

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Finding People Information: Free Sources and Web 2.0 [ABSTRACT]
31st March 2008

If you're like me, your email inbox is full of offers for free webinars. Recently one caught my attention. It was called 'Finding People Information: Free Sources and Web 2.0', offered by Donna Fryer of Global Information Research & Retrieval, LLC...

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Managing Successful Vendor Contracts (Part 2) [ABSTRACT]
31st March 2008

In a previous issue of FUMSI, I discussed the essential processes of preparation required for effective vendor and contract negotiation. So let's look more closely at negotiation. It's a skilled art and tends not to be one of our profession's favourite tasks. But if you have followed the guidance in the previous article, it will be easier and you'll have information and background to enable you to respond and counter proposals as well as an understanding of what your opponent is trying to achieve.

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UK Government Information on the Internet [ABSTRACT]
31st March 2008

The early days of the Internet saw great optimism as to the potential for the freeing up of information and consequent greater accountability of governments. The Internet's very existence, as well as legislation like the UK's Freedom of Information Act (2000), has indeed improved the availability of information in some respects.

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Legal Research: Turning It into Competitive Advantage [ABSTRACT]
31st March 2008

Legal research often conjures up images of assistants scurrying to find case law, related statutes, regulations to prove an argument, or an attorney receiving a message on their Blackberryä in the courtroom with the necessary information to win the case. Yet legal research encompasses so much more.

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The Greening of a Business: Beyond the Bottom Line [ABSTRACT]
31st March 2008

For many years the only time the word ‘environment' came up in a discussion about business, it was in terms of the ‘business environment' or the ‘corporate environment.' Now, however, the actual environment is in play. Companies are considering their effect on the environment, governments are legislating environmental impact, and businesses are becoming increasingly aware that there are environmentally-friendly alternatives to business as usual. No matter what type of industry is being discussed, it is more than likely that the word ‘environment' is having an impact on corporate goals and practices.

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