Jinfo: Newsletter No. 285

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Editorial

By Sara Waddington

Sara Waddington FreePint's SLA 2009 Special Report has been published and is available upon request. Get your free copy of this useful reflective report featuring comments from conference delegates about what they learned, full text of SLA's CEO, Janice R. Lachance's comments on the direction of the information industry, lots of new ideas, links to resources, food for thought and more. Complete the form to get your copy.

In this issue of the FreePint Newsletter, Vernon Prior emphasises the value of 'soft information' in his article 'DIY Detection (Part One)'. Soft information, says Vernon, often provides insight and perspective; it can help to identify potential business opportunities, new markets and potential threats; and it can stimulate innovation by raising awareness of new ideas and technologies that may be adopted with advantage.

Hard information is generally preferred because it is widely available and easy to retrieve. Unfortunately, routine published information is usually of limited intelligence value. The more colourful parts of your intelligence puzzle are typically gleaned from soft information; that is, rumour, suggestion, opinion, gossip, hints and speculation.

The subject of home births elicits many opinions, not all of them based on the facts. In this issue, Leah Hazard shares what she's learned about combining quantitative and qualitative research in writing a home birth handbook, as well as her efforts to get the information into the hands of the people who need it most. See her FUMSI article 'A Case Study: Using Evidenced Based Research to Change Attitudes Towards Home Births'.

We have several research projects underway, and we invite you to participate. If you complete one of our surveys and supply an email address, you'll receive a copy of the resulting report. Surveys range from relatively brief 'overview' reports, such as our recent surveys on alternative search and social media in the enterprise, to more comprehensive studies, such as our planned review of enterprise-wide copyright policies and practices.

If you'd like to receive notification whenever a new research project is launched, please email support@freepint.com, and we'll add you to the list.

Sara Waddington
Managing Editor
FreePint

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Develop Your Strengths with Quantum²

For a wide array of hands-on training and resource materials, turn to Quantum², an innovative skills development programme provided *free* by Dialog. The programme helps information professionals:

Expand your services through strategic and business competencies
Improve flow of information in your organisation
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Discover best practices, *plus* the know-how to implement them.
Free monthly newsletter and further information at: http://quantum.dialog.com/

My Favourite Tipples

By Paul Screen

Automotive Online is a B2B marketplace for components and parts but also has interesting industry directories, trade event listings, tenders, publications and a range of other resources.
The automotive section of the BIS website (UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills) has some useful links to industry data, statistics and reports as well as to research on plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.
AutoTrader is a great site to buy and sell new and used cars, bikes, vans, trucks and caravans in the UK but also to check out car insurance, car loans, automotive news, new car reviews, parts and accessories, green motoring etc. A new version of the website is in beta testing and user comments are requested.
The website of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association gives key figures, economic outlooks, vehicle registrations, production, trade and accident data for Western Europe as well as more detailed country statistics.
Just Auto is a portal with global automotive news, links to more detailed market research, briefings and fora/blogs.

Paul Screen is an automotive industry professional with over twenty years' experience, including vehicle diagnostics and testing.

Would you like to add your Favourite Tipples suggestions for the FreePint Newsletter or write an article for FUMSI (Find, Use, Manage or Share Information?).

If so, please submit them to editor@freepint.com.
View the guidelines at: <http://web.freepint.com/go/family/contribute>.

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It's published! Request your free copy of FreePint's SLA 2009 Special Report

http://digbig.com/5bafxx

Commentary from delegates
Reflection from industry leaders on where information work is heading
New ideas, food for thought, and extensive list of URLs for additional reading

Trial FUMSI - only £39 for three months

Order online »

For the cost of a single FUMSI report, you can get FUMSI for three months and share with every location of your organisation to gauge its value.

Take a no-obligation trial today and get:

August: FUMSI Report: Folio and Survey on Alternative Search
September: FUMSI Report: Folio and Survey on Knowledge Management
October: FUMSI Report: Folio on Taxonomies and Folksonomies

Request sample materials, or order online today.

FreePint Bar

By Sara Waddington

Sara Waddington Data on Indian cities, knowledge management, flight services, conference reports and info services in the current financial climate are hot topics on the Bar at the moment. See a round-up of recent conversations below and click through to join the discussion. Post your research dilemmas to the FreePint Bar »

FreePint Bar

Can anyone help a Bar member find a source, preferably free, for statistics on cities on India on levels of GDP, GDP growth, human resources indicators, cost levels etc. Any suggestions from the Bar would be greatly appreciated.
FreePint's SLA 2009 Special Report has been published and is available upon request. Get your free copy of this useful reflective report featuring comments from conference delegates about what they learned, full text of SLA's CEO, Janice R. Lachance's comments on the direction of the information industry, lots of new ideas, links to resources, food for thought and more. Request your copy by completing the form, and post your thoughts to the Bar.
The next FreePint survey is now underway - participate in a brief online survey on knowledge management practices and challenges. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. You'll learn what tools organisations are using for KM, what people-based practices support KM (training, compensation, etc.) and how satisfied staff are with KM results. Input is anonymous but, if you provide an email address at the end of the survey, we'll send you a copy of the report in September.
One 'Pinter would appreciate the Bar's ideas on finding flight records of BOAC in 1961 including flight passenger lists (manifests).

Visit the FreePint Bar »

FreePint Feed

The FreePint Feed keeps you up to date on what's new across all the sites in the FreePint Family.

[VIP] Reviews of Esmerk Pro@ctive and Skyminder
If you need more pay-as-you-go options or products that add value and enable end users to do more work themselves, this month's VIP offers useful product reviews to help....

[FUMSI] New Twitter Feed
FUMSI now has a new Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/FUMSI. Follow to get the latest article abstracts, plus other news....

[FUMSI] Report: Folio on Alternative Search
FUMSI has published the FUMSI Report: Folio on Alternative Search Engines, which includes the results of our survey of information professionals on how they approach different search tasks...

Visit the FreePint Feed »

Sara Waddington is Managing Editor of FreePint. She can be contacted at sara.waddington@freepint.com

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FUMSI Features

FUMSI publishes articles, tools, and a monthly magazine, to give you practical help with information skills. Visit http://www.fumsi.com/

However you Find, Use, Manage or Share Information, you'll find something in FUMSI to help.

Become a fan of FUMSI on Facebook »

Follow FUMSI on Twitter »

We add new articles to the FUMSI database in each practice area every month, which are free to read, browse, email, print or save. Here are the most recent additions:

DIY Detection: Softly, Softly, Catchee Monkee

By Vernon Prior
FUMSI: Find

When it comes to competitive intelligence, collecting hard data like published reports and datasets may be easier than tracking down less quantifiable information. But is it as useful? In Part 1 of this two-part article, Vernon Prior discusses the value of soft data collection in the competitive intelligence gathering process and introduces three techniques for uncovering it.

WHAT'S INSIDE: 'Elicitation also relies upon the fact that we all wish to appear well-informed and, as a result, we tend to reveal more than we should. Most of us are keen to be regarded as honest and trustworthy; we welcome praise or sympathy; and we dislike adverse criticism. These are all human frailties that may be exploited to advantage.'

Read, print, save or forward this article now »

A Case Study: Using Evidenced Based Research to Change Attitudes Towards Home Births

By Leah Hazard
FUMSI: Use

The subject of home births elicits many opinions, not all of them based on the facts. Leah Hazard shares what she's learned about combining quantitative and qualitative research in writing a home birth handbook, as well as her efforts to get the information into the hands of the people who need it most.

WHAT'S INSIDE: 'Asked why they were so opposed to home birth, the men would simply say, 'I just don't think it's safe. What if something happens?' However, most of these men were hard pressed to substantiate that idea with any solid factual basis. Very few of them, if any, had ever heard of a friend, colleague, or relative who had witnessed a normal, straightforward birth in the hospital, let alone at home. The correct information, although available and of high quality, was not easily usable and digestible to the expectant public and their partners.'

Read, print, save or forward this article now »

Also recently added to the FUMSI database:

Browse all FUMSI articles »

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Discover LexisNexis Analytics

LexisNexis Analytics combines award winning technology with the most comprehensive database of traditional and new media. We turn information into actionable intelligence and so improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Everyday consumers, journalists, bloggers and analysts are voicing opinions around your brand, your solutions and your workforce. Voices that impact your bottom line. Monitoring and tracking these conversations is key to gaining a competitive advantage, improving customer service, aiding R&D and preventing crises escalating.

To find out more, visit our website or call us on 020 7400 2984.

VIP Features

VIP publishes in-depth, unbiased reviews of business information products. If you purchase or use premium information resources, make VIP part of your professional reading every month »

2.0 for the enterprise, folksonomies for business, client-centred business abstracts and pay-as-you-go credit reports in VIP Magazine No. 69

You might dismiss an individual website or technology as a fad, but not Enterprise 2.0 because it represents a complete change in the way we use the web, says independent web analyst David Stuart. Describing some of the building blocks that make up web 2.0 -- blogs, wikis, social bookmarking -- he offers a warning to over-protective senior managers. Yes, there is certain information that organisations will always want to keep in-house -- but rising levels of protection mean that, instead of benefitting from the network effect, moderators end up simply trying to keep up with the innovators.

So if you are going to give collaborative technologies their head, should that also extend to the precious metadata you apply to your information assets? Well, there is a downside to folksonomies acknowledges Fran Alexander, former editorial director at Keesings Worldwide now studying for a Masters in research; they're anarchic, messy and prone to error, malice and humour. But they're also fluid and responsive, better than nothing if there's no budget or the content is in a hard to search format such as audio or video -- and Fran offers a checklist of when folksonomies can work in business and when they don't.

It's a long way from folksonomy to the rigorous client profiling of Esmerk's Pro@ctiv business abstracts service, reviewed by Jonathan Gordon-Till. Set up individually for each client, with abstracting customised to the client's requirements, it's a refreshing change from the increasing over-reliance on automated retrieval of content from thousands of sources, and it's designed to be easy to use by senior executives. But although its selectivity may be a plus point, sometimes you do need to see stories from a different angle or be aware of repeated messages elsewhere in the media.

At the other end of the spectrum, perhaps, is Skyminder, given the once-over in this issue by Diana Nutting. A compilation of credit information, financial statements, news items, investment and market research reports -- and more -- on 50 million companies worldwide and their industries, its pay-as-you-go feature is one of its biggest plus points. But its news information is not comprehensive or up-to-date, and some reports have to be ordered offline and can take days to arrive.

Purchase the individual product reviews via the links above, or save money by purchasing the entire VIP 69, including the above features and insights, executive summaries of the product reviews and copies of the full product reviews.

VIP LiveWire

VIP contributing editors comment daily on what's happening in the industry.
Visit the LiveWire for their insights, and subscribe to the free VIP Wires Weekly for regular alerts.

VIP Wires Weekly is generously sponsored by LexisNexis.

On VIP LiveWire recently...

Recession is a time when many companies suffer from analysis paralysis, says a recent report from the Economist Intelligence Unit -- so it's a good time to hone your intelligence gathering. Sounds like music to the ears of information professionals -- except that less than a tenth of the senior executives surveyed for the report claimed any responsibility in their organisations for information and research...
Read the full story at: http://www.vivavip.com/go/e22586
Could freemium be the way forward for publishers questioning the validity of the free internet model that seems to be so bedeviling news organisations? Two business information providers -- academic and management journal publisher Emerald and company information service Alacra Pulse Professional -- are experimenting with it and may have stolen a march on the newspaper industry in the process...
Read the full story at: http://www.vivavip.com/go/e21546
Emerging markets haven't been so badly hit by the recession as western economies, so it's no surprise that interest in information on those regions and countries continues to grow. ISI Emerging Markets, a pioneer in this field, has recently signed an agreement to supply news to LexisNexis on Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and it also offers its own Islamic Finance Information Service, while Thomson Reuters' Westlaw has just launched a rival Islamic Finance Centre -- and both are tapping a rich pool....
Read the full story at: http://www.vivavip.com/go/e22500

Purchase VIP Magazine No. 69 from the VIP Website, or start your subscription now »

VIP LiveWire »

VIP Wire

Information-related product and news announcements. Post your releases and receive news FREE.

VIP Wire »

VIP - Subscribe and Back Issues

Start a trial subscription today for only £80 for three months. Visit http://web.vivavip.com/go/shop/volume/trial/ to start your trial. You can also purchase back-issues of VIP from the VIP Archive.

VIP Archive »

VIP publishes in-depth, unbiased reviews of business information products. If you purchase or use premium information resources, make VIP part of your professional reading every month »

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Or purchase individual product reviews as needed. Recently published:

Pro@ctive
Skyminder
Cision Social Media
Alacra Pulse
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'... a virtual information bonanza...' - Government information centre knowledge manager

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Jinfo - Jobs and Events in Information

Jinfo is the central location for supporting your information career. The Jinfo Jobs database lists vacancies, and the Jinfo Events database lists workshops, conferences, training, webinars and other professional development opportunities.

Start a free subscription to receive the weekly Jinfo Update, with a complete list of the latest vacancies and events, or search the databases at any time (free).

Jinfo Jobs in the FreePint Newsletter are supported through our partnership with Quantum², an innovative skills development programme offered by Dialog. Learn more at <http://quantum.dialog.com/>.

Jinfo Jobs:

Here is a selection of the latest featured vacancies in the Jinfo database:

Senior Researchers (2)
Senior Researchers with gravitas and business acumen to work closely at senior level with consultants in Central London.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
Country: United Kingdom
Legal Information Advisor
Leading North West corporate law firm require an Information Services Advisor
Recruiter: Weekes Gray Recruitment
Country: United Kingdom
Senior Knowledge and Information Manager
Senior Knowledge & Information Manager, KM Development Opportunity, Corporate Client Switzerla...
Recruiter: TFPL
Country: United Kingdom
Senior Information Analyst
12 months Snr Info Analyst temp role to collate and analyse info for external stakeholders & monitor work of others...
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited
Country: United Kingdom
Information Services Officer (Information/Library, Leeds)
Responsible for sourcing and managing appropriate and relevant content for coverage by the portal's search engine....
Recruiter: Elan Health
Country: United Kingdom

Browse all Jinfo Jobs »

Jinfo Events:

Here is a selection of the latest featured events in the Jinfo database:

Best Practices for Information Services
A practical guide to the steps necessary in creating a best practice for information services delivery
Organiser: Dialog
Date: 22 Oct 2009
Country: Online/webinar
Introduction to Copyright Management, Principles and Issues
Online introduction to corporate and library-based copyright management
Organiser: SLA
Date: 26 Oct - 6 Nov 2009
Country: Online/webinar
Freedom of information: what's in it for researchers?
This event aims to raise awareness of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) as a tool for researchers.
Organiser: Research Information Network
Date: 14 Sept 2009
Country: United Kingdom
Making the Business Case
Learn to make the business case for information centres and services
Organiser: Information Today
Date: 14 Oct 2009
Country: United Kingdom
Online Information 2009
Online Information 2009 comprises an exhibition of over 200 vendors, an international conference and a seminar programme.
Organiser: Incisive Media
Date: 1-3 Dec 2009
Country: United Kingdom
Web 2.0 - the truth behind the hype
Organiser: CLSIG
Date: 17 Sept 2009
Country: United Kingdom

Browse all Jinfo Events »

Jinfo - the best place for information-related job vacancies and professional development opportunities.

RECRUITING?
- Advertise a vacancy for just GBP 195
- 10% discount for agencies
- 50% discount for registered charities
RUNNING AN EVENT?
List it on Jinfo to reach a targeted audience seeking professional development opportunities
- Get started at <http://web.jinfo.com/events/load/>
- Partner events listed for free; enquire at <support@jinfo.com>.

Find out more today at <http://www.jinfo.com/>

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Highlights from ResourceShelf and DocuTicker

Every week, the editors of ResourceShelf explore a Resource of the Week. Get them for free every week via email by subscribing to the ResourceShelf Newsletter.

Become a fan of ResourceShelf and DocuTicker on Facebook.

Recently published:

Resource of the Week: Internet Archive's NASAimages.org by Gary Price and Shirl Kennedy.

This past week, Internet Archive announced that you can now download high resolution image files directly from the website....

Read the rest, including live links »

DocuTicker publishes citations of full-text, free reports available on the web. Visit daily for new postings, or subscribe to the weekly DocuTicker Newsletter.

Highlights:

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Gold

A look back at what the FreePint Newsletter covered at this time in previous years:

FreePint No. 260, 11th September 2008. "Research: A Diligent Approach" and "Selling Photographs in the Digital Age"
FreePint No. 237, 13th September 2007. "Survival Guide: Online Social Networking" and "Social Tools for Business Use: Messages from a Web 2.0 Conference"
FreePint No. 213, 7th September 2006. "Think Globally; Write Locally: What Source Writers Need to Know About Localisation" and "Emulating Web Tools to Become Indispensable to Your Users"
FreePint No. 190, 8th September 2005. "Analysing User Behaviour: A Case Study" and "The Slow Movement"
FreePint No. 167, 16th September 2004. "Information Sources For Education On The Web" and "Copyright - how to stay legal"
FreePint No. 144, 4th September 2003. "Searching Free Design Databases on the Web" and "Informing the Asylum Debate"
FreePint No. 120, 5th September 2002. "Offshore Funds" and "From Fortune 500 to Handelsblatt's European 500 one year on - another look at some useful European and International Rankings"
FreePint No. 95, 6th September 2001. "Railways Online in the UK" and "From Fortune 500 to Handelsblatt's European 500 - a look at some useful European and International Rankings"
FreePint No. 70, 7th September 2000. "A Web of Mental Health" and "Top Sites on the Web for Aeronautics and Aerospace Science and Technology"

9th September 1999. "File finding, file filing" and "Intranets and extranets"
FreePint No. 21, 3rd September 1998. "Tricks with local newsgroups" and "Legal Resources on the Web"

FreePint Newsletter Archive »

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Forthcoming Articles - Provisional

FUMSI

Guardian Research and Information: The Evolution
Information Risk Management: The Benefits
Using Information to Drive Business Processes: A Case Study
Image Findability: Improving through Tags

VIP

Review of syndicated loans databases
Profound review

If you have a suggestion for an article topic, or would like to write, then please contact FreePint's Editor Sara Waddington at <sara.waddington@freepint.com> or read the notes for authors at <http://web.freepint.com/go/family/contribute/>

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Contact Information

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Contributors to this issue:

Sara Waddington (Managing Editor, FreePint), Paul Screen, Vernon Prior, Leah Hazard, Nancy Davis Kho (Copyeditor), Robin Neidorf (General Manager), William Hann (Publisher), Douglas Brown (Proofreader).

Advertisers/Sponsors:

Quantum2 from Dialog, LexisNexis, Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited, Glen Recruitment, TFPL, Weekes Gray Recruitment,Elan Health.

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