Under the microscope: Buying patterns for STM content
12th May 2011

As budgets have come under closer and closer scrutiny, information centres have shifted from a general policy of “just in case” subscriptions to “just in time” purchases. FreePint Research has highlighted this evolution in nearly every study we’ve conducted since early 2009.

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Product Review of Radian6
12th May 2011

Radian6 is a tool for social media monitoring and engagement across a variety of social platforms: blogs, "microblogs" (such as Twitter), online forums, Facebook, and comments. The company provides a platform and a series of integrated products that can be used by organisations for brand management and monitoring, customer service and lead generation.

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Product Review of IHS DataInsight 4.1
12th May 2011

The product started about ten years ago as an Excel application and has progressed to a sophisticated and interactive analytical and presentation tool. This review will look at the desktop version of DataInsight. There is also a web version of the same product that has less functionality.

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FreePint Vendor Report: Introduction to Dow Jones Factiva
11th May 2011

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FreePint Vendor Report: Introduction to D&B and Hoover's
11th May 2011

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FreePint Vendor Report: Introduction to Alacra
11th May 2011

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An introduction to "Linked and Open Data" for information professionals
3rd May 2011

The linking of parts of documents and other materials offered by the Linked Data approach to the web, coupled with the open data philosophy adopted by governments, could offer researchers the chance to identify links between data not possible before and save an enormous amount of time. Zach Beauvais explains how it works.

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Managing the flow of information with social tools
3rd May 2011

As consumer social tools like Twitter and Facebook start to encroach on our professional lives should we see this as a blessing or a threat? Stuart Barr looks at the many benefits which these tools can bring to the organisation, from being able to collaborate seamlessly with colleagues around the world to finding out what thought leaders in your sector are saying.

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Sound Advice: Online audio archives & repositories for research
3rd May 2011

Recorded sound can evoke strong emotions and enhance the experience and understanding of the researcher and end user, which makes it a powerful tool for museums. It is also a format which is increasingly available online and can provide a valuable source of information to supplement text-based material for the researcher. In his article, Andrew Youngkin gives a flavour of the audio material available.

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Using co-design to innovate in libraries
3rd May 2011

The key element when designing any successful service involving information is to meet the needs of the people who will use it. This sounds simple enough but how do we explore those needs and produce tangible outcomes? Lauren Currie and Joanna Ptolomey explain the process of service design, involving co-designing with the people, which can lead to innovative services.

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