Tai-Pan Research

International Business and Information Resources

Jane Macoustra Internet Librarian International 7th

October 2007Copthorne Tara Hotel, London

“Knowledge of sources is a major factor of decent research,

not just knowledge of search terminology”

Anonymous

ObjectivesToday, you can expect to learn about:Different sources for different types

of informationSame sources for different types of

informationBarriers to locating information

Objectives continued…

CensorshipTranslatingReliability of sourcesCommunication Systems

Differences between sources

Sources may differ because of:Who compiled the dataIs it up-to-date?Is it peer-reviewed?Source type: web site, portal, vortal,

gateway, deep web, database

Similarities between sourcesSources may be similar because:Data may have been deep-linked

from source without acknowledgement to them

Check deep-linking legislation for each jurisdiction because they are all different.

Similarities between sourcesSources may be similar because:Data may have been cut and pasted

into another web site without any acknowledgement to the original source.

Data may have been added to another site via RSS

Similarities between sources

Similarities between sources

Similarities between sources

Use different types of search toolsRestructure the search using

acronyms, antonyms, synonymsUse specific tools to broaden or

narrow the search. E.g. Onelook dictionary with a reverse look-up facility.

Barriers to Locating Information

Lack of transparencyContinuously changing reporting

requirements/legislationThe information is not available in the

public domainThe information is only available in

hard copy format

Barriers to Locating Information

In China, if you want information on a specific topic you may find yourself approaching at least 10 different government departments with the same question

Some government departments may not be willing to give you the information you need

CensorshipLet’s take a look at censorship on the Internet. Access Google.cn and enter a controversial subject, such as Falun Gong.Check the results. Keep an open mind about what information has been published and what content may have been banned

Censorship continued….

Now repeat the same search in Google.com, Clusty, Intelways or other search tools of choice

Compare the results When searching specific countries, search

across the spectrum to ensure you get an even picture of your subject

Censorship continued….

“The search terms blocked by Google.cn will include what are known as the “the three t’s and the two c’s”: references to Taiwanese or Tibetan independence, the Tiananmen massacre, cult-related searches, which may trigger reference to the banned Falun Gong organisation, and information about Communist party supremacy.” The Times 25th Jan 2006

Censorship continued….

Look at the information that is available about Myanmar (Burmah) and the Saffron revolution. The sources are limited because of strong censorship from within; Internet access has even been taken down

Translation ServicesYou need to translate a web page. How

do you select a reliable translation service?

Would you rely on Google to translate it for you?

Compare the following screens taken from Google.

Reliable SourcesYou know the source is reliable when:It’s an official source such as a

government web site, or an officially recognised body such as the World Bank

Portals and Vortals: industry users pay a subscription fee = reliable

continued….

Reliable Sources

You know the source is also reliable when:The site belongs to an educational

institution and is impartialThe site is compiled by an Information

Professional – e.g. BUBL –

Reliable sources continued

Before using data from a web site, check the url, the date the web site was updated, the author and where the information comes from

Use a checklist if in doubt about authenticity

Reliable sources continued

Before using data from a web site, check the url, the date the web site was updated, the author and where the information comes from

Use a checklist if in doubt about authenticity

Reliable sources continued

“North Korean publications describe Kim Jong Il as a renaissance man who has flown fighter aircraft, written operas and shot 11 holes-in-one in his first try at golf. “ as reported by CNN Feb 2004.

Note this is “according to North Korean Publications”

Where to look You will find reliable information by using:Global Chambers of Commerce sitesCompany web sitesIndustry and sector portals/vortals International trade statisticsSecondary sources: market research

Where to look

You will find reliable information by using:Discussion lists and forumsFinancial/regulatory portalsUse news sites to check political eventsConflict zones

Where to look continued

Government web sitesPassport officesCurrent availability of informationEducational resources for pointersBe prepared to amend your search

strategies

Where to Look continued Be prepared to learn: Search engine languages and the technical

abilities that they offer Use of other tools, such as the Invisible

Web, search for different mediums and use a variety of other techniques to locate information.

Where to Look continued

Be prepared to learn: Invisible web: Think of databases! Why is the invisible web not available

through a search engine?How do you access it and what do you get

that is different?

Where to Look continued Be prepared to lean:

Invisible web: Think of databases!

Where to Look continued

Where to Look continued

Where to Look continued

Be prepared to learn: Use lateral thought and mind mapping as

you conduct your research How to mine a corporate web siteUse the clustering mechanisms offered by

search engines

Where to look continued

Learn how to:Look up people – especially those in

influential positionsPick up the telephone. Prepare a

questionnaire so that your results are consistent when disseminating results.

Target the top management or their secretaries in the first instance

Where to look continued

Finally – be prepared to spend some £££sNot everything is freeNot everything is available on the InternetGather what you can, disseminate, and

then fill in the gaps using subscription-based databases

Secondary Research

Use publications and databases for secondary research to monitor:

Consumer activityRegional demographicsIndustries/products and their

market share

QuestionOcean Freight Operators:

What is the total number of TEUs (20ft containers) used in transporting freight from Ningbo Port to Charleston Port in a year?

Data is not freely available: £££s are required

Question

Which country is perceived to be the most corrupt in any given year?

Where would you look to locate the answer quickly and for free?

Question

QuestionRussian Company Information Locate a list of Russian companies

by sector and obtain broker reports for each company

How? Pay £££s or take a longer route?

QuestionWhat did the Kodak web site look like

on Boxing Day in 1996? Where would you look to find the web

site on the date given? http://www.archive.org/web/web.php

QuestionWhat did the Kodak web site look like on Boxing Day 1996?

QuestionWhat did the Kodak web site look like on Boxing Day 1996?

QuestionWhat did the Kodak web site look like on Boxing Day 1996?

QuestionWho Imports and manufactures

“Celebrity Ham”?Owned by a Danish companyImports to America Vivisimo and search for danish ham

manufacturers. Use Ctrl/F to search pdf documents content

Question

Answer My answer is not fully correct!The manufacturer is Danish, not

EnglishTULIP FOOD COMPANYHøiriisgårdsvej 5 8220 BrabrandTel. 0045 87 47 40 00Fax 0045 86 26 12 56Delicatessen hams and shoulders, canned

ready meals

The Sting in the TailThe label on the can states the food is

manufactured in DenmarkTherefore the Tulip UK manufacturer is

incorrectTulip Food Co Denmark does not list

Celebrity as one of its productsAtalanta is the probable

importer/manufacturer

Researching European Companies

There is a lot of free information available for European companies

There are also a huge number of proprietary databases for more in-depth research and/or broker reports/credit reports etc. Lexis, Factiva, Onesource, Bureau van Dijke etc

Researching European Companies

Newspapers online: FT, WSJ, e-Financial News, world-newspapers.com etc and the European newspapers, and in particular target the specific country/industry coverage and look for the gossip columns

Service providers: Companies House, Europa, The Register

Researching European Companies

RSS feeds on specific companiesGossip: The Motley Fool, Internal

Memos.com, discussion lists and forums. Invaluable for personal opinions – especially from disgruntled employees, who may give away added-value information

Researching European Companies

Did we forget something?Search engines! For instance, use

Twingine to look up specific companies, industries and retrieve information from Google and Yahoo on the same screen.

Researching European Companies

Researching European Companies

Look for data compiled by your peers:Karen BlakemanMarcus P ZillmanPhil BradleyThey all have web sites and they all give

good advice for hunting out information on many topics

Researching European Companies

Look for data compiled by your peers:Karen BlakemanMarcus P ZillmanArthur Weiss

Communication Systems

Snail Mail, E-Mail, Telephone & Mobile (cell phone)

Conference call and Video Conferencing

Communication Systems

Discussion Lists, forums and the social networking sites are useful

Skype, Jabber, Sametime, Yahoo Messenger etc (VOIP) RSS feeds – you may need an aggregator, but Vista

already has the RSS facility loaded. Open a browser and add your info to the feed icon next to your bookmarks

Communication SystemsAll of these communication systems

can be used to gather research Information “from the ground” can

be invaluable to the research outcome

These communication devices are cheap

Communication SystemsDrawbacks:Some organisations have looked at

web 2.0 technologies, but management buy-in is difficult

Some organisations see web 2.0 as a threat to their firewalls and will not allow even internal use

SummaryWe have looked at the many different ways

that we can access global information without leaving our physical location. Physical presence is not a relevant barrier to locating global information, because your access to reliable information is already sitting on your computer.

All you have to do is learn how to access it.

Any Questions?

Jane MacoustraTai-Pan Research

1 Mitre Close, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5HJ Englandhttp://www.tai-panresearch.com

Tai-pan@blueyonder.co.ukTel:+44(0)208 395-6603 or mobile: 07786 432639

This material is based on a masterclass given at Internet Librarian International 7th October 2007, organised by Information Today, Inc., 143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford,

NJ 08055, USA. Phone 1 (609) 654-6266. http://www.infotoday.com