Subject: Information Research FAQ v.2.4 (Part 1/9)
From: [email-masked] (David Novak)
Date: 31 Mar 1998 00:00:00 GMT
Newsgroups: sci.research,comp.infosystems.www.announce,comp.answers,sci.answers,news.answers

Archive-name: internet/info-research-faq/part1
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: Mar 31 1998
URL: http://cn.net.au
Copyright: (c) 1998 David Novak
Maintainer: David Novak <[email-masked]> 

                        Information Research FAQ     (Part 1/9)

    Before you read further, this information is also available as 1_ The
    cn.net.au Research Site (http://cn.net.au), a fully html and script
    empowered Internet website, or  2_ The Information Research Key
    (http://cn.net.au/tools/infokey.html), this information as free
    shareware for use on private computers and conditionally published on
    intranets & library websites.

    This FAQ serves to highlight the methods, the resources and the skills
    used in information research with particular interest in the role of the
    Internet as both a reservoir and gateway to information resources.

    This FAQ is for researchers who have access to the Internet.

    Research without the computer is research undertaken with books,
    articles, interviews, librarians and outside research assistance.
    Research with the computer includes more commercial databases and
    Internet resources, as well as books, articles, interviews, etcetera.
    Many resources suggested here have alternative paper sources not
    mentioned in the belief that Internet or commercial database links are
    preferred. This computer bias is unavoidable.

    This document is the culmination of a year-long effort by Community
    Networking to make this information available to you. Contribute to its
    maintenance and improvement! If you find a bad link - tell us. If you
    know of further resources which belong here, tell us. If you work in the
    industry, provide us with a contact. We are more than interested to act
    as a clearing-house for information, questions and advice. Please direct
    them to David Novak - [email-masked]

    This FAQ does not replace our website: The cn.net.au Research Site (
    http://cn.net.au ) This website, with its software, databases and
    co-opted resources, better suits the process of research and saves time.
    This website has recently changed dramatically and will be barely
    recognizable to those who visitted it two months ago.

    Disclaimer: - This document is provided as is without any express or
    implied warranties. While effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy
    of the information contained in this FAQ, the author or contributors
    assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages
    resulting from the use of the information contained herein. The contents
    of this FAQ reflect my opinions only and not necessarily those of
    Community Networking, or its supporters.

                                Contents 

    		----- Part 1 -----
     1. What is Information Research?
     2. What does the Internet have to do with Information Research?
     3. Research : Step One : Frame the Question / Visualize the Answer
     4. Research : Step Two : Select the Tools
         
    		----- Part 2 -----
      5. Information Research: Finding a Webpage
      6. Information Research: Locating Books
      7. Information Research: United Nations Documents
      8. Information Research: Finding Articles
      9. Information Research: FAQs & Newsgroups
     10. Information Research: Theses & Dissertations
         
 		----- Part 3 ----- 
     11. Information Research: Searching Patents
     12. Information Research: Commercial Databases
     13. Information Research: Database Retailers
     14. Information Research: The Information Market
     15. Information Research: Research as a Discipline
     16. Information Research: Finding Statistics
         
    		----- Part 4 -----
     17. Information Research: National Statistical Agencies
     18. Information Research: Country Profiles
     19. Information Research: Country Info for Travellers
     20. Information Research: Business Benchmarks
     21. Information Research: Imports & Exports
     22. Information Research: Finding a Library
         
 		----- Part 5 -----
     23. Information Research: Government Resources
     24. Information Research: Zines, Magazines & Journals
     25. Information Research: Newswires & News Databases
     26. Information Research: Special Interest Groups
     27. Information Research: Software & IT Research
     28. Information Research: Personal Information
         
 		----- Part 6 -----
     29. Information Research: Researching Research
     30. Information Research: Unexpected Research Venues
         
    		----- Part 7 -----
    31. More on the Internet as a research resource
    32. More on the Commercial Information Sphere
    33. More on the Information Service Industry
          33.1 judging information value
    34. Emerging Trends in the information sphere
    35. Education and Training in Professional Research
          35.1 Facts               35.3 Guidance
          35.2 Practice
    36. Question and Answer Section
          36.1 How do I find information on the Internet?
    37. Acknowledgments
         
    		----- Part 8 -----
    Currently Empty
    		----- Part 9 -----
    Currently Empty

    ___________________________________________________

 1. What is Information Research?

    What indeed? I prefer to think of Information Research as an effort to
    locate answers, efficiently. Information Research is not that vague
    browsing of available information for something which interests you, nor
    is it Internet Surfing. Information Research is research with a purpose
    ... and it is hard work.

    Information Research is also an art form. The skills, tools, and
    resources we work with are only the canvass and paints of an artist. It
    extends from commercial, legal, reporting, through the skills of
    interviewing, database searching, and research analysis using books,
    articles, experts, patents. Research is so large a field, involving so
    many skills, tools and resources, you will quickly find you do not wish
    to learn it all. At the heart of Information Research lies a simple
    motto: "Someone, somewhere, probably knows the answer."

    In this FAQ, I will try to inform you about this exciting field which
    most people do occasionally, and occasionally do well. I will also
    describe many of the better resources both on the Internet and further
    afield.  ___________________________________________________

 2. What does the Internet have to do with Information Research?

    The Internet is an inexpensive system for the delivery of information.
    It is also the medium of a dramatic shift in the way we access
    information. 1) A dramatic drop in the cost of publishing is fuelling 2)
    the liberation of information from previously closed systems, leading to
    3) an emergence of alternative funding for certain public resources and
    4) an eagerly awaited 'direct to consumer' commercial information
    industry (currently emerging slowly until an effective digital currency
    arrives).

    As a delivery system, you may be surprised to learn I routinely access
    Dialog through the Internet, at the cost of a local call (without the
    international call charges). Further, I access the LOCIS, ERIC, MOCAT
    and AGIP databases directly from their source, free (and not through
    commercial database marketters).

    On counterpoint, as an information resource, the Internet is still much
    too disorganized and poorly prepared to be useful in most situations of
    professional research.

    Most often, researching the Internet is no better than browsing the
    shelf of your state library.

    What is impressive is the promise of changes to the way we seek
    information. The Internet as a system suggests radical improvements to
    the current decade-old systems which have attained their research-worthy
    status. These improvements, however, have yet to prove their worth, so
    will remain promising ventures for a time.

    In some fields, particularly computer related fields, the Internet has
    already attained parity with books, articles and associations. Just when
    you will consult the Internet as a research-worthy resource depends on
    cost, effort, and the quality of the information returned. This judgment
    call requires more than a little experience.

    We need to mention the issue of value. I sincerely hope we can suppress
    our enthusiasm for free information in favour of a more true appraisal
    of the value of information. Make no mistake, commercial information is
    brilliant! It is almost heresy to even compare commercial information
    with the results of a few hours on the Internet. That I have included
    far more Internet resources in this FAQ actually reflects my familiarity
    with Internet Research, rather than believing Internet resources are
    superior to the alternatives.
    ___________________________________________________

 3. Research : Step One : Frame the Question / Visualize the Answer

    Researchers work hard at properly framing the research query. Like the
    photographer, much of the true expertise of a researcher is found in
    visualizing what they want, before beginning to look.

    This is the first step in properly undertaking research, and the primary
    step that wanna-be researchers skip. Sit down and visualize what a
    successful search would look like in this situation. How many pages? How
    many documents? What kind of authors and what kind of quality of
    document? Go through the whole gamut of different types of research
    tools and think. Could a simple three line newspaper article be
    considered a successful result? Would a 20 year old dissertation be
    acceptable? Would a short conversation with an expert suffice?
    (Incidentally, this same approach works exceptionally well for Internet
    research.)

    Now that we know what we want, more or less, lets reframe our question.
    If you can phrase a question in a way that lends itself to your
    resource, you are far more likely to get the answers desired. Oddly,
    this often means you are asking for places where the information resides
    rather than asking directly for the information.

    "Where do I find a definitive list of associations?" - works much better
    than - "What association works with exceptional children?" We can find
    all the associations we want once we find the definitive list of
    Associations.

    Similarly, "Who would know of associations for exception children?" and
    - "Are there pamphlets of advice for parents of exceptional children?" -
    and - "What umbrella organizations/specialist libraries exist for
    exceptional children?" - each direct our attention in different
    directions.

    Questions are not right or wrong, just better or worse at illuminating
    certain aspects of the 'answer'. There are ways to frame questions for
    commercial databases, for research assistance, for interviews, for
    getting the truth from to your children. Your skill in phrasing the
    question has a lot to do with the result. Further, in our post-modern
    era, notions of accuracy and reliability are warped by the question.

    Most research should include ample time to refresh and reframe the
    questions.
    ___________________________________________________

 4. Research : Step Two : Select the Tools

    Information Research rests on understanding the technology and an
    awareness of the resources. In the example above (Section 3), a
    directory of associations does exist. Here in Australia it is the
    "Directory of Australian Associations", found in most important
    Australian libraries. The Australian "Department of Education" has a
    major interest in promoting exceptional students. In Western Australia,
    Infolink, a comunity information service, should have a record of major
    community groups for exceptional students. I have no direct knowledge of
    umbrella organizations or specialist libraries, though I expect both the
    education department and Infolink would. A quick search of some large
    libraries may help us find some of the pamphlets but certainly not all
    that exist.

    Knowing of specific resources is helpful. Even better, though, is
    knowledge of tools which help you find resources: meta-resources. So
    what if we did not know exceptional students come under the department
    of education... Did we know who to ask to find out which government
    department is involved? If you did not know about the directory of
    associations, who or where would you look for one? Being unfamiliar with
    meta-tools is a serious handicap - you may find yourself searching hours
    for something a professional would do on the phone while drinking
    coffee!

    This is why much of your work becoming a effective researcher involves
    learning about the resources and meta-resources for your field. There is
    a large list of some of them in Part 2. I have an even larger list at
    http://cn.net.au, (help appreciated,) but each researcher will have
    their own pool of contacts, favoured research resources and
    meta-resources. That you are seeking more is most likely the reason you
    read this FAQ.
    ___________________________________________________

    This document continues as Part 2/9.
    __________________________________________________
    Copyright (c) 1998 by David Novak, all rights reserved.
    This FAQ may be posted to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service,
    website, or BBS as long as it is posted unaltered in its entirety
    including this copyright statement. This FAQ may not be included in
    commercial collections or compilations without express permission from
    the author. Please post permission requests to [email-masked]
    -----------------------------------
    David Novak - [email-masked]