Surveys Reveal Concerns about Reliability of and Access to Information
Jinfo Blog

By Shimrit Janes

Abstract

As we get to the half-way point in our "News, and Other Commodities" Topic Series, Shimrit Janes pauses to reflect on the findings of FreePint's recent research and surveys into private company information and web usage policies, and takes a look at what else is still to come.

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"Information wants to be free", so the saying goes, widely attributed to Stewart Brand. It seems a quote apt for FreePint's Topic Series, "News, and Other Commodities".

Whilst Stewart was referring to the movement and accessibility of information, we could now equally transmute it into a lens by which to consider the value of information and content itself.

The value and cost of information and services, as well as the availability of information, are threads that have run throughout the Topic Series so far.

For if information truly does want to be free, what are professionals to do when they need to assign a value to it, manage their spending and budgets, and also govern access to that information based on licensing, subscriptions, and quality?

Policies Governing Organisations' Use of Web Content

The great promise of the social web is the opening up of content creation to anyone with access to a device and an internet connection.

For organisations, this can create a double-edged sword:

• Research is often now web-based, potentially cutting down on the real estate needed for materials, while also allowing real-time, up-to-date information. Insight into customers, clients, competitors and the potential talent pool is a click away.

• However, there is also an increasing need to govern the way in which this resource is used; there are risks involved, such as acting on unreliable information, using social media for conversations, or breaking confidentiality.

Lynn Strand's analysis of FreePint's survey looking into policies around the use of web content revealed that just half of respondents have a web usage policy. 28% weren't sure whether their company had a policy, while 22% weren't aware of one.

The full report covers information such as risks, impact on research if social media sites are blocked, and next steps for information professionals, and makes for essential reading

How Reliable is Private Company Information?

A second survey has also looked at the state of organisations' needs around private company information.

While this subject is a much-needed research area for organisations, the survey reveals a myriad of concerns such as the reliability of the information they're using, whether their contracts allow them to use the information they're accessing, and whether they can purchase the data they need at a reasonable price.

FreePint's director of research, Robin Neidorf, takes a closer look at the survey results over a two-part article, which makes for fascinating insight into organisations' current needs, and how well they're being met.

Register for Regular Series Updates

If you haven't already registered for the FreePint Topic Series "News, and Other Commodities", register now to receive free updates and a PDF report containing selected Subscription articles upon registration, as well as a copy of the index report at the end. 

Blogs and articles published since the last series update: 

• Detecting Latent Sales Opportunities via Sales Triggers
• UK Companies House Information - What Difference Does "Free" Make?
• Avention, OneSource, iSell - What's New, or What's Familiar?
• How Reliable is Private Company Information?
• FreePint Research into Private Company Information 2015
• FreePint Research into Private Company Information - Part 2 (Needs For & Perceptions of Private Company Information)
• FreePint Research into Private Company Information - Part 1 (Methodology and Use of Suppliers)
• Policies Governing Organisations' Use of Web Content 
• Shakeup in the News Category
• Making a Big Switch, Changing Supplier

Articles and reviews coming soon in the series:

• Insider Knowledge - Researching China
• Market Landscape - Media Monitoring 
• Sources of Economic Data
• Curating Commodity Information
• Finding and Using Macroeconomic Data
• Product Review of Thomson Reuters Eikon 
• Product Review of First Research
• Product Review of EBSCO Business Source Corp Plus

Webinars and Communities of Practice: 

• DIY Content Aggregation: Benefits & Costs of Managing Your Own Platform, 23rd November (Webinar - recording available to FreePint Subscribers)
• Needs Analysis for Commodity Content, 10th December (Webinar)
• The End of an Era for News Databases? 1st or 3rd December (CoP)

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