Newsletter No. 168
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FreePint
"Helping 70,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 30th September 2004 No.168
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IN THIS ISSUE
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EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Becky Fishman
FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JOBS
Senior Researcher, Capital Markets
Information Management Adviser
Research Analyst
Business Research Executive
TIPS ARTICLE
"The Conundrum that is Online Advertising"
by Tim Houghton
BOOKSHELF
"Knowledge Orientation of Organisations"
Written by Edward Truch
Reviewed by Andrew Wilcox
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Sources on EU Enlargement"
By Kay Renfrew
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
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*** New: In-depth comparative review of LexisNexis and Factiva ***
This month's edition of VIP, the monthly publication for
information users and purchasers, has a full review
of these two major business information products.
Find out more and purchase a copy at:
<http://www.vivaVIP.com/>
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*** ABOUT FREEPINT ***
FreePint is an online network of information searchers. Members
receive this free newsletter twice a month: it is packed with tips
on finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet.
Joining is free at <http://www.freepint.com/> and provides access to
a substantial archive of articles, reviews, jobs & events, with
answers to research questions and networking at the FreePint Bar.
Please circulate this newsletter which is best read when printed out.
To receive a fully formatted version as an attachment or a brief
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EDITORIAL
This is my last FreePint editorial for a few months as I am taking
time off to have my second child. As I prepare for the sleepless
nights and nappies after quite a large gap (my son in nearly 8), I am
aghast at the incredible growth in "essential" baby products that are
pushed to new mums today by advertisers. "Baby wipe warmers?!"
Whatever will they think of next? As I prepare for the new arrival,
for sheer convenience I will be doing more shopping online for goods
and services. Clearly, I will have to be prepared for "clickstream
targeting" as described by Tim Houghton in his article on online
advertising today. Clickstream targeting, we are told, is growing in
popularity as a form of personalised advertising based on the
information that users give out as they navigate around the Web: it
is highly relevant to user behaviours and needs.
The number of people in the UK who have a broadband connection to the
Internet is, for the first time, greater than those who use unmetered
dial-up access, according to figures released last Friday by the
Office of National Statistics. More of us will, therefore, have the
ability to view ever more sophisticated multimedia online. Yet I
would agree with research that says many of us find hi-tech popups,
and other forms of glossy online adverts, irritating and downright
disruptive. Simple and clear text-based adverts are often the most
effective - especially when delivered in a similar form to direct
marketing, such as through an e-newsletter. Certainly our experience
at FreePint is that adverts which are carefully placed in more
niche and targeted newsletters are much more welcomed, and even
sought, by users.
Our other article today provides a very thorough set of sources
on EU enlargement. Kay Renfrew gives links to a vast array of
resources, including sites to find the implications for trade, work
and careers, news and journal sources, and Government Web sites for
all the new EU members.
So, that's all from me for a few months. I'm off to catch up on some
valuable sleep, while I still can. I will still be reading FreePint
during my time off and watching developments, of course, and ask that
you also keep on reading and recommending FreePint to your colleagues.
I'll also be watching the personalisation of advertising with
interest, and until anyone can come up with a sophisticated piece of
intelligent advertising software that will weigh up the pros and cons
of purchasing "baby wipe warmers", I will simply have to rely on my
own common sense!
Annabel Colley
Editor, FreePint
<annabel.colley@freepint.com>
FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2004
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Becky Fishman
* Holidaymakers should check out XE.com <http://www.xe.com> which has
a universal currency converter - great for checking exchange rates
in all markets.
* World Clock <http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/> shows you the
current time and date in all countries and cities of the world -
good for avoiding badly timed phone calls between London and LA,
for example!
* London Eating <http://www.london-eating.com/> is a very good place
to source new places to meet friends for dinner in the city. The
reviews sections make for interesting reading too.
* PeoplesArchive <http://www.peoplesarchive.com/> is a fascinating web
archive of high quality videos showing key scientists, filmmakers
and others telling their life stories. It's a wonderful historical
resource. You can view free snippets, but need a subscription to get
full access.
* Hotcourses <http://www.hotcourses.com/> shows thousands of part-time
and evening course listings all over the UK. Always fancied
improving your Swedish language skills? Here's your chance.
Becky Fishman is Head of Communications for xrefer, providers of
xreferplus, an online reference service for libraries and
corporations <http://www.xreferplus.com>.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
Before we take a look at the latest gossip at the Bar (and there's
been some juicy bits over the last couple of weeks), I would invite
you to join me in wishing all the best to Annabel Colley, FreePint's
Editor, with the imminent birth of her second child.
Topics in the Bar come in waves, as we know, and this month it's
'business information'. Last week's hurricane was about Swets
Information Services, but the winds have abated now after a
shareholder meeting last Friday. If you're a Swets customer and
slept through the howling gales, then it's time to wake up and work
out how you missed the storm <http://www.freepint.com/go/b30010>.
A major new review has just been published by VIP: an in-depth
comparative review of LexisNexis and Factiva. One VIP subscriber has
commented that VIP's Editor Pam Foster "... deserves the 'VIP medal'
for stamina - quite a review!". Check it out:
"VIP Comparative Product Review:
Factiva and LexisNexis Business Intelligence Products"
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b30017>
Can you share your policy on how public business information services
(like BusinessLinks) deal with queries from infomediaries?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b30081>; Should they have a right to know
who the original enquirer is?
Various business information-related markets are being investigated at
the Bar. Is there research on market size and key players in STM
publishing in Australia? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b30066>. What
about the size and employment by segment in the content delivery
industry globally? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29961>. Do you know
of any sources for statistics/industry information for Spain?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b29954>. What about sources of company
profiles for Middle Eastern businesses?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b29959>.
Various recruitment and job issues in business information and
information management have been bandied about at the Bar. A recruiter
for a role in central England is disappointed with the response to a
widespread campaign <http://www.freepint.com/go/b30026>. Similarly, a
job seeker is disappointed with their fruitless search for a suitable
information role <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29975>. Whether you are
job hunting or just keeping an eye on the market for your skills,
check out the twice-monthly 'FreePint Jobs Update'; the latest edition
has tips on how to present yourself, as well as a list of the latest
vacancies <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29967>.
Do you have strong opinions on the merging of information and IT
departments? Lots of people do <http://www.freepint.com/go/b30032>.
And do you know of an online platform for a FreePinter to sell or
syndicate their articles? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b30001>.
Finally, if you work or study in an information-related college
department then make sure to request your free FreePint beermats for
distribution to students <http://www.freepint.com/go/b28933>.
I hope you found this round-up interesting and I'll look forward to
resuming my role as Editorial-writer from the next FreePint.
William Hann <william.hann@freepint.com>
Founder and Managing Editor, FreePint
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The FreePint Bar is where you can get free help with your tricky
research questions <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
Help with study for information-related courses is available at the
FreePint Student Bar <http://www.freepint.com/student>.
Twice-weekly email digests of the latest postings can be requested
at <http://web.freepint.com/>.
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FREEPINT JOBS
<http://www.freepint.com/jobs>
The FreePint Jobs Update is being circulated widely every two
weeks. This free newsletter now has 2,000 direct subscribers and
is posted at the Bar and in the Bar Digest (circulation 12,000).
To see the Jobs Update No.81 and read the new 'Jobs Advice' section,
visit <http://www.freepint.com/go/b29967>. To subscribe, modify your
account at <http://web.freepint.com>.
Fully-formatted PDF version available at:
http://web.freepint.com/jobs/FreePint-Jobs-Update-81.pdf
Here are some of the latest featured jobs:
Senior Researcher, Capital Markets
Use your knowledge of capital markets (bonds, structured
finance, etc.) in this exciting role.
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3510>
Information Management Adviser
Experienced information manager to develop Virtual Library/Resource
Centre, Chile.
Recruiter: Consumers International, Chile
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3518>
Research Analyst
Bright Researcher with analysis skills in "stand alone" 9 - 5 role
to work closely with Executives for Private Equity Specialists.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3523>
Business Research Executive
Business research company seeks executive to work on market research
and business intelligence projects and multi-client reports.
Recruiter: Oxford Intelligence
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j3537>
NB: There are 25 other jobs in the current edition of the Jobs Update
<http://www.freepint.com/go/29967>.
[The above jobs are paid listings]
FreePint Jobs -- the best place for information vacancies.
* VACANCY SEARCHING -- Free search and sign up to the Job Update.
* VACANCY RECRUITING -- Complete the form and advertise a vacancy
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/300904.htm#tips>
"The Conundrum that is Online Advertising"
by Tim Houghton
What does the Internet represent to advertisers? The new TV or the
next direct mail?
Online advertising is a conundrum. On the one hand it's a fast growing
medium that is seeing a lot of innovation. On the other hand it's
still a small faction of overall advertising expenditure and there are
many questions about its efficacy in building brands. This article
attempts, tentatively, to solve this puzzle and provides a link to
other voices in the debate.
First, let's place online advertising in context. It currently
accounts for around 4% of total ad spend in the US and 2% in the UK
(IAB <http://www.iabuk.net/http://www.iabuk.net/>). TV, by comparison,
accounts for nearly 30% of spend in the UK. So online advertising has
a small share of the total, roughly the same as radio. But according
to a recent survey it is growing at an annual rate of around 40%
(IAB/pwC <http://www.iab.net/news/pr_2004_4_21.asp>).
In tandem with the growth of online advertising expenditure has come a
bewildering pace of change in the formats used by online advertisers.
To cover all of them would make this a very long article but I have
outlined the principle types below.
* Banners or display advertising. These now come in variety of sizes
and shapes and are still one the leading categories but they tend
to have click-through rates below 1%. Many now contain
applications so they can interact with the user directly on the
page.
* Pop-Ups, and their cousins Pop-Unders, which you see when you
close the page. These, often hated, types are now being banned by
some media sites and many varieties are blocked by software
plug-ins such as the Google toolbar <http://toolbar.google.com/>.
* Multimedia. Newer varieties include formats such as interstitials.
These display, usually taking up the whole screen, whilst the user
navigates between pages. In style these are more like TV ads,
filling the gaps between pages just as TV ads fill the gaps
between programmes.
* Search engine and context-sensitive advertising. Search engine
advertising appears on the search results page when specific
keywords are entered. Context sensitive advertising is advertising
that is relevant to the editorial content of the page in which it
appears. So an airline advert might appear next to an article
about travel.
With the growth of broadband and the interest of major global
advertisers in online advertising, one might expect the rise of
TV-like multimedia formats to be the predominant trend. And the
promoters of such formats, like Dick Hopple of Unicast
<http://www.unicast.com>, argue that this is the case. But are they
trying to shoehorn a traditional way of thinking into a new medium?
The market would appear to think so, as interstitials and
superstitials account for only around 2% of online expenditure.
In fact the big growth has been in search engine advertising. Around a
third of all online advertising is now linked to keyword searching via
search engines. This is the motor that has provided Google's revenue.
And Google has also been a pioneer in context sensitive advertising
via its Google Adwords scheme. Many bloggers use this type of
advertising to fund their sites. This type of advertising is
characterised by text-based factual messages, not glossy commercials.
So, despite the increased use of fast Internet connections, the
Internet seems to be developing into more of a direct response medium
(like direct mail) than an image building one (like TV). As Barney
Jones of Google puts it: "Search is not primarily a brand medium, so
there are different rules that apply". Yet the really big advertisers,
Ford, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, et al, like media that can deliver
emotional, image-driven messages to build and maintain their brands.
As usability guru Jakob Nielsen points out, in an interview in Avant
Marketer magazine <http://www.avantmarketer.com/jakobnielsen.shtm>,
"it's not the supposed fact that Internet advertising doesn't work
that most agitates Nielsen. What most agitates him is that in order to
have a chance at working, Internet advertising will have to adopt a
strategy of becoming increasingly disruptive to the user
experience - a strategy that, in the long run, Nielsen is convinced
will be rejected by users and will prove a failure for advertisers."
I agree with that, to an extent. Most of the time when we are on the
web we are not "surfing" we are "paddling". We are not being pushed
along by flows of information; we are actively navigating them in
order to achieve a task, so we don't want to be interrupted. To follow
the paddling analogy through to a ludicrous extreme: if I am canoeing
up a river am I likely to buy products from a company that has
sponsored the building of a weir?
So, on this argument, advertising that interrupts, annoys, and
brand-building advertising, such as online video, annoys more than
most. This relegates advertising to the role of supporting medium
only. And that is what its small share of total spend currently
suggests it is.
But go back to that analogy of a canoeist navigating their own river
of information. It's hard work, as any information professional will
tell you (see the FreePint Bar for details!). So maybe that canoeist
would accept some help, even if it came from someone with something to
sell. In other words advertisers that work with the "flow" of a user
may actually be welcomed, even sought out by users.
The process of navigating around the web leaves traces. John Batelle,
one of my favourite thinkers on search, talks about this as a user's
"clickstream" <http://battellemedia.com/archives/000647.php>. A user's
clickstream is the information they give out as they navigate around
the web; what parts of a page they view, what they have looked at or
bought in the past, and so on. Smart companies are already using this
information to target what they show us. Amazon has done this on its
own site for a while. It recently expanded this approach to A9
<http://a9.com/>, a search engine that adjusts its results based on a
user's previous search history and declared interests.
In the future, it seems highly likely that online advertisers will
target advertising based on each user's clickstream. To an extent this
is what they are already doing with search-keyword and
context-sensitive advertising. But it can be taken much further. For
example, the Wall Street Journal <http://www.wsj.com> matched data on
its subscribers against a database of frequent flyers. It found that
if it showed frequent flyers travel-related advertising, even when
they were not reading travel related articles, the click-through rates
achieved were well above average.
This sort of targeting raises noxious privacy issues. Clearly, a great
deal of thought will need to be put into how companies are able to
gather and use our clickstream data ethically and with our consent.
Writers like Seth Godin <http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/>, with his
concept of "Permission Marketing", are already some way down this
road.
But clickstream targeting also offers a possible solution to the
conundrum that is online advertising. Consumers may accept
brand-building messages if they are highly relevant to the task that
they are currently accomplishing. Many of these will be
direct-response style, but there may also be a way to integrate
richer media content.
My hunch is that TV commercial style ads on the web will remain in
the minority. But then I'm not allowing for the creativity
advertisers show in getting their message across to us. If they make
online ads that are smart, funny, informative and highly targeted,
then maybe they will engage us emotionally and not annoy us. As
Rupert Howell, chairman of McCann Erickson London, points out: "The
advertising industry is relentlessly inventive, that's what we do".
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Tim Houghton is the founder and MD of New Media Intelligence, a web
clipping firm. New Media Intelligence has pioneered tailored web
monitoring, an approach that combines state of the art software with
skilled human readers. The aim is to provide web intelligence rather
than information overload <http://www.NewMediaIntelligence.com>.
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Related FreePint links:
* 'Webmaster' articles in the FreePint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p183>
* Post a message to the author, Tim Houghton, or suggest further
resources at the FreePint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/300904.htm#tips>
* Access the entire archive of FreePint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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Topics include the latest news with web search engines, research
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FREEPINT BOOKSHELF
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"Knowledge Orientation of Organisations"
Written by Edward Truch
Reviewed by Andrew Wilcox
This book is not an easy read, but it is a thoroughly researched work
with a fascinating set of results to the hypotheses that were tested.
My rough ideas about knowledge in organisations were formalised by
this book and some of my views about the management of knowledge were
strengthened. For instance, tacit knowledge is still a large part of
an organisation's knowledge, regardless of type, and there is still
work to do providing systems which encourage knowledge transfer
and use.
It roughly divides into three sections:
The first third is a thorough literature review. If you want to know
where to find material on knowledge in organisations, this is the
place to look.
Half of the book covers how the research questionnaire was developed,
the questions and the results. This is a statistician's paradise. 56
hypotheses were tested against the four strategic types of
organisations: Prospector, Analyser, Defender and Reactor. For each
hypothesis you get the results and the validation tests. Truch chose
the Bonferroni over the Tukey HSD! The questionnaire looked at
companies in a variety of sectors and represents results from 162
organisations. It compares the truth of various statements such as,
"Prospector firms are more effective than defender-type firms at
acquiring and/or creating new knowledge assets". Not all hypotheses
produce the results you might expect.
The final sixth includes the conclusions, which are:
* There are major differences between strategic organisation types.
* There are some major factors in knowledge orientation.
* The knowledge orientation of an organisation can predict its
success.
* The four category topology 'networker', 'follower', 'scanner' and
'loner' is valid.
* Networkers create successful prospector organisations and scanners
do the same for defenders.
So what is the value of this book to someone who works in an
organisation or advises organisations? It is a thorough guide to how
you can characterise knowledge in organisations. It provides useful
insights into the use and lack of use of knowledge in different
organisation types. You can use it to characterise and benchmark an
organisation and its people. It is a reference work, not an
inspirational read. I would dip in and out of it whilst reviewing an
organisation's strengths and weaknesses in knowledge orientation. The
book has all the keywords for conducting further research on the web
but the only URL included is that of the publisher.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Andrew Wilcox is an independent consultant with strengths in the
Supply Chain and Knowledge Management. He uses MindManager
<http://www.mindjet.com> to manage his own knowledge. In working with
clients this provides a new tool to enable them to manage services,
projects, products and their development in a more holistic, visual
and creative way. Using this approach, he has recently developed a
service called Aucquire <http://www.ajwilcox.co.uk/aucquire> which
saves clients money by acquiring assets at auction. According to
Edward Truch's definitions, he is both a networker and a scanner.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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or Amazon.com
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published by Ashgate Publishing.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/300904.htm#feature>
"Sources on EU Enlargement"
By Kay Renfrew
Since its inception, the European Union has continuously expanded its
membership. Six countries signed the founding treaties, while four
subsequent expansions increased membership to fifteen countries. The
most recent and largest expansion took place on 1st May 2004 with
the accession of ten new Member States: Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and
Slovenia. Of the three remaining 'Candidate Countries', Bulgaria
and Romania hope to join by 2007, while Turkey is not currently
negotiating its membership.
This article aims to provide both sources of information on the
process of accession to the European Union, and profiles of the new
Member States and remaining candidate countries. It also suggests
sources that focus on the impact of EU enlargement, from the point of
view of other countries and international organisations, its effects
on trade and industry, on work and career development, and on issues
such as the environment and human rights.
European Union Institution sources
----------------------------------
One of the first places to look for information is the institutions of
the European Union itself. The European Commission has a Directorate
dedicated to Enlargement <http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement>. The
website, accessible in 20 European languages, provides an overview of
the countries that joined, the accession criteria they needed to
fulfil, and the history of the decision to enlarge the EU once again.
Country profiles of the new Member States and the remaining
Candidate Countries are available at:
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/candidate.htm>
Surveys on public opinion on enlargement:
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/opinion/index.htm>
Library of key documents:
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/docs/index.htm>
To find out who is responsible for what within DG Enlargement, look
at: <http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/contacts/index.htm>
A bulletin with abstracts of research on the enlargement process is at:
<http://digbig.com/4btjg>.
There is a weekly newsletter (from July 2000 to June 2004):
<http://digbig.com/4btjh>.
To test your knowledge of the EU and the new member States take the
quiz <http://www.europaquiz.org>.
Also useful is the links page:
<http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/links/index.htm>.
To investigate the role of the European Parliament in the enlargement
process look at:
<http://www.europarl.eu.int/enlargement_new/positionep/default_en.htm>
(also PDF version).
Find statistical information at:
<http://www.europarl.eu.int/enlargement_new/statistics/default_en.htm>
which provides a series of comparative tables (in PDF) updated
quarterly on trade and other issues.
A provisional version of the Treaty of Accession, published on the
site in April 2004, is at:
<http://www.europarl.eu.int/enlargement_new/treaty/default_en.htm>
Again, a links page is provided to relevant sites, this time to the
governments of the 15 Member States prior to May 2004:
<http://www.europarl.eu.int/enlargement>.
At a local level, the portal site of the European Commission
Representation in the UK provides information on EU enlargement and
the UK, including details of past and current events, and a monthly
enlargement report:
<http://www.europe.org.uk/info/enlargement/default.asp>.
To keep up-to-date with developments, register at:
<http://www.europe.org.uk/info/enlargement/en_contactus.asp>.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has produced a
factsheet on its role in EU accession:
<http://www.ebrd.com/pubs/factsh/themes/eu.pdf>.
Information from National Governments
-------------------------------------
The governments in the existing Member States provide sources of
information on interacting with the new Members. This article focuses
on those in the UK.
HM Customs & Excise (HMCE) provide information on matters relating to
VAT, importing and exporting, and guidance for the travelling public
<http://digbig.com/4brre>. HMCE also have a dedicated website
<http://www.ukintrastat.com> to help businesses trading with any of
the new Member States.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website has a section on
enlarging the EU <http://digbig.com/4brrd> that covers items such as
the benefits of enlargement, negotiations, chronology, EU and regional
Ministerial events, plus an FAQ and further information section. The
FCO also provide a link to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Facts for Business publication <http://digbig.com/4brrf>.
DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,
provides information on the implications of EU enlargement on farming
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/international/euint/index.htm>, and
links to further information
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/international/euint/links.htm>. For
examples of projects sharing technical and administrative expertise
with new Member States, look at DEFRA's section on twinning
<http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/international/euint/help.htm>.
The DTI, unsurprisingly, provides information on trade opportunities
and implications <http://www.dti.gov.uk/europe/enlarge/>.
International sources
---------------------
The official US view on enlargement is available at
<http://www.useu.be/categories/US&EUenlargement> and
<http://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/rm/31457.htm>.
Find Swiss opinion by searching news and feature items at Swiss Radio
International, part of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation
<http://www.swissinfo.org>.
The India Times has an article on the effects of EU enlargement on
India's trade strategy <http://digbig.com/4brrg>.
The websites of Norway's embassies in Bulgaria and Romania (both
Candidate Countries) have sections on Norway (a non-EU Member) and EU
enlargement, and on the country's plan of action to support the
Candidate Countries <http://digbig.com/4brrh>,
<http://digbig.com/4brrj>.
The World Bank has a joint project with the Bertelsmann Foundation on
key issues on EU enlargement <http://euintegration.net>.
The UN Economic Commission for Europe <http://unece.org> has no
separate section, but a search for EU enlargement retrieves over 600
press releases and reports.
The OECD press release welcoming EU enlargement
<http://digbig.com/4brrk> has links to other articles and reports on
the subject.
Implications for Trade
----------------------
There are diverse sources on the implications on EU enlargement on
trade. For example, the Economist magazine has a short article
highlighting the main issues for existing and new Member States
<http://digbig.com/4brrm>. The Financial Times has a Special Report,
written in 2001, which nonetheless provides useful economic background
on the move to enlarge the EU, including comment and analysis on a
country-by-country basis
<http://specials.ft.com/euro/FT3XF8MJOTC.html>. The EUbusiness website
(an independent online business information service about the EU) has
a series of guides that provide background information and web links
<http://www.eubusiness.com/guides/enlargement>.
Various financial and consulting firms have information pages on EU
enlargement focusing on trade or financial implications. For example:
PriceWaterhouseCoopers <http://digbig.com/4brrn>, Credit Suisse Asset
Management <http://digbig.com/4brrq> and Deloitte
<http://digbig.com/4brrp>.
Accenture has produced a report of a survey (in conjunction with the
Economist Intelligence Unit) on covering executives' views on the
business implications of EU enlargement <http://digbig.com/4brsh>.
Information is also available on the impact on particular industry
sectors. These include:
The International Road Transport Union
<http://www.iru.org/EUenlargement/welcome.E.html>
UK Department of Health on implications for health professionals
<http://digbig.com/4brrr>
Gartner Special Report on European Expansion and the Demand for IT
<http://www.gartner.com/research/spotlight/asset_60098_895.jsp>
Frost & Sullivan report on Opportunities for the Environmental
Industry < http://digbig.com/4brrs>.
Work and careers in an enlarged Europe
--------------------------------------
Information on the effects on workers' rights is at
<http://digbig.com/4brrt>, <http://digbig.com/4brrw> and
<http://digbig.com/4brrx>
DG Employment and Social Affairs looks at enlargement and employment
issues at <http://digbig.com/4brry>.
Sources on labour mobility in the expanded EU include:
* <http://mobex.ccg.leeds.ac.uk/summary.html> a report on a project on
mobility and excellence in the international movement of scientists.
* <http://digbig.com/4brsa> sources for HR managers with expatriate
employees.
* For a survey on migrant workers look at:
<http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/East_Europe/EUNews.2004-02-26.4434>
* Details of a published guide (for purchase) on looking for work in the
10 Accession Countries is at: <http://digbig.com/4btjk>.
Miscellaneous effects of the enlarged EU
----------------------------------------
There are numerous sources looking at different aspects of the impact
of EU expansion. Topics include:
- Development policy <http://digbig.com/4brsj> from the European
Association of Development Research and Training Institutes.
- Human rights <http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/eu_briefing.htm>
Human Rights Watch Report on the arms trade and the records of the
Candidate Countries.
- <http://www.eumap.org> a US organisation monitoring the development
of human rights policies in the EU, Accession and Candidate
countries.
- Environment and wildlife <http://www.traffic.org/25/network4/eu.html>
downloadable report by Traffic on EU enlargement and the wildlife trade.
- <http://digbig.com/4brsb> World Wildlife Fund (WWF) factsheets on
the natural heritage of the new Member States and Candidate
Countries.
- <http://digbig.com/4brsc> WWF on the environmental challenges and
opportunities of enlargement.
- <http://www.birdlife.net/action/change/europe/eu_accession/>
conservation of birdlife
- <http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/328/7447/1025> British
Medical Journal article on implications for health.
- <http://digbig.com/4btjn> European Observatory on Health Systems
and Policies.
- <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/index.php?newsid=6081> EU
enlargement and the spread of AIDS - Gender Equality
- <http://www.womenlobby.org/DocList.asp?SectionID=48> Information
form the European Women's Lobby.
- Intellectual Property <http://digbig.com/4brsd>. Article from The
Lawyer on Community trademarks
- <http://digbig.com/4brse> article from an international law firm on
IP and EU enlargement.
News and other sources
----------------------
The BBC news site provides profiles of the new Member States and
candidate countries <http://digbig.com/4brsf> and
<http://digbig.com/4brsg>.
EUobserver has news from around the world
<http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=15>.
InfoBase, a specialist news agency covering developments in EU policy
has links to EU institution press releases on the process of
enlargement <http://www.ibeurope.com/Files/075enlarge.htm>.
For a portal on EU policies, with links to enlargement related issues,
look at <http://digbig.com/4brsn>.
Journals
--------
Relevant journals include:
European Integration Online Papers a peer reviewed E-journal on
European integration <http://olymp.wu-wien.ac.at/eiop>
Journal of European Affairs on various aspects of EU enlargement by
academics in Europe and worldwide
<http://www.eupolicynetwork.org.uk/research/enlargement.htm>
European Integration Current Contents provides access to tables of
contents for journals relevant to European integration research
<http://www.jeanmonnetprogram.org/TOC/index.php>.
Conclusion
----------
The sources listed should provide a starting point for finding out
about the expansion of the European Union. I am always interested in
hearing about new sources and if you know of any please let me know,
either via email, or through the FreePint Bar
<http://www.freepint.com/bar/>.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kay Renfrew is a Consultant at Oakleigh Consulting Ltd
<http://www.oakleigh.co.uk>. She has a Masters degree in Information
Management, and has carried out research and consultancy projects for
a number of European Commission Directorates and Agencies. At Oakleigh
(one of the Sunday Times Tech Track Top 100 fastest growing unquoted
companies), she specialises in information management consultancy and
research, and the management of business and technical information for
its clients in the private, government, health, education, housing,
financial services and utilities sectors. Kay can be contacted at
<kayrenfrew@oakleigh.co.uk>.
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