My Favourite Tipples

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• Spotlight on Consultancies: How Do They Use FreePint?
  
• Community of Practice: Mobile Deployment in the Enterprise

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By Judy Koren

I'm an independent researcher and analyst based in Israel; my business is mainly secondary research, both company/competitor research and R&D/patent searching, for Israeli and international companies. So I use a wide variety of sources in daily work, and it's hard to pick just four or five of them! I decided to concentrate on the generalists and on one or two that provide that little "something special."

• LexisNexis: first stop for news and trade journal coverage going back much further than Google News and with much wider coverage. Of course Google just doesn't compare when it comes to what you can do with the search language in LexisNexis! (Sorry, Google, but there's just no way to ask you "which experts have been quoted in the press on this issue in the last five years?" or many other things that are easy in LexisNexis).
  
  
• Google News: for its free alerts service, and of course its news archive search. I always supplement a news search by checking blogs too, either via Google's blog search or via Technorati.
  
  
• AIIP: Debbie Bardon recently mentioned AIIP's listserv (and the organisation in general) as a premier resource for independent info pros, and I couldn't agree more. I can't count the number of times I've used the forum's collective brain to help find sources for tricky projects, and someone always has the answer! When someone suggests useful resources for any subject, I file the email in a folder for that subject and run through the suggestions whenever I myself get a request in that area. The forum alone is worth the price of membership.

A couple that are more specialist:

• Guidestar (US version): the last couple of years I've been doing a lot of work for US and international companies around partnering with charities on Social Responsibility projects. Guidestar is a fount of information on non-profits' financials, activities, donations and more. There's also a UK Guidestar site, and I was overjoyed when this year Guidestar opened up in my own country, Israel.
  
  
• FreePatentsOnline: the best of the free patent search sites! Best search language, allows searching across all free patent databases together, better presentation of search results, no-hassle provision of patents as PDFs. Free registration is recommended for ad-free display, quicker navigation and a few extra services. One caveat – I'm not convinced its coverage of the non-US databases is complete. Patent searchers will have access to subscription databases, but for business searchers who need patent information, this is a great resource!

Judy Koren, the Principal of ResearchWise Associates, has been an independent info pro since 1995, addressing the needs of the high-tech and pharma industries as well as general business-intelligence clients. She focuses on support of R&D and on supplying information-supported analyses of her clients' business problems and possible solutions.

Before turning independent, she spent half a career in the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where she was in charge of network and database services for the campus library system.

Judy has also lectured widely in the Information Sciences departments of several Israeli universities and gives workshops on information-related subjects to companies. She is a long-time member of the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP).

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FreePint Features offers the latest commentary on trends, issues and opportunities in the information world, as well as examples of how organisations use FreePint resources to raise the value of information.

Selection of the latest FreePint Features articles:

• Practice and Content Updates
  By Robin Neidorf on Tuesday, 22nd January 2013
  Following feedback from readers, we've made adjustments to some of our regular newsletters. Reorganisation and better visual differentiation help the Information Practice Update and the Information Content Update stand out in your inbox. But for maximum information with minimum inbox clutter and investment of time, the FreePint Newsletter will keep you informed twice a month.
  
  
• Spotlight on Consultancies: How Do They Use FreePint?
  By Robin Neidorf on Friday, 11th January 2013
  Consultancies are important customers for FreePint, because their own business value relies so heavily on information. A brief analysis of how consultancies use FreePint Articles and Reports provides insight into what's on the minds of these information professionals: sources, skill development, cultural change and key issues like mobile.
  
  
• Community of Practice: Mobile Deployment in the Enterprise
  By Robin Neidorf on Thursday, 10th January 2013
  FreePint's Director of Research announces the launch of our first Community of Practice, focusing on the challenges and opportunities of mobile deployment of content in the enterprise. Using a blend of learning materials, distance learning principles and peer-to-peer education, this first CoP can be a valuable tool for your 2013 strategic initiatives.
  
  
• Busy Wrap-Up, Busy New Year
  By Robin Neidorf on Wednesday, 9th January 2013
  The final two reports published in 2012 provide original insight into both buyer needs and market players for news content. New FreePint Articles highlight significant M&A activity, tips on data discovery and unique value of unexpected tools. And coming in January are new formats for product reviews and the opportunity to join a curriculum-based Community of Practice on Mobile Deployment.
• ... More ...

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Articles and reports included in a FreePint Subscription provide customer organisations with practical insight to support information practice, content purchasing and usage, and strategic planning.

Subscribers can click any link to login and view the full item. If you have not yet purchased a FreePint Subscription, learn more about the benefits now.

Selection of FreePint Subscription articles and reports:

• Mini Review: Keylight 3.0
  By Penny Crossland on Wednesday, 23rd January 2013
  Penny Crossland reviews LockPath's Keylight 3.0 platform, a cloud-based workflow tool in the governance, risk management and compliance (GRC) space. The platform consists of a combination of 400+ pre-populated authority documents covering regulations, standards and guidelines for more than 38 countries, and sophisticated and flexible reporting facilities, making this an end-user friendly tool for anybody managing compliance and risk.
  
  
• Can You Lengthen Your Skills Ladder?
  By Tim Buckley Owen on Wednesday, 23rd January 2013
  Despite the uncertain economic times, there do seem to be potential opportunities for information professionals. Companies are concerned to build up the information architecture they will need to deal with mobile, social and cloud developments. There's greater emphasis on compliance, big data and the monetising of information assets, and concern about the continuing risks of rapidly spreading disinformation. So, with learning new skills the top goal of respondents in a recent LinkedIn survey, perhaps now would be a good time for information professionals to do the same.
  
  
• Mini Review: Workshare
  By James Mullan on Tuesday, 22nd January 2013
  We're all trying to work more closely with colleagues, regardless of their location. And the need to do so with effective controls over document security, revision history, and peer inputs is increasing. James Mullan reviews Workshare, a collaborative tool that integrates tightly with Microsoft Outlook to avoid common security mishaps involved with emailing documents, while also creating a cloud-based, secure collaborative environment for commenting, revision management and document auditing. Screenshots and detailed user analysis included.
  
  
• Facebook Graph Search - Disruptor to the Internet Giants?
  By Penny Crossland on Tuesday, 22nd January 2013
  Penny Crossland reports on last week's launch of Facebook's much anticipated search engine, Graph Search. The feature will come as welcome news to searchers frustrated by Facebook's cumbersome search engine, since discovery of information is made easier by category indexing using natural language searching. The big internet businesses, however, and especially Google, are likely to view the new feature as a major disruptor, since in the long-term it will enable users to search for jobs, products and local businesses. This will affect the likes of Amazon, LinkedIn and Yelp.
  
  
• Dealing with Digital Addiction
  By James Mullan on Monday, 21st January 2013
  2013 has only just started and a number of websites are already talking about digital addiction clinics. This can't be a good thing, surely? What is it about social media that so many people find so addictive? James Mullan asks how information professionals can help individuals suffering from digital addiction.
  
  
• Mini Review: Infotrieve Mobile Library Rx
  By Aileen Marshall on Tuesday, 15th January 2013
  Aileen Marshall reviews Infotrieve's Mobile Library Rx™, the iPad-based ePrint delivery solution for pharmaceutical professionals/sales representatives/marketing, interacting with healthcare professionals or other external organisations. Unlike some other products, it does not focus on internal document delivery but rather on sharing ePrints with external clients while complying with all applicable copyright/digital rights regulations.
  
  
• Mini Review: Cortera PULSE
  By Heidi Longaberger on Monday, 14th January 2013
  This review covers Cortera PULSE™, a credit risk monitoring and intelligence database that is a disruptive presence in the otherwise staid and conventional world of credit reporting data. Cortera brings a focus to payment variables and B2B buying behaviour that has been somewhat overlooked by the credit world. The database is colourful and user friendly, but not overly simplified, offering a variety of communities, tools and report options to suit a range of business needs.
  
  
• Nothing is Certain Except Death, Taxes... and Compliance
  By Tim Buckley Owen on Monday, 14th January 2013
  Even when times are tough, opportunities continue in regulatory compliance. Thomson Reuters has just launched its FATCA solution and LexisNexis has acquired regulatory information specialist Knowledge Mosaic. Although much of the current focus - in Britain, the United States and Europe - is on tax avoidance, a recent Virgin Media Business survey brings corporate tweeting to the fore again, and there's also growth in due diligence, fraud investigation and insolvency work. There's evidence, too, that some of this is being brought in-house.
  
  
• Reconnecting with Your LinkedIn Connections
  By James Mullan on Friday, 11th January 2013
  The New Year means different things to different people, but if you're serious about professional networking then it should be a time when you reach out to your connections on LinkedIn to ensure they're not "gathering dust" and that you and your connections are continuing to provide value to each other. But how should you go about this? James Mullan provides some useful tips for LinkedIn novices as well as those more au fait with the tool.
  
  
• Easier Broadcast News Searches - Both Sides of the Pond
  By Penny Crossland on Thursday, 10th January 2013
  The latest smart devices combine with increasingly sophisticated streaming technology to make it easier for us to consume broadcast news wherever we are. Our appetite for TV news online is increasing and watching news on televisions is declining in favour of a mix of computer-based devices. Creating easy access to archived broadcast news is now a vital part of information professionals' roles as searching video news becomes an important part of the search strategy.
  
  
• FreePint Report: Intranet Management
  Published on Tuesday, 8th January 2013
  Over the last few months FreePint has published a wide array of articles on the subject of intranets. James Mullan identifies the key trends in the editorials, from collaboration to content creation, big data and findability. He highlights some of the articles which discuss implementation and best practice in use of collaborative tools and, finally, he ponders which tool will be the "big thing" for intranets in 2013.
  
  
• ... More ...

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Jinfo is the central location for supporting your information career.

The Jinfo Jobs database lists vacancies, and the Jinfo Events database lists workshops, conferences, training, webinars and other professional development opportunities.

Latest featured vacancies in Jinfo Jobs:

• Bibliographic Data Assistant
  Bibliographic data assistant needed in Norwich, responsible for all bibliographic MARC records, exp in MARC & knowledge of excel essential. | Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited | Country: United Kingdom. Full listing »
  
  
• Research Analyst - Deal Generation
  Senior Research / Analyst with Investment Banking, Equity Research or Corporate Finance experience to support Deal Generation for global firm. | Recruiter: Glen Recruitment | Country: United Kingdom. Full listing »
  
  
• Legal Information Research Specialist
  Excellent career move for a self starting Information and Research Professional to make their mark... | Recruiter: TFPL | Country: United Kingdom. Full listing »

Browse all Jinfo Jobs »

Latest featured events in Jinfo Events:

• SLA Europe Winter Warmer Quiz
  Organiser: SLA Europe Events Committee | Date: 29 Jan 2013 | Country: United Kingdom

Browse all Jinfo Events »

Next steps:

• Jinfo Update - Receive the weekly email Jinfo Update, with a complete list of the latest vacancies and events.

• Recruiting - Advertise a vacancy for just £195. 10% discount for agencies. 50% discount for registered charities.
  
  
• Running An Event - List it on Jinfo to reach a targeted audience seeking professional development opportunities.

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