Mini review of TIBCO Spotfire
22nd May 2018

With a growing number of companies needing data analytics tools, there are plenty of products available on the market to help them do this. One such tool is data analytics platform TIBCO Spotfire, which we last reviewed in 2015. We revisit this "enterprise-class analytics platform that helps both business and technical users quickly explore data to develop actionable insights, without requiring IT intervention".

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The importance of project management for visibility into capacity
17th May 2018

To succeed in the information profession requires many skills and a knowledge of a wide range of information resources and tools but to keep organised it's essential to have project management skills. In this article, we take a look at the importance of these skills to the information professional and highlight some of the leading software that can be used to better manage your workload along with some practical steps you can incorporate in your daily work.

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Streamline your department using the artisan or the optimised model
16th May 2018

Successful information service teams need to review, optimise and reinvent their service offerings every three years. A recent Jinfo Community session explored this topic and provided specific actions you can take to review your service and optimise your processes, using two main operational models, the artisan process and the optimised process.

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Measuring ROI for information services and professionals - an alternative point of view
14th May 2018

This article looks at how return on investment (ROI) is measured in the information profession and explores some of the changes that have taken place over the past 15 years, how to best measure ROI and what information professionals need to deliver high value.

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Where do information professionals still beat AI?
4th May 2018

With artificial intelligence (AI) becoming ever more sophisticated, its role in research is certain to grow considerably in the coming years. Yet AI is nowhere near matching human intelligence in some areas, and that's likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future.  A recent Jinfo webinar looked at ways in which information professionals can forge the most effective partnerships with machines in order to make their teams fit for the future.

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How to build a good issue tree for your research
1st May 2018

Issue trees are often used in consulting to structure a project. This article highlights when you can use them in your daily research, how to make them and explains some of the advantages of using them. It also gives some examples and tools you can use to help you build an issue tree.

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Q&A with LibSource - how to choose a savvy approach to outsourcing
27th April 2018

Graham Southorn spoke to Eleanor Windsor, vice president of client engagement, UK & EMEA, at LibSource, to discover how outsourcing can benefit a wide variety of organisations. LibSource has expertise in research knowledge management and information management. The conversation covered costs, in-house expertise and the fall of Carillion.

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Product review of RefTracker from Altarama (value - help & training; competitors; development; pricing)
26th April 2018

The final part of our product review of Altarama's RefTracker, a browser-based reference and request management system, looks at the value and flexibility of the product and in particular how it can be evolved over time. The help options are also explored as well as its competition, including EOS International, Lucidea's SydneyPlus, InMagic and Softlink's Illumin, Compendium's DeskTracker and Priory Solutions' Quest.

Note: Full review (PDF) at /go/sub/report/2990

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Product review of RefTracker from Altarama (technology - search & user interface; outputs & alerts; administration)
25th April 2018

Part three of our product review of Altarama's RefTracker, a browser-based reference and enquiry management system, looks at the options available when setting up the product, a detailed look at how enquiries are dealt with, as well as a closer look at the knowledge database and the many reports that are available for output.

Note: Full review (PDF) at /go/sub/report/2990

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What does GDPR add to the Data Protection Act?
24th April 2018

In February, SLA Europe president, Katharine Schopflin, presented a webinar in which she examined the imminent changes to existing data protection legislation. This article presents some of the highlights from this webinar and looks at some of the myths around the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and what organisations need to do to be compliant.

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