Using signal media and artificial intelligence in news
8th September 2017

The analysis of news to identify signals and triggers is not new, but it is increasingly important and is finding application beyond the world of finance as the techniques are used to help identify misleading news items. In this article, Martin Murtland explores the technology and techniques used in news signal identification as well as highlighting providers such as Lexalytics, Clarabridge, InferLink, Sysomos and Open Calais.

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The use and limitations of benchmarking data
7th September 2017

Information centre managers would like to be able to compare their services and staffing levels with other centres in similar industries, but collecting and analysing this data can be challenging. A recent Jinfo Community session explored the data collected from the Jinfo benchmarking study and provided an opportunity for the participants to comment on several key areas including, customers served, metrics collected and staffing levels. This article takes a closer look at the results of this data.

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Defining content aggregators in current awareness
5th September 2017

To make better sense of the marketplace, Jinfo conducted an analysis of 19 products that address at least some of the needs around content aggregation and curation, enabling current awareness, delivering alerting newsletters and other elements broadly related to the purpose of current awareness provision. Director of research, Robin Neidorf, reports on the findings.

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Subscription update for information services management
3rd September 2017

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Jinfo model for basic benchmarking
3rd September 2017

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Acquire Media instils confidence in content
29th August 2017

A recent Jinfo Community session looked at how well content aggregation platforms meet user needs and we also invited a number of vendors to give their feedback on the discussion. Brad Scher, CEO of Acquire Media, explains what makes the perfect ingredients for an aggregated current awareness solution and how Acquire Media's focus is on providing content that's relevant and curated together with meeting customer needs and being a true technology partner.

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The challenges of benchmarking your information service
25th August 2017

Comparing your organisation's service offerings and effectiveness with peer institutions requires benchmarking data. Collecting, analysing and understanding this data is challenging and sometimes confusing. Helen Josephine reports on the Jinfo webinar, "A look at the data for benchmarking your information service", as part of the latest Jinfo Research Focus, "Benchmark information roles - optimise your structure". This webinar discussed the data gathered and insights uncovered during the benchmarking research and how they could be applied to strengthen and improve information services.

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Mini review of PatentAdvisor
24th August 2017

Scott Vine reports on a fresh review of PatentAdvisor from Reed Tech, a LexisNexis company. This is a patent search database whose focus is more on the process, examiners, and assessing the relative chance of success or failure of patent grants and prosecutions. 

This review covers changes and developments since Jinfo's last review in 2015, including the addition of the Prosecution Guidebook data and the PathWays service; discusses PatentAdvisor's value; presents its user interface and search features; looks at the pricing model; and identifies its training and help options. We also note competitors in the field, including Juristat and Examiner Ninja.

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Technology in news curation and the impact on innovation and content reliability
24th August 2017

Tools that help users identify and consume news content that is relevant to their interests can also limit research creativity. In this article, Kate Lomax investigates how news aggregators are using technology to help us deal with the deluge of information that is now available, including the raft of professional current awareness tools and new approaches being employed. She also looks at ways to ensure your information service uses emerging technologies in a way that is user-driven and innovation-focused.

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Are premium news aggregators worth the investment?
22nd August 2017

Whilst premium news databases can be very costly, the breadth of content, ability to narrow your search, and reduction of risk, means that they are worth purchasing. In this article, Tina Reynolds discusses the value of resources such as Nexis and Factiva, and the problems they can prevent, as well as offering some tips on how to promote premium news sources within the organisation.

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