A short look at URL Shorteners
3rd August 2010

Although URL shortening services first started in 2002 with the introduction of tinyurl.com, it is the increasing use of the social media, particularly those with restricted message lengths, that has led to an explosion in their use. Martin Belam looks at how these services work and explores the advantages and disadvantages of using them.

Read

FreePint Research Report: UK Law Firm Purchasing Preferences
26th July 2010

Read

Wolfram|Alpha: Simple and Not So Simple Computations in One Click
4th July 2010

Wolfram|Alpha offers a useful alternative to the more popular search engines in that it can be used in computations. It accepts free-form linguistic queries, which can take some time to get right, but when you do it returns the exact result desired without the need to click additional links.

Read

Putting the office into our pockets
4th July 2010

With the increasing ease with which users can access consumer data via their mobile devices, the pressure is now on companies to provide business data and applications to staff this way.  Marcus Austin looks at the double whammy this presents to companies in that not only do they have to open up their networks to the outside world, they also have to deal with the challenges presented by the range of mobile devices being used.

Read

Part 2: How Do THEY Use Information? Investigating the user information process
4th July 2010

Using two corporate users as case studies, Scott Brown sheds light on the black hole into which the hard work of information professionals often seems to fall, and answers the external, and perplexing, question: ‘what do users DO with the information we give them?

Read

SharePoint 2010: Changing the paradigm with a business-oriented approach to records management
4th July 2010

For records management, SharePoint 2010 has brought to fruition all that was hoped for when MOSS 2007 was launched. In this detailed comparison of the two versions, John Wise shows that, subject to suitable configuration and support, SharePoint 2010 is a serious option for a compliant ERMS solution.

Read

Book Review: Building and Running a Successful Research Business. A guide for the Independent Information Professional
29th June 2010

If you have ever wondered what it is like or what it takes to be an independent information professional then this is the book for you.  However, it is just as relevant if you are already a practising professional.

Read

Real-Time Monitoring: Tools and Trends to Watch
8th June 2010

The growth in real-time data has led to new ways to manipulate, synthesise and distil information very quickly. From tools for disease surveillance to heat maps for tracking trends in the stock market, the number of ways for information professionals to tap into this data is increasing with all the major players vying for position in this market.

Read

Part 1: 'Retreading', not Reinventing, the Wheel: How info pros repurpose content for increased efficiency and visibility
8th June 2010

Working efficiently and adding value are core skills for information professionals in these cash-strapped times, so Scott Brown's tips on repurposing, reusing and generally recycling information provide some very useful ways of honing our skills.

Read

From Sumo to Samurai: getting your taxonomies fighting fit: Part 1
8th June 2010

Hierarchical taxonomies seem to dominate our lives because they are supported by most of the tools we use daily, from Windows Explorer to content management systems. But are they the best way of organising and finding our digital documents? In the first part of a two part series, Kate Simpson demonstrates the many benefits of using facets.

Read