Where do I go to find what I need?

Principles of Journalism (CREA E-135)
John Lenger
Harvard Extension School

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

This presentation is also available as a .pdf.

  1. Who am I?
    •I'm a news librarian
    •Have been one for almost 8 years
    •Currently at the Office of News and Public Affairs, aka Harvard News Office

  2. Why am I presenting?
    •Know a lot about sources and finding information
    •To help you learn about resources for your work
    •To share tips about effective information finding

  3. Finding Information
    •Think about the process before searching
    •What do you want to know?
    •Where could the answer be?
    •Break difficult or big pieces into smaller chunks
    •Find a good starting point and go!

  4. Potential Sources
    •This presentation includes these sources:
    -Public Records
    -People
    -Business Information
    -Libraries
    -Archives
    -Databases
    -the Internet

  5. Public Records
    •Government records available to everyone
    •Federal, state, and city government materials
    •Not always in places that are easy to access, like a centralized repository or the Internet

  6. Massachusetts Public Records
    •The Massachusetts Public Records Law G. L. c. 4, ¬§ 7(26) http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prepdfpubreclaw.pdf
    •Public Records Division: http://www.state.ma.us/sec/pre/preidx.htm
    •Massachusetts' law parallels federal Freedom of Information Act.

  7. What is a public record?

    From the Massachusetts Public Records Law:

    "'Public records' shall mean all books, papers, maps, photographs, recorded tapes, financial statements, statistical tabulations, or other documentary materials or data, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by any officer or employee of any agency, executive office, department, board, commission, bureau, division or authority of the commonwealth, or of any political subdivision thereof, or of any authority established by the general court to serve a public purpose ..."

  8. What records are public in Massachusetts?
    •"Every government record is now presumed to be public unless it is subject to an exemption."
    •Supervisor of Public Records determines the public record status of any government record.
    •Court and legislative records are handled differently.

  9. Public Records Examples
    •The mayor's driver has an accident. Does he have other traffic violations?
    -Registry of Motor Vehicles: http://www.state.ma.us/rmv/
    •A home contractor makes many mistakes in her work. Is she licensed?
    -Board of Building Regulations and Standards: http://www.state.ma.us/bbrs/programs.htm

  10. Where to get public records?
    •Some public records are easily available at city, state, and federal government offices
    •Databases like Autotrack, Accurint, LexisNexis, and GuideStar have some
    •Depository libraries
    •On the Internet
    •Freedom of Information Act requests

  11. FOIA: Freedom of Information Act
    •Enacted in 1967 to ensure public's access to government records
    •Text: http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/foiastat.htm
    •Applicable to the executive branch only
    •Does not apply to elected officials
    •Other laws provide access to records not covered by FOIA

  12. FOIA Requests
    •Many federal agencies have guidelines and information about making FOIA requests on their Web sites:
    -Department of Justice: http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/04_1.html
    -Department of Defense: http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/
    •Request records from the correct place

  13. For more about public records
    •Freedom of Information Center, University of Missouri School of Journalism: http://www.missouri.edu/~foiwww/
    •A list of government sites with public records from BRB Publications: http://www.brbpub.com/pubrecsites.asp

  14. People: For Your News Story
    •Interview someone to get quotes
    •Talk to someone close to the story
    •Use your own personal experience
    •Ask people for assistance along the way

  15. Finding People
    •Experts list (many universities and similar organizations have these)
    •Reverse directory
    •Public records databases, like Autotrack
    •GeoURL (http://geourl.org/) or an Internet search
    •Professional networks

  16. People: For Referrals
    •Consult a colleague
    •Join a discussion group or professional association
    •Get a mentor
    •Talk to a librarian or archivist

  17. Business Information
    •Most businesses must file things with the government, some filings are public records
    -Tax forms
    -Environmental Protection Agency documents
    •Even non-profits must file certain forms
    •Some big businesses have press offices or libraries that can help you

  18. Sources of Business Info
    •The corporation itself
    •Annual reports
    •External business sources, like The Wall Street Journal or business journals
    •GuideStar for nonprofits: http://www.guidestar.org/

  19. Libraries
    •Reference books
    •Local history
    •Databases
    •Librarians

  20. Archives
    •Often have unique, primary source materials, like manuscripts, letters, personal papers, etc., and may have some objects
    •Access policies vary, but many are open to the public or accessible with a fee
    •Good for background, historical pieces, specific quotes, "lost" stories

  21. Examples of Archives
    •Harvard University Archives
    •Some businesses and organizations have archives
    •News archives
    •Historical societies
    •Public libraries

  22. Databases
    •Full-text databases can be good for background information, some quick facts, or to see what's been written before
    •Don't forget about electronic resources available through your library
    •Some access is remote, so you don't have to be in the library to look something up

  23. News Databases
    •LexisNexis: http://80-web.lexis-nexis.com.ezp2.harvard.edu/universe/form/academic/s_guidednews.html
    •Factiva: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.eresource:factivac
    •A specific news archive, like National Public Radio: http://www.npr.org/ or the Boston Herald: http://www.bostonherald.com/

  24. More Databases
    •Boston Public Library: http://www.bpl.org/electronic/
    •Minuteman Library Network: http://www.mln.lib.ma.us/homeacc.htm
    •NobleNet: http://www.nmrls.org/answers/dbnoble.html
    •Search Systems: http://www.searchsystems.net/

  25. The Internet
    •Great for certain things, bad for other things
    •Could be a good starting point as well as an ending point
    •Use your time efficiently: after 15 minutes of searching on your own with poor results, ask for assistance or try another source.

  26. Cautions about Using the Internet
    •Just because it's on the Internet does not mean it's true or reliable
    •Anyone can have a site for anything
    •Disappearing information & Web sites
    •Invisible Web: just because something is on the Internet doesn't mean a search engine can find it

  27. Search Strategy
    •Ask "Should I really use the Internet for this information?"
    •Be direct. Looking for a definition? Go to a dictionary, not a search engine
    •Choose a starting point: specific site or search engine

  28. Finding Specific Sources
    •Think about where you would go to find the information in print or from a person, then find an equivalent on the Internet.
    •Use a metasite or Internet directory: a place where someone has reviewed sites and posted the links

  29. Examples of Metasites
    •ResourceShelf: http://www.resourceshelf.com/
    •PowerReporting: http://www.powerreporting.com/
    •Librarians' Index to the Internet: http://lii.org/
    •Internet Scout Report: http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/

  30. Search Engines
    •Not all search engines are the same
    •Experiment with different search engines
    •Find one you like
    •Read the instructions and tips for using it
    •Learn how to use it well

  31. Search Engine Tips
    •Break your search into concepts and words
    •Use multiple words and any unique or unusual words
    •Be as specific as possible
    •Use the search engine's special features to limit your results
    •Think about specific sources and look for them instead of performing a general search

  32. Handy Acronym for Evaluation: PARCS
    •Provider
    •Authority
    •Reliability
    •Currency
    •Second Opinion

  33. Provider and Authority
    •Provider
    -Who created and maintains the site? Who provides the information? What is the provider's reputation? Is the site reviewed? Is there an editorial board? How does the provider's identity influence the content?
    •Authority
    -How and where does this person or company get their information? What kind of credentials does the person or company have in this subject? How do others view this Web site? Are there any awards or certifications?

  34. Reliability and Currency
    •Reliability
    -Is the information reliable? Does it make sense? Is there evidence, research, information, citations, etc. supporting the site? Is the information biased or flawed in any way?
    •Currency
    -Is the information up-to-date? Is there a date on the page? When was the last update? Is someone still working on the page? How does time effect the information?

  35. Second Opinion
    •Second Opinion
    -If you aren't sure the site or information is reliable, get another opinion. Look for another site or look for more evidence that this information is reliable.

  36. PARCS
    (or scrap backwards)
    •Provider
    •Authority
    •Reliability
    •Currency
    •Second Opinion

  37. Questionable Fad Sources
    •Popular Web sites raising issues for journalists and librarians because they don't always pass PARCS
    -Wikipedia
    -Weblogs

  38. Wikimedia sites
    •Wikipedia: http://www.wikipedia.org/
    •Wiktionary: http://www.wiktionary.org/
    •Wikinews: http://www.wikinews.org/

  39. Weblogs
    •Find people to interview
    •Article ideas
    •Learn what people want to know
    •Have your own
    •Some journalists use them to communicate to an audience
    •Internal weblogs can enable resource sharing

  40. Recap
    •This presentation discussed:
    -Public Records
    -People
    -Business Information
    -Libraries
    -Archives
    -Databases
    -the Internet

  41. Brainstorm
    •Who would like to share a topic?
    •What are some places to start?
    •What are some potential sources?

  42. Thank You!