Gumshoe Librarian : Investigative Research in the
90’s….
Connie Kaplan
Director, Information ResourcesKroll Associates, Inc.
a Kroll-O’Gara Company
OBJECTIVES
I. What’s available and out there?
II. How reliable are they?
III. The right direction to most cost effective sources.
IV. Secrets of the trade and finding what seems to be elusive.
I. What’s available and out there?
Dialog/Datastar Info America Autotrack CDA Spectrum
Lexis-Nexis Dun &Bradstreet
CDB Infotek Compilar
Dow Jones Bloodstock TML (DMV) TheStreet.com
Superior InformationServices
Artquest Disclosure Burrelle’sBroadcast
WestLaw PACER Baseline Reuters
INTERNET Courtlink IRSC Bloomberg
CampaignSoftware
Aristotle
II. How reliable are they?
• Follow the paper trail
• Find second sources
• Seek the experts
• Conduct interviews
III. The most cost effective sources.
There are two elements to a cost effective source:
– contract negotiations that specifically meet your company needs
– really knowing how to work the databases
IV. Secrets of the trade and finding what seems to be elusive.
• Use all your resources
• Always start your search broad never specific - drill down
• Create a protocol
• Keen knowledge of content and timeliness