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