From sj-approval Mon Aug 14 10:22:25 1995 Return-Path: Received: by world.std.com (5.65c/Spike-2.0) id AA21843; Mon, 14 Aug 1995 14:22:28 -0400 Received: from mail02.mail.aol.com by world.std.com (5.65c/Spike-2.0) id AA21803; Mon, 14 Aug 1995 14:22:26 -0400 Received: by mail02.mail.aol.com (1.37.109.16/16.2) id AA059214545; Mon, 14 Aug 1995 14:22:25 -0400 Date: Mon, 14 Aug 1995 14:22:25 -0400 From: RUBENEWS@aol.com Message-Id: <950814142224_54365402@aol.com> To: sj@world.std.com Subject: NET NOTES 12 (Research Book) Sender: sj-approval@world.std.com Precedence: bulk Reply-To: sj FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NET NOTES 12 (Research Book) COLUMN (This column of source material is written specifically for journalist colleagues around the globe. This information is not for publication. Please share with as many journalist netters as possible.) Find past issues of Net Notes by subscribing to the Usenet newsgroup "list.stumedia." This column is posted to the following listservs: IRE, CARR-L, NICAR, NIT, SJ-MEDIA and the newsgroup list.stumedia. By Ruben Sosa Villegas c1995 Books for journalists doing online research: THE INFORMATION BROKER'S HANDBOOK, 2nd ed. (with disk) SUE RUGGE & ALFRED GLOSSBRENNER Windcrest/McGraw-Hill, Blue Ridge Summit, PA, 17294-0850 (c1995, WMH, 453 pages, $34.95 paperback, ISBN: 0-07-911878-x) AUTHORS: Sue Rugge was involved with the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), an organization she headed as president in 1988-89. Alfred Glossbrenner has been writing books about computers and computer communications since 1981. NOTES: Do not dismiss this title this as a non-journalists handbook. It is, in fact, better and stronger that most other research books. In helping potential "information brokers" learn their craft, it presents an explanation of how to get the job done using the library, technology and the Internet. You can ignore the chapters on how to bill your clients, and instead focus on the research and database information. This handbook continously promotes other books, resources for finding data and provides multitudes of examples on how different information brokers found their data. An example (from the book): "Matthew Lesko (author of "Lesko's Info-Power Sourcebook") regaled the assembly with the tale of how he came to found what is now Information USA, Inc., a firm specializing in locating government information for clients. The year was 1975 and Lesko's first client was someone who wanted to know about Maine potatoes. The client represented a group of commodity investors who were concerned to know why Maine potatoes were currently seelling at double their normal price. And they needed to know yesterday! Lesko told us with great good humor that he knew nothing about potatoes but nonetheless agreed to take the job. He agreed that if he couldn't find the information in one day he would not be paid for his efforts. He phoned the Department of Agriculture and, on a flyer, asked to talk to the department's expert on potatoes. To his surprise, the request was handled routinely. Apparently there actually was a USDA expert on potatoes. As Lesko told it, he went to the man's office and found not only every reference book one could possibly imagine on potatoes, but an amiable man who had spent his entire career studying the supply and demand for the potato. Across from the potato expert's office was another office staffed with people whose sole job it was to compile a monthly report tracking potato production and consumption in the United States. Even the mumber of potato chips produced each month was (and is) tallied. Equally amazing, down the hall from the potato expert were the offices of individuals with similar expertise in beans, wheat, corn - you name it." AIIP - "The Information Broker's Handbook" also provides information on the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) and how to join. Benefits include: an annual meeting to meet colleagues and learn their information tips, a free copy of the membership directory, a quarterly newsletter, and access to its private electronic bulletin board that lets you communicate with other members for networking, subcontracting and problem-solving, special pricing from Lexis/Nexis, Dialog, NewsNet, DataTimes and Bureelle's Broadcast Database for members. Associate membership is $85 a year. Information: AAIP Headquarters Office 245 Fifth Ave, Suite 2103 New York, NY 0016 (212) 779-1855 (office) (212) 481-3071 (fax) e-mail: 73263,34@compuserve.com NOTES (from the book's description) - Now updated to reflect recent advances in the mushrooming field of information services, this guide gives you all the information and practical guidance you'll need to cash in on the Information Age - and build a career in the process. Packed with expert tips, advice and seasoned insights, this guide shows you how to: perform public records searches, mine the potential of the Internet, exploit online systems like Nexis, Dialog and Dow Jones, tap electronic bulletin boards and online special interest groups, develop power marketing campaigns. This book includes the chapters: 1. The market for information, 2. What is an information broker?, 3. The job of information brokering, 4. Pros and Cons of the Information business, 5. The crucial question: Is it for you?, 6. How to get started, 7. At the library: Non-electronic sources & resources, 8. Government Information Sources, 9. Public records searching, 10. The telephone: Your most powerful tool, 11. Welcome to the electronic universe!, 12. How to go online, 13. Databases & how to search them, 14. Special Interest Groups (SIGS) & forums, 15. How to tap the Internet, 16. Bulletin board systems (BBSs) 17. CD-ROM possibilities, 18. Services to sell, 19. Protecting an image of credibility. 20. Marketing & sales: The missing ingredients 21. Power marketing tips & techniques 22. Executing the project: 10 steps to follow, 23. Pricing, contracts, & billing, 24. The Information broker's bookshelf: crucial resources & reference works 25. Contact Points: Online systems, organizations, associations, & trade shows 26. Association of Independent Information Professionals 27. Seminars offered by the Information Professionals Institute 28. How to use the accompanying disk 29. The Internet Toolkit & Glossbrenner's Choice DISK: PC/Mac disk features: 100-BBS.TXT (the top 100 bulletin board systems); AGREE.TXT (Sample letter of agreement from chapter 23); APPEND-A.TXT (electronic version of Appendex A); APPEND-B.TXT (Contact points, online systems, Organization, Associations, and trade shows); APPEND-C.TXT (The Association of Independent Information Professionals); APPEND-D.TXT (Seminars offered by the Information Professionals Institute); APPEND-E.TXT (How to use the accompanying disk) APPEND-F.TXT (The Internet Toolkit and Glossbrenner's Choice) CIS-SIGS.TXT (alpha list of names of all CompuServe forums) CONTRACT.TXT (Model of contract to outline assignment) COVER.TXT (Cover letter discussed in chapter 19) ENVIRON.TXT (Just one of more than 150 files prepared by the Clearinghouse for Subject-Oriented Internet Resource Guides) ESTIMATE.TXT (Form to help estimate costs on a job) FOINFO.TXT (Full text of A Citizen's Guide or Using the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 to Request Government Records) GOVTBBS.TXT (File contains list of bulletin board systems operated by U.S. Government) INVOICE.TXT (A sample invoice from chapter 23) IPN.TXT (Addition information on the Information Professionals Network) ITEMIZE.TXT (Itemized invoice form) KEEPERS.TXT (Boardwatch magazine's list of BBS List keepers) LETTERS.TXT (Letters prepared by actual information brokers and sent to their clients) LOG.TXT (Search log forms from chapter 22) REPORT.TXT (Actual information broker report prepared for a client) REQUEST.TXT (Search request form from chapter 22) SIGS.TXT (A list of all of the SIGS, Clubs, Bulletin Boards and Forums on every consumer system except CompuServe - American Online, Delphi, GEnie and Prodigy. SLICK.TXT (An excerpt from the book "Internet Slick Tricks" by Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner) SUCCESS.TXT (22 Internet success stories in which librarians tell you how they used the Internet to answer patron queries) WORKING.TXT (An introduction to the Working From Home Forum on CompuServe: the message board topics, the names of the file libraries, and the names and descriptions of the files you'll find in the Information Professionals library.) ADDITIONAL DISKS: Additional copies of the disk are available from Glossbrenner's Choice for a nominal cost ($5 for the disk, plus $3 for shipping to U.S. addresses and $5 outside the U.S.). Just send request to: Glossbrenner's Office, 699 River Road, Yardley, PA 19067-1965 or call (215) 736-1213 (voice) or (215 736-1031 (fax). NET NOTES 12 -30-