A compilation of tips for web searching

1. R esearchNOTES
_______________________________________________________________________
Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
Marcy Phelps
PhelpsResearch.com

2. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
ResearchNOTES is a monthly email bulletin with tips for web
searching. Enjoy this collection from 2013!
Author:
Marcy Phelps
Marcy Phelps is the founder and
principal of Phelps Research,
where she provides insights for
better business decisions.
Marcy frequently speaks and
writes about topics related to
business research, and she is the
author of the highly-acclaimed
book, Research on Main Street:
Using the Web to Find Local
Business and Market Information.
Follow her on Twitter
@marcyphelps!
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3. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
Table of Contents
January 2013: It's OK to pay ..................................................................................................1
February 2013: Tools for capturing information flow .............................................................2
March 2013: My new favorite sources for business information ............................................3
April 2013: Happy Earth Day ..................................................................................................4
May 2013: Google Reader alternatives ...................................................................................5
June 2013: Never stop learning ..............................................................................................6
July 2013: Ready-to-use information graphics.......................................................................7
August / September 2013: Become a power networker.........................................................8
October 2013: Boost your career - with information ..............................................................9
November 2013: My favorite tools for productivity ..............................................................10
December 2013: End-of-year charitable giving ....................................................................11
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4. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
January 2013: It's OK to pay
I often talk about using free resources for business research, but free doesn't always mean costeffective. Time is money, so don't spend hours searching for something that can be quickly found in a
low-cost report. This month in ResearchNOTES, I share some of my favorite fee-based sources that
won't break the budget:
Moody’s Analytics provides economic, financial, country, and industry research used for strategic
planning and other business applications. I especially like their extensive collection of reports with hardto-find local-level data and analysis.
I love maps, and ESRI offers geographic information system (GIS) software and services and locationbased data. Through their Business Analyst product, you can obtain U.S. business data and learn about
demographics, consumer spending, market potential, and traffic counts.
A database of articles from thousands of U.S. newspapers, NewsLibrary.com is searchable by keywords
and phrases, region, state, or a specific newspaper. Searching is free, and you can purchase individual
articles. A monthly subscription allows you to view, print, and save up to 25 articles per month.
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5. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
February 2013: Tools for capturing information flow
In recent issues of ResearchNOTES, I've shared some of my favorite tips for using LinkedIn and Twitter
for learning. This month, I'll spotlight another way to stay informed - subject feeds, collections of news
on a particular topic. Subject feeds make it easy to capture information flow - and expand your
horizons:
RSS is definitely not dead - at least for me. I've set up news feeds from reliable sources in a variety of
topics of interest to me and my clients. I like to find new RSS feeds by browsing the directory at
BusinessWire.com.
Futurity covers the latest discoveries by scientists at the top research universities in the U.S., U.K.,
Canada, and Australia. Even though I'm a business researcher by trade and not a scientist, I find these
reports fascinating, and they keep me informed of important industry trends.
When it comes to keeping track of what's going on in the U.S. government, I rely on feeds and alerts
from Scout. They offer updates - through RSS, email, and text - about what Congress is doing around
an issue or a specific bill, as well as about bills in state legislatures and federal regulations.
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6. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
March 2013: My new favorite sources for business
information
For the upcoming Searchers Academy in Washington DC, I've just updated my Best Business Sources
presentation. Since it's really difficult to select the best business sources, I usually include some of my
old favorites (like FRED), along with several "new" favorites. This month in ResearchNOTES, I'll share
some of my new favorite sources for business information that I'll be covering in my talk:
From consumer research firm Nielsen, Newswire offers a collection of press releases about the
company's large-scale surveys and reports on media trends. These always include useful - and free market data and insights. I find it easiest to drill down to what I need by clicking the All icon in the top
right corner of the page. You can then browse the press releases by date and category, or search by
keyword.
Reports from industry analysts used to be available only to those with big research budgets. However,
more and more analysts are taking to the social web to share their insights. For example, Deloitte
Insights for CIOs provides lots of valuable information relevant to all types of business professionals,
covering topics such as security and privacy, mobile and wireless, big data, analytics, and more. I
especially like their Industry Outlook reports, with industry leaders discussing top trends, issues, and
challenges.
For information about mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, venture capital, and other investment-related
information, try The New York Times' DealBook. Also check out Reuters.com: Deals. They cover the
same topics, and - as an added feature - they organize their articles by industry and region.
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7. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
April 2013: Happy Earth Day
More than 40 years ago, the first Earth Day celebration helped raise our awareness of environmental
issues and concerns. In honor of Earth Day, this issue of ResearchNOTES offers some key resources for
finding answers to your questions about the earth and the environment:
Updated daily, Environmental News Network pulls together current news articles on such topics as
wildlife, agriculture, ecosystems, energy, business, and much more. To stay up to date, you can set up
RSS feeds, subscribe to email alerts, or follow ENN on Twitter.
EcoEarth.Info provides news, blogs, and a customized search engine for reviewed, authoritative
information on environmental sustainability. You'll also find a section with an extensive collection of links
to additional resources.
Visit Earthweek - A Diary of a Planet for breaking news on all facets of Earth's natural history, including
climate change, the environment, nature and wildlife, health, and other topics. The site contains
sections with past issues of their weekly publication - in mapped or PDF formats.
For news, opinion, best practices, and other resources on the greening of mainstream business, go to
GreenBiz.com. Be sure to check out two new reports for recent trends in corporate sustainability: State
of Green Business 2013 and State of the Profession 2013.
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8. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
May 2013: Google Reader alternatives
Many people are looking for an alternative to Google Reader, which will be discontinued on July 1st. As
someone who 1) manages feeds on a variety of topics of interest to me and my clients and 2) has never
used Google Reader for finding and managing my RSS feeds, I offer my favorite Google Reader
replacements:
Use a browser add-on - I like opening a browser and seeing my Sage feeds displayed in a pane on
the left side of the window. I'm much more likely to stay up-to-date when everything is just a click
away.
Download an app - On my iPad, I use Flipboard. I love how it helps me discover new content and the
nice magazine format.
Create some pipes - OK, I admit that I'm geek-inclined, so I enjoy the programming and visualization
aspects of Yahoo! Pipes. But, be sure to watch the How to Build a Pipe in Just Minutes video, because as they say on the website - "Pipes only sound hard."
Try Twitter- Consider bypassing RSS completely and using dashboards, lists, and other tools for
trapping and organizing valuable Twitter content. I use HootSuite on my laptop, phone, and iPad and
find it's a great way to manage multiple feeds.
Let's connect:
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9. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
June 2013: Never stop learning
One thing we can all agree on is that the world is changing, and it's changing faster each day. Unless
we keep learning, we risk becoming irrelevant - and it's not our employers' responsibility to make sure
we have the knowledge and skills we need to succeed today and in the future. The good news is that
learning is no longer limited to the classroom, so this issue of ResearchNOTES highlights a few key tools
for using the web for professional development:
One of the best directories I've found for free online learning opportunities is Open Culture. Look for
audio books, certificate courses, videos, and much more. They also offer free online movies - and I love
the Hitchcock collection!
Thinking about enrolling in a MOOC? Discover online courses at CourseTalk, which includes ratings and
reviews for upcoming sessions. The MOOCs cover a broad range of topics, including entrepreneurship,
computer science, psychology, writing, and much more.
There's nothing like a good book for learning something new. Goodreads, a social network for readers,
is a great place to find book recommendations, view other members' reading lists, and keep track of
your own lists.
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10. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
July 2013: Ready-to-use information graphics
Displaying data in a visual format adds impact and brings clarity where words and spreadsheets often
fail. Charts, graphs, and maps make it easy to identify patterns, trends, and clusters and transform the
numbers into insights. Rather than create my own graphics for my research reports, I often save time
by heading to sources that do the work for me. In this issue of ResearchNOTES, I share a few of my
favorite sites for data in ready-to-use visual formats:
Eurostat provides options for customizing and downloading European economic, demographic, and other
data in graphs and maps. After selecting a data set, follow links at the top of the page for non-tabular
formats.
The Data section of The World Bank's website contains global statistics in map and graph formats. The
By Country and Indicators sections include the most options for and the easiest route to visual formats.
American FactFinder offers mapped U.S. demographic data from the Decennial Census, American
Community Survey, and other Census Bureau products. From the Table Results page, click the Create a
Map button.
And keep an eye on The Data Visualization Gallery from the U.S. Census Bureau. Part of an effort to
increase the use of visualization and making Census data available to the public, this site will eventually
expand their coverage.
You can find more sources of ready-to-use information graphics at MarcyPhelps.com. Do you have any
to add to the list?
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11. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
August / September 2013: Become a power networker
I recently had the pleasure of speaking to the BMA Colorado Young Professionals group about Power
Networking - Even if You're an Introvert. My overarching message was to start networking early in your
career, and never stop. But many of us don't know where to start, so this month's ResearchNOTES
includes my top recommended readings to help ease the pain of business networking:
Written in 1999 by best-selling author Harvey MacKay, Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty: The Only
Networking Book You'll Ever Need offers valuable insights into the true meaning of networking. Also look
for time-tested tips for building the kinds of relationships that will form the basis of your network.
The Fine Art of Small Talk: How To Start a Conversation, Keep It Going, Build Networking Skills -- and
Leave a Positive Impression!, by Debra Fine, covers how to strike up and maintain a conversation in any
situation. Packed with useful tips, the list of "Fail-Safe Questions for Every Business Function" is worth
the price of the book alone.
For introverts, business networking can be both frightening and draining. In Quiet: The Power of
Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, author Susan Cain talks about appreciating what
introverts have to offer and surviving in an extrovert-loving world. I love her advice about pretending to
be more extroverted in certain circumstances - including business networking.
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12. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
October 2013: Boost your career - with information
Gone are the days when your entire career amounted to working for one company before retiring with
your gold watch. Today, if you're employed by someone else, you're always on the look-out for your
next job. In this month's ResearchNOTES you'll find a few good sites to help with keeping up to date on
your career options:
O*NET OnLine povides information on more than 900 careers, including skills, work activities, education,
job outlook and salaries. Also, streamlined interactive sites for accessing the O*NET database can be
found at My Next Move and My Next Move for Veterans.
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Occupational and Employment Statistics program produces
annual employment and wage estimates for more than 800 occupations. Look for national and local
estimates of average hourly and annual wages, hiring industries, and geographic profiles. Professional
researchers will appreciate the time-saving chart and mapping tools for use in client reports.
Get an inside look at the best - and worst - companies to work for from those who have been there,
done that at Monster.com. Employees, job seekers, and the companies themselves contribute
anonymous salary information, company reviews, interview questions, and more. I especially like the
"Company Salaries by Occupation" feature.
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13. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
November 2013: My favorite tools for productivity
With such busy business and personal lives, it's essential to have a few tools that save time and give us
a bit of a break. In this edition of ResearchNOTES, I'll highlight a few productivity tools that I can't do
without:
Those who know me know that I'm a big fan of GTD - or Getting Things Done. Developed by David
Allen, GTD is a system for "stress-free productivity" in work and life. It's a way of dealing with physical
clutter and the clutter in our brains. This frees up bandwidth for more focused, creative thinking, which
results in a lot less stress! One caveat - You don't just start "doing" GTD. It takes a while to find what
works for you and how to incorporate the system into your workflow.
Evernote is a software product for collecting, saving, and finding all those pieces of information related
to work and family projects. That's where I keep conference notes, ideas for upcoming articles and
presentations, travel documents, Christmas lists, and more. Since Evernote syncs with my phone, tablet,
and computer, everything is right where I need it. Free and fee versions are available.
I'm working more and more with visual information, and SnagIt, screen-capture software from
TechSmith, helps me crop images, create professional-looking presentation slides, and snag important
screens from webinars. At $49.95 USD, it’s more than paid for itself in my time.
What are your favorite productivity tools? Let me know by email, and I'll share with ResearchNOTES
readers.
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14. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
December 2013: End-of-year charitable giving
We're accustomed to turning to the Internet for all our holiday needs, from shopping to sending
season's greetings. This year, think about going online to take care of another holiday tradition - those
end-of-year charitable contributions. To help you identify and learn more about U.S. nonprofits in need
or make an online donation, ResearchNOTES highlights some handy tools for sharing the holiday spirit:
Consider Charity Navigator a donor's handbook. In addition to information about specific nonprofits, look
for their holiday giving guide, tips for donors, and other resources.
Guidestar is an extensive database of nonprofit organizations. It includes 990s, the IRS reporting form
required for nonprofits with more than $25,000 per year in receipts, which disclose detailed financial
information.
Finally, a good alternative to the end-of-year rush is to adopt a year-round approach. This recent
Denver Post article offers some great suggestions for planning and budgeting for your charitable giving.
Happy Holidays, and thanks for reading ResearchNOTES. I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and
prosperous 2014!
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15. Top Tips for Web Searching: 2013
Subscribe to ResearchNOTES, a monthly email bulletin with
tips and sites for web searching.
Marcy blogs about driving business success through
knowledge at MarcyPhelps.com.
Marcy Phelps can be reached at
+1 303.239.0657
mphelps@phelpsresearch.com
www.PhelpsResearch.com
Connect with Marcy:
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