FreePint Newsletter 214 - Projects + Teamwork > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *New* Easy to use HTML version of FreePint *New* View it online at: > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FreePint "Helping 79,000 people find, use, manage and share work-related information" ISSN 1460-7239 21st September 2006 No.214 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = IN THIS ISSUE ------------- EDITORIAL By Monique Cuvelier MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES By Sam Vaknin FREEPINT BAR In Association with Factiva a Dow Jones & Reuters Company JINFO :: JOBS IN INFORMATION Knowledge Co-ordinator - CBD Deputy Reference Librarian Knowledge Management Administrator Database Administrator Senior Library Manager (Children & Young People) Knowledge and Information Manager Business Researcher Information Scientist Senior Product Manager - Library Information Management Systems TIPS ARTICLE "The Project Handbook: How to Write Clear and Cogent End-User Documentation" By Stephanie Taylor REVIEW "Wikis: The Tools for Information Work and Collaboration" Written by Jane E. Klobas Reviewed by Leigh Dodds FEATURE ARTICLE "Transcontinental Teamwork: A Collaborative Case Study in Using Multilingual and Multinational Information Resources" By Marcy Phelps and Udo Hohlfeld EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS FULLY FORMATTED VERSION > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Try a fresh approach to company information with: MINT UK A leading business information tool from Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing Click here to register for a free trial > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [BvD2141] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** Using business information to meet compliance regulations *** Confused by anti money-laundering regulations? Many business information products hold the necessary data to support KYC enquiries. The latest issue of VIP provides an overview of compliance regulations and the products that can help you. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** ABOUT FREEPINT *** FreePint is a global network of people who find, use, manage and share work-related information. Members receive this free twice-monthly newsletter, which is packed with tips, features and resources. Joining FreePint is free at and connects information practitioners around the world with resources, events and answers to their tricky research and information questions at the FreePint Bar, our free online forum: . Please share FreePint with others by forwarding this message. The FreePint Newsletter is available online in several formats and can be read, saved and forwarded at . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EDITORIAL By Monique Cuvelier On my college study-abroad year, I landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport with one small suitcase and an ego big enough to claim at customs. I'd been the star of my French class, speaking sans accent and acing every test. I loved the language, breathed it, lived it and felt that my 10 years of classroom excellence had prepared me for an easy year jaunting around the land of my ancestors. Little did I know I'd been taught the language of Guy de Maupassant and Victor Hugo, which prepared me in absolutely no way for communicating with real, live French people. Think of a student asking to use your 'water closet' or wanting to 'break the evening fast' instead of eat breakfast. I was lost, and it took me the better part of a year to pick up enough idioms and slang to muddle through the day without confusing the locals. In short, I had to learn to communicate clearly. A dictionary only took me so far, but then I had to think about what I needed to say and do to reach the people around me. I could have used some tips about communication from Stephanie Taylor. Her feature on writing documentation for the end-user will show you how make sure your project is understood by all at every stage of development. Marcy Phelps and Udo Hohlfeld are masters of cross-cultural communication. They present a case study of how they worked between Germany and the United States on a winning research project. And Leigh Dodds reviews "Wikis: The Tools for Information Work and Collaboration", a book that outlines the ultimate in communication: the wiki. You can help us communicate too by forwarding this newsletter to anyone who you think might find FreePint useful. We dedicate every issue to helping you reach your clients and customers more effectively. And we do it without requiring you to know a word of French -- 18th century or otherwise. Monique Cuvelier Editor, FreePint e: monique.cuvelier@freepint.com w: FreePint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2006 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Online Information Exhibition 28-30 November 2006 - Olympia Grand Hall, London Meet the challenge of sourcing, managing and exploiting information for business advantage by visiting Online Information, the world's no. 1 event for information content and information management solutions. Register for free entrance at > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [OI2142] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** The right stuff in customer service *** Which online information vendors give you great service? Submit your nominations for the Online Information / FreePint Award for Best Customer Service. Read details and complete your nomination online by September 29: > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES By Sam Vaknin There are billions of pages on the internet. Separating the wheat from the chaff is not always easy. I use these five web sites often to do exactly that: * Suite101 , the newly revamped community of content websites offers articles and blogs about a variety of fascinating topics. * Google's inimitable search technology is applied to a massive collection of links to scholarly resources at Google Scholar . * Upload and share large, extra-large and humungous files at Rapid Share . Both free and premium accounts are available. An indispensable service. * No longer a mere promotional showcase, The Economist's website offers an economics and finance encyclopaedia, travel recommendations, online articles, aides to learning and a plethora of other goodies. * Amazon's new travel website offers everything from discount airfares to vacation packages. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sam Vaknin is the author of "Malignant Self Love -- Narcissism Revisited" and other books about personality disorders, narcissism and abuse in relationships. Submit your top five Favourite Tipples. See the guidelines at . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** What's your search missing? *** The average Web search will leave you sifting though mountains of useless information. Factiva delivers the most relevant information from the top business publications in virtually every region and every industry. Sign up for a free trial of Factiva.com and start finding what you need faster: > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [FA2143] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** Free Jinfo job listings for AU and NZ *** Employers and agencies can now list information-related vacancies in Australia and New Zealand with Jinfo for free, until 31st October. A free Jinfo listing is a great way to reach experienced information practitioners in Australia and New Zealand. Visit to learn more. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREEPINT BAR By Monique Cuvelier In Association with Factiva a Dow Jones & Reuters Company Children's privacy, the nature of intranets and crazy drivers are all over the Bar this week. Summaries appear below. Join the discussion on these topics and more at the FreePint Bar . * Might intranets, traditionally governed by the tech department, be better run by the communications team? One FreePinter is raising eyebrows by asking that very question. If you think intranets are better regarded as resources in knowledge working and facilitating internal communication -- or vice versa - join the discussion . * Some say the government has gone too far by setting up so many traffic cameras across Britain, but how about gathering private data on children? Some libraries are fingerprinting children or using biometrics to track their whereabouts. Good thing or bad thing? You decide . * One FreePinter wants to know how to digitise a collection of academic dissertations and is looking for advice . Smart suggestions and guidelines are cropping up in discussion. Some libraries ask for submissions in paper as well as electronic format, and others bring up important legal considerations. * Crazy drivers often appear in the Bar, and one member is seeking stats on car or motorbike accidents occurring in the first week of ownership. DOT is dry, but the Statistical Office, RAC and AA are a few of the many resources offered up. Read more . * International brand names can be elusive, especially when they can claim ownership by the likes of Phillips, Carrefour, Electro, Kompass and Thomas. If you have a Spanish remote control called Kneissel, help determine the pedigree . Hurry! Nominations now accepted for the Online Information/FreePint Award for Best Customer Service. Make your nominations by 1 October: . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Monique Cuvelier serves as editor of the FreePint Newsletter. She has contributed many articles to dozens of publications in the UK and US, CFO, CIO Insight, eCommerce Business, and also written about business and technology for The Western Mail, Wales' national newspaper. She has launched and run several online and print publications. She can be reached at . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The FreePint Bar is where you can get free help with your tricky research questions . Help with study for information-related courses is available at the FreePint Student Bar . Subscribe to the twice-weekly email digests at . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *Calling librarians, web searchers, designers, bloggers, info pros* Update your skills at Internet Librarian International London, 16 - 17 October 2006 3 keynotes, 50 international speakers, many networking opportunities Early bird discounts! For full programme and to register: > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [ILI2144] > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = *** Researcha :: Immediate pay-as-you-go company data *** Access hard-to-find data on UK company directors, original company filing images and company data for Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Researcha is free to search and view basic details, with convenient report delivery . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = JINFO :: JOBS IN INFORMATION The Jinfo service enables you to search and advertise information- related job vacancies. Free Australia and New Zealand listings until 31st October . The Jinfo Newsletter is published free every two weeks and contains a list of the latest vacancies along with job-seeking advice. The latest article is entitled "Silver-Haired Significance: Finding -- and Keeping -- a Job Past 50". Read it online and subscribe free at . Here is a selection of the latest featured entries in the Jinfo database: Australia --------- Knowledge Co-ordinator - CBD Knowledge manager, project manager, excellent communication skills. Recruiter: Zenith Country: Australia and Territories United Kingdom -------------- Deputy Reference Librarian Team Leading, management/development, selection/maintenance of reference materials + commitment to customer care. Temp post. Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited Country: United Kingdom Knowledge Management Administrator Knowledge Management at junior level? Exc. opportunity for bright person to be trained to support UK and global KM initiatives. Recruiter: Glen Recruitment Country: United Kingdom Database Administrator Alongside the Product Management team you'll be developing the UK's official database of postgrad courses & research opportunities. Recruiter: Graduate Prospects Country: United Kingdom Senior Library Manager (Children & Young People) A public library requires a Senior Library Manager for a 6 month contract to start as soon as possible. Recruiter: TFPL Ltd. Country: United Kingdom Business Researcher Join our corporate finance team for a superb opportunity to develop your research skills. Recruiter: Cassons Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers Country: United Kingdom Knowledge and Information Manager A rewarding Knowledge and Information Manager role with Amey, updating, refining and organising the Bid Management Library. Recruiter: Amey Country: United Kingdom Information Scientist Support the daily running of the Information Resource Centre and assist in the provision of scientific research. Recruiter: Instant Library Recruitment (Tribal Group Plc) Country: United Kingdom United States ------------- Senior Product Manager - Library Information Management Systems Seeking a creative and adaptable Senior Product Manager to work in an unstructured environment. Recruiter: Library Associates Country: United States [The above jobs are paid listings.] NB: These are just a selection of information-related jobs in the current Jinfo Newsletter and 210+ listings in the Jinfo database . Jinfo -- the best place for information-related job vacancies. * JOB SEARCHING? -- Free search and sign up to the Jinfo Newsletter * RECRUITING? -- Complete the form and advertise a vacancy for just GBP 195 -- 10% discount for agencies -- 50% discount for registered charities. -- 100% discount for Australia and New Zealand vacancies until 31 October Find out more today at > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TIPS ARTICLE "The Project Handbook: How to Write Clear and Cogent End-User Documentation" By Stephanie Taylor Mention project documentation and the usual set of documents aimed at keeping things on track come to mind: the project plan, initiation document, reports. In short, all the documents designed for the project manager and project board. But there is a forgotten audience just as important to the success of the project. These are the people who will ultimately be working with the innovations being introduced. They may be staff within an organisation, end-users or both, depending on the nature of the project. They will have one thing in common: they will know very little or even nothing at all about the project itself prior to their active involvement. As these users are often involved in testing and trialling the innovations, it is in everybody's best interests that they know about the project and understand what is expected of them. The development or introduction of new technologies is especially vulnerable to failure if these people are not confident of the project aims and their own role within it. Without clear guidance, it can be difficult for people coming into the project at a later stage to understand the aims and objectives. Identifying whether a problem is technical, operational or a training issue can be all but impossible. And projects can falter and even ultimately fail not because the technology wasn't suitable for its purpose but because the users failed to understand how to use and apply the innovations in their working environment. Having worked on many projects large and small, I have devised a project handbook, a kind of reference book to cover the needs of this group. The secret is to understand where the project will fit into their current workflow. Keep the document focused on the practical side of things. Do this by creating a reference book and a how-to guide in one. For easy use, include everything they might need to actually carry out their tasks and leave out anything that isn't strictly relevant to that purpose. The following guide is the one I use myself for starting any project handbook. It is flexible and can be adapted to suit your needs. It easily scales up or down depending on the size and scope of your project. Part 1: Research and scoping ---------------------------- The first step to any good end-user documentation is to identify who will be in this group as early as possible and start talking! Talk to them about what they do, what you want them to do and where the changes your project is initiating will fit in with their work. This step helps people feel a part of the project, and it introduces the new ideas to them well in advance of the implementation. At the same time, you build an understanding of the way they are already working and can start looking at how your project will fit in on an operational level. Answering the following questions is a good starting point: * Is your project introducing something totally new to the users? * Is it changing the way they do an existing task? * Are you introducing new technology, a new service or both? * Are there any other technologies that your project will interact with? * Are there any other operational procedures that your project will interact with? In your project handbook, it is useful to include a description of what the workgroup used to do along with what they will be doing in the future. This helps put changes into context. For example, any UK- based library document delivery/ILL system will handle requests to the British Library (BL), but will it handle them in different ways. For a project that is introducing changes to the technology in this area, you should be looking at how the users interact with BL now and how the workflow introduced by your project will interact with BL in the future. You would need to check the following: * Is there a technical change to the way requests are sent and responses received? * Is there an operational change to the way staff process requests? * Are there any new operational options (e.g. may end users be able to place requests themselves for the first time)? * Does the requesting process interact with any other technologies (e.g. does it need to link into a library management system)? * Does the requesting process interact with any other part of the operational procedures (e.g. do staff work to an agreed service level turn-around time, and is this affected)? Identifying the key areas for the whole workflow of the project application will ensure that your handbook explains in detail what is going to happen and what users need to do. Part 2: Creating the handbook ----------------------------- The following contents checklist covers the basics of what should be included in a good project handbook. It can be adapted to suit any project. Project overview ---------------- The handbook itself should be essentially a user guide. Focus on making everything in it practical. Remember that several other documents detail the various plans and ambitions of the project, so write a short introduction section only. Refer your readers to any documents that cover other project areas in more detail. Scope ----- The scope is a short section but a vital one and should explain the current phase of the project. This is especially useful if you are releasing a partial version of something to your users. Explain what they will see now and why. If there are new features to come in later project phases, put what they will be doing in context of how the project will develop. Explain the purpose of what users are being asked to do. Are they testing? Checking through for acceptance? Piloting for a wider 'go live'? Make sure they understand what the project is doing in this phase and their role in it. Include start and finish dates as appropriate. Step-by-step guide ------------------ This will be the largest section of the handbook. It should cover both technical and operational procedures in minute detail, so someone can follow what should be done step by step. Divide this section into manageable sub-sections so it can be easily updated. Refer to anything you found out from your preliminary research. You are aiming to leave no grey areas here. Even if your project is undertaking training sessions for users, don't skimp on this section. It builds confidence for users to know they can refer to the handbook at any stage and see what they should be doing. Change is often a worry for people. This section is where you reassure users and guide them through everything that is required of them. The more confident your users are, the more chance your project has of succeeding. Checklist of requirements ------------------------- This is a list of everything users need to participate in the project phase. Include any basic things like equipment, logins, internet access and permission. Include project-specific information such as software versions, technical specifications, agreements with third parties and pre-start testing. These details are usually sent out many times in many formats before the users are involved, but your handbook is going to become the place they turn to for help, so include them here. Contact details --------------- Always include ways that users can contact you when they are working with the product in the project phase. The handbook should answer most of their questions, but there is bound to be someone who thinks of a question you haven't covered. If the handbook can't answer it, make sure they know where to come for more help. Feedback -------- Let your users know how they can send you their comments and impressions of the project. This could be a printed form or an email address or an online form. Including details for feedback lets the users know that you are taking their input to the project seriously. The more feedback you get, the more you know about what works and what doesn't. Make it clear that you view comments -- good and bad -- positively! Next steps ---------- Every project has next steps, be it the next phase, a refinement of acceptance requirements or going live. Tell the users what the next phase will be, what the schedule is and when they can expect to have updates. This keeps them interested and gives them a sense of moving forward. If things change, you can update them. Including this information means users can see progress and sense that your project has a purpose. Part 3: Maintaining momentum ---------------------------- The comments and suggestions you solicit will give you a good idea of what is working, what isn't and where improvements can be made. As decisions are made about how these will (or won't) be incorporated into the project, let your users know about any practical changes that occur. Remember that you are dealing with the way people are working on a day-to-day basis even if your project is just asking the users to do a dry run. So make sure that you update the step-by-step guide frequently. Make the most of the subsections you created, and send out replacement pages or subsections as required on an 'as and when' basis. Users can than replace the old sections easily to keep the handbook up-to-date. In addition, decide if you need another version of the handbook. If your project is going to have users participating in further stages of testing or is scheduled to go live, then a new version of the handbook is a good way of keeping everything current. Use this as an opportunity to make any updates and revisions from feedback you had from the previous version, to add any amendments and appendices into the main text and start with a new definitive guide for the next project stage. Done well, a project handbook should cut down on helpdesk calls and focus feedback on useful comments rather than complaints along the lines of: 'I didn't understand ...'. It can save time for all concerned and make the users feel they have a useful and important role in the project. It can give users the confidence to take on the challenge of change your project is introducing into their workplace. Once people are sure of their own part in things and what is expected of them, it frees them up to concentrate on giving new ideas and work practices a fair chance. Don't be surprised if a well-thought-out handbook becomes a prominent part of the project for the users. In the best instances, it becomes not only a useful guide but also makes the users feel a part of things. It can become the contact point of the project for them, the hub around which the project activities revolve. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Critical Eye Communications is a new company set up by Stephanie Taylor who has over 10 years experience in the library and information sector. This has included a grounding in academic libraries at the John Rylands University Library Manchester, before progressing to work on projects delivering electronic document delivery solutions to academic libraries throughout the UK. She has also worked on the 'other side of the fence' in a software house producing document delivery and information management solutions. Stephanie can be contacted at: > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related FreePint links: * "The Product Development Cycle" By Stephanie Taylor. FreePint No.140 * "Developing Web-Based Instruction - Planning, Designing, Managing and Evaluating for Results" * Documentation Design discussion in the FreePint Bar * "Enabling End-Users: Information Skills Training" * XML Documentation Tutorial in the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Library > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Full-text, real-time, multi-media -- we've got it covered Add quality your online reference collection with ResourceShelf, a free daily update of full-text sources, reports, lists and rankings, professional reading, search tips and tools, and more. Free weekly newsletter of highlights and/or real-time RSS feed keep you up to date. Use it to enhance your reputation as finder of all things web based . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ** Tell Us About It - FreePint Testimonials ** Supply your words to help us grow FreePinters provide us with testimonials that help us grow. If you enjoy FreePint, please consider supplying a testimonial at: . Your words are the best communication of the value of FreePint -- whether we're talking to new subscribers or potential and current advertisers. Thank you! > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = REVIEW "Wikis: The Tools for Information Work and Collaboration" Written by Jane E. Klobas Reviewed by Leigh Dodds Wikis are in vogue, largely because of their usefulness. Unlike blogs, which tend to be personal publishing tools, a wiki is driven by a community, making it a natural fit for collaborative environments in business, education and other fields. While much has been written about the use of wiki software to create Wikipedia , the online user-editable encyclopaedia, there has still been very little written about the application of wiki software to support Knowledge Management and sharing in smaller communities. "Wikis: Tools for Information Work and Collaboration", by Jane Klobas, contributes to the small but growing body of literature documenting the use of a wiki as a collaborative information space. The book is pitched at '... people who want to find out about wikis and their potential; for readers who want to know more about wikis as social information spaces and information resources, and wikis in library and information science, business and education'. The early chapters introduce wiki software, its origins, design principles and the open, community-oriented philosophy that is as much part of the environment as is their ease of use. Also included is a critical and balanced look at wiki sites as information sources, including their strengths and weaknesses. The middle section discusses the application of wikis in the library community -- as an educational tool and in a business context. These chapters are comprehensive, reviewing many different examples of successful application of the technology. Unfortunately, this comprehensiveness is also a weakness. Not enough space is devoted to each example meaning that at times the text becomes simply a list of project names, links and short explanatory paragraphs. A few longer case studies reviewing what made each project successful would have been more illuminating. Indeed some negative examples also would have made for interesting reading. The last chapters of the book, many of which were written by other wiki experts, review the options available for creating a wiki. They cover options for setting up a wiki environment and some issues to consider when managing a wiki once it is up and running. As a seasoned wiki user I found this last chapter to be the most disappointing. While the author does review many important aspects of a creating a successful wiki site, for example: providing a 'sandbox' in which new users can experiment, seeding initial content, and dealing with problem users and spam, some issues aren't covered well enough. There is little discussion of the importance of 'wiki gardening' to clean out old content, or wiki features such as page merging to manage content. The text is accessible and easy to read, providing copious pointers to additional reading material and real-world examples of wiki usage. Overall, the book provides a good introduction to using a wiki as an information tool. For the reader already familiar with wiki environments, looking for practical advice on how to improve or better manage their wiki, then this book has little to offer. However, I definitely recommend this book to readers who are new to the topic and seeking a good introduction. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related FreePint links: * "Embracing the Wiki Way: Deploying a Corporate Wiki" By Leigh Dodds * "MP3s, Podcasts and All That" By Nick Luft * "Q&A with Christopher Barger, IBM's Blogger-in-Chief" By Tim Buckley-Owen * "Will Wikipedia Mean the End Of Traditional Encyclopedias?" on ResourceShelf * About Jane Kolbas * Find out more about this book online at the FreePint Bookshelf * "Wikis: Tools for Information Work And Collaboration" ISBN 1843341786, published by Chandos Publishing (Oxford) Ltd. * Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com * Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the FreePint Bookshelf at To propose an information-related book for review, send details to . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Leigh Dodds is the engineering manager for the IngentaConnect website, a large aggregation of academic research content. Leigh is experienced with developing with Java, XML and Semantic Web technologies and has also contributed code and documentation to several open-source projects. As a freelance author Leigh has also contributed articles and tutorials to sites including IBM developerWorks and XML.com. Leigh has presented papers at several technical conferences and has acted as technical reviewer for a number of books covering core XML technologies. He recently contributed to the O'Reilly book, XML Hacks. His personal website is at . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = On the Ticker: Use DocuTicker for Full-Text Resources There's a wealth of full-text reports put out by government agencies, NGOs, charities and other public interest organisations. DocuTicker's editors find and post them, putting them at your fingertips. Subscribe to the weekly ResourceShelf newsletter for highlights, capture the DocuTicker RSS feed, or visit daily to learn about the latest full-text resources . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FEATURE ARTICLE "Transcontinental Teamwork: A Collaborative Case Study in Using Multilingual and Multinational Information Resources" By Marcy Phelps and Udo Hohlfeld Marcy Phelps, Denver, Colorado, USA -- As an independent information professional, it's easy to fall into the 'Lone Wolf Syndrome'. You become so accustomed to working alone that it becomes difficult to let go and trust any part of your work to someone else. A recent project reminded me how easy and productive it can be when you call in an expert. In this case, it helped me uncover information I would not have found otherwise, and it added a much-needed international prospective to the project. The project also highlighted the value I receive from my membership in the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) . My client, a creative agency specialising in business-to-business product launches, was in the early stages of a rebranding project. They were working with a company that had recently been acquired by a German firm. To help them develop a presentation for their client, my client asked me to find the following information: * What other companies has the parent firm acquired, and what have they done regarding branding for these companies? * What is the perception of these companies and their products both globally and in the US? * What can be found regarding acquisitions and/or product launches for some of their competitors? * What can be found regarding branding after business acquisitions in this industry, as well as other business-to-business industries? Specifically: - How do they use sub-brands? - Are there examples of companies keeping their names after acquisition? - How did they use the parent company in the logo? My client had a short timeline. Ideally, they wanted the research within three business days. After some discussion, we agreed that the project would be completed in two phases. Questions 1 and 2 would be sent within three business days. Questions 3 and 4 could be completed two business days after that. I first checked English-language sources, including Dialog, Factiva, and SkyMinder. Dialog File 551, TFSD Worldwide Mergers & Acquisitions provided the information I needed about what companies they had acquired. SkyMinder had a great company profile that helped round-out the data. It wasn't long before I realised that this project would not be complete without the help of a German researcher. I contacted fellow AIIP member Udo Hohlfeld after he was recommended to me by two other AIIP members. Udo responded quickly (it was Friday afternoon here in Denver, Colorado, USA). Over the weekend, I sent him what I needed and what I had already found. When I woke up on Monday, the results of Udo's research were in my inbox. He had confirmed what I discovered about the acquisitions, and he had found some great information about the acquiring company's branding strategies and public perception of the company and its brands. One article, however, was in German, and for it to be useful to me it needed to be translated. I was able to compile most of the information we had found that helped to answer the first two questions and send it to my client by close of business Monday, per their required timeline. Udo provided the translation of the branding strategy article by Tuesday morning, and I sent my client the update before they arrived in their office. Over the next two days, I completed the second phase. Since I knew my client would not have the time (or the inclination) to read all the documents we retrieved in the course of the research, I distilled much of the information into bullet points. I also created charts that would help them visualise and compare the various approaches to branding sub-brands, using Udo's helpful translations. My client let me know that they were very pleased with the research, and they even sent me their presentation. In it, they included the charts I had provided, and they inserted a number of quotes from Udo's translated articles. Finally, they said that they had impressed their client with the thoroughness of their preparation. I was happy I took the plunge and trusted someone to work with me on the project, and I learned about working with a cross-border partner. Some tips I picked up along the way: * Be aware of time differences and how they can affect your deadline * Look to trusted sources for referrals * Be sure to discuss and put in writing all agreements regarding what information is needed, as well as time, format and budget requirements * Discuss how and when payment will be made and in what currency. In this case, our international teamwork enhanced information and satisfied our clients. The next time you need to research a foreign company or industry, add value to your project: use your network to bring in multilingual sources and the services of international researchers. -- Marcy Phelps Udo Hohlfeld, Wollstein, Germany -- As a German competitive intelligence specialist I have long enjoyed the benefits of AIIP's international network of information professionals of all brands. On a Friday evening a call for help from fellow AIIP member Marcy Phelps arrived in my inbox. I learned that she needed regional expertise and local language skills. Marcy had a tight timeframe, but Marcy and I agreed that we could exploit the advantage of being in different time zones. Starting early Monday morning (my time) would be sufficient to meet her Monday morning deadline (her time). Meanwhile, Marcy would send me what she had already found to avoid double work. The question of my being paid for the project was easily solved as we decided to use PayPal, a simple and relatively secure way to transfer money between different countries and currencies. Early Monday morning I started work on the open questions, making use of German-language sources. The database host I used is called GBI- Genios. It covers almost all German language professional and news publications in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Additionally, I checked on various publications from either German marketing associations or professional associations. Within three hours, I was able to confirm Marcy's findings and add important insight into the acquiring company's marketing and branding strategy. Of course, I offered to translate some of the German sources into English. Since I was on a tight deadline for another project that I had postponed half a day to support Marcy, the translation could not be done before the following day. This project, which started in the US, shows how easily project scope can become international. In such a case, the use of partners with special regional and local expertise and language skills adds to the project success and results in a satisfied client. Some benefits of this special project include: * The customer is satisfied with the outcome of the expert research * Marcy could impress her customer with superior results within a tight timeframe * AIIP, once more, proved to be of high value to its members * And I have a new customer (Marcy Phelps). -- Udo Hohlfeld > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - About Marcy Phelps: As the company founder and president of Denver-based Phelps Research, Marcy Phelps offers business intelligence and market research for business executives. Marcy publishes a free monthly e-mail bulletin, ResearchNOTES, with useful sites and tips for Internet research. To subscribe, go to . About Udo Hohlfeld: Udo Hohlfeld, Competitive Intelligence Specialist and founder of INFOplusDATEN GmbH & Co. KG, has more than 10 years of experience in information gathering worldwide and analysis. Udo has an MA in English and Political Science from Heinrich-Heine-Universitat, Germany, a certificate in Competitive Intelligence by Drexel University, USA, and a Professional Certificate in Management from the Open University Business School, UK. You can reach Udo at . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related FreePint links: * "Think Globally; Write Locally: What Source Writers Need to Know About Localisation", By Kristen Giovanis * "Business Information in Germany", By David Scrimgeour * VIP for research product reviews * Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) * PayPal > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FORTHCOMING EVENTS It is free to search and advertise information-related gatherings in FreePint Events . 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