Useful Links

Choosing Online Sources

When conducting research online, it is imperative to dig a little deeper to create general expectations of the sources being used. Keep your guard up…there are a lot of frauds out there in cyberspace. I find it beneficial to choose sites offering the information closest to the objective of the research. When evaluating online sources, use these ten (10) tips as guidelines:

1. Examine the subject matter to determine whether the information presented will actually be relevant to your research and add value to the ultimate objectives of the project and outcomes.

2. Try to determine if the source is reputable; information gathered from personal websites is usually biased, inaccurate, based on hearsay, or, in some cases, downright false.

3. Determine the age of the information being provided. Outdated information often proves worthless, particularly in fast moving industries like technology.

4. Determine how often the sources are updated and with what frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual, etc.).

5. Is the format of the site conducive to information gathering, searching and quick access to information? Is the site user-friendly? If the site is wordy and has poor navigation, leave as quickly as you came.

6. Are the sites well-presented and free of broken links?

7. Determine the geographic coverage of the source. Are potential competitors/products being excluded due to geographic constraints?

8. Consider pricing options before paying any information. Search and search again for free research rather than paying for some expensive report where the information you need in the report has been already dispersed for free.

9. Determine if customer support is available by the publisher, if needed. As an example, Mintel Comperemedia gives you fantastic reports and account management support if you need it.

10. Ask if documents are available in other languages. If documents were initially written in another language, there is a strong possibility developments or changes are occurring sooner than anticipated and you are being hindered simply by translation of the original source publications.

As a strategy and/or competitive intelligence researcher, always be cautious about what you’re gathering. The quality of the information is essential. If questions about the information arise, always verify your data with at least two or more sources.

Useful Links

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Alerts/Newsclipper/Monitoring Services
Ad Facts; Bizstats; Dow Jones;InfoBeat; NewsAlert; NewsEdge;Tracerlock; The Smoking Gun;Watchlist/Edgar Online;WebWhacker

Associations: VCA Association Directory, AIPAGIA, PIMA

Annual Reports
Free Annual Reports;

Balanced Scorecard – Kaplan and Norton’s Site:

The Palladium Group

Benchmarking Resources
APQC Best Practices;Benchmarking Sources; Best Manufacturing Practices;. The Benchmarking Exchange