Don’t just google it!

Don’t just google it!

Wits Power Reporting workshop, Oct 2011

Presented by Izak Minnaar

Investigative journalists’ search tools Specialised search tools and advanced

search techniques Don’t just google it: use the best

search tool for the job Effective ways to search

the web the invisible web social media and real time content

Specialised searches to find the most useful content for stories

Don’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

Check the facts; track

competitors

Break the story and spread the

word

Analyse the information

Find and review source

documents

Find the experts; work your contacts

Prep: read up and research the

story

A reporter in action … Interview the

sources

Don’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

Search tools Different kinds of search engines

Traditional search engines Database driven web search

Deep web/invisible web searches Specialised/targeted search tools Realtime search (of the social web)

News, blogs, social media Integrated searches

Don’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

Search engines Top 3:

Google Yahoo Bing

Multi and meta search engines Bing/Google Yippy Carrot2

Dogpile Mamma

Don’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

Search engines New generation search engines -

examples:BiznarFacesearchPiplWolfram-AlphaTouchgraph iResearch Reporter

Which search engine when?Don’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

Let’s search the web …

Search techniques Develop a “document frame of mind” Define the search topic

ask exactly what you want to know use search phrases and quotation marks

Less but better results Explore results options

Cached pages Latest content published: time based results Timeline search Extended results

Don’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

Sources and content types Possible sources:

Primary Official Reference Secondary Mediated Multiple Original source documents

The link between content types and file formats

Don’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

Targeted searches Search strategies to find source

material: Domain searches Document type searches

Google advanced search Source File type Site/domain Region Date

Don’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

More on search engines Selection of the Best search tools –

comparison chart Colossus – International directory of

search engines, by country NoodleTools – search strategy guide CyberJournalist SuperSearch Search tools to find videos, audio and

images on the web (Fumsi) Using social networking sites as a

research tool (Fumsi) Online tutorial: Nancy Blachman’s

Google GuideDon’t just google it – online searching for investigative journalists: Izak Minnaar, Wits Power Reporting 2011

Thank you!

izak.minnaar@gmail.com http://delicious.com/Webguide