In his popular column, Search Engine Update, published in ONLINE magazine, Greg details the latest search developments at the major search engines. The tweaks, the experiments, the new search developments, the retrenchments, the new directions—all will be explained in this opening session. An extension of the information presented in his columns and at his Search Engine Showdown website, you will learn the latest about search changes, personalization, database integration, and how to optimize your own searching behaviors.

As more information is digitized and appears on the internet, web researchers face the problem of having too many places to go to find information. When do you move from search engines to specialized search tools, to government resources, to fee-based sources, to print, or even the telephone? What guides these decision points? Is it intuition or something more structured? This session will look at some of the typical decision points and offer some tips on choosing the best path.

Business research encompasses a multitude of avenues for exploration. It can include company, industry, market, and management topics. It ranges from Wall Street to Main Street, from multinationals to small businesses, from finance to management best practices. Join Harvard Business School librarian Ann Cullen, who also teaches business research at Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science, to learn about the newest, most improved, exciting resources that will help you be more effective in researching business topics.

With “dead tree” publications, both newspapers and magazines, disappearing or going completely digital, the ability of searchers to find current and historical news is becoming more challenging. The underlying issues regarding information access aren’t really different, although they are becoming more acute. We worry about accuracy, timeliness, and cost. We’re concerned about news disappearing but thrilled that older news sources are appearing in electronic form. The fee-versus-free debate continues to plague online searchers. Ran will present current news dilemmas and provide clarification.

WebSearch University sponsors explain their newest offerings and take questions from the audience.

Although not everyone can be a sci-tech information specialist, STM tends to overlap with all research agendas. This session will start with a general overview of science and technology websites. Additionally, information domains in which these researchers from MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit organization chartered to work in the public interest, typically answer requests, such as cyber security, information technology, and public health, will be emphasized.

It’s no secret that the U.S. government is a prolific publisher. With a new administration comes a new attitude toward information transparency and disclosure that affects not only federal government information, but also filters down to the state and local level. The implications for searchers are vast. If you ever thought government data was
boring, dull, or lackluster, this session will open your eyes to exciting opportunities of maximizing the value of government information.