Effective Techniques in Desk Research

Programme Features

From retrieval to writing...make a leap!

• Accepting a commission
  • taking a brief - the reference interview
  • preparing a proposal
  • managing client expectations
• Collecting the data
  • common statistical sources
  • first pass data collection
  • second pass data collection
• Adding value
  • interpretation
  • research
  • presentation
• Closing a project
  • seeking and using constructive feedback

This course is aimed at 1) professionals who are at the point in their career where they are adding longer term project work to their basic information retrieval duties and 2) managers/mentors helping such people. It details a step-by-step structure that can help manage the research process with a particular emphasis on reference interview techniques, data collection, methods of adding value and managing an effective feedback process. The focus is on practicality and the course is based on systems the lecturer has helped set up and run himself.

According to the particular needs of the group on the day, a number of pre-prepared units can be slotted in including, for instance, using the telephone as a research tool and managing a fee-charging service. The emphasis of the day is very much to encourage debate and best practice sharing amongst delegates who have the opportunity to discuss the challenges they face with fellow professionals.

• have reviewed reference interview and data gathering techniques
• feel confident in your ability to order data into a report format
• be encouraged to add your own value to the work you present
• share and compare your working practices with colleagues from a wide spectrum of other organisations

Programme
09.45 - 10.00 Registration and Coffee
10.00 - 10.30 Introduction
10.30 - 11.35 Accepting a Commission

• the research interview

• confirming the project

• managing client expectations

11.35 - 11.50 Coffee
11.50 - 12.40 Collecting the Data

• First Pass - using existing knowledge

• Second Pass - the real learning

12.40 - 13.00 Statistics and how to find them
13.00 - 14.00 Lunch
14.00 - 15.30 Adding value

• original research

• interpretation

• presentation

15.30 - 15.45 Tea
15.45 - 16.45 Forum:

• Effective Telephone Research

• Constructive feedback, how to seek and use it

16.45 - 17.00 Conclusion