Advanced Web SearchingCraft 1: 11.26.13

One of my favorite mapping tools

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The Asterisk in Google Maps search bar: The results will show you every single place Google knows about in that map view. So you can see nearby businesses, stores, and whatever else is around:

Upload an image Google images

SEC.gov

Company Filings: EDGAR

Some companies post financial filings on their Website. Some companies refer you to the SEC website. On the SEC database, Edgar, which houses companies, foreign and domestic, who are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free.

Key SEC Filings

DEF 14A, 8K, 10K, 10 Q.

Def 14A

To view the annual proxy statement, select the most recent filing that has the title "DEF 14A." It's called a "DEF 14A" because it's the "definitive," or final, proxy statement. "14A" refers to the fact that proxy statements are filed pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Company research

What kinds of information can you find: executive compensation, legal proceedings, Risk factors, competitors

Compensation of Executives: You can locate information about executive pay in: (1) the company's annual proxy statement; (2) the company's annual report on Form 10-K; and (3) registration statements filed by the company to register securities for sale to the public.

10Q

The Form 10-Q includes unaudited financial statements and provides a continuing view of the company's financial position during the year.

10K

10K: annual report on Form 10-K provides a comprehensive overview of the company's business and financial condition and includes audited financial statements. Although similarly named, the annual report on Form 10-K is distinct from the “annual report to shareholders”

8K

In addition to filing annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports onForm 10-Q, public companies must report certain material corporate events on a more current basis. Form 8-K is the “current report” companies must file with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about.

AND, OR, NOT

AND is assumed

OR in all caps works: finds synonyms

Don’t use NOT if you want to exclude a search term. Instead use a minus sign

Also + is not treated as an AND in front of the word. “San Antonio” -Alamo (There is no space between hypen and alamo)

Google Tools

Use quotes for exact phrases or google will search for the terms individually

Site: .nyc.gov

Define [space] [search term]

i.e. define contrite

CTL F is a keyboard shortcut for a word or phrase on the page

Google Tools

[search term] diagram i.e. reflexology diagram;

Filetype: pdf, xls, doc, ppt, pptx Typing filetype:xls in a search will show only spreadsheets. It’s incredibly useful for finding public data (i.e. affordable health care act filetype:ppt)

Stay on top of a story with Google Alerts

More Google Tools

Calculator—enter math equation into search box

Track packages—Enter UPS, FEDEx, USPS tracking number and shows status of shipment

Google Translate: http://translate.google.com/

Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/

Quick Reference Guide

http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/assets/PowerSearchingQuickReference.pdf

Evaluate a Website: Who, When, Why, What

Authority – whose page is it? Go to the “About” page on the site. Search domaintools.com to see if registry info is public.

Domain name: .edu, .gov, .mil?

Do you recognize the agency, institution, individual?

Peer-reviewed, edited scholarly publication or reference work

Is the info current? Always look for the most recent info from a primary source.

Always go to the original source

If the page sources the info, go to the source.

Example: http://insideschools.org

What sources do they use for their data?

Recognize parody or bias

http: martinlutherking.org

http://manhattanairport.org

Internet Archive: Wayback Machine

http://archive.org/web/web.php

Sites with Leaked or FOIA’d Info

What is FOIA? How does it work?

http://researchcenter.journalism.cuny.edu/research-guides/craft-resources/foil-and-foia-faqs/

governmentattic.org

Provides electronic copies of thousands of interesting Federal Government documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.  Fascinating historical documents, reports on items in the news, oddities and fun stuff and government bloopers, they're all here.  Think of browsing this site as rummaging through the Government's Attic -- hence our name.  

http://www.governmentattic.org/2docs/FOIA_Logs_DHS_2007.pdf

Congressional Research Service Reports

 CRS reports, which are compiled for Congress and contain data, statistics and analysis. They are not usually public, but they are leaked to the public and compiled on these websites.

wikileaks.org

WikiLeaks is a not-for-profit media organization. Our goal is to bring important news and information to the public. We provide an innovative, secure and anonymous way for sources to leak information to our journalists (our electronic drop box). One of our most important activities is to publish original source material alongside our news stories so readers and historians alike can see evidence of the truth.

 

Take a look at their About page. It describes how Wikileaks works and How they verify their news stories, some of the stories they have broken

Don’t forget about the research guides

CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

http://researchcenter.journalism.cuny.edu/research-guides/craft-resources/google-and-beyond/