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Photographic Consultant, October 2009
Client and Market Researcher for a Web Start-Up in the Food Services Industry, October 2009 (ongoing)
Researcher for an Educational Publisher, September 2009
Historical Newspaper Researcher for an Upcoming Novel, September 2009
Joomla Consultant and Content Provider for Mystic River Marina, August -- October 2009
Information Architect and Designer for a Commercial Website, August 2009
Researcher and Survey Designer for a Study on Homeschooling in North America, July 2009
Researcher for a Summary of Cutting-Edge Dentistry Techniques and Applications, July 2009
Academic Database Researcher for a Project on the Management of Serials in Academic Libraries, July 2009
Researcher and Writer for a Biographical Sketch of Arthur Erickson, June 2009
Researcher and Survey Designer for a Study on the Use of Twitter in North American Public and Academic Libraries, June 2009 (ongoing)
Researcher for an Examination into Publically-Available Information for a Content on Demand Company, June 2009
Internet Researcher for an Overview of APIs (Californian Consultancy), June 2009
Researcher for a Study on Novelist Richard Yates, June 2009 (ongoing)
Database Management for a Canadian Health Food Cooperative, May 2009
Researcher and Writer for an American Legal Website, May 2009
Co-Designer of Two Web-Based Applications for North American Organic Farms, April -- May 2009
Researcher and Writer for an European Legal Blog on the Subject of Collaborative Divorce, April 2009
Researcher and Writer for an Upcoming Book on Roman Women and Children, April 2009 (ongoing)
Internet Image Researcher for a Website on Herbs, April 2009
Website and Information Redesign for a New York-based Consultancy, March 2009
Researcher and Editor for a Large Educational Website, February -- May 2009
Researcher and Informational Manager for a Philadelphia Art Website, February 2009
Internet Researcher and Writer for a Report on Search Engine Optimization, January -- February 2009
Researcher, Writer, and Editor for a Publication on ACRL Literacy Standards, Instructional Scaffolding, and the Value of Web-based Tutorials in an Academic Setting, January 2009
Researcher for an Upcoming Historical Novel on William Marshall, the 1st Earl of Pembroke, November 2008 -- January 2009
Researcher for a Study on Recession-Proof Industries, November 2008
Research and Writing Sabbatical, October 2008
Environmental Researcher for a Study on the Environmental Impacts and Health Concerns Related to Wireless Internet Towers (Washington State Grassroots Organization), September 2008
Researcher for an Overview on Best Practices for Corporate Website Usability, Customer Experience, and Usability Engineering, September 2008
Medical Researcher for a Study on the Effects of Candida Yeast, August 2008
Researcher for a Study on the Portrayal of Male Librarians Throughout History, August 2008
Researcher for a Business Proposal, Life Insurance Industry, July 2008
Client and Market Researcher for the Insurance Industry, June -- September 2008
Internet Researcher and Writer for a Report on the Future of Life Insurance, May -- July 2008
Researcher and Survey Designer for a Study on Learning Commons in North American Academic Libraries, May 2008
Researcher for a Presentation on the Future of Academic Libraries, April 2008
Website Content and Photographic Designer for a Well-Known Business Site Specializing in Gourmet Food Products, April 2008
Researcher for an International Insurance Corporation, February 2008
Researcher for an Upcoming Book on Luxury Shopping, January -- May 2008
Researcher for a PowerPoint Deck on the Importance of Government Documents, January 2008
Knowledge Manager and Researcher for an International Insurance Group, January -- February 2008
On an ongoing basis, I identify information that relates to a particular sector of the insurance industry. It is used as a foundational element in a strategic knowledge sharing system for a global operation. The research is shared with business units throughout the world.
Researcher and Writer for a Book Proposal, December 2007
Fact Checker for a Manuscript on American Inventors, October -- December 2007
Researcher for an Educational Booklet on the Amendments to the United States Constitution, September -- October 2007
Fact Checker for a Book on the National Parks of the United States, September -- November 2007
Science & Technology Foresight Researcher for Industry Canada, July -- September 2007
Lifestyle Researcher and Consultant for an Upcoming Book on Ethical Living, June -- November 2007
Researcher for a Number of Educational Booklets, May -- June 2007
Researcher and Writer for an Online Legal Information Company, April -- May 2007
I was employed to find information on a number of current topics making the news, including various types of food poisoning. I then wrote articles on each one.
Researcher for a Web 2.0 Start-up, March -- May 2007
My job was to generate a number of reports that incorporated demographic statistics and trends, revenue and business models, market numbers, revenue trends, information on user base, and historical growth rates. I also researched articles that would help my clients have a deeper understanding of their customers and competitors.
Business Researcher and Writer for a London-based Author, February -- March 2007
Business Researcher and Negotiator, January 2007
Researcher and Annotator, January 2007
Knowledge Manager and Researcher for an International Insurance Group, January 2007
On an ongoing basis, I identify information that relates to a particular sector of the insurance industry. It is used as a foundational element in a strategic knowledge sharing system for a global operation. The research is shared with business units throughout the world.
Business Development and Researcher for Internet Start-up, December 2006
I was hired on an ongoing basis to identify and match innovative business opportunities with my client's company vision. Competitive analysis, targeting potential new customer bases, and assessing target markets is included in my work. Ultimately, my role is to suggest possible new products and services, and brainstorm entirely new business markets and models. Other duties see me analyzing the needs of key customers, monitoring progress, offering solutions, and contracting new business with them.
Researcher and Editor for a PhD Student, December 2006
My client had the task of writing a lengthy essay on an ethical dilemma in contemporary social work. Ethical dilemmas present the decision-maker with competing perspectives which are of proportional or similar worth. In order to focus the situation, you must state the dilemma in ethical terms. This information, then, is the subject matter or problem focus of many professionals. I was asked to find the appropriate information and articles, along with structuring the essay and editing.
Photographic Researcher, December 2006
I was asked to find images and names of those sitting on a number of Australian banking boards.
Endangered Species Researcher and Writer, November 2006
The Sperm Whale, Jaguar, Florida Panther, and Bighorn Sheep were just some of the animals I researched for this job. I then wrote profiles for each and provided other meta data. The information will be used as part of an online educational tool for students.
Sports Researcher, November 2006
The world of professional sports is an interesting place to start when you are researching exceptional dedication and hard work. I looked at athletes from the following teams to get some insight into the kind of determination it takes to reach that level of excellence: LA Dodgers, Yankees, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with some Olympians.
Designer and Project Manager for a Business Website, November 2006
I worked with an experienced web programmer and designer to recreate an already existing ecommerce site, focusing on cutting-edge digital marketing techniques to complement the client's business plan and target audience. The design incorporates intuitive user interfaces with logical and easy-to-use navigation elements that are accessible and usable to a wide variety of operating systems and technologies.
Researcher for a PhD Student, October 2006
This project involved me finding the newest and most cutting-edge information on running injuries, injuries in recreational adult fitness activities, and etiology and the prevention of sports injuries.
Business Plan Writer, Researcher, and Editor for a Pharmaceutical Start-up (NDA in place), August -- September 2006
This not-for-profit organization needed my assistance with researching and writing a business plan, one based on ideas from the field of social entrepreneurship. My clients are working on the release of an important, innovative and controversial drug.
Researcher for an International Insurance Group, August -- December 2006
Working with a web programmer, I helped design and create an application to store, categorize, and annotate digital information. I then did my research using academic journals, trade publications, magazines, newspapers, country reports, industry profiles, market research reports, and product reviews. This great tool then allowed me to store the information I found for my client, create bibliographic profiles for each article, categorize by subject and country, write an abstract, add keywords, and make comments and notes.
Government Documents Researcher, August 2006
My client was interested in getting some information on the United States federal government, most specifically, the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch, which interprets America's laws. An overview of the Constitution, a look at the Bill of Rights, along with a number of the Amendments, were included in my work. I then had to provide a number of modern examples that challenge some of the Amendments.
Researcher, Writer, and Editor for Privacy Lost: How Technology is Endangering Your Privacy, September 2005 -- July 2006
The author's intention in writing Privacy Lost: How Technology is Endangering Your Privacy was to explain the connection between technology and privacy and speculate a little on where things might be headed. The premise of the book is that our privacy has become lost because of technology. Technology has changed our culture, how we communicate and how we don't. It has affected our ability to control our personal information, who sees it, what they see, what they do with it. Our privacy is already lost, whether we know it or not. Whether we can find it again is still unclear. Throughout the book you'll find numerous stories and examples, culled from newspapers, magazines and of course, the Internet. Sure, privacy violations happen to celebrities, but more often it affects normal people, the ones who mistakenly think that the government or the law is protecting them. This book is about this connection between technology and privacy. It's not just written for privacy advocates or for technologists. Rather, it's meant to be read by anyone who is disturbed about the growing amount of data available on them, about who's doing the collecting and what the collectors are going to do with all of our personal information. The subject of privacy is applicable to anyone concerned about the growing number of exceedingly well-publicized privacy violations and wondering about how many more incidents haven't become public. It's hard not to notice the unending stream of news stories describing one egregious privacy violation after another: companies losing the financial information of millions of users, a Veteran's Affairs civil servant's laptop stolen along with the personal information of nearly every American who's ever served in the Military, a Boston newspaper that wrapped papers in printouts of their customers' credit card numbers, they're all documented and discussed in this book. The stories alone are a testament to the effect of technology on our privacy. This really great job actually began in August 2004, when I helped the author with his pending proposal for the book. A year later we began putting the book together. I did extensive original research, summarizing it into briefs for the author. I used a wide range of resources, finding appropriate information in magazines, newspapers, books, government documents, websites, and databases. I edited and critiqued the work in progress, and fact-checked the materials. I also compiled the endnotes (including formatting them into the Chicago Style), references, sources, and created the bibliography. I later worked with copyeditors to put the finishing touches on the book, checking the copy for readability, style, and agreement with editorial policy. I also helped with verifying facts, dates, and statistics. One of the most important parts of my job is to act as a sounding board; to tell my client the truth; offer support (because the process is a difficult one); and keep the project on track.
Digital Photographic Consultant and Image Stylist for Online Store, July 2006
I received a large number of digital photos to be used for a gourmet food web site. My job was to choose a selection that would best reflect the company brand and facilitate the building of an online retail environment that maximizes customer experience and interactivity.
Historical Researcher and Writer for a New York Publishing House, June -- July 2006
I researched and developed a series of virtual educational field trips and finding aids focusing on 19th century American historical events, sites, and museums. The Cherokee Nation, the Louisiana Purchase, Trail of Tears, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, formed the bulk of my research.
Fact Checker for an Upcoming Book, June 2006
Fact checking involves verifying facts, and checking quotes, dates, names, page numbers, addresses, spelling, titles, statistics, geographical locations, and citations for accuracy, relevancy, and legitimacy of content using reliable sources. I was hired to fact check a non-fiction book and to do the work within a very tight schedule.
Bibliographic Consultant, May -- June 2006
I was hired by a major publishing house to assist copy editors and the project manager to work on the footnotes and bibliography for a non-fiction monograph. What sometimes happens when copyeditors make their final tour through a book is that the bibliographic citations get moved around and become attached to the wrong text. My job was to iron out the difficulties, check for the accuracy of each note, and to make sure that the proper format was used. I also compiled the bibliography for the book.
Business Development Researcher (NDA in place), May 2006
I was asked to research and identify appropriate Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors for a business that is currently looking for capital.
Researcher, April 2006
My job on this assignment was to uncover the ownership structure of a number of U.S. companies.
Historical Researcher and Writer for Enslow Publishers, April -- May 2006
My duties included reading a number of manuscripts on famous inventors (for example: Henry Ford, Oppenheimer, Edison) and then researching the subjects online. The websites were used to create records and were put into an online database. The information will be used to write reports and essays.
Researcher for a Commercial Residential Insurance Company, March 2006
Operating in thirty-five states, this insurance company needed my help to identify information relating to a potential new class of business for them.
Researcher for Discovery Channel, March 2006
I was hired to do some initial research for an upcoming documentary on Tuvalu, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. The research centered on climatic changes and flooding.
Project Manager for a Start-up, February -- December 2006
My main job for this client is to keep the team on track, making sure that projects are completed on time, setting up meetings, helping with status reports, answering emails, and the resolution of issues in a timely manner.
Historical Researcher and Writer for American Publisher, December 2005 -- February 2006
Health Researcher for a Nutrition Company, December 2005
My job was to supply emergency research on a wide variety of ingredients found in a selection of vitamin and health supplement products.
Researcher for a Busy Academic, September -- November 2005
I was hired to act as a research assistant, finding timely articles on social work related issues. Contemporary psychotherapy, traumatized impact of child sexual abuse, perspectives on youth care programs, attachment theory, and the boundaries between physiotherapy and psychotherapy were just a few of the subjects I researched. Agoraphobia, chronic pain in primary health care, biopsychosocial rehabilitation programs, and multidisciplinary approaches to the treatment of chronic pain were also scanned and profiled.
Researcher for American Law Firm, September -- December 2005
My client was a class action attorney in need of some assistance with becoming knowledgeable regarding a particular subject. Specifically, he was suing an automobile manufacturer, and the allegedly defective design of a specific engine component was at issue. While the firm also hired expert engineers to consult with, as a preliminary effort, I was hired to find all available literature regarding this engine design and to tap into a vast literature of automobile design engineering literature. I searched for and evaluated relevant resources, schematic representations, and articles and then forwarded copies for review in an organized format.
Researcher, Writer, and Editor for an Upcoming Non-Fiction Book, September 2005 -- July 2006
See above.
Business Plan Researcher and Editor for Start-up, August 2005
I assisted in establishing contact with potential backers, allies and partners, along with helping research appropriate materials for the plan, editing documents, and finding missing references.
Researcher and Writer for a Technology Start-up (NDA), August -- September 2005
My work was geared towards assisting helping the company directors to prepare a PowerPoint business proposal deck by supplying the market research and preparing the templates and text.
Historical Researcher and Writer, July -- August 2005
I researched and developed American history and environmental information resources for subject areas such as the Pony Express, Texas Independence, the Oregon Trail, and many aspects of the "Wild West."
Research Assistant for Educational Writer, June 2005
Nutrition, weight management, and the causes of increased levels of obesity among children in the United States were a few of the research areas covered.
Philosophy Researcher for Academic, June 2005
My research focused on investigating the rhetorical devices that Bentham used in his writings, and why those devices made his writing more or less persuasive.
Historical Researcher and Writer, April -- June 2005
My research included profiling and writing about significant 19th century American historical phenomena such as the Gold Rush, the Transcontinental Railroad, and the Bear Flag Rebellion.
Researcher for World Congress, April -- May 2005
I was hired to assist with the development of an information web portal specifically targeting Chief Medical Officers. The site is called CMO Exchange, a members-only, web-based portal meeting the unique information and resource needs of Chief Medical Officers and executives with comparable titles. CMO Exchange has been conceived and developed as a targeted information portal directed specifically and customized individually for the sole use Chief Medical Officers and Medical Directors. CMO Exchange is developed by World Congress, the producer of events that convene senior-level executives from all segments of the health care industry. World Congress events include The World Health Care Congress, The World Health Care Innovations in Technology Congress and the World Congress Leadership Summit series. My focus was to work with the project manager on the Custom Research area that allows members to request quality information on any topic they need, on a project-by-project basis, including business development, change management, best practices, and medical management resources and reports. I also worked on a research project that examined best practices in the use of medical directors in case management: best practices as to how other managed care organizations and medical management companies use medical directors to try to enhance clinical and cost savings outcomes in case management. Traditionally, case managers have only come to medical directors when they had a medical management coverage decision to make - a pretty typical utilization management function. The case managers have otherwise functioned largely independently, helping to coordinate care during and in the recovery from an acute event. My client was interested in using his case management to drive more effective outcomes on a long term basis, engaging the case managers and medical directors in more discussion around the appropriateness of the care the member is receiving, not just the efficiency of its delivery. He was also interested in the roles other companies have had medical directors play, the structure of the interaction of medical directors and nurses and any best practices. I also developed an online request form for CMOs looking for in depth research. The online form requested the following information: definition of research needs in as much detail as possible, time frame to be searched, description of limits or restrictions, reason for needing this information (i.e. journal article, conference presentation, research backgrounder for a book, etc.), preferred format of results (formalized report, list of article citations, website addresses, etc.), specific goals of the research project, provision of keywords and significant terms, depth of research required, and an overview of research already completed to avoid duplication.
Researcher for Upcoming Work of Fiction, February -- April 2005
My client is writing a family saga that sweeps across time, continents, and cultures. My role is to assist in the research by making sure that historical references, geographical descriptions, cultural content, and other day-to-day nuances are accurate for the time and place.
Environmental Researcher and Writer for Enslow Publishers, February 2005
I was hired to investigate the key issues associated with the global endangerment of animals, including the loss of natural habitat, poaching, limited geographic range, illegal trade, and the introduction of non-native animal species. The whooping crane, green sea turtle, the mountain gorilla, and humpback whale were some of the creatures that I researched.
Business Researcher (NDA in place), January 2005
Researcher for a New Book on Architecture, December 2004 -- January 2005
Over the last three hundred years, the homes we live in have changed a great deal. Changes in the way we use space, advances in architecture, reduced family size, new materials, and technological innovations in the housing industry have transformed both our living spaces and us. My job was to research the many transformations that have taken place in North American residential housing over the last three hundred years, including changes in lot size, square footage, number of rooms, and how heating and lighting changed the way we live and use our homes. My job also included predicting the future of housing. I used academic journals, databases, books, and the Internet to conduct my research.
Business Researcher, Writer, and Editor for a California start-up, December 2004
My job was to conduct business plan research and assist a new and cutting-edge professional team to plan, write, and edit the document section by section to create an efficient communication tool for their venture.
Researcher and Fact-Finder for a Well-Known American Legal Team (NDA in place), December 2004
I used academic databases, journals, print publications, and the Internet to conduct value-added research.
Business Researcher for a Mexican Medical Consultancy (NDA in place), November 2004
I was hired to find information on the latest technological advancements in a number of related high-tech fields.
Researcher and Writer for an Educational Enrichment Company, November 2004
My duties included reading educational manuscripts and researching related subject areas on the Internet. I then used the websites I found to create a large number of records and input them into an online database. The information is used by school children to write reports and essays.
Researcher for a Business Book, October -- November 2004
My work revolved around fact-checking and gathering statistical information on international business failure/survival rates and the truth about franchising.
Science Researcher for Enslow Publishers, Inc., August -- September 2004
For this project, I did research on the planets in our solar system, their moons, asteroids and comets. I compiled the information and created electronic K-12 educational resources. I also looked at important astronomers and astrophysicists throughout history and wrote summaries of their work.
Researcher and Writer for Book Proposal, August 2004
I assisted the author in organizing the sections of his book proposal. I researched additional facts, figures, and other information to incorporate into various areas of the document, including the market potential of the publication, promotional opportunities, and anticipated readership, and integrated my findings. I also edited the document and added large sections of text to add depth and more perspective to the subject areas covered.
Editor for a Hong Kong University Research Proposal, August 2004
Writing research proposals for additional funding can be time-consuming and very stressful for academics. It takes more than a good idea to obtain a grant. My job was to help clarify the major themes and add additional sections to the proposal.
Researcher and Writer for an American Company, August 2004
I was hired to look at how the economic success of a country affects the philanthropy of its citizens, and how the politics surrounding debt forgiveness, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the IMF, and the World Bank puts many developing countries in a state of crisis.
Health Researcher for an American Nutrition and Health Start-up, July -- August 2004
I was hired to research the health benefits for a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, as the documentation for new nutritional software.
Science Researcher and Writer for a Canadian Government Institute, July -- August 2004
My job was to find the latest research on drugs such as ecstacy and other party drugs, steroids, heroin, cocaine, crack, nicotine, marijuana, methamphetamine, amphetamines, and inhalants. After collating and analyzing the data, I developed a number of informational techbriefs.
Environmental Researcher and Writer for Enslow Publishers, May -- July 2004
I was hired to investigate the key issues associated with the global endangerment of animals, including the loss of natural habitat, poaching, limited geographic range, illegal trade, introduction of non-native animal species, and use of animal parts in traditional Asian medicines. Cheetahs, grizzly bears, Galápagos penguins, orangutans, rhinoceros, wallabies, and otters were some of the animals that I researched.
Business Researcher and Fact Checker for Upcoming Business Book by Best-selling American Authors, May -- June 2004
I used journals, monographs, and the Internet in my research for this soon-to-be-published book on how to get wealthy and stay that way.
Historical Researcher and Writer for a New York Publishing House, April 2004
I researched and developed a series of virtual educational field trips featuring American historical events, sites, and museums.
Graphic Design, Content Development and Project Management for National Research Council of Canada, April -- May 2004
The poster was designed to accompany a conference paper that was presented at the EU-US Scientific Seminar held in Seville, Spain, 13-14 May 2004. Designed with Louis Atkinson. View a small version here.
Historical Researcher and Writer for an Academic Institution, March 2004
I researched and developed ancient history informational resources for subject areas such as: the Mayans, Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Persians, Greeks, Incas, and Romans. I also created online finding aids and cyber documents for the following: the seven natural wonders of North America; seven wonders of the modern world; seven wonders of the natural world; and seven wonders of the ancient world.
Researcher, Writer and Editor, March 2004
Rewrote/edited article on Chinese Archaeology as per reviewer recommendations for acceptance in an academic journal. Research was necessary as part of the process.
Researcher and Writer for National Research Council of Canada (Planning and Assessment, Corporate Services division), February -- April 2004
I was hired to research and co-write a paper focusing on new strategic capabilities for Canada's science and technology (S&T) institutions, foresight planning and activities, organization strategies, scenarios definition and elaboration, and bio-health innovation and stewardship. The paper was presented at the EU-US Scientific Seminar, 13-14 May 2004 in Seville, Spain.
Researcher for Architectural Firm, February 2004
This research project involved finding information on residential and commercial building statistics for the North America market, along with data on the assessment of energy conservation measures, sustainable architecture, the environmental impact of buildings, and ecological land use.
Researcher, Writer and Editor, January 2004
Rewrote/edited client's paper on electronic resources for Chinese studies and East Asian libraries as per reviewer recommendations for acceptance in an academic journal. Research was necessary as part of the process.
Fact Checker, January 2004
My research included checking facts for an upcoming publication on international security and global cooperation.
Project Manager and Business Researcher, December 2003 -- January 2004
Project managed an online technology project focusing on using blogs in business.
Client and Market Researcher, December 2003
Identification of business partners for a technology company interested in expanding its client base and growing the business internationally.
Business Researcher, November -- December 2003
I was hired to locate and collect information relating to the development of an international and intentional community of cooperation for a specialized group of entrepreneurs.
Researcher for Upcoming Book, August -- October 2003
My role in this project was to help the author develop a list of subject areas to cover in the manuscript. We decided upon 98 topics for this encyclopedia of sorts. I then worked with a programmer to create an online software tool that would eventually house the research information, separated into individual records with eight fields/areas of interest. For example, introduction to topic, implications, etc. I then began researching, using both print and electronic resources, and the Internet to do my work. We ended up with over 3000 research records, which the author will use to write the book.
Editor, July 2003
Rewrote/edited client's paper as per reviewer recommendations for acceptance in an academic journal. With my assistance, the paper was since published.
Researcher and Writer for Canada Health Infoway, a Canadian government agency, May -- June 2003
My job was to find the latest information on international best practices and lessons learned for electronic health records, specifically for the United States, New Zealand, Australia, England, and the European Union. I then used the review of the literature to write a report that will be made available through Canada Health Infoway.
Editor and Researcher, April -- June 2003
For this project, I developed and conducted a survey for my client that investigated collection development practices for Chinese electronic resources in North American East Asian libraries. The survey was sent to all East Asian libraries in North America that have websites and electronic resources available on them. I made the survey accessible through email and also created an online version. I then used Excel to run the stats and make the graphs when I compiled the results. Finally, I edited and rewrote my client's article, incorporating the study results, and helped him get it published.
Researcher for Rheingold Associates (NDA in place), March -- July 2003
Researcher for Elike Solutions (NDA in place), March -- May 2003
Researcher and Cybrarian for Canada Health Infoway, a Canadian Government Agency, March -- April 2003
I was part of the team that created the knowledge portals for Infoway's intranets and website. Specifically, it was my responsibility to find every website and digital resource that focused on electronic health records and write an annotation for each one.
Project Manager and Moderator for a National Research Council of Canada Internet Workshop, January - February 2003
I worked with the Canadian Science and Technology Foresight Pilot Project (STFPP) team to develop, implement, and host a week-long virtual workshop/conference to elaborate and develop the initial findings from a series of onsite workshops and technical panels that were held in the fall of 2002. The online workshop's purpose was to enable all the participants, as well as a selected group of additional experts and generalists who were not able to be involved in the fall events, to consider the findings that were summarized into two reports and to help develop the information further in preparation for the scenarios work to be done by the project team in March 2003. The workshop was deemed to be a critical element of the iteration of observations and results from the fall events of 2002. I worked with the project leaders to organize and plan the workshop. My work also included helping to write the email invitations; contact all guests and provide them with their registration information; set up the conference, which used conferencing software called Caucus; help the team develop the workshop itinerary; work with a graphic designer to create the workshop graphics; host the event; be present at the conference checking in at least twelve hours a day to greet the participants and to be available for help questions; help those with problems; format posts, especially long posts that needed HTML tags inserted to facilitate reading; and made sure the client got a CD-burned copy of the event. Great project!
Internet Researcher for a Virginia Company, January - February 2003
My job was to search newspaper databases, the Internet, Google News, and Lexis Nexis for articles that my client was interested in finding. I then used Internet resources, such as telephone directories, reverse look-up, tax assessor data, and real estate property reports databases to locate various people.
Internet Researcher for an International Group, December 2002
The research I did was needed for inclusion in the business plan of a proposed international start-up insurance venture that would specialize in large-scale property insurance.
Search Engine Optimization, November 2002
I helped a Californian dentist to rank higher in searches for California cosmetic and TMJ/migraine/headache dentistry by using a many-pronged approach to search engine optimization.
Web site Design and Database Integration, August -- November 2002
Worked with Higher Mind Productions to help design Smart Mobs, the companion web site and blog for Howard Rheingold's new book. I also created individual database records for each of the 1000 citations in the online bibliography so that it would act as a mirror for the book's bibliography.
Client and Market Researcher, August -- October 2002
I was successful in finding funding opportunities for my client, an international non-governmental organization.
Researcher for an Upcoming Academic Book, April -- July 2002
In the initial stages of this complex project, I was given 962 printed survey documents, many of which were three feet wide and six feet long scrolls. My first job was to digitize the huge amount of information that was found on each one. In many cases, I chose to use an industrial/architectural-sized scanner to create high-resolution scans and then OCRed the data myself. I think it was the best solution, especially since I was working under a pretty demanding deadline. I then inputted all of the data into two separate Excel spreadsheets using assigned categories and additional ones that I developed. I read all of the survey answers and then made an intellectual decision as to which assigned categories each of the answers best fell into. I basically summarized open-ended answers/thoughts into pre-assigned categories. Of course, accuracy and consistency were very important, especially for running the quantitative stats (pivot tables and crosstabs) later. I also created two separate Word files to hold almost 900 long answers for the qualitative data that helped draw a portrait of what the respondents thought. We were looking for themes, sub-themes, and patterns in their words. In addition, some online research and email correspondence/research was needed to complete the project. A lot of work, but a very exciting, and fulfilling project.
Researcher and Project Manager for a Study on Multi-Cultural Library Services, January -- July 2002
This research study is being used as a vehicle to find out how major public library systems in Canada purchase materials for their ethnic populations. Diverse communities need different types of materials than what has traditionally been available. Is the changing face of the Canadian population reflected in public libraries by incorporating the library and information needs of a diverse community of public library patrons? Are libraries committed to diversity through management decision-making, by educating staff of the needs of changing communities, and by diversifying staff so that the communities' ethnic populations are represented by library employees? My part: I searched for and read a couple of hundred public library collection development policies and then, working with my client and the original concept he had for the study, generated a series of questions, which were eventually cut in half and placed into ten categories. I created an online survey (a nation-wide survey of public libraries of all sizes (including branches), incorporating style-sheets to make it accessible to the largest user population. A sampling of the survey questions can be read here. Almost all of the questions could be answered using drop-down menus and clickable multiple-choice answer boxes. I then did an Internet search for listservs that would be appropriate places to post the survey, posted a summary of the project and the web address to the survey. The survey was also emailed to over 1600 librarians. Results/answers were emailed to me and I used Excel for the data entry and statistics. I also did a partial literature review for the project.
Researcher for Howard Rheingold's New Book on Mobile Communications and the Technologies of Cooperation, April 2001 -- June 2002
Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution is a book that details how the rise of pervasive mobile communications combined with always-on Internet connections produces new kinds of ad-hoc social groups. Smart mobs emerge when social networks use mobile communication devices, pervasive computation, peer to peer and reputation management methodologies to coordinate collective action - political, social, economic. This great job began in April 2001. One of my first assignments was to help design an online database that would meet our research requirements and find a host that was cost-effective, allowing more than one person to work at the same time. The database has been really successful and presently contains almost 800 records, complete with bibliographic information, thesis statements, quotes and notes. My work also included finding interesting and knowledgeable people from all over the world, who are doing work in various fields and contacting them to set up interviews. To date, we have met with people in Canada, Seattle, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Stockholm, London, Helsinki, Surrey, Palo Alto, San Jose, Tokyo, and Amsterdam. I also did original research, summarized our research materials, compiled sources, wrote, fact-checked, and formatted Word for the manuscript to create table of contents and endnotes (including formatting them into the Chicago Style). In addition, I edited and critiqued the work in progress; and I created the bibliography.
Researcher for an Information Science Study on Deselection Policies in Libraries (University of Toronto), January -- April 2002
This project set out to uncover what policies libraries follow when weeding (deselecting books), how they do it, are there complaints, what the librarians themselves think of weeding, and if they have ever saved any books that were supposed to be weeded out of the library system. My job was to first take 300 multi-page paper surveys that consisted of open-ended questions, and transfer them to digital format. In total, there were nineteen questions concerning every aspect of weeding. I then entered all of the data into nineteen separate Word files: a file for each of the survey questions. Next, I had to analyze each answer for each of the nineteen questions and generate enough categories that would enable me to fit each answer into one, but not so many that meaningful stats could not be generated from the data. I then created Excel graphs with some of the information from the reports. I was also asked to pick out the most interesting responses for each of the nineteen questions.
Photographic Researcher for Robert Dafford Murals, March -- April 2002
I helped my client with photographic research for a large-scale government mural contract.
Project Manager and Researcher for an Academic Research Project on Email Reference, January -- March 2002
This research project was developed to find out the condition of email reference service in Canadian public libraries. With more and more libraries offering to answer questions electronically, the researchers are interested in studying the timeliness and correctness of the answers that are supplied by the librarians, and the overall effectiveness of digital reference desks. This study was originally undertaken in 1999 and was repeated for comparison purposes.
Researcher for a Vermont Company, March 2002
For this contract, I did some market research for a firm that specializes in architectural legal matters.
Researcher for Elike Solutions, February -- March 2002
My research work for this job was associated with a patent that will help to prevent kitchen fires from even starting. Very cutting edge!
Designer, Content Researcher and Writer for a Corporate Web Site, December 2001 - January 2002
I designed the web site, and developed the Information Architecture. I then did a lot of research into what types of content should be found on the web site and wrote the copy.
Client and Market Researcher for Higher Mind Productions, October 2001 -- December 2001
On this project, it was my job to identify corporations and individuals that might be in need of the various services offered by my employer and then make the initial contact.
Project Manager for the Redesign and Enhancement of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Center's Web Site, July - October 2001
This project began for me in January of 2001 when I identified the international association as a possible client for my employer. Three months later, I wrote the proposal that won the company the contract for the redesign. I came onboard as project manager, working with the web committee to create milestones, keeping everything on track, and acting as the main contact person. Later in the project, additional roles were content checker, quality controller, and researcher for the public domain images that are used on the site. Presently, I have a contract to maintain the site, edit the content and upload new information.
Market Researcher for Cameron Halifax Associates, May - June 2001
Project Manager and Researcher for an upcoming book on Third World NGOs (University of Toronto), March - May 2001
My work for this project included the design and implementation of an international online survey, a review of the literature, and data analysis. I also project managed.
Cybrarian and Facilitator for OSN 2001, an Online Event Sponsored by Group Jazz and Rheingold Associates, March 28 to April 11, 2001
Online Social Networks 2001 brought together the most experienced designers and instigators of online think-tanks, virtual team communication spaces, and virtual communities to discuss the art of designing, launching, growing, and maintaining online social networks. For two weeks, March 28 to April 11, registered participants, speakers, and workshop leaders joined together in structured conversations about practical issues related to online social networks. Caucus web conference software enabled registered participants to interact at any time during the event, from anywhere, using text and images, through a net-connected web browser.
Researcher (NDA in place), March 2001
I did qualitative and quantitative research for this American company.
Researcher for the National Research Council of Canada, January - March 2001
My research work centered on taking a look at where people/virtual communities believe interactive digital video and visualization/VR/virtualized reality will be by 2010. I used online resources, communicated with some of the finest scientists in the field, and conducted a small survey during the course of the project.
Researcher and Writer (NDA in place), January - February 2001
I did value-added research and some writing for a business plan in connection with an international cosmetics company.
Client and Market Database Researcher and Creator (NDA in place), December 2000 - February 2001
My job was to sweep the Internet to uncover a large number of appropriate contacts to be used by an Internet start-up as a foundation for the generation of contracts. I then created the multi-field online database and inputted all the data.
Researcher and Senior Editor for an Internet Startup, July 2000 - January 2001
My work focused on helping organizations and corporations integrate the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Guidelines into their website design and content structure to allow a high degree of usability for people with disabilities. Other duties included performing website usability assessments, and helping nonprofits and small businesses employ technology to become more effective, primarily using the ASP/Webware model. I also researched and wrote internal reports, developed and templated company processes, and wrote or edited articles, press information, and proposals.
Client and Market Researcher for Cameron Halifax Associates, December 2000 - January 2001
Website Accessibility/Usability Evaluator for Seven Federally-Controlled Canadian Corporations (NDAs in place), December 2000 - January 2001
I was hired to evaluate the extent of website accessibility limitations, making suggestions as to how they could be made more accessible to those with certain disabilities. In addition, I ran usability tests on all sites.
Meta Tag Creator and Web Content Reviewer for Rheingold Associates, December 2000
I created customized Meta tags and keywords for every page of the new home of Howard Rheingold's international group of Associates. I also reviewed the content, assisting the editorial staff with the website copy revisions.
Researcher for Cameron Halifax Associates, November - December 2000
Website Accessibility Consultant for GEIS, October - December 2000
I was hired to redesign the site and make the changes necessary to obtain Priority 1 Accessibility status.
Client and Market Researcher for Cameron Halifax Associates, October - November 2000
Researcher and Writer for a Major International Corporation (NDA in place), October 2000
I researched and created a PowerPoint deck and five-page handout for an important business presentation.
Researcher for Rheingold Associates, September 2000
I was hired to collect and format public domain images for a corporate strategy game.
Researcher for the National Research Council of Canada, August - November 2000
I helped to develop and then conducted an online survey that focused on an innovation-oriented group (aged 35 years old or younger), to explore what their assumptions and expectations are in regards to the driving factors for Science and Technology (S&T) for the first decade of the 21st century. Additional information was researched and collected, with all findings summarized in a report, highlighting some of the more important trends, insights, and issues flowing out of the study.
Researcher for University of Toronto, May - July 2000
Researcher for an Upcoming Book on Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Other Civil Society Movements, February - May 2000
In this age of globalization, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society movements and coalitions have become vastly more diverse and influential. This book explores the crucial role that efficient, skilful use of information and communications technology and news media has played in increasing the influence and enhancing the work of civil society organizations. Rich in case study material, it examines NGOs and other civil society organizations in the policy fields of development, security, international law, human rights and humanitarian action. In addition, the book examines the relationship between civil society and intergovernmental institutions such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and the G7/G8. Information is power. In the last twenty years, citizens' movements have used information to expose, mobilize and persuade. Doing so, they have irreversibly altered the relationship between we citizens and those who govern us. My role was to examine the information that was available online, in academic journals, newspapers, and books concerning the international organization, La Francophonie. I evaluated sources, summarized findings, and wrote a major report to facilitate the author's work.
Researcher and Website Content Developer for a Conference Center and Reception Hall, February - March 2000
Client and Market Researcher for Higher Mind Productions, December 1999
Website Designer and Content Developer for a Real Estate Firm in Jennings, Louisiana, November 1999 - January 2000
Researcher for Howard Rheingold's Revised Edition of his Best-selling, The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier that was released in November 2000 by MIT Press, October 1999 - February 2000
My work consisted of compiling a comprehensive bibliography on virtual communities and the issues that surround online life. In addition, I carried out a literature review, wrote a report, was a fact checker, and acted as bibliographic assistant to the author.
Researcher and Project Manager for an Academic Study, October 1999 - July 2000
This research project was developed to find out the condition of email reference service in Canadian public libraries. With more and more libraries offering to answer questions electronically, the researchers were interested in studying the accuracy of the answers that were supplied by the surveyed librarians, their timeliness in answering, and the overall effectiveness of digital reference desks and Ask a Librarian programs. We were also interested in why libraries were offering email reference and how its integration changed reference departments. The offering of e-mail reference service is a significant step in the development of the concept of a virtual library. The continuing growth in the number of libraries with access to electronic data networks is beginning to impact the way these organizations conduct their business. For library clients, this promises more convenient access to information and to library professionals. Clients will increasingly expect to access information and the services of librarians at work and at home. Libraries will increasingly have new opportunities to deliver services, such as reference services, to users who now find it difficult or inconvenient to visit the library. However, if remote reference services are to become common, it is necessary for the information profession to prepare now by identifying both advantages and problems for clients and reference intermediaries alike. One problem then in providing reference service over an electronic data network is replacing the face-to-face reference interview, whose interactive nature allows for immediate clarification, with an electronic interaction that is equally effective. Verbal and non-verbal channels, such as inflections and paralinguistic devices are often equally important in a reference interview. Many of these cues are, of course, not present in an electronic interview. New and rich protocols for communicating non-verbal signals will no doubt develop to fill the void. Here is a sample of the questions used in the study: When did Kitchener, Ontario change its name from Berlin?; Would you happen to know what the date was for the so- called Fog Bowl? It was a football game in the Canadian Football League (CFL).; Would you able to tell me how many Grammy Awards that Celine Dion has won?; I am looking for the postal address of the British Records Office in London, England. It is the office that handles public records.; On what date will Easter 2067 fall? For comparison purposes, this unobtrusive study was repeated during the Winter of 2002. My part of the project included: working with the authors to develop the questions used in the study; deciding which libraries to include and collecting their 'ask a librarian' contact information; creating the email addresses that were used to send email inquiries to the libraries; sending out the email reference questions each week and collecting the answers; researching articles written about email reference and writing a literature review based on them. I also queried the libraries for their email reference service policies. I also asked the study's libraries if they had an email reference service policy and compiled the answers.
Meta Tag Creator, Search Engine Optimizer, and Website Content Developer and Editor for a South Louisiana Arts Portal, September - October 1999
I created a series of meta tags, including the Dublin Core sets, for a large number of websites under the umbrella of the portal, and wrote content/edited for all sites.
Researcher for the National Research Council of Canada, July - December 1999
An extensive research project that included a sweep of the Internet, academic databases, and library OPACs for the latest information on virtual communities, online culture, innovation, scenario planning, systems thinking, and avatar technology. I read all materials, wrote several reports, and developed a series of PowerPoint slide decks for use in federal government departments.
Researcher and Website Content Developer for a Louisiana Art Consortium, July - August, 1999
Primarily, my job was to research American copyright law as it pertains to artists. I also helped to design the website, create the content, and develop the meta tags. Search engine submission and optimization were also a part of the project.
Researcher for the CanLearn Educational Database, February - September 1999
The nature of my work was to sweep the Internet for all web sites dealing with Canadian educational businesses, organizations, associations, scholarships, student loans, schools, indices, language training and literacy centers, and other educational opportunities, such as home schooling resources and private school programs. I then created an annotated record for each item and helped to develop the categorization schema used for classifying each one. In addition, I inputted the data into an online database, and was expected to evaluate the process on an ongoing basis.
Researcher for the National Research Council of Canada, February 1999
For this project, I was required to perform both a literature review and a sweep of the Internet for particular deliverables that helped to prepare a strategic government analyst for a European conference on information and knowledge management. Above all, companies, governments, and large corporations often do not know what they know. Knowledge management attempts to prevent problems such as lost knowledge or lost income by establishing human and technological networks capable of harnessing a company's collective expertise and experience. The move from an industrially- based economy to a knowledge or information-based one demands a top-notch knowledge management system to secure a competitive edge and a capacity for learning. An organization's ability to quickly tap into wisdom gives it a competitive edge in the marketplace. As a result, knowledge is displacing capital, natural resources, and labor as the basic economic resource. Governments know this all too well. I was also commissioned to write a paper on KM.
Researcher for the Canadian Directorate of Museums, December 1998 - January 1999
My job was to find out how many international museums have an online presence and then establish what these institutions were offering in regard to online educational materials. I was also required to do a literature review for the latest research on visual literacy, in hopes of making a case for including visual art in school curriculums, regardless of the size and means of the school district. Part of the research was used in the preparation of a speech given at a conference for educators in the United States.
Researcher for Indexing Research, New York, November 1998
The project included finding out how many United States public and academic libraries index their local newspapers. This information was needed for the value-added information component of a proposal that was submitted to the federal government for a major legacy indexing project of American newspapers. Subsequently, I ran some statistics and wrote a report of the findings.
Researcher for Unobtrusive Evaluation of Reference Service and Individual Responsibility: The Canadian Experience, April - December 1998
The nature of my work was to conduct a literature review of the latest materials published on a wide range of topics, including reference services and American and Canadian government information policy. If democracy is dependent upon governments providing equitable, free, and easy access to its information resources, then programs such as the Federal Depository Library Program must be considered integral components of the government's dissemination machine. The most important reason against a hundred percent electronic universe for government information is that it prevents many users from having access to important government information. From lack of technological finesse, lack of money to buy the necessary equipment, to lack of training, there are many reasons why individuals will be prevented from having access. Furthermore, many depository libraries do not have the needed equipment, the infrastructure, nor enough trained staff to facilitate the transition to electronic government information. There has been inadequate federal planning and policy directives to ensure that libraries and their staff can move from a traditional model of librarianship to one which makes resources available to the public in electronic formats. Librarians need to be able to access, use, and communicate network literacy to the population, if the strategies of NII and NREN (National Research and Education Network) are to be successful and widespread throughout society. Therefore, strategies must be developed to ensure that electronic technologies will become integral in the 21st Century, as well as: capable of bringing different segments of society together (i.e. the haves and the have-nots); promoting social equity in terms of network literacy; and enhancing the role of libraries and educators to bring about the desired objectives. Primarily, I used Dialog, Lexis Nexis, Library Literature, the Internet, and library catalogues for the various literature reviews I compiled, but also manually reviewed many journals and monographs for the needed information. I then read, evaluated the materials, and wrote one to two page summaries for over two hundred separate works. You can view some of my research notes for this book at Government Documents Research.
Researcher, Current Events Awareness Study, February - August 1998
The study attempted to find out the state of information access to current event inquiries as it pertains to national newspaper articles in public library settings. My duties included assisting in developing the areas of inquiry, helping to create the questions used in the study, and making over three hundred phone calls to a series of public libraries across Canada. Subsequently, I wrote a detailed report of the findings. (See findings in: Dilevko, J. and E. Dolan. Reference Work and the Value of Reading Newspapers: An Unobtrusive Study of Telephone Reference Service. Reference & User Services Quarterly 39, no. 1 (1999): 71-81).
Researcher, Website Evaluation Study, Fall 1997/Summer 1998
With the assistance of students from two government documents classes at the University of Western Ontario library school, a comparative study was done on a large number of American and Canadian government information websites. We were investigating how well the sites did when it came to scope, currency, accuracy, ease of use, organization, appeal, search capabilities, quality of online materials and learning factors. My primary duties included entering the data into Excel, creating graphs and charts, and collocating the written summaries.
Research Assistant, November 1997 - May 1998
I was the researcher for a study carried out on behalf of the Federal Depository Services Program, Public Access Services Division (Bruno Gnassi). Providing Canadian citizens with free, equitable, timely, and uncomplicated access to federal government information is a national and worthy goal. Now that official publications in print form are gradually being replaced by electronic documents increasingly available on the Internet, systematic examination of the capabilities of federal depository libraries to provided permanent access and quality reference service to the Canadian public is essential. The study reported here was funded by the Depository Services Program (DSP), Public Works and Government Services, Canada, and undertaken by researchers in the Program of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario. For this investigation, a set of government documents related questions was developed and tested for use in an unobtrusive evaluation of full and selective depositories in academic and public libraries located across the five geographic and socio-cultural regions of Canada. The purpose of this study is to investigate how well library staff members in Canadian federal depository libraries are answering government documents reference questions and whether they are using Internet-accessible and Web-based sources to do so. Research questions were formulated as follows: what is the degree of accuracy of government reference service in Canadian academic and public libraries that participate in the Depository Services Program, as measured by the number of complete answers supplied by library personnel to specific questions?; To what extent do staff members in these libraries make use of electronic information sources such as CD-ROMs and the range of Web sites made available by the Canadian federal government?; Which categories of government reference questions are the most difficult to answer for library staff personnel at depository libraries? While there are legislative libraries with full depository status in most provinces, public access to government documents is most readily achieved through public and academic libraries. Accordingly, the research questions developed for this study were examined through the lens of four categories of depository libraries: academic full depositories; academic selective depositories; public full depositories; and public selective depositories. This study was conducted using paid proxies in a cross-country unobtrusive evaluation of reference service at academic and public depositories. Quality of reference service was operationally defined as the percentage of complete or combined complete and partially complete answers to 15 government documents questions. Selection of tested libraries was based on a proportionally stratified cluster sample. In the first instance, proportional stratification was effected on the basis of the five geographic areas of Canada. On the second level, clusters of cities and towns within the geographic areas were identified, and a sample of public and academic depository libraries was taken to reflect the proportion of these libraries in the depository system as a whole. Fifteen different questions were asked a total of 488 times at 104 libraries in 30 metropolitan census areas as defined by Statistics Canada. Each proxy package consisted of 15 different questions and a brief survey form. Proxies were recruited from students enrolled in the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program of the University of Western Ontario (UWO). Questions were asked from 10 December 1997 to 10 February 1998 - a period during which many students traditionally return to their hometowns for the holiday season. To a certain extent, cities chosen for the study were determined by the travel plans of the proxies, although every attempt was made to adhere to the considerations set out in the following section. My specific duties included collection of the survey data, inputting it all into Excel, creating a series of tables and charts, and helping to analyze the findings. In addition, I was expected to follow-up on over two hundred referrals received from the initial inquiries made by our proxies. (See findings in the government document entitled: Government Documents Reference Service in Canada: Implications for Electronic Access Ottawa, Ont.: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 1999. - vii, 100 p., 111 p., vii).
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