karen.blakeman@rba.co.uk , twitter/karenblakeman

1. Information for Energy Group, Energy Institute, New Cavendish Street, LondonThursday 13 May 2010 Advanced Internet Searching for Energy Information & Market Research karen.blakeman@rba.co.uk , http://twitter.com/karenblakeman http://www.slideshare.net/karenblakeman http://www.rba.co.uk/ , http://www.rba.co.uk/wordpress/ This presentation is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbainfo/3313765895/

2. Search is changing • How people look for and find information is changing • Social media and networks are now an essential part of the search mix • Facebook for market research and customer feedback e.g. the marmite bar http://www.facebook.com/MarmiteBars • Business students assignment on advertising history of Cadbury’s Crème Egg and Dairy Milk – Youtube! • Twitter and blogs used as an essential part of reputation monitoring • What’s happening at conferences - Twitter, Slideshare, Flickr, videos, podcasts • Search engines now including social media and professional networks in search results

3. Search on a person Blogger profile Twitter profile Facebook profile LinkedIn profile Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

4. Search on a topic – first page results Results from Google News Latest results - rolling feed from Twitter, blogs, discussions www.rba.co.uk

5. Search on a topic – first page results Images Blog posting listing videos Wikipedia article YouTube video Results from my “social circle”: Twitter, RSS feeds, FriendFeed, Google Wave contacts etc. www.rba.co.uk

6. Social media • It is where many companies and organisations market themselves, provide customer support and distribute information • It is where an increasing proportion of the population grow up & they don’t differentiate between the different means of communication • It is where an increasing number of people feel comfortable and share information • It’s impossible to ‘gag’ social networks • BBC NEWS | Politics | When is a secret not a secret? • http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8304908.stm For serious research, social media and professional networks are not optional extras - they are an essential part of your research strategy Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

7. Types of search tools • Humans • is a colleague or a friend already working in, or knowledgeable about the subject area? • who have you met at meetings, conferences? • discussion lists, bloggers, LinkedIn, Facebook, trade/professional associations, Twitter etc. (social “stuff”!) • Search engines • Google, Yahoo, Bing, • So called “deep web” and specialist tools, evaluated listings, subject listings, customised search engines • Databases and peer reviewed sources • Multi search engine tools, federated search • search lots of search tools or databases at once • or type in your search once and click on each search tool in turn Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

8. How up to date are search tools? • Google, Yahoo, Bing etc. • you are searching an out of date index of the web and not the web itself • may take days to months for a site to be added to the index • hierarchy of sites for updating • Real time, social media search tools • Twitter, blogs, discussion boards, RSS feeds • what is happening NOW Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

9. What are you looking for? • Authoritative facts? • Official or corporate announcements/press releases? • News articles? • Views and opinions on a topic? • from experts • from consumers • from people who don’t know what they’re talking about! • Spur of the moment rants about failed services or products? • Rumour, speculation, gossip? • Or do you want to gather new data? • e.g. set up surveys on Facebook, Survey Monkey, Twtpoll.com Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

10. Before we start - is your Google web history on? • Switched on by default • Google adjusts your search results according to what you have clicked on in the past • See Karen Blakeman's Blog - Your Google results are about to get weirder • http://www.rba.co.uk/wordpress/2009/12/17/your-google-results-are-about-to-get-weirder/ Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

11. A search engine’s results may vary • In content and presentation • from one minute to the next • different server being used • testing out different search and ranking algorithms • Country versions • different emphasis • local content • different interface • different search features • use if researching a person, company, subject located or based in another country Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

12. Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

13. General search techniques • By default, the main search tools look for all of your terms in a page • Use double quote marks around phrases or names • To exclude pages containing a term, precede the term with a minus sign (-) but use with care • Focus your search in areas of the page - use advanced search screens or commands - inurl: for example UK inurl:carbonemissions • looks for your terms/phrase in the URL - intitle: or allintitle: for example UK intitle:"carbon emissions" • looks for your terms/phrase in the title of the page Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

14. General search techniques • Search sites or domains using the advanced search screen or site: command • wind turbine energy generation site:statistics.gov.uk • wind turbine energy generation site:gov.uk • Imagine what you would like to appear in your ideal document and include those terms in your strategy - renewable energy generation UK wind solar wave hydro • Repeat your key search terms in your search strategy • tar sands EROEI • tar sands EROEI EROEIEROEI • different results • Change the order of your terms • biodiesel fuel UK buses efficiency • biodiesel fuel efficiency UK buses • different results Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

15. File format search • Use advanced search options to limit your search to file types or format: • pdf or doc for government or industry/market reports • xls for data and statistics • ppt or pdf for presentations, experts on a topic • Use Google and Yahoo Advanced Search • Bing.com sometimes picks up unique content • use command filetype: in your search strategy e.g. filetype:ppt car ownership UK Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

16. Docjax • http://www.docjax.com/ • searches pdf, xls, doc, ppt in Yahoo and Google www.rba.co.uk

17. Presentations • For : • find experts on a topic • what are companies doing • introduction to a topic or a general overview • data and market statistics • company structures, who’s who • Presentation search: • Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/ • Authorstream http://www.authorstream.com/ • Slideboom http://www.slideboom.com/ • Slidefinder http://www.slidefinder.net/ www.rba.co.uk

18. Slideshare.net Search: biofuels UK public transport www.rba.co.uk

19. Slidefinder • http://www.slidefinder.net/ • Identifies individual slides within a presentation www.rba.co.uk

20. Slidefinder • Can limit search to universities • Also Advanced Search to search areas of slides www.rba.co.uk

21. Google • Additional search features previously hidden under “Show options” now in left hand side menu • Most are self explanatory • A few that aren’t.... Updates = Twitter www.rba.co.uk

22. Google • Wonderwheel www.rba.co.uk

23. Google • Timeline • but Google can get it wrong ? www.rba.co.uk

24. Unique Google search features • Similar or related pages • looks for pages that are similar in type and content • click on the Similar link next to the page in your results list • or use the related: command e.g. related:www.bwea.com www.rba.co.uk

25. Unique Google search features • Automatically looks for variations on your terms • to stop it, precede your terms with plus signs e.g. +Norne oil field to stop Google looking for ‘Horne’ • or use double quote marks around the term or phrase “Norne” • (hat tip to Even Flood for this example) • Numeric range search • can be weights, distances, years, prices, measurements of any sort • use Advanced Search screen • or the search box on the Google home page • search term(s) first value..second value unit of measurement • toblerone 1..6 kg • world oil production forecasts 2010..2015 Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

26. Unique Google search features • Proximity • use the asterisk (*) to stand in for one or more terms • useful when searching for people • separates the terms by one or more words • Karen * Blakeman picks up: • Karen Blakeman • Karen Mary Blakeman • Karen Sands Blakeman • Karen Marie Blakeman • solar * panels picks up: • solar heating panels • solar electricity panels • solar thermal panel • solar voltaic panels • solar concentrator panels Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

27. Google Finance • http://www.google.co.uk/finance www.rba.co.uk

28. Yahoo! • http://www.yahoo.co.uk/ • very busy interface! • http://search.yahoo.co.uk/ • simpler, Google like interface Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

29. Yahoo! • http://search.yahoo.co.uk/ • Advanced Search hidden under “More” • Similar options to Google Advanced Search Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

30. Yahoo! • http://www.yahoo.co.uk/ • http://search.yahoo.co.uk/http://search.yahoo.com/ • Deal with Bing • Some country versions already using Bing web search, rest will follow during the year • Now includes options in the left side menu for limiting your seearch Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

31. Yahoo Finance • http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/ www.rba.co.uk

32. Bing • http://www.bing.com/ (was live.com) • “decision engine” • Results tend to be more consumer oriented • Seems to have the most up to date database and possibly the most extensive database of web pages • Results vary considerably depending on the country version • Supposedly incorporating real time, social media results into main search • Advanced Search screen ‘minimalist” but can use commands (see Search Engine Summary and Comparison Chart http://www.rba.co.uk/search/compare.pdf) Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

33. Compare search engines • TripleMe • http://www.tripleme.com/ • compares Google, Yahoo and Bing side by side • Blindsearch • http://blindsearch.fejus.com/ • compare Google, Yahoo and Bing results for web or images • vote on which are the best without seeing the branding • Zuula • http://www.zuula.com/ • runs your search through a range of search tools one by one • order can be customised • Browsys Finder (was Intelways/Crossengine) • http://www.browsys.com/finder • runs your search through a plethora of search tools one by one Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

34. iSEEK • http://www.iseek.com/ • Clusters results into topics, people, places, organisations, date & time • “Education” option – more research oriented pages Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

35. Biznar • http://www.biznar.com/ • Real time federated search of selected business resources, some of them “hidden web” or “deep web” • Click on Advanced Search to see a list of the sources Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

36. Intute • http://www.intute.ac.uk • Funding to be discontinued but has been given a stay of execution • Excellent starting point for quality resources in all subject areas and industries www.rba.co.uk

37. TechXtra • http://www.techxtra.ac.uk • ICBL and the Library at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh • Engineering, mathematics and computing • Free information and pay per view Karen Blakeman www.rba.co.uk

38. Alacrawiki spotlights • http://www.alacrawiki.com/ • Key resources for major industry sectors • Most pages have not been updated for 2-3 years  BUT much of the information still valid www.rba.co.uk

39. Alacrasearch • http://www.alacra.com/alacrasearch/ • Google custom search engine www.rba.co.uk

40. LGSearch • http://lgsearch.net/ • Another Google custom search engine • Searches UK public sector web sites www.rba.co.uk

41. Directionlessgov.com www.rba.co.uk

42. http://www.search4oil.com/ • New! • Information on the oil and gas sectors www.rba.co.uk

43. http://www.search4oil.com/ • People, Feature www.rba.co.uk

44. Statistics • Some general starting points • OFFSTATS - The University of Auckland Library http://www.offstats.auckland.ac.nz/ • by country or subject or both • excellent list of energy web site stats including the BP Statistical Review of World Energy (2009) • RBA Energy Information Sources http://www.rba.co.uk/sources/energy.shtml (under revision!) • Google Public data explorer http://www.google.com/publicdata/ • See review Google Public Data Explorer- fine as far as it goes http://www.rba.co.uk/wordpress/2010/03/27/google-public-data-explorer-fine-as-far-as-it-goes/ • Guardian datastore and databloghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/data-store and World Government Data http://www.guardian.co.uk/world-government-data • the latter is a better way of searching http://data.gov.uk/ www.rba.co.uk

45. Guardian World Government Data data.gov.uk www.rba.co.uk

46. Energy Export Databrowserhttp://mazamascience.com/OilExport/ www.rba.co.uk

47. Free industry and market research • Individual publishers • tables of contents, executive summaries, free sample chapters • Government bodies • US http://www.export.gov/, http://www.bisnis.doc.gov/ • regulatory bodies e.g. in the UK - Competition Commission, Ofcom • Management consultants • Academic sector • Trade, industry, manufacturing associations • Trade and industry press www.rba.co.uk

48. Priced industry and market research • Aggregators may not be comprehensive • many publishers embargo reports for weeks or months • many publishers withhold reports from aggregators • check the publisher’s own web site or email them to see if there is additional or more recent research available • may get a better deal by going to the publisher direct • use aggregators as an index to see who is publishing on your topic, for example • http://www.marketresearch.com/ • http://www.mindbranch.com/ • http://www.researchandmarkets.com/ • http://www.alacrastore.com/ • http://www.reportbuyer.com/ (go to Energy and Utilities) • For emerging markets http://www.securities.com/ www.rba.co.uk

49. Priced industry and market research • Many sites specialising in energy reports • just search on energy market research reports • Energy market research, analysis, databases, forecasts and energy market consulting http://www.absenergyresearch.com/ • Energy Market research http://www.energy-market-research.info/ • GBI Research http://www.gbiresearch.com/ (Go to the Oil and Gas section) www.rba.co.uk

50. News • Newspapers, journals, trade press • Blogs • Twitter • Video • Podcasts • Set up alerts and RSS feeds • Google News • http://news.google.co.uk/ • good regional, national, international and trade press coverage • free sources only so misses some important publications • useful way of identifying industry publications www.rba.co.uk