The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. Add to that more than 3,000 tipsheets from our national conferences on how to cover specific beats or do specific stories and you have a resource that no reporter or editor should be without. These stories and tipsheets are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Logged-in members can view the tipsheets free online:
Search results for "illustrations" ...
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Importing HTML tables using Microsoft Excel
This tipsheet is a step by step guide to importing HTML tables into Microsoft Excel. The author includes screen shots to illustrate each step of the process.
Tags: internet; data formatting; HTML; spreadsheets; data analysis; importing
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Importing data using the Microsoft Excel Import Wizard
This tipsheet is exactly what the title implies: a guide to importing data into Microsoft Excel. The author takes you step by step through the process, and includes a lot of screen shots to illustrate her directions.
Tags: computer-assisted reporting; data analysis; data formats
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Using M$ Access for data cleanup and usability
This tipsheet discusses different ways to write programs in Microsoft Access in order to rearrange data to make it easier to use. The author included a lot of screen shots from Access to illustrate his instructions.
Tags: data cleaning; data analysis; computer programming; visual basic; SQL
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Making the most of the U.S. Census Bureau's Factfinder
The author discusses how to use the U.S. Census Bureau's Factfinder feature on the organization's website to find information about the American Community Survey. She discusses how to find example questions from various questionnaires, reviews some of the definitions, and compares the material covered in the American Community Survey to that in the Decennial Census. The tipsheet includes screen shots from the Census Bureau's website to illustrate how to use the Factfinder.
Tags: population; demographic; Census; survey; historical census; internet
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Welcome to the Real World: Importing, rearranging and cleaning data
Porter takes us from the very first steps of database analysis (importing the data) all the way to organizing and cleaning the data. He discusses how to parse data, and how to eliminate inconsistencies in place and person names. For each step Porter describes, he includes screen shots from Microsoft Access to illustrate the tip.
Tags: data analysis; technology; SQL; dirty data; computer-assisted reporting
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Mapping the News
The author extols the virtues of using mapping to illustrate CAR stories. He explains the benefits of including maps with investigative reports. The author also reviews different brands of mapping software and makes recommendations.
Tags: geographic; geo-coding; mapping; CAR; computer-assisted reporting; graphics
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Simple Web scraping by using macros in Microsoft Excel
Kaas explains how to \"scrape\" data off of web pages and enter it into an Excel format. He includes screen shots from Excel to illustrate every step of the process.
Tags: data analysis; internet; data cleaning; computer-assisted reporting
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Monk Manny's Guide to Source Development and Interviewing: All I ever needed came from The Bible and selling shampoo
This tipsheet is all about developing sources. It discusses how to cultivate lots of sources by talking to everybody, as well as how to conduct a successful interview. The author gives lots of advice and uses his own experience as examples to illustrate his points.
Tags: sources; sourcing; interviews; beat reporting
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Keys to a Successful Business Project
This tipsheet discusses many aspects of investigative reporting. Included are: coming up with ideas, working with editors, reporting, documents, illustrations and writing. The authors offer several well-explained suggestions under each topic.
Tags: business; investigative reporting; writing; editing; newsroom; sources
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Checking out test scores with CAR
This tipsheet is all about standardized test scores. Hacker discusses different ways to examine a set of scores, such as looking at the data geographically, examining results over time and trying different ways of reporting scores.
Tags: standardized tests; education; elementary school; cheating; mapping; schools; teachers