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 "investigative techniques" ...
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Investigative Business Journalism
Cohn's detailed tipsheet discusses investigative tips and techniques for covering foundations, nonprofits and charities with examples of the types of documents and resources critical to this type of reporting - from 990s to human sources. Part 2 of the tipsheet explores investigations of private companies.
Tags: nonprofit; charity; foundation; private business; Internal Revenue Service; IRS; Form 990; 990s; consolidated financial statements; civil court; criminal court; federal agencies; FOIA
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Hidden crimes: UCR data, and what’s not there
This tipsheet addresses use of the Uniform Crime Reports, pointing out it "is only as good as the agencies that report data. Police in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta and St. Louis have been caught hiding crimes to make the cities look safer than they really were." Fazlollah addresses how to spot problems with the data.
Tags: Federal Bureau of investigations; FBI; Uniform Crime Reports; UCR; statistcs; crime reporting; advanced techniques
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Coaxing great writing from reporters
This tipsheet discusses techniques for editors to use when managing investigative reporters. The tips include sharing great writing, praising the reporters, and setting the bar high.
Tags: newsroom management; editing; writing; story telling
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How to Pursue a Veterans' Scandal
Kors lists and explains twenty techniques he learned while investigating how military doctors misdiagnose veterans, labeling them mentally ill in order to deny them medical care and disability pay. His twenty tips cover speaking with soldiers, dealing with Military PR people, talking with commanders and army doctors, and setting up email alerts to stay informed.
Tags: interview techniques; RSS feeds; army; military; Iraq; mental illness; sources
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Steps in a CAR Story: From a Question to Data Analysis, Reporting and Writing
Ketterer breaks computer-assisted reporting into three stages: asking a question and obtaining the relevant data; cleaning and analyzing the data; writing and reporting the story. For each stage, Ketterer describes a detailed process of steps to keep you on track during the investigation.
Tags: newsroom management; reporting techniques; checklist; organization
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Steps in a CAR Story: From a Question to Data Analysis, Reporting and Writing
Ketterer breaks computer-assisted reporting into three stages: asking a question and obtaining the relevant data; cleaning and analyzing the data; writing and reporting the story. For each stage, Ketterer describes a detailed process of steps to keep you on track during the investigation.
Tags: newsroom management; reporting techniques; checklist; organization
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PI Techniques for Investigative Reporters
[Powerpoint] Outlines what private investigators do and how they differ from investigative reporters. The powerpoint also supplies a list of resources available to both.
Tags: private investigator; research; database
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Loosening Lips 2007
2007 update of Nalder's "Loosening Lips" tipsheet. He offers extensive advice for successful, exhaustive interviewing. He explains how to deal with common yet difficult obstacles to thorough interviews and delineates his entire interview process. His advice spans everything from pre-interview research to how to cope with getting a door slammed in your face. Nalder\'s interviewing panels at IRE conferences are well-attended every year.
Tags: interviews; interrogation; sources; investigative reporting; research; investigative techniques
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Interviewing
Maier offers five tips with lots of details about how to go about conducting a successful interview. The tips cover everything from preparation to being aware of how to write the story. Maier discusses different interview styles and when to utilize each one.
Tags: interview technique; sources; research; investigative reporting
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CAR for Broadcast
Ellis provides 10 tips for broadcast journalists who are tackling computer-assisted reporting projects. He gives advice on CAR training, how to obtain necessary data, keeping it simple and much more.
Tags: computer-assisted reporting (CAR); investigative techniques; reporting; data