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 "national databases" ...
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(More than 5) Databases for criminal justice reporting
Roberts discusses the "data-rich" nature of the criminal justice beat, identifying several key databases for reporters. Examples include 911 response data, jail bookings, jury selection transcripts, National Corrections Reporting program and many more
Tags: crime; arrest; jail; courts; police; criminal justice; violent offenders; sexual offenders; prison; inmates; judicial reporting; NACJD; NCRP; jury; juries; court docket
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Data on Deadline
Benincasa's powerpoint lists several strategies for using data on deadline. He includes story examples with an explanation of the data used in each. He also addresses "readiness strategies" and "geek notes" - tips to help manage an utilize the data you've collected.
Tags: data; deadline; beat reporting; mapping; MySQL; queries; database library; database organization
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Data on Deadline
This tipsheet lists helpful websites to use when you need to access data on deadline. Suggested data links include the American Community Survey to campaign finance data to tracking airplane tail numbers.
Tags: data; quick hit; deadline; census; campaign finance; aviation; transportation; economics; FAA; NHTSA; automobile; consumer safety; politics; courts; federal spending; databases; reporting
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Pesticides
This tipsheet details various pesticide databases including where they can be found, how to use them and potential issues with the data. Included are pertinent web resources and tips for covering pesticide related stories
Tags: pesticides; Environmental Protection Agency; EPA; extoxnet; Pesticide Action Network; National Pesticide Information Retrieval System; Pesticide Incident Data System; SENSOR
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Backgrounding People and Companies/International: Mining database and the deep web
Williams has compiled and extensive list of web resources when researching international topics. Additionally, she has included a wealth of material for backgrounding people and companies on the web - a "beyond Google" compendium of online resources
Tags: backgrounding; international data; lobbying; Foreign Agents Registration Act; FARA; Speically Deisgnated Nationals List; SDN; worldwide incidents tracking system; World Bank; European Union;
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Battling the VA
Adams discusses the approach to covering the Veterans Administration - both as a health system and a disability compensation system. He addresses the challenges of making FOIA requests of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). He outlines the data available from the VA, but also discloses the difficulty in having FOIA requests honored
Tags: Veterans Administration; VA; Veterans Benefits Administration; VBA; Comp and Pen Master File; Voard of Veterans Appeals; VACOLS; Veterans Satisfaction Survey; National Survey of Veterans; Vital Signs database; internal VA memos; Monday Morning Reports; National Association of Veterans' Program Administrators; National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs; NAVPA; NASDVA; National Association of State Charities Officials; NASCONET
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From Database to Story - A Step-by-step Guide
Harbord and McKie show how you can utilize OSHA data to tell the story of workplace safety in non-traditional industries such as healthcare, schools (e.g., violence) and business (carpal tunnel syndrome). Their tipsheet walks you through the process of analyzing the data. And how to compare this information to other data sets to obtain a more complete sense of "the story."
Tags: data; database; OSHA; query; NAICS; excel; pivot tables; inspections; NICAR; National Institute of Computer-Assisted Reporting
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Sources for Covering Your Local Transit Agency
McGinty provides sources and what you can find by using them, such as the National Transit Database and Florida International University's database. Both contain dozens of spreadsheets with ridership information, revenue, crime data and so on. McGinty also lists some must-read documents for covering transit in your area.
Tags: Transportation; public transportation; U.S. census data; urban mobility; NTD; metropolitan transit
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Sources for Covering Auto Accidents
McGinty gives information on how to use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Accident Reporting System, or FARS. He covers why it exists, how comprehensive and accurate the data is, and how it is tructured.
Tags: Transportation; car accidents; FARS; fatalities; national databases
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Uncovering Bad Bridges
This tipsheet is a very comprehensive guide to doing an investigation about local bridges. It covers what information to look for in the data as well as different stories that will all come from the same database. For example, Greenblatt suggests using the data for the "widespread story", the "scour story" and the "breaking news story". For each suggestion, Greenblatt explains the problem and how to approach it as a reporter. Finally, the tipsheet ends with "Seven steps to a memorable news story."
Tags: bridges; National Bridge Inventory; data; database; government data; environmental reporting; CAR; Broadcast story