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 "records analysis" ...
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New Frontiers in Computer-Assisted Reporting
Cohen's tipsheet is filled with links and explanations of tools that could be of help to computer-assisted reporting. Included are existing free tools that can be "hijacked" for reporting purposes; and projects to analyze audio, video, visual recording and handwriting.
Tags: computer-assisted reporting; web tools; web-extraction; spreadsheets; datasets; DocumentCloud; Excel; visualization; Comment analysis; extraction engines;
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How to use campaign finance data to track fundraising, and other lobbyist largesse
The author discusses how to use FEC records to track fundraising done by lobbyists. He gives examples of data analysis and explains how to interpret the results. The author also discusses how to report on in-kind contributions from lobbyists.
Tags: campaign finance; FEC; fundraising; lobbyists; politics; state government; federal government
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Justice: From Arrests to Death Row
Clarke lists resources for finding criminal records, such as defense attorneys and local law enforcement agencies. She also includes advice for building a database of criminal records; she includes tips like "keep a paper record" and "do spot checks."
Tags: justice system; criminal records data; building databases; data analysis
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Essential Analysis: Data Integrity Checks
powerpoint presentation that reminds journalists what to check when they get data and shows how to look for dirty data using database managers or SPSS. also mentions extensive data documentation [and clean-up of dirty data] that IRE and NICAR include with the databases available from the Database library.
Tags: data; tables; documentary; file format; record layout; data dictionary; outliers; variations; dirty data; database manager; SPSS;
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Covering Nonprofits with CAR
This Power Point presentation discusses how to utilize 990 forms when covering nonprofits. Hall covers which organizations file 990s, as well as what information can be found in each line of the form. Hall also includes some questions to ask charities that can lead to good stories.
Tags: nonprofits; charities; data analysis; statistics; public records
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Harvesting Cash: Tracking the money in U.S. farm subsidies
Cohen discusses her 2006 investigation into farm subsidy and crop insurance fraud. She explains the records and data she analyzed to report the story and the results she found.
Tags: farming; industry; federal government; fraud; data analysis; agriculture
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Basics of Social Network Analysis
The authors offer a basic introduction to social network analysis. They explain how to use it as a reporting tool and list several examples of stories that utilize social network analysis. The tipsheet ends with resources for those who are interested in learning more about this tool.
Tags: social networks; data analysis; relationship analysis; public records; charts; community connections
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Local Contracting
Keating offers a list of things to look for when investigating local contracts. He also discusses where to find and how to analyze contract data.
Tags: contracts; government spending; business; industry; data analysis; public records
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CAR for TV
Amons discusses several broadcast CAR stories that she worked on. The story ideas she includes range from truckers falling asleep at the wheel to school fire safety and 911 response time.
Tags: CAR; broadcast reporting; public records; data analysis; accidents
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A Neighborhood Built to Fail
Mellnik discusses how to identify foreclosures, starter homes and lenders from various public records. He explains how to use the register of deeds, county property records, FHA data, building permits, bankruptcy filings, and consultant reports to find data for a story about property records. He also includes some tips about mapping foreclosures.
Tags: property; foreclosure; mapping; data analysis; public records; real estate; beat reporting