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(1 Oct) Yahoo! Search Assist automatically suggests search terms as you enter a query.
Here's an example of how it works: I'm looking for information about the impact of multi-tasking on the learning process. Is the human brain capable of performing two discrete tasks at once? Do multi-tasking attempts negatively affect the learning process?
I start by entering the keyword, multi-tasking. But before I complete keying in the word, Yahoo begins prompting me for more information. Initially, it suggests such terms as multi-tasking and how to multi-task. If I select one of the keyword prompts, the search engine displays the results for that keyword or phrase. But if I finish keying the word, I receive other search term suggestions; for example, what is multi-tasking and define multi-tasking. If I start keying the next concept, learning, Yahoo begins to suggest different queries; for example, multi-tasking leads to mistakes or why multi-tasking leads to mistakes.
The problem with the suggestions in this case is, they aren't objective. I don't want to allow bias to enter into the query at the beginning stages of the research. So, I can proceed with my own query or change one of the terms to prompt more suggestions.
Changing multi-tasking to multi-task followed by the first letter in learning prompts the suggestion, multi task learning. If I click on this search suggestion, I receive results and additional suggestions for narrowing the query.
Yahoo Search Assist is a great feature for helping searchers focus or experiment with their queries. But take care not to allow the search engine to do the thinking for you.
(2 Oct) FT.com, the online version of the Financial Times, announced that beginning mid-October, it will allow visitors to display 30 articles per month for free. Once you display 30 articles, you will be prompted to pay for a subscription.
RELATED: Murdoch Ponders a Free WSJ Online
TVC Alert Research News, 25 September 2007
RELATED: New York Times Opens Up More of Its Site
TVC Alert Research News, 20 September 2007
(1 Oct) Paula Hane reviews several political fact-checking Web sites, include the new Washington Post site, called The Fact Checker. You also will find links to these sites and others on The Virtual Chase in the section referenced below.
SEE: The Fact Checker
RELATED: Hoaxes and Other Bad Information in the News
The Virtual Chase, 28 September 2007
(28 Sep) The Federal Communications Commission issued a fine to a Comcast station for airing a "'video news release' [or] a short production essentially advertising a product but made to appear as a newscast." Comcast plans to appeal.
RELATED: More TV Stations Airing Hype as News
TVC Alert Research News, 17 November 2006
(1 Oct) A federal court judge dismissed the civil rights lawsuit filed by Professor Jay Gunasekera in the plagiarism scandal involving master theses written by graduate students of the mechanical engineering department of Ohio University. Gunasekera asserted violation of due process, alleging that the school did not allow him to attempt to clear his name before publishing its report. The judge ruled that defendants Russ College Dean Dennis Irwin and OU Provost Kathy Krendl have "at least partial immunity from liability both as state employees and individuals, and that OU's disciplining of Gunasekera didn't create any constitutional due-process problems."
Gunasekera plans to appeal. He also is pursuing a state defamation claim.
RELATED: Ohio U Continues Search for Plagiarism
TVC Alert Research News, 14 November 2006
RELATED: Another Defamation Lawsuit Hits Ohio U
TVC Alert Research News, 26 October 2006
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(30 Sep) A Pennsylvania judge denied a request that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette return documents sealed in a divorce proceeding involving the wealthy owner of a rival newspaper. The newspaper accessed them "after they were posted online by the court - apparently in error - for several days last month."
(1 Oct) A federal judge ruled that a 1974 court order, prohibiting the release of arrest information when there is no conviction is invalid.
An earlier article makes an important point for researchers who want to find arrest data in jurisdictions where the records are not public. "Arrest records become public as part of court records when an arrest warrant is issued or charges are brought to court. To effectively protect a suspect's identity, court records would also have to be sealed, a solution that would be much too broad and against the spirit of open government, [Allison] Bussell [an attorney for Nashville's metropolitan government] said." Thus, while an arrest record may not be available in certain jurisdictions, you may be able to find information about the arrest with a search of court records, assuming charges were filed with the court.
Cell Phone Driving Laws: The Governors Highway Safety Association provides a chart of state cell phone driving laws. The chart indicates whether 1) the state collects crash data related to cell phone use, 2) there are restrictions on cell phone use for novice drivers, 3) there are other restrictions, and 4) there are preemption laws, or laws than ban municipalities from implementing restrictions. While the chart is a good place to start research on this topic, it does not provide the legal citation for referenced laws. (et)
Electronic Discovery Law: The law firm, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP, sponsors this blog on news and developments pertaining to electronic data discovery (EDD). Lawyers comment on newsworthy events as well as important case law. A case law database lets you search for state or federal cases by keyword. (The search box appears on the left in the middle of the page.) Additional features include amendments to federal rules, annotated resources and an RSS feed. (et)
EDD Update: Law.com sponsors this blog on electronic data discovery (EDD). It provides brief commentary on legal news and events. (et)
European Environmental Law Cases Database: European Environmental Law offers a database containing "the full text of the most relevant decisions, including those delivered by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the Court of First Instance (CFI), the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), and some national courts." You can search the database by keyword, case number, parties, decision date, or environmental sector. The cases I retrieved appeared in full-text in English and with a note indicating the original language of the case. (et)
Europa: European Countries: EUROPA, the portal site of the European Union, provides useful factual information about European Union member states. Facts provided include the year of entry into the union, the type of political system, capital city, population, currency and official language. There is also a brief description of the country and links to Web sites with additional information. (et)
Research News Archive
27 September 2007
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Cite as: TVC Alert Research News, 2 October 2007, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, http://www.virtualchase.com/tvcalert/transfer.asp?xmlFile=oct07/2oct07.xml
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Created: 2 October 2007
Revised:
URL: http://www.virtualchase.com/tvcalert/transfer.asp?xmlFile=oct07/2oct07.xml
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