Finding and Managing Information
Tsehay Gashaw and Ewen Le Borgne
ILRI Komms Klinics Session
ILRI, Addis Ababa, 28 August 2012
The Komms Klinics approach
• Away from (just) tools, into
communication processes
• Six broad communication areas
• Tools are still part of the picture
• Awareness raising and hands-on
training sessions
• More trainers, more trainees
The Komms Klinics approach
Overview
1. What is Finding and Managing Information ?
2. Finding information
1. - As individuals
2. - As organizations
3. Managing information
- Why? and How?
- Managing information organizationally
4. One step further: Working out loud & PKM
5. Summary
What is finding & managing
information?
WIIFM?
What’s in it for me?
Why fin
din
g a
nd m
an
ag
ing in
form
ation
?
• Collecting
Wh
at
is f
ind
ing
&
ma
na
gin
g in
form
atio
n?
• Managing
• Sharing
As individuals?
As organizations?
As individuals?
As orgs?
Wh
at
is f
ind
ing
&
ma
na
gin
g in
form
atio
n?
Finding information?
• From the work we (ILRI & partners) do
• Face-to-face meetings
• Events / workshops
Internet
Publications or books
•
What are information sources? F
indin
g info
rmation
• Too much!
- Too much information / knowledge out there
- Too many platforms / tools?
• Dealing with information overload...
• Quality Information
• Filter failure?
Finding information: problems ? F
indin
g info
rmation
Overcoming information overload
• What are the information sources?
• What is your priority?
• Know what your are looking for ?
• Deal with your email
• Know what your are subscribing (RSS
feeds)
• Get your own time (disconnect yourself for a moment)
Fin
din
g info
rmation
Fin
din
g in
form
ation
pe
rson
ally
• Finding information as individuals
Fin
din
g in
form
ation
pe
rson
ally
• Face-to-face
• On the web
Basic command:
“...” : the exact phrase
* : Words starting with e.g People*
OR : Logical expression
Advanced search:
[site: country code] : country code e.g et
[filetype:] : specific format e.g doc
Etc...
Fin
din
g in
form
ation
pe
rson
ally
Fin
din
g in
form
ation
pe
rson
ally
• Using social media
Fin
din
g in
form
ation
pe
rson
ally
• Using social media: Yammer
Fin
din
g in
form
ation
pe
rson
ally
• Using social media: Twitter
• Finding organizational information F
ind
ing
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
The ILRI case
Repository (final outputs)
Website
Ilrinet
Online academic journals
Blogs (subscribe to newsfeed)
Social media (Yammer, flickr, twitter, etc...)
Fin
din
g in
form
atio
n –
th
e I
LR
I ca
se
Search result
Search, browse,
subscribe
Search result
Outputs harvested
Scientists’
research results
Video/audio Presentation
Publications Journals
Outputs
re-published
User
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
http://mahider.ilri.org
Open digital repository of ILRI (and
other) final outputs
• Search and browse:
– Use keywords, title, author, etc.
– Search in the different sub-communities
– Search in different collections: ILRI journal
articles, conference papers, publications
etc.
• Subscribe to RSS feed / e-mail alerts
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
• ILRI website
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
• Online academic journals
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
• ILRI Clippings
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
• ILRI News blog
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
ILRI’s presentations
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
ILRI’s photo collection
Fin
din
g
org
aniz
atio
na
l in
form
ation
• ILRI Calendar
Managing information?
Why manage information?
To make informed decisions
…Based on up-to-date information
Quality /relevant information
To re-use information…
…And learn from the past Ma
na
gin
g in
form
atio
n: W
hy?
an
d H
ow
?
How? M
an
ag
ing
in
form
atio
n: W
hy?
an
d H
ow
?
What does it involve?
And content!!!
Ma
na
gin
g in
form
atio
n: W
hy?
an
d H
ow
?
How do we manage
information? Organize our content
Categorize and tag it properly
Use different technology like:
• - Social media tools
• - Content management systems
• - Your note pad...
Ma
na
gin
g in
form
atio
n: W
hy?
an
d H
ow
?
• Managing information organizationally
the ILRI case
Ma
na
gin
g in
form
atio
n o
rga
niz
atio
na
lly
Managing information organizationally
Mahider
Wikis
Blogs
Delicious
Slideshare
Flickr
Blip
RSS feeds
ILRI comms does it with you!
Ho
w d
o w
e m
an
ag
e in
form
atio
n?
One step further…
Working out loud
PKM
Working out loud
Journal and share your work!
On
e s
tep
fu
rth
er…
Personal knowledge
management (PKM)
Credits: Harold Jarche
On
e s
tep
fu
rth
er…
Summary
Summary
Identify the right source(s)
to look for relevant
information Credits: Chacka Chacka
Summary
Good information management leads to
better informed decisions
Summary
Filter
quality
content &
sharpen
your filters
(networks)
Summary
Re-use
content
saved,
tagged,
stored
Credits: Adam Cohn
Summary
Manage your information needs and
practices (reflect!)
Summary
Work out loud!
Summary
Learn from the past, prepare the future
What’s more?
Resources
• “Working out loud”, your personal content
strategy
• The personal KM primer
• Some personal effectiveness bookmarks
on Del.icio.us
• Managing information at ILRI – our
guidelines ILRI Comms wiki (FAQ)
More about Komms Klinics
• Visit our Komms Klinics training wiki:
http://ilri-training.wikispaces.com
• Find out more and contact Tsehay, Ewen or
Peter
• Find answers to communication questions:
http://ilri-comms.wikispaces.com
• Find out about the activities of ILRI’s
communication team:
http://infoilri.wordpress.com
Reflection & group work
• What are your personal tips and tricks to find
and manage information individually?
• E.g. What are the best sources?
• What are useful practices and tools?
International Livestock Research Institute Better lives through livestock
Animal agriculture to reduce poverty, hunger and
environmental degradation in developing countries
ILRI
www.ilri.org