Seriously? A Series of Tips on Setting Up a Research Library (Part 2)

“Life is too important to be taken seriously.” -- Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

What’s Out There?
Serious researchers have experienced a number of databases in their professional careers. Many of these databases will form the core of your top ten list.  Still, it doesn’t hurt to take a look at less familiar databases to see if they might be a good fit for your organization.

One way to start is to explore the lists of databases offered by university libraries for student and faculty use.

The University of Pennsylvania (http://www.library.upenn.edu/cgi-bin/res/sr.cgi?fotlp=&community=80&resourcetype=&tab=1), Texas A&M University (http://guides.library.tamu.edu/databases), the University of Tulsa (http://www.utulsa.edu/mcfarlin/articles-databases.asp), and the University of Houston (http://info.lib.uh.edu/edbs/subject), for example, each provide lists of the databases they subscribe to.  Sifting through their lists, the top 10 databases of interest to researchers engaged in desulfurization research and related areas might look something like this …

AAPG Datapages
Academic Search Complete
Compendex
GeoRef
IEEE Xplore
Petroleum Abstracts
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
SciFinder
SCOPUS
Web of Science

Of course, the top 10 databases for your purposes may well be quite different.  The point is, by browsing through the lists of databases subscribed to by major academic institutions, you have a jumping off point for coming up with a list to match your research focus.


See more tips at: www.jeansteinhardtconsulting.com

Seriously? A Series of Tips on Setting Up a Research Library (Part 1)

“It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously.” -- Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

 

Individual researchers create their own personal libraries of technical literature. This can work well for small research organizations with just three or four researchers. Larger organizations need a more formal structure to support their research efforts.

 

This is the first in a series of posts designed to help you create a resource base which can help your researchers make more productive use of their valuable time.

 

We’ll begin by focusing on commercial databases.  To be honest, the first step should involve strategic planning, but since most people like to cut to the chase, the chase is where we’ll begin. The tedious stuff will come later.

 

Hundreds of databases are available on the Web. But no matter how big your budget, you won’t be able to afford to subscribe to all of them.

 

• So the first step is to get an idea of what is available.
• Step two is to prioritize them in terms of the research goals of your organization.
• The third step is to contact customer representatives from each of the top ten on your list.
• Step four is to negotiate contracts with database vendors.
• The fifth step is to make your researchers aware of the subscribed resources, and to encourage them to use the databases.
• The final step is to monitor usage statistics to determine: (a) whether to continue to subscribe to a given database and; (b) if you choose to continue the subscription, what can be done to increase use of the resource.

 

Each of these steps will be the subject of a dedicated post.

Find more useful tips at: www.jeansteinhardtconsulting.com

 

 

 

TIAX (Part 6): The DUNS Factor

“DNA is an abbreviation for deoxyribonucleicantidisestablishmentarianism, a complex string of syllables.” -- Dave Barry (American Writer and Humorist best known for his weekly newspaper column. b.1947)

Sometimes the results of a simple Google® search can provide clues that lead to valuable information.  For example, a search for TIAX LLC led to SBIR, which provided the TIAX DUNS number.  Googling the DUNS number resulted in information on various contracts the company has had with various agencies of the Federal Government.  Here are the details of the steps along that path …

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STEP 1
Google® Search String: TIAX LLC
One result:
Tiax LLC - SBIR Source
sbirsource.com/sbir/firms/283-tiax-llc
To develop concepts for affordable flexhoses that meet the Navy military specification requirements for MIL-H-24135B and that last the average life of a ship (40 ...

STEP 2
SBIR Source reminded me of SBIR (www.sbir.gov), which stands for Small Business Innovative Research.

STEP 3
I searched the SBIR Company Registry, using Search String: TIAX
Result: DUNS: 111046152

STEP 4
Google® Search String: DUNS: 111046152
One Result: NASA's Budget: Vendor Overview
DUNS Number: 111046152. Vendor: TIAX LLC. Vendor Location: Lexington, MA. Number of Employees: 176. Annual Revenue: $30.00M.
NASA Contracts to this vendor:
Procurement ID: NNX08CB67P
Total  $99,944.8M
Most Recent Activity Date 02/06/2008
Signed Date 02/06/2008
Completion Date 08/05/2008
source: http://www.govbudgets.com/dunsNumber/111046152/TIAX_LLC/
///////

And there's more.  But you get the point.  Obviously, this particular approach won’t help with companies that don’t do work for the Federal Government.

But, there may be other clues that can lead you to valuable information on the company you are researching.

The thing to remember is that there is no one source you can go to for a complete picture of a company. You need to explore multiple avenues … especially when the subject is privately held.

Call for Papers: 2nd Annual Refining India Conference

“I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.” -- Muhammad Ali (American Boxer and Activist, b.1942)

The 2nd Annual Refining India conference takes place at the Lalit Hotel in New Delhi on 13-14 October, 2014.

According to an email I received announcing the event …

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India is the world’s refining hot spot for new-build projects, EPC contractors and technology providers.  Refining India 2014 is the year’s best opportunity for international companies to present to, and network with, a focused audience of senior decision makers drawn from India’s refining and petrochemicals industries.

The organising committee has identified the following core areas for coverage in Refining India 2014’s sessions:

·       Redefining the role of refinery units
·       Upgrading heavy residues
·       Hydroprocessing for cleaner fuels
·       Crude oil sourcing, blending and storage

These topics should not be viewed as limiting. Submissions on the range of refining and petrochemical technologies will be reviewed and considered.

Please submit an abstract of your proposed paper to editor@petroleumtechnology.com  by 16 June 2014.

///////

The conference Web is located at …

http://www.eptq.com/conference/view_conference.aspx?intCID=15&d=1/

TIAX (Part 5): Round the Bend

“God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.” -- Isak Dinesen (pseudonym of Baroness Karen Blixen. Danish Writer (Out of Africa, 7 Gothic Tales), 1885-1962)

No company study is complete without at least a little background information.

Round out your picture of the company by doing a simple Google search for non-technological information ...

GOOGLE®: TIAX LLC
One result:

///////
Bloomberg BusinessWeek Profile
Includes a description of the company, key executives, recent news, and the names of similar private companies.

KEY TIAX LLC EXECUTIVES
Dr. Kenan E. Sahin, Founder and President
Mr. Arthur D. Schwope, Vice President of Operations
Dr. Brian M. Barnett, Vice President of Technology
Mr. Twig Mowatt, Executive Officer
Mr. Eric Witherspoon, Executive Officer
source: http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1933490
///////

If you have access to D&B reports, wrap up you study of this interesting company by checking its credit report.

TIAX (Part 4) – First Contact

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” -- Gustave Flaubert (French writer, 1821-1880)

The last post resulted in an ordered list of a few of the researchers associated with TIAX LLC, as shown below.  Now suppose that you wanted to contact one or two of the names on the list.  Scroll down for tips on one way to find email addresses of people associated with a particular company.

No. of Patents	First Name	Middle	Last Name
264	Per		Onnerud
107	Jack		Treger
93	Allan		Chertok
82	David		Ofer
49	John	T	Dieckmann
41	Thomas	J	Fowler
10	Detlef		Westphalen
9	Darrell	J	King
9	Lawrence		Tyson
8	Christopher	H	McCoy
8	James	P	Norton
7	Simon		Chippett
7	Suresh		Sriramulu
6	Marlene	A	Devine
6	Kristene	Drobot	Isherwood
6	Gerald	R	Larocque
6	Jay	J	Shi
4	Charles	E	Bronson
2	William	S	Barney
2	John	Robert	Fricke
2	Anil		Mankame
2	Matthew	Corbin	Wiggins
1	San		Chottray
1	Emily	Barbara	Cooper
1	Dennis	L	Juedes
1	Laura		Natress
1	Adrian	W	Pullen
1	Thomas	M	Rudy
1	Kenan		Sahin
1	David		Tisi

To find a company's email ADDRESS pattern, using TIAX LLC as an example ...

GOOGLE® SEARCH STRING: "email * * tiaxllc.com"

RESULTS
unnasch.stefan@TIAXLLC.com
rutherford.daniel@tiaxllc.com
westphalen.d@tiaxllc.com
Spangler.Ron@TIAXLLC.com
Jackson.michael@tiaxllc.com
oboyle.j@tiaxllc.com
mowatt.twig@TIAXLLC.com
barney.william@tiaxllc.com
Sahin.K@TIAXLLC.com

We can see that a typical TIAX email address is LASTNAME.FIRSTNAME@TIAXLLC.COM or LASTNAME.FIRSTINITIAL@TIAXLLC.COM.  A quick way to find a particular individual's email address is to use a wild card to standin for that individual's first name or first initial.  For example ...

GOOGLE® SEARCH STRING: "email onnerud * tiaxllc.com"
RESULT: onnerud.p@tiaxllc.com

GOOGLE® SEARCH STRING: "email treger * tiaxllc.com"
RESULT: treger.jack@tiaxllc.com

GOOGLE® SEARCH STRING: "email ofer * tiaxllc.com"
RESULT: ofer.david@tiaxllc.com

Try this technique on a company of your choice … and let me know what you think.

TIAX (Part 3) - Expertise

“I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.” -- Groucho Marx (American Comedian, Actor and Singer, 1890-1977)

In Part 3 of  the TIAX case study, we continue to ride the hyperlink express by changing trains. We hop off of the Assignee train and onto the Inventor train. 

First, we revisit the familiar ExxonMobil patent (https://www.google.com/patents/US8490581?dq=US8490581+B2&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XNZWU_rRJsLcyQGa_4DwBw&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA)  and click the TIAX hyperlink in the Assignee field.  The result is list of some 380 TIAX patents.

Second, we click a patent, then click one or more of the inventor hyperlinks.

Third, we make a note of the inventor and the number of patents he or she has produced.

Tabulating the total, we can get a good picture of the most productive inventors, and hence those individuals with the greatest expertise in a particular field.

Here, for example, is a list of TIAX affiliated inventors from the first two pages of Google Patents results …

No. of Patents	First Name	Middle	Last Name
264	Per		Onnerud
107	Jack		Treger
93	Allan		Chertok
82	David		Ofer
49	John	T	Dieckmann
41	Thomas	J	Fowler
10	Detlef		Westphalen
9	Darrell	J	King
9	Lawrence		Tyson
8	Christopher	H	McCoy
8	James	P	Norton
7	Simon		Chippett
7	Suresh		Sriramulu
6	Marlene	A	Devine
6	Kristene	Drobot	Isherwood
6	Gerald	R	Larocque
6	Jay	J	Shi
4	Charles	E	Bronson
2	William	S	Barney
2	John	Robert	Fricke
2	Anil		Mankame
2	Matthew	Corbin	Wiggins
1	San		Chottray
1	Emily	Barbara	Cooper
1	Dennis	L	Juedes
1	Laura		Natress
1	Adrian	W	Pullen
1	Thomas	M	Rudy
1	Kenan		Sahin
1	David		Tisi