Difference between revisions of "Investigative Research"

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Investigative research is a name given to a collection of research techniques and methods used by researchers (including journalists, social scientists and others).  It is intended to unearth secret, hidden or obscure information that can build a more comprehensive picture of the issue under investigation.  
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'''Investigative research''' is a name given to a collection of research techniques and methods used by researchers (including journalists, social scientists and others).  It is intended to unearth secret, hidden or obscure information that can build a more comprehensive picture of the issue under investigation.  
 
 
  
  
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Access to information is a major problem for all researchers, but is felt particularly by investigative researchers who are more likely to come up against refusals and to challenge them. Powerful organisations often attempt to limit access by a variety of techniques.  These do not always involve threats of violence as in this example:  
 
Access to information is a major problem for all researchers, but is felt particularly by investigative researchers who are more likely to come up against refusals and to challenge them. Powerful organisations often attempt to limit access by a variety of techniques.  These do not always involve threats of violence as in this example:  
  
:If you try and inspect them, I will personally break your legs (Chairman of the company publishing Burke’s Peerage to journalists investigating lack of company documentation submitted to company’s House)<ref> cited in Scott, 1990:164</ref>
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:If you try and inspect them, I will personally break your legs (Chairman of the company publishing Burke’s Peerage to journalists investigating lack of company documentation submitted to Companies House)<ref> cited in Scott, 1990:164</ref>
  
The [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] was a notoriously closed organisation fr researchers and its policy on research issued after the 1994 [[IRA]] ceasefire made its instrumental view  
+
The [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] was a notoriously closed organisation for researchers and its policy on research issued after the 1994 [[IRA]] ceasefire made its instrumental view  
 
:We welcome requests... to conduct research which may prove to be of benefit to the force.<ref>Superintendent B. D. Wilson, Force Research Branch, RUC, 1997, cited n Miller, D. (1998) 'Colonialism and Academic Representations of the Trouble', in Miller, D. (Ed.) ''Rethinking Northern Ireland'', London: Longman</ref>
 
:We welcome requests... to conduct research which may prove to be of benefit to the force.<ref>Superintendent B. D. Wilson, Force Research Branch, RUC, 1997, cited n Miller, D. (1998) 'Colonialism and Academic Representations of the Trouble', in Miller, D. (Ed.) ''Rethinking Northern Ireland'', London: Longman</ref>
  
However, powerful organisations may allow social researchers access for a varety of reasons. Kevin williams writes:
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However, powerful organisations may allow social researchers access for a variety of reasons. Kevin Williams writes:
  
 
:In spite of the difficulties - and these are many and real - the powerful can be more open and co-operative than many social scientists believe.  They are often prepared to discuss matters and in many cases welcome the chance to place their views on the record.  their motives are mixed.  they can emanate from a desire to correct what they see as misconceptions of their role and work.  ...  Talking to a researcher appears to be one of the few channels of communication they have with the public.  The powerful also talk to the researcher to counter challenges from other interests within their institution.  Powerful institutions are not monolithic.  a large number of interests exist inside institutions... which are in a state of flux and change.  Such a situation can work in the researcher’s favour. <ref>Williams, K. (1989). Researching the powerful: problems and possibilities of social research. ''Contemporary Crises'', 13(3): 255.</ref>
 
:In spite of the difficulties - and these are many and real - the powerful can be more open and co-operative than many social scientists believe.  They are often prepared to discuss matters and in many cases welcome the chance to place their views on the record.  their motives are mixed.  they can emanate from a desire to correct what they see as misconceptions of their role and work.  ...  Talking to a researcher appears to be one of the few channels of communication they have with the public.  The powerful also talk to the researcher to counter challenges from other interests within their institution.  Powerful institutions are not monolithic.  a large number of interests exist inside institutions... which are in a state of flux and change.  Such a situation can work in the researcher’s favour. <ref>Williams, K. (1989). Researching the powerful: problems and possibilities of social research. ''Contemporary Crises'', 13(3): 255.</ref>
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:When [Walraff] describes an industry on the basis of his ‘research’, his writing is characterised by a consistent scale of social values which could by fashioned only by a conscious ideologist of class struggle.  Each of Walraff’s publications reaches us as a hatefilled social-political campaign aimed at strengthening the machinations of class struggle.  His purpose is to arouse among workers by hand and brain a class-consciousness which they will ultimately use to destroy the social system.  his methods of investigation and documentation must be categorically condemned; the logical consequence of his point of view is that the end justifies any means and that all sense of responsibility is lost.<ref>W. German employers association statement on work of Gunter Walraff, cited in Walraff, G. (1978) ''Walraff: the Undesirable Journalist'', London: Pluto.: p. 1</ref>
 
:When [Walraff] describes an industry on the basis of his ‘research’, his writing is characterised by a consistent scale of social values which could by fashioned only by a conscious ideologist of class struggle.  Each of Walraff’s publications reaches us as a hatefilled social-political campaign aimed at strengthening the machinations of class struggle.  His purpose is to arouse among workers by hand and brain a class-consciousness which they will ultimately use to destroy the social system.  his methods of investigation and documentation must be categorically condemned; the logical consequence of his point of view is that the end justifies any means and that all sense of responsibility is lost.<ref>W. German employers association statement on work of Gunter Walraff, cited in Walraff, G. (1978) ''Walraff: the Undesirable Journalist'', London: Pluto.: p. 1</ref>
 
==Resources==
 
==Resources==
* Australian Centerfor Investigative Journalism [http://www.acij.uts.edu.au/shortcourses/ivresearch.html Investigative Research], University of Technology Sydney.
+
*[[Introduction to Investigative Research]]
 +
*[[How to Expose Spin]]
 +
*[[How to Find People Online]]
 +
*[[How to Check VAT Registrations]]
 +
*[[How to Read Company Accounts]]
 +
*[[How to Read Public Accounts]]
 +
*[[How to Research Local Government Finance]]
 +
*[[How to Use Companies House]]
 +
*[[How to Use the Freedom of Information Act]]
 +
*[[How to be a Web Detective]]
 +
*[[How to Write up Research]]
 +
 
 +
===Guidance on specific investigative techniques===
 +
* Australian Center for Investigative Journalism [http://www.acij.uts.edu.au/shortcourses/ivresearch.html Investigative Research], University of Technology Sydney.
 
*BBC [http://www.bbctraining.com/companions/research/contents.html Investigative Research on the Net], BBC Training course.
 
*BBC [http://www.bbctraining.com/companions/research/contents.html Investigative Research on the Net], BBC Training course.
 +
*Investigative Research Specialists LLC [http://oppositionresearch.typepad.com/ The Opposition Research Training Blog: Tips and Resources for Opposition Researchers]
 +
*Investigative Research Specialists LLC [http://www.researchops.com/Researchbooks.html Research Books For Professionals]
 +
*Colin Meek [http://www.journalism.co.uk/7/articles/53233.php How to: use search engines for precision surfing] ''Journalism.co.uk'', Posted: 19/03/07
 +
*Colin Meek [https://www.journalism.co.uk/skills/how-to-find-contacts-and-information-about-people-online/s7/a53119/ How to: find contacts and information about people online] ''Journalism.co.uk'', Posted: 15/12/06
 +
*Colin Meek [https://www.journalism.co.uk/news-features/web-3-0-what-it-means-for-journalists-part-1-/s5/a532631/ Web 3.0: what it means for journalists (part 1)] Posted: 23/10/08
 +
* Colin Meek [https://www.journalism.co.uk/news-features/web-3-0-what-it-means-for-journalists-part-2-/s5/a532632/ Web 3.0: what it means for journalists (part 2)] Posted: 24/10/08
 +
* Colin Meek [http://www.journalism.co.uk/insite/?p=578 Google’s advanced operators for journalists] June 19, 2009.
 +
* Colin Meek [http://www.journalism.co.uk/7/articles/531651.php How to: search for information within social networking sites] Posted: 30/05/08
 +
* Niall Ó Dochartaigh [http://www.uk.sagepub.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book228014&currTree=Subjects&level1=L00&level2=L40#tabview=samples Internet Research Skills How To Do Your Literature Search and Find Research Information Online] Second Edition 2007 SAGE Publications Ltd  Free downloads: [http://www.uk.sagepub.com/upm-data/12331_01_O'Docchartaigh_Ch_01.pdf Chapter 1]; [http://www.uk.sagepub.com/upm-data/12332_02_O'Docchartaigh_Ch_02.pdf Chapter 2]
 
*Dave Winer [http://www.scripting.com/stories/2009/01/11/howInvestigativeResearchHa.html How investigative research happens in the blogosphere], ''Scripting News'',Sunday, January 11, 2009.
 
*Dave Winer [http://www.scripting.com/stories/2009/01/11/howInvestigativeResearchHa.html How investigative research happens in the blogosphere], ''Scripting News'',Sunday, January 11, 2009.
 
*Zilliox, Jr., Larry (2006) ''[http://www.researchops.com/Bookorders.html The Opposition Research Handbook: A Guide to Political Investigations]'', 3rd Edition, ISBN: 0-9718740-1-8
 
*Zilliox, Jr., Larry (2006) ''[http://www.researchops.com/Bookorders.html The Opposition Research Handbook: A Guide to Political Investigations]'', 3rd Edition, ISBN: 0-9718740-1-8
*Investigative Research Specialists LLC [http://oppositionresearch.typepad.com/ The Opposition Research Training Blog: Tips and Resources for Opposition Researchers]
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*Department of Geography and Sociology, [http://web.archive.org/web/20100204071931/http://gs.strath.ac.uk/content/view/193/117/ Investigative Research] Strathclyde University, circa 2010.
*Investigative Research Specialists LLC [http://www.researchops.com/Researchbooks.html Research Books For Professionals]
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* Net for Lawyers, [http://www.netforlawyers.com/content/using-social-networking-sites-investigative-research Using Social Networking Sites for Investigative Research]
*[http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/InvisibleWeb.html Invisible or Deep Web: What it is, How to find it, and Its inherent ambiguity] UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops
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* UK OSINT [http://www.uk-osint.net/ Using The Internet As An Investigative Tool]
*Wright, Alex '[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/technology/internet/23search.html?th&emc=th Exploring a 'Deep Web' That Google Can’t Grasp], [[New York Times]] 2009-02-22.
+
 
*Michael K. |last=Bergman | title = The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value | journal = The Journal of Electronic Publishing | year = 2001 | month = August | volume = 7 | issue = 1 | url = http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=jep;view=text;rgn=main;idno=3336451.0007.104 |doi=10.3998/3336451.0007.104
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===Guidance on sources of information and tools===
*Garcia
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====Press and Media databases====
  | first = Frank
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*Lexis Nexis http://www.lib.strath.ac.uk/lnnews.htm (requires login)
  | authorlink =  
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*[http://www.bugmenot.com BugMeNot]. Lets you skip the registration process for many online news sites – although not those requesting paid subscriptions.
  | coauthors =  
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*NewsMap Useful little site that tracks graphically what is making the headlines at any given time. http://marumushi.com/projects/newsmap
  | title = Business and Marketing on the Internet
+
 
  | journal = Masthead
+
====Email services====
  | volume = 9
+
Mailinator. Allows you to generate a free one-time only, incoming-only email address http://www.mailinator.com/
  | issue = 1
+
 
  | pages =  
+
====Archives (Scotland)====
  | publisher =  
+
Glasgow University http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/about/default.html
  | location =
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HBoS http://www.hbosplc.com/abouthbos/history/group_archives.asp
  | date = January 1996
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RBS http://www.rbs.com/about02.asp?id=ABOUT_US/OUR_HERITAGE/OUR_ARCHIVES
  | url = http://web.archive.org/web/19961205083117/http://tcp.ca/Jan96/BusandMark.html
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National Archives of Scotland http://www.nas.gov.uk/about/default.asp
*Lesk
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Scottish Executive Consultations http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current
  | last = Michael
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Scottish Executive Publications http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent
  | author =
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Glasgow City Council Archives http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Libraries/Collections/Localhistory/CityCouncilArchives/  
  | authorlink =
+
 
  | coauthors =
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====Resources on lobbying/corporate power====
  | title = How much information is there in the world?
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*Powerbase http://www.powerbase.info
  | version =  
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*Sourcewatch http://www.sourcewatch.org
  | publisher =
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*Corporate Watch UK http://www.corporatewatch.org
  | date =
+
*Corporate Watch US http://www.corpwatch.org
  | url = http://www.lesk.com/mlesk/ksg97/ksg.html
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*OpenCorporates, Open Database of the Corporate World http://opencorporates.com
Sriram Raghavan
+
*Open Secrets, guide to money in (US) politics: http://www.opensecrets.org/
  | authorlink = <!-- http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/people/rsriram/ -->
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*LobbyingInfo.org (part of Public Citizen) http://www.lobbyinginfo.org/
  | coauthors = Hector Garcia-Molina
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*Clean Up Washington (part of Public Citizen) http://www.cleanupwashington.org/  
  | title = Crawling the Hidden Web
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*White House for Sale (data on campaign finance in past US Presidential election) http://www.whitehouseforsale.org/
  | publisher = Stanford Digital Libraries Technical Report
+
 
  | date = 2000
+
====Freedom of Information====
  | url = http://ilpubs.stanford.edu:8090/456/1/2000-36.pdf
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* [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/ WhatDoTheyKnow]: Make or explore Freedom of Information requests
Ntoulas
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* [http://www.statewatch.org/foi.htm  Statewatch] – FOI in Europe
  | last = Alexandros
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* [http://www.cfoi.org.uk/ Campaign for Freedom of Information]
  | author =  
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* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/opensecrets/ Open Secrets] - A blog about freedom of information by Martin Rosenbaum
  | authorlink =  
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* [http://www.ico.gov.uk/ Information Commissioner’s Office] (England, Wales and NI for FOI)
  | coauthors = Petros Zerfos, and Junghoo Cho
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* [http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/ Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner]
  | title = Downloading Hidden Web Content
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* [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ Office of Public Sector Information]
  | version =  
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* [http://www.foiacentre.com/foiaaround.html FOI around the world - brief overview]
  | publisher = [[UCLA]] Computer Science
+
For more see the page on [[Freedom of Information]]
  | date = 2005
+
 
  | url = http://oak.cs.ucla.edu/~cho/papers/ntoulas-hidden.pdf
+
====Government Offices, Official Sources====
Luciano
+
=====Departmental pages=====
  | last =  Barbosa
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*[http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/FOI Scottish Executive FOI page]
  | author =
+
*[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmpubns.htm House of Commons Publications]
  | authorlink =
+
*[http://www.parliament.uk/publications/archives.cfm  House of Commons Archives]
  | coauthors = Juliana Freire
+
*[http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/index.htm Scottish Parliament Official Report]
  | title =  An Adaptive Crawler for Locating Hidden-Web Entry Points
+
*[http://www.wales.gov.uk/keypubrecordproceedings/index.htm National Assembly for Wales Record of Proceedings]
  | version =
+
*[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ National Statistics] (formerly ONS)
  | publisher = WWW Conference 2007
+
*[http://publications.europa.eu/general/oj_en.html Official Journal of the European Union]
  | date = 2007
+
*[http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/about_us/office_in_scotland/index_en.htm European Commission Representations - Office in Scotland]
  | url = http://www.cs.utah.edu/~lbarbosa/publications/ache-www2007.pdf
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*[http://www.europe.org.uk/info/ Europe in the UK: Information Network]
Luciano
+
*[http://europa.eu/documents/index_en.htm European Union Documents]
  | last =  Barbosa
+
 
  | author =
+
====Web research====
  | authorlink =
+
*[http://www.archive.org/index.php Web archive/Way back machine]
  | coauthors = Juliana Freire
+
*[http://tech.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/cybertimesnavigator/index.html/ The New York Times Newsroom Navigator].  This is the home page of all journalists on the NY Times
  | title =  Searching for Hidden-Web Databases.
+
*STD Code Reverse List. Discover which area a dialling code is in:  http://www.ukphoneinfo.com/section/tci/locator.shtml
  | version =
+
*Reverse List of US telephone area codes: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/bsy/www/area.html
  | publisher = WebDB 2005
+
*[http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/postcodefinder;jsessionid=BSED5FPVSVAQSFB2IGFENZQUHRAYWQ2K;jsessionid=BSED5FPVSVAQSFB2IGFENZQUHRAYWQ2K?catId=400145&gear=postcode Royal Mail postcode/address finder ]
  | date = 2005
+
*[[How to find owners of domain names]]
  | url = http://www.cs.utah.edu/~lbarbosa/publications/webdb2005.pdf
+
 
Jayant
+
====Corporate information====
  | last = Madhavan
+
*[http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/ Companies House]
  | author =  
 
  | authorlink =  
 
  | coauthors = David Ko, Łucja Kot, Vignesh Ganapathy, Alex Rasmussen, Alon Halevy
 
  | title = Google’s Deep-Web Crawl
 
  | version =  
 
  | publisher = VLDB Endowment, ACM
 
  | date = 2008
 
  | url = http://www.cs.cornell.edu/~lucja/Publications/I03.pdf
 
Cohen
 
|first = Laura
 
|title = Internet Tutorials: The Deep Web
 
|url=http://www.internettutorials.net/deepweb.html
 
* Barker, Joe (Jan 2004). ''[http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/InvisibleWeb.html Invisible Web: What it is, Why it exists, How to find it, and its inherent ambiguity]''  UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops.
 
* Gruchawka, Steve (June 2006). ''[http://techdeepweb.com/ How-To Guide to the Deep Web]'' TechDeepWeb.com, [http://TechDeepWeb.com/ http://TechDeepWeb.com]
 
* Hamilton, Nigel (2003). [http://turbo10.com/papers/deepnet.pdf ''The Mechanics of a Deep Net Metasearch Engine''] - 12th World Wide Web Conference poster.
 
* {{cite conference |first=Bin |last=He |coauthors= Chang, Kevin Chen-Chuan | year = 2003 | title = Statistical Schema Matching across Web Query Interfaces | booktitle = Proceedings of the 2003 ACM SIGMOD International Conference on Management of Data | url = http://eagle.cs.uiuc.edu/pubs/2003/unifiedschema-sigmod03-hc-mar03.pdf|format=PDF}}
 
* {{cite journal |first=Bin |last=He |coauthors= Patel, Mitesh; Zhang, Zhen; Chang, Kevin Chen-Chuan | title = Accessing the Deep Web: A Survey | journal = Communications of the ACM (CACM) | pages = 94–101 | year = 2007 | month = May | volume = 50 | issue = 2 | url = http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1230819.1241670 |doi=10.1145/1230819.1241670+}}
 
* {{cite conference |first=Panagiotis G. |last=Ipeirotis |coauthors=Gravano, Luis; Sahami, Mehran | year = 2001 | title = Probe, Count, and Classify: Categorizing Hidden-Web Databases | booktitle = Proceedings of the 2001 ACM SIGMOD International Conference on Management of Data | pages = 67-78 | url = http://qprober.cs.columbia.edu/publications/sigmod2001.pdf|format=PDF}}
 
* {{cite journal |last=King |first=John D. |coauthors= Li, Yuefeng; Tao, Daniel; Nayak, Richi  | title = Mining World Knowledge for Analysis of Search Engine Content | journal = Web Intelligence and Agent Systems: an International Journal | pages = 233–253 | year = 2007 | month = November | volume = 5 | issue = 3 | url = http://sky.fit.qut.edu.au/~kingj2/downloads/king07mining.pdf|format=PDF}}
 
* {{cite journal |last=McCown |first=Frank |coauthors= Liu, Xiaoming; Nelson, Michael L.; Zubair, Mohammad | title = Search Engine Coverage of the OAI-PMH Corpus | journal = [[IEEE Internet Computing]] | pages = 66–73 | year = 2006 | month = Mar/Apr | volume = 10 | issue = 2 | url = http://library.lanl.gov/cgi-bin/getfile?LA-UR-05-9158.pdf |format=PDF| doi = 10.1109/MIC.2006.41}}
 
* {{cite book |last=Price |first=Gary |authorlink=Gary Price |coauthors=Sherman, Chris |title=The Invisible Web : Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can't See |year=2001 |month=July |publisher=CyberAge Books |location= |isbn=0-910965-51-X }}
 
* Shestakov, Denis (June 2008). ''[https://oa.doria.fi/handle/10024/38506 Search Interfaces on the Web: Querying and Characterizing]''. TUCS Doctoral Dissertations 104, University of Turku
 
* Wright, Alex (Mar 2004). ''In Search of the Deep Web,'' Salon.com,  [http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2004/03/09/deep_web/index_np.html http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2004/03/09/deep_web/]
 
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/10/AR2008121003241.html Firms Push for a More Searchable Federal Web] - article in the Washington Post, Thursday, December 11, 2008; Page D01 by Peter Whoriskey.
 
* [http://www.deepdyve.com/ DeepDyve] A research search engine to access content in the Deep Web
 
* [http://www.deeppeep.org/ DeepPeep] a search engine project to "discover the hidden web"
 
  
 
==Further Reading==
 
==Further Reading==
 +
*Cassell, J. (1988). The relationship of observer to observed when studying up. ''Studies in qualitative methodology'', 1(89), 108.
 
*Cohen, S. (1988) ‘The last seminar’ in ''Against Criminology'', New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction books.
 
*Cohen, S. (1988) ‘The last seminar’ in ''Against Criminology'', New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction books.
 +
*Gordon-Nesbitt, Rebecca (2011) [http://bookleteer.com/book.html?id=930&ui=embed#page/3/mode/1up How to Conduct Investigative Research], University of Strathclyde, Glasgow: Published by RG-N.
 +
* Klatch, R. (1988). 'Studying a Politically Resistant Community' ''Studies in Qualitative Methodology'', volume 1: 73-88
 
*Lee, R. (1993) ''Doing Research on sensitive topics'', London: Sage.
 
*Lee, R. (1993) ''Doing Research on sensitive topics'', London: Sage.
 
*Peter Phillips, August 14, 2003 'Inside Bohemian Grove US Elites Celebrate Patriarchy, Racism and Class Privilege', ''CounterPunch'' http://www.counterpunch.org/phillips08142003.html  
 
*Peter Phillips, August 14, 2003 'Inside Bohemian Grove US Elites Celebrate Patriarchy, Racism and Class Privilege', ''CounterPunch'' http://www.counterpunch.org/phillips08142003.html  
 
*Phillips, P, ''A Relative Advantage: Sociology of the San Francisco Bohemian Club A Doctoral Dissertation'' (1994) http://libweb.sonoma.edu/regional/faculty/phillips/bohemianindex.html  
 
*Phillips, P, ''A Relative Advantage: Sociology of the San Francisco Bohemian Club A Doctoral Dissertation'' (1994) http://libweb.sonoma.edu/regional/faculty/phillips/bohemianindex.html  
 +
*Savage, A., & Hyde, R. (2014). Using freedom of information requests to facilitate research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 17(3), 303-317.
 
*Scott, J. (1990) ''A matter of record'', Cambridge: Polity.
 
*Scott, J. (1990) ''A matter of record'', Cambridge: Polity.
 
*Simpson, C ‘Scholars Perfect Psychological Warfare Techniques’ Excerpt from ''Science of Coercion: Communication Research and Psychological Warfare, 1945-1960'' by Christopher Simpson (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), pp. 48-51: http://www.cia-on-campus.org/social/simpson.html  
 
*Simpson, C ‘Scholars Perfect Psychological Warfare Techniques’ Excerpt from ''Science of Coercion: Communication Research and Psychological Warfare, 1945-1960'' by Christopher Simpson (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), pp. 48-51: http://www.cia-on-campus.org/social/simpson.html  
 +
*John Sugden and Alan Tomlinson '[http://irs.sagepub.com/content/34/4/385.short Digging the dirt and staying clean: Retrieving the Investigative Tradition]' for a Critical Sociology of Sport', ''International Review for the Sociology of Sport'' December 1999 vol. 34 no. 4 385-397.
 +
*Walby, K. & Larsen, M., 2011. [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kevin_Walby/publication/258182123_Access_to_Information_and_Freedom_of_Information_Requests_Neglected_Means_of_Data_Production_in_the_Social_Sciences/links/02e7e52b9d907e50ef000000.pdf Access to Information and Freedom of Information Requests: Neglected Means of Data Production in the Social Sciences]. Qualitative Inquiry, 18(1), pp.31–42.
 +
*Kevin Walby, Alex Luscombe (2016) [http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1468794116679726?journalCode=qrja Criteria for quality in qualitative research and use of freedom of information requests in the social sciences], ''Qualitative Research'',  First Published December 9, 2016.
 
*Walraff, G. (1978) ''Walraff: the Undesirable Journalist'', London: Pluto.
 
*Walraff, G. (1978) ''Walraff: the Undesirable Journalist'', London: Pluto.
*Williams, K. (1989). Researching the powerful: problems and possibilities of social research. ''Contemporary Crises'', 13(3), 252-274.
+
*Williams, C. (2012). ''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=3SODkdC0doIC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=++++++Disciplines+++++Products+++++Resources+++++About++0+You+are+here+Book+%3E+Academic+Books+%3E+Research+Methods+for+Business+%26+Management+Researching+Power,+Elites+and+Leadership+Share+Researching+Power,+Elites+and+Leadership+&ots=bmR7MylyQy&sig=ZgIAhuAsHTaTOl2e7359xSMOwuQ#v=onepage&q&f=false Researching power, elites and leadership]''. Sage. [https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/47982_Williams.pdf Introductory chapter].
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*Williams, K. (1989). [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00729343?LI=true Researching the powerful: problems and possibilities of social research]. ''Contemporary Crises'', 13(3), 252-274.
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
*[[Power Structure Research]] | [[Social Network Analysis]] |  
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*[[Freedom of Information]] | [[Power Structure Research]] | [[Social Network Analysis]] | [[Invisible Web]] | [[Finding Permanent Links to News Sources]]
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==Notes==
 
==Notes==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
[[Category:Research Methods]]
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[[Category:Investigative Research]][[Category:Research Methods]]

Latest revision as of 12:33, 5 December 2017

Investigative research is a name given to a collection of research techniques and methods used by researchers (including journalists, social scientists and others). It is intended to unearth secret, hidden or obscure information that can build a more comprehensive picture of the issue under investigation.


Orientation

Jack Douglas advocated ‘investigative’ social research in his 1976 book. He sums up the approach as follows: ‘conflict is the reality of life, suspicion is the guiding principle’.[1] Lee criticises this by noting the potential for the scepticism necessary to ‘harden into cynicism and a contempt for those studied’.[2]

Access

Access to information is a major problem for all researchers, but is felt particularly by investigative researchers who are more likely to come up against refusals and to challenge them. Powerful organisations often attempt to limit access by a variety of techniques. These do not always involve threats of violence as in this example:

If you try and inspect them, I will personally break your legs (Chairman of the company publishing Burke’s Peerage to journalists investigating lack of company documentation submitted to Companies House)[3]

The Royal Ulster Constabulary was a notoriously closed organisation for researchers and its policy on research issued after the 1994 IRA ceasefire made its instrumental view

We welcome requests... to conduct research which may prove to be of benefit to the force.[4]

However, powerful organisations may allow social researchers access for a variety of reasons. Kevin Williams writes:

In spite of the difficulties - and these are many and real - the powerful can be more open and co-operative than many social scientists believe. They are often prepared to discuss matters and in many cases welcome the chance to place their views on the record. their motives are mixed. they can emanate from a desire to correct what they see as misconceptions of their role and work. ... Talking to a researcher appears to be one of the few channels of communication they have with the public. The powerful also talk to the researcher to counter challenges from other interests within their institution. Powerful institutions are not monolithic. a large number of interests exist inside institutions... which are in a state of flux and change. Such a situation can work in the researcher’s favour. [5]

Covert methods

Gunter Walraff is a German investigative journalist who specialises in going undercover to reveal abuses of power. His work is excoriated by corporate lobby groups such as the West German Employers association:

When [Walraff] describes an industry on the basis of his ‘research’, his writing is characterised by a consistent scale of social values which could by fashioned only by a conscious ideologist of class struggle. Each of Walraff’s publications reaches us as a hatefilled social-political campaign aimed at strengthening the machinations of class struggle. His purpose is to arouse among workers by hand and brain a class-consciousness which they will ultimately use to destroy the social system. his methods of investigation and documentation must be categorically condemned; the logical consequence of his point of view is that the end justifies any means and that all sense of responsibility is lost.[6]

Resources

Guidance on specific investigative techniques

Guidance on sources of information and tools

Press and Media databases

Email services

Mailinator. Allows you to generate a free one-time only, incoming-only email address http://www.mailinator.com/

Archives (Scotland)

Glasgow University http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/about/default.html HBoS http://www.hbosplc.com/abouthbos/history/group_archives.asp RBS http://www.rbs.com/about02.asp?id=ABOUT_US/OUR_HERITAGE/OUR_ARCHIVES National Archives of Scotland http://www.nas.gov.uk/about/default.asp Scottish Executive Consultations http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current Scottish Executive Publications http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Recent Glasgow City Council Archives http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Libraries/Collections/Localhistory/CityCouncilArchives/

Resources on lobbying/corporate power

Freedom of Information

For more see the page on Freedom of Information

Government Offices, Official Sources

Departmental pages

Web research

Corporate information

Further Reading

See Also

Notes

  1. cited in Lee, 1993: 147.
  2. 1993: 148.
  3. cited in Scott, 1990:164
  4. Superintendent B. D. Wilson, Force Research Branch, RUC, 1997, cited n Miller, D. (1998) 'Colonialism and Academic Representations of the Trouble', in Miller, D. (Ed.) Rethinking Northern Ireland, London: Longman
  5. Williams, K. (1989). Researching the powerful: problems and possibilities of social research. Contemporary Crises, 13(3): 255.
  6. W. German employers association statement on work of Gunter Walraff, cited in Walraff, G. (1978) Walraff: the Undesirable Journalist, London: Pluto.: p. 1