After eight years as a part-time
college librarian, San Diego-based Cindy Shamel decided to become an independent
researcher. This way she would have more control over her schedule and working conditions.
Plus, she would get to apply her library skills to the work she likes best—research.
What did she do? Open up a little storefront next to the library? Purchase a deer
stalker hat and a big magnifying glass? Watch Ace Ventura, Pet Detective a whole
bunch of times?
Nope. She geared up the computer in her home office and started to line up clients whom
she could help with their Internet searches.
Oh, and she joined up with a national organization—the AIIP (Association of
Independent Information Professionals)—to lend credence to her new business and
provide her with help at critical junctures.
Helping Hands
The AIIP is an international association of owners of information businesses. It was
founded in 1987 and has more than 750 members in 21 countries. Members provide such
information services as online database searching, market and industry surveys, document
delivery, library services, general research services, public records research, thesaurus
building, indexing and abstracting services, digital library development, competitive
intelligence, and specialized research in specific subject areas.
The reasons behind formation of a group like AIIP are many, but the simplest one is
that it’s darned hard to find things once you get online. The AIIP says, "Since
the advent of the ‘Information Revolution’ in the mid-1970s, there has been an
increasing demand for professionals who understand information systems and who are skilled
in the retrieval methods needed to manage business information needs. Although many of
these individuals are employed by corporations and academic institutions, some prefer to
work in an entrepreneurial fashion. These are the independent information
professionals."
By 1987, Dr. Marilyn Levine, a professor of Library and Information Science at the
University of Wisconsin and the owner of Information Express, an information brokerage
firm, had recognized the need for a professional association to serve this new type of
entrepreneur. The Association was organized on June 6, 1987, by 26 founding members who
answered Dr. Levine’s call.
Valuable Links
Cindy Shamel understands where she and other independent researchers fit into the
scheme of things. "Independent researchers are available to track down all kinds of
information. I focus on market research and competitive intelligence for businesses,
particularly in the area of science and biotechnology. People come to me because they do
not know how to find the information themselves and they want to be sure that they get
accurate and thorough answers. Also, they save money by asking a professional to do the
work, rather than taking time to figure it out on their own."
Shamel bulked up her computer system, especially her communication links. "I have
a Dell Dimension XPS R400. I use an internal modem for my dial-up services and a cable
modem for my Internet connection. I have two phone lines in my office, which divide their
time between the fax machine, telephone calls, and dial-up." Shamel finds this setup
ideal. She notes, "I constantly marvel at the processing speed of my computer and the
connect speed of my cable modem. The next bit of software I hope to add would be a
post-processor that helps researchers clean up database file before passing them along to
the client."
The Skinny
Like the Canadian Mounties, independent researchers usually get their data. (After all,
it’s quite likely that Dr. Marilyn Levine did.) Shamel hasn’t been in the
business long enough to have a whole lot of juicy stories, but she did have an interesting
research challenge. She says, "A client wanted the ‘directions for use’ on
a specific medical device. I searched my usual online sources, I called the company
(‘We’ll have to ask our lawyers if we can release that information.’), and
I consulted a few colleagues. No luck. I finally got on the company’s Web site,
looked at the list of doctors who use the device, found one locally and called. They faxed
it right over."
Tips and Tricks
Although there are many books on the subject of researching, Shamel says that there are
online resources that can be checked out from the comfort of the home computer. She says,
"First and foremost, I would suggest that anyone interested in this line of work
should join the AIIP."
Membership, it seems, has its privileges, but what attracted Shamel at the start was
AIIP’s threefold service goals:
1) To provide a forum for the discussion of issues and concerns shared by independent
information professionals
2) To promote high professional and ethical standards among members
3) To advance knowledge and understanding of the information profession in general and
the independent information profession in particular
"The AIIP Web site contains lots of information on the business and includes a
membership directory," says Shamel. "The AIIP annual meeting is a must, and it
provides an excellent introduction to this business and the resources related to it."
Regular AIIP memberships are available to any individual who is the owner of a business
that provides information. Such members may be asked to demonstrate their independent
status when reapplying for membership. Annual dues are $175. Associate, Supporting, and
Student memberships are also available.
Listings in the AIIP membership directory are very much like Stephanie C.
Ardito’s. She runs Ardito Information and Research Inc. out of Wilmington, Del. The
listing notes all manner of contact information and shows that her company was founded in
1990. Services offered include: Current Awareness; Indexing/Thesaurus Development; Library
Automation Consulting; Manual Research; Market Analysis; Online Research. She lists
numerous specialties, but seems skewed toward health care, science, technology, and
biotech.
The directory makes a wide range of information service providers available at a click
of a mouse.
To Cindy Shamel, a former librarian, the rewards of being an independent researcher are
simple and direct: "I love my work. I’m always learning something; I find it
challenging; and for me, that makes it fun."
