Cool Database of the Day!
Rail Travel–Europe–Database
Invisible Web
Die Bahn European Rail Timetable Database
A very comprehensive database for most European rail travel. Plan a trip and/or view a current station schedule via the Arrival/Departures link. This database offers numerous features including a “graphics” tab that creates a simple map of the selected trains schedule.

Online News Tools
New Resource: NewsConnect
A comprehensive collection of news resources (many languages, global coverage) compiled by the Toronto Public Library and sponsored by the Toronto Star. Keyword searchable. An additional collection of news research tools is also available. Thanks to G.L. for the tip.

Competitive Intelligence–Handbook
Competitive Intelligence Handbook
The folks at Agriculture Canada have placed online a 30 page .pdf handbook about CI. This publication may be of value as a primer on setting up a CI program. It was prepared by Jonothon Calof a professor at the University of Ottawa.

Wealth—-Rankings & Lists–United States
Cities & Towns–Wealthiest–United States
Source: Worth
“America’s Richest Towns: 2001″

Investment Analysts–Rankings and Lists
2001 Fortune All-Stars
Lists for U.S., European, and Asian analysts.

Info Industry–Hoovers
Hoover’s Now Offers Catalog of Fee-Based Research Reports
From the news release, “Hoover’s Information Marketplace includes a comprehensive collection of thousands of pay-per-view business research reports from multiple top-tier publishers. Hoover’s Online users can now use the Marketplace to find research reports by industry sector (i.e., computer hardware, retail); topic of interest (online training, customer service); and report type (sales/marketing reports, financial reports)…Partners initially providing research reports for Hoover’s Information Marketplace include Forrester Research, ICON Group International and Pyramid Research.”

Full-Text Document Shelf (6 Items)
Health–AIDS
20 Years of AIDS
Summary Info/Statistics/News Release
||| Current Edition of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Dedicated To AIDS (Several Article with Statistics)
||| “25 Notable HIV and AIDS Reports Published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report”
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Lobbying–United States
Influence Inc. 2000 Edition
Source: Center for Responsive Politics
From the site, “…the Center’s third annual lobbying report, providing the first-ever year-to-year comparisons of lobbying spending on Capitol Hill.”
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Education–Statistics
The Condition of Education, 2001
Summary/News Release ||| Direct to Full-Text Document

PACS (Political Action Committees)–Rankings & Lists–United States
PACS (Political Action Committees) 2000 Election Cycle Statistics
Links to numerous lists and spreadsheets from the Federal Election Commission.
See Also: CRP PAC Database
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Crime–United States
Uniform Crime Reports
Crime Index Trends, 2000 Preliminary Figures
Summary/News Release ||| Direct to Full-Text Document
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Geographic Mobility
Geographical Mobility: March 1999 to March 2000
Why People Move: Exploring the March 2000 Current Population Survey
Source: U.S. Census
News Release and Highlights ||| Direct to Geo Mobility & Why People Move Reports

Research Funding Database–United Kingdom
“Community of Science Partners with Newcastle University to Offer New World Class Research Funding Information Service”
From the news release, “The new service, to be named COS-REFUND, will feature online access to both COS Funding Opportunities, the largest international research funding database on the Web, and REFUND, Newcastle�s research and grants web news service for UK universities.”

Canadian Resource Shelf (2 Items)
Economy
Rural Canada in the Knowledge-Based Economy
Source: Industry Canada
“The report examines Rural Canada in areas important to the knowledge-based economy such as innovation, connectedness and a skilled and knowledgeable workforce.”
News Release and Summary ||| Direct to Full-Text
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Military
Annual Report of the Chief of the Defence Staff 2000-2001

Web Databases–Science
“IBM Partners on Free Scientific Database”
Source: News.Com
From the article, “IBM and a Canadian biotech company announced Wednesday a joint, nonprofit venture creating a free online clearinghouse for scientific research aimed at capitalizing on genetic breakthroughs to speed drug development…Blueprint Worldwide said it plans to make the database a repository for research on protein interaction in humans and other organisms…Blueprint, which introduced the database at a news conference here, said it will pull the information from sources that include academic journals, government research and biotechnology companies willing to share their research.”
Direct to the Blueprint Worldwide Site
Addtional Details via IBM News Release

Full-Text Document Shelf (4 Items)
Privacy–Internet
Source: GAO (GAO-01-424, April 27)
Internet Privacy: Implementation of Federal Guidance for Agency Use of “Cookies.”
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R&D–Statistics–United States
1999 Survey of Industrial Research and Development (Statistics)
Source:NSF
From the NSF site, “…presents statistics on levels and sources of industrial R&D support for manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries; highlights the funding of R&D from companies’ own resources and from the Federal Government; and introduces the new North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) now being used for industry R&D statistics.”
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Higher Education–Degrees–Statistics
Source: NSF
Science and Engineering Degrees: 1966-98
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Energy–Statistics–United States
Source: EIA
State Energy Data Report, 1999

Moving Images
U.K. Based Gateways
New Web Resource: The Moving Image Gateway
From the British Universities Film & Video Council. The site, “collects together websites that relate to moving images and sound and their use in higher and further education…Each site has been evaluated and described by the BUFVC’s Information Service, which will be regularly checking and updating the database. Sites are highlighted which have video or audio streaming.” The Gateway also includes links to 5 databases (Avance, Television Index, TRILT, Newsreels, RGO).

Web Search Engines
New Search Referral Stats Now Available
Source: StatMarket
From the article, “MSN has quietly risen to become one of the top referring search sites on the Web. Among U.S. surfers, MSN is now the second-ranked search site behind Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) with 15.90 percent of all search referrals.”

Competitive Intelligence
CI Overview
Source: eCompany Now/Fortune Small Business
From the article, “Using entirely legal means of intelligence gathering, companies can unearth a great deal about competitors and their plans. In fact, the information is there for the taking, awaiting only some energetic sleuths able to devote the substantial amount of time it takes to collect and analyze it.” CI guru Leonard Fuld is quoted throughout the article.
Thanks to S.K. for the tip.

Information Technology–Rankings and Lists
Red Herring 100
Includes a profile for each company. Many private companies are listed.

Housing–Statistics–United States
Census 2000
Census 2000 Housing Unit Counts
From the site, “The Census 2000 Housing Unit Counts are available for each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and for the American Indian Areas Alaska Native Areas and Hawaiian Home Lands.”

Web Search–Northern Light
Web Search Science
NL Teams Up With Search4Science
From the news release, “Northern Light Technology, Inc. (www.NorthernLight.com) and Search4Science (www.search4science.com) have teamed up to launch an enhanced online search service focused on the specific needs of scientists worldwide. The Search4Science’s patent pending technology, Dynamic Search, now presents search results using Northern Light’s patented classification technology, Custom Search Folders(TM)…Over the last few months, the initial scientific database of synonyms has grown from 50,000 to more than 235,000, all the result of user input during searching. Search4Science expects that this evolutionary process will continue and that the quality of the user experience will continue to improve as users suggest relevant synonyms and limiting words.” Thanks to K.A. for the tip.
Direct to Search4Science.Com

Web Search Industry
“Web Search Technology Companies Seek Stable Revenues in Corporate Sector”
Source: Traffick
Web search and portal expert Andrew Goodman with a complete review.

Information Industry–Dialog
Dialog Introduces Quantum2
From the Dialog site, “The Quantum2 program provides tools, training materials, professional development seminars, white papers on knowledge management and other key topics, and networking opportunities to information professionals. These materials will be made available through the Quantum2 web site, a series of workshops, and ongoing communication to members.” The Quantum program started in 1993.
Direct to the Quantum2 FAQ.\

Full-Text Document Shelf
Internet Commerce–Statistics
Federal Government–United States
Dot-gov Goes Retail
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project
From a Reuters storyabout the report, “Even as Internet retailers ail amid the dot-com meltdown, the U.S. government is doing brisk business over the Web, racking up more than $3.6 billion in online sales last year, a study released on Sunday found. That tops the $2.8 billion in net sales reported last year by Amazon.com, the online retailing giant. While Treasury bills, notes, and bonds accounted for the vast majority of the government’s online sales, federal Web sites hawking horses, homes, toothpaste, and much more have been popping up, suggesting the Internet is shaking up the way the government conducts business. A four-month investigation, conducted by the publication Federal Computer Week and funded by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, found that the government operates or supports at least 164 sites that sell to the public.”
Direct to Full-Text of Report

Scholarly Publishing
“Science World in Revolt at Power of the Journal Owners”
From the article, “More than 800 British researchers have joined 22,000 others from 161 countries in a campaign to boycott publishers of scientific journals who refuse to make research papers freely available on the internet after six months.”…”Science depends on knowledge and technology being in the public domain,” said Michael Ashburner, professor of biology at Cambridge University and one of the leading British signatories of the campaign, the Public Library of Science (PLS). “In that sense, science belongs to the people, and the fruits of science shouldn’t be owned or even transferred by publishers for huge profits. The fruits of our research - which is, overwhelmingly, publicly paid for - should be made available as widely and as economically as possible.”
Source: The Guardian

Hello From Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada!
I am spending a few days in this wonderful, clean, safe, and beautiful city!
Tomorrow, back to one of the USA’s great cities, Seattle!

Legal–Court of Appeals
New Engine: U.S. Court of Appeals Search Engine
The Cornell Legal Information Institute has added a new search resource to provide “full text search of the decisions of any or all of the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals.” Thanks to T.M. and his ILRW newsletter for the tip.

Travel–Europe
New Resource: ViaMichelin
Maps, driving directions, hotel and restaurant info plus additional tools via this new online service from the Michelin Guide.

Education–Statistics–Michigan
New Database: Standard & Poor’s School Evaluation Services
From Detroit News article on the new database, “Thousands of pieces of data on every Michigan school district — including spending, graduation rates and test scores — were available online Friday with the debut of a new school evaluation system. The system, developed by the Wall Street bond-rating firm Standard & Poor’s, is the first of its kind in the country. It provides up to 1,500 items of data for each district, and summaries of each district’s strengths and weaknesses.”