Information Consulting

Guide to Good Practice

Irene Wormell, Annie Olesen, Gábor Mikulás

• Publisher: Chandos Publishing
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781843346623
• eBook ISBN: 9781780632858
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Information Consulting presents a closer look at what makes information consultants successful and how they develop a productive relationship with their clients. While most of the books on this subject area are providing the experiences of information consulting veterans on 'how do you really do it?', the aim of this book is focused on exploring the nature of information management consulting. This includes the task of the advice-and-guidance variety, such as helping clients to analyze and solve problems or to meet opportunities with the element of 'What should I do?'. The authors have used their extensive international and professional networks to take the challenge of letting the clients speak about their experiences and expectations in hiring information consultants. - Unique client perspective: managers and clients talk about their motivation, experiences and advice in the utilization of information consultants in recent case studies conducted by authors - Current information and guidance based on the authors' wide-ranging practical experiences and empirical data (through interviews and questionnaires) collected from several countries - 'top five' list of consultants´ qualities is presented

1

What is information consulting?

Abstract:

This chapter defines the possible roles of information consultants, which is based on value-adding activity. They might be self-employed individuals or groups of individuals. The chapter mentions their possible names, their specifications from the aspects of market niches and the type of information they provide. The consulting involves a complex mix of professional, personal, interpersonal, financial and lifestyle elements. For all to go smoothly, many pieces must fall into place. A table describes the possible scope of different roles, from substitute employee to leadership positions, where the client is looking for concrete project leadership from the information consultant.

Key words

information consulting

information demands

value adding

client–consultant relationship

Information consulting encompasses a wide range of roles and activities based on the exploration of information resources and the use of modern information technology for the benefit of societal and business purposes. To be responsive to the ever-changing demands of the fast-moving part of society, within the provision of information, there is today a great need to offer various forms of information services and to have diversified aims and concepts of ‘service’ in meeting the demand of the various groups of users.

The role of the information consultant is to identify the information need of the client and to find relevant information for the solution of a task or problem. The impact and the value of information to the user is often dependent on the attributes of relevance, timeliness, accuracy, origin, form, etc. Enhancement in any of these attributes of information will increase the value of information. Thus, information consultants are often hired and get paid for adding value to the available information products and services.

They are self-employed individuals, or groups of individuals, who set up a business to provide one or a combination of information services. Their main personal characteristics are alertness, flexibility, friendly service ethics and enterprising spirit. Their professional strengths are extensive knowledge of information sources, information-seeking skills, terrific research skills, strategic thinking and planning.

Activities, characteristics and desirable qualifications for information consultants are discussed in the international literature, but any formalisation in these activities and attributes must be considered with caution.

The name information consultant is not a standardised, chartered one.

By ‘information consultant’ we refer to a consultant offering knowledge- and information-related services, such as research, competitive intelligence, current awareness, web development and similar strategic activities to clients. It refers to consulting environments: the independent consultant operating a small business, offering services focused on information, and/or an information consultant working within a large corporate entity as an employee. Thus the book reflects the two cultures in consulting.

Definitions of who or what information consultants actually are remain varied, as does the terminology to describe them, e.g. information broker, freelance librarian, service, etc. Once one has waded through the various definitions and found that no single term is totally accurate and satisfactory to indicate the type of work carried out, in most cases it is up to the individual to decide which is the most appropriate. Below is a list of terms people in the field use to describe themselves:

information consultant;

information broker;

freelance librarian;

information specialist;

information retailer;

infomediary;

independent information consultant;

cybrarian;

info-entrepreneur;

intelligence manager.

More often than not they offer specific services based on serving client requests, relating to a specific subject or marketplace; for instance, they may specialise in a particular type of information, such as business information, health service information, environmental information, scientific information and so on. Usually they are one- or two-man bands, employing outside assistance on a subcontract basis as and when it is required. They will use various sources, personal contacts and tools found in public, academic, special and research libraries and depositories. A variety of formats will be utilised, such as hard-copy or electronic format mixed media.

With regard to the type of information supplied by information companies, it is assumed that the company information represents the largest volume. It is closely followed by market information, financial information and statistics. Other research firms specialise in legal research and patent-searching.

In the commercial world, objectives are generally based on financial criteria; therefore, the success for individual information consultants or companies is likely to revolve around financial issues. But this sh...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of figure and tables
• Foreword
• About the authors
• Chapter 1: What is information consulting?
• Chapter 2: Advantages: why information consulting might appeal to you
• Chapter 3: Challenges: realities to consider
• Chapter 4: The starting point: make a business plan
• Chapter 5: The legal environment
• Chapter 6: Building trust and marketing your services
• Chapter 7: Client relations: the key to success
• Chapter 8: Advice from other information consultants
• Chapter 9: Take a leap from being a librarian to becoming an information consultant
• Chapter 10: The clients speak: from a client’s perspective
• Chapter 11: Ahead
• Appendix: Case studies
• References
• Index