Syllabus

REPORTING METHODS
Carleton University: Journalism 5206

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
Phone: (O) 613-231-8653 (H) 613-236-4610 (FAX) 613-238-4452

David McKie, CBC News Investigations
Phone: (O) 613-288-6523 (C) 613-290-7380 (fax) 613-288-6490

Graduate Course 2006/2007 - Winter term
Mondays: 8:35 to 11:25 a.m.
Room 347 St. Patrick's Bldg.

Course objectives

1) Obtain a thorough grounding in journalistic research methods.

2) Acquire skills, such as computer-assisted reporting techniques, needed to make sense of the information gathered.

3) Develop the ability to shape the information into accurate and compelling stories.

Many of these objectives are outlined in a speech delivered by Canadian journalist, author and activist June Callwood.

Course outline (TOP)

This outline, though a fairly comprehensive guide, is subject to change:

Jan. 8: a. Course introduction b. Access-to-information laws (part one: introduction to federal / provincial / municipal laws) c. Assignment: Access-to-information story d. Introduction to Internet resources (Search engines, listservs, news archives, discussion groups, journalism resource sites, specialty sites, government resources, directories, signing on to journalism listservs and Google News alerts)

Jan. 15: a. Access-to-information laws (part two: preparation of access requests) b. Using Internet resources (part two) c. Spreadsheet analysis: computer-assisted reporting using Excel

Jan. 22: a. Corporate / Business resources (Researching companies, corporate filings, security exchanges) b. Newswriting tips c. Assignment: Business story

Jan. 29: a. Business story due b. Access-to-information troubleshooting, hints, tips c. Courts / Legal Affairs / Municipal and provincial records d. Assignment: Whatever-happened-to? story

Feb. 5: a. Business story feedback b. Courts / Municipal records (part two) c. Federal Court / Supreme Court d. Miscellaneous records e. Interviewing techniques f. Historical stories: Introduction to the Library and Archives Canada

Feb. 12: Library and Archives Canada (Field trip: using the library and archives) Place: 395 Wellington St. (at Bay Street).

Feb. 19: Reading week. No class scheduled.

Feb. 26: a. Whatever-happened-to? story due b. Access-to-information complaints c. Databases (Computer-assisted reporting using databases), part one

March 5: a. Writing for digital media b. Databases, part two c. Assignment:
Database story

March 12: a. Whatever-happened-to? story feedback b. Government plans,
performance reports, public accounts, auditor general's reports c. Using the
CAIRS list

March 19: a. Database story due b. Overlooked access-to-information records
c. Pulling records together (How to organize and use various pieces of information) d. Beat journalism / Enterprise reporting

March 26: a. Database story feedback b. Cultivating sources / Anonymous sources c. Journalistic ethics

April 2: a. Access-to-information story due b. International stories (parts one and two) c. Resource sharing (Tell fellow students about a resource you discovered) and access-to-information lessons learned

Assignments and Evaluation (TOP)

Assignments in this course are governed by the provisions of the document Ethics and Standards in the School of Journalism and Communication. There are four assignments, each with a deadline. Lateness will be penalized, though exceptional circumstances will be taken into account. There is no final examination. Each assignment has three components, all of which will figure in the grade: A. Copies of the actual documents compiled / gathered. B. A description of how the documents were obtained, and why they were useful. C. The resulting story. Each of the four assignments is worth 20 per cent of the overall course grade. The remaining 20 per cent of the grade will be determined based on attendance, punctuality, participation and knowledge of material taught in class.Standing in a course is determined by the course instructors, subject to the approval of the faculty dean. This means that grades submitted by an instructor may be subject to revision. No grades are final until they have been approved by the dean.

1) Access-to-information story
A news story based on documents obtained through access-to-information/freedom-of-information laws. Length: 600 words, double-spaced on paper.
Checklist:
a. Copies of at least one request to EACH of the three levels of government (municipal, provincial, federal).
b. Copies of correspondence received/sent by you during the course of each of the requests.
c. Copies of at least two particularly relevant pages of information obtained under the access laws that assisted your story.
d. For the pages in (c) above, full-sentence answers to these questions:
(*) What is the information?
(*) From which department and level of government did you obtain these pages?
(*) Why was this information helpful?
Assignment due April 2 at the beginning of class.

2) Business story
A news story about a business prepared with the assistance of a financial statement. Length: 600 words, double-spaced (Word format), to be submitted by e-mail -- not paper!!

Checklist:
a. Financial statement of the public company you're writing about
b. In a Word document, a list of the resources you used (interviews for on-the-record and background) and web sites.
(*) The name of the resource, for example a web site
(*) In a sentence or two how you found the resource helpful and how you used it
(*) The part of the financial statement that you used and a paragraph on why you found it newsworthy
d.. A 600-word article in a second Word document.
Assignment to be e-mailed before the Jan. 29 class.

3) Whatever-happened-to? story
A piece that updates the reader on a person or event that made
headlines in 1987. If you choose to write about a person, select someone
who hasn't attracted much, or any, public attention in the last 20
years. Length: 600 words, double-spaced on paper.

Checklist:
a. Story must include comments from your interview with the person in
question or participant(s) in the original event.
b. Copies of two pieces of documentation gathered during research for
your story.
c. For EACH of the two pieces of documentation, full-sentence answers
to these questions:
(*) What is the documentation?
(*) How did you find/obtain it?
(*) Why was the documentation helpful?

Examples from 2006 for the year 1986

In Throats of Émigrés, Doctors Find a Legacy of Chernobyl
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/20/nyregion/20chernobyl.html?ex=1170219600&en=42faaa60127ee486&ei=5070

The Buckner Ball
http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-sp86mets0816,0,3056207.story

Assignment due Feb. 26 at the beginning of class.

4) Database story
A news story drawing on information from a database of contributions citizens make to candidates running in federal elections. You are to conduct two queries and use one of them asa jumping off point for a story. Length: 600 words, double-spaced (Word format), to be submitted by e-mail.

Checklist:
a. A Word document that contains background information about your research such as:
(*) The terms employed to run your queries
(*) Websites and other resources and a line or two about how you used them
(*) A list of the people you contacted and interviewed, and why they proved to be useful
b. A second Word document that contains the actual story.

You can find the database here.

Assignment due March 19 at the beginning of class.

Definition of a record(TOP)

When filing a federal access-to-information request or a provincial freedom-of-information request, what we ask for is a record. It can be anything from a document to an e-mail. The following is a very good definition on page 365 of Federal Access to Information and Privacy Legislation Annotated 2004 (a link is provided below):

A record means any information in any physical medium which is capable of preserving such information and includes any information contained in the original and any copy of correspondence, memoranda, forms, directives, reports, drawings, cartographic and architectural items, pictorial and graphic works, photographs, films, microforms, sound recordings, video-tapes, video-disks and video-cassettes, punched, magnetic disks and drums, holographs, optic sense sheets, working papers, and other documentary material, including drafts, or electro-magnetic medium, regardless of physical form and characteristics. (This definition elaborates upon the definition contained in section 3 of the Act.) Also, for the purposes of the Act, a record includes a machine readable record using computing hardware and software and technical expertise normally used by the institution.

A shopping list of key records (TOP)

20 records you can get using the federal Access to Information Act

1. RECORD: Ministerial briefing notes. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: All briefing notes prepared specifically to help the new minister become acquainted with his/her new portfolio. HINT: Make this request a week or two after a new cabinet is named. RESULT: Yields wide range of information about a department's plans/activities.

2. RECORD: Expense claims. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Receipts, invoices and guest lists detailing travel and hospitality expenses claimed by a deputy minister or other senior bureaucrat. HINT: Limit request to no more than one year's worth of claims. RESULT: Can reveal spending habits and establish dates of key meetings, dealings.

3. RECORD: Correspondence. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Correspondence with a minister or agency head on a topic of interest. HINT: Frame request narrowly. For instance, exclude letters from the public if you do not require them. RESULT: Can uncover letters from provincial premiers, lobby groups.

4. RECORD: House cards. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: All cards prepared for the minister in the House of Commons on a specific issue. HINT: Watch headlines, Commons debates for ideas. RESULT: Often contain much more detail, background than revealed in Question Period.

5. RECORD: Material on possible legislation. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: Records concerning possible legislation or other initiatives on a given issue. HINT: Limit request to cover the last year to ensure currency of material. RESULT: Provides insight into initiatives that might be in pipeline, and reasons why the initiatives might (or might not) proceed.

6. RECORD: Meeting minutes. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Minutes from the two most recent meetings of a specific committee. HINT: Make calls to find out meeting schedules and whether minutes are kept. RESULT: Can aid in understanding internal policy debates and decisions.

7. RECORD: Audits. DEPARTMENT: All departments, most agencies. ASK FOR: Audits and evaluations completed by or for the department/agency on specific subjects in the last year. HINT: Ask department informally for list of audits conducted in the last year. RESULT: Audits often reveal shortcomings in programs, policies.

8. RECORD: Polls. DEPARTMENT: All departments, but especially Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Polls conducted for the department on a given subject. HINT: Some (but not all) polls are released informally. RESULT: Can reveal public attitudes towards government policies.

9. RECORD: Contract information. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: A copy of the contract for a specific project. HINT: Public Works and Government Services administers many contracts. RESULT: Reveals details of financial arrangements with private companies.

10. RECORD: Responses to discussion papers. DEPARTMENT: Any department that publishes consultation/discussion paper. ASK FOR: Copies of all submissions in response to the department's paper. HINT: Put in request just after cut-off date for submissions. Only narrow request if certain submissions are required. RESULT: Reveals views of wide cross-section of groups on pressing issues.

11. RECORD: Contracted studies. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Specific studies, research conducted for PCO. HINT: Ask informally for list of studies, which is updated regularly. RESULT: Yields advice prepared for government on unity, security, parliamentary affairs and other key issues.

12. RECORD: 20-year-old cabinet documents. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Cabinet records on a specific issue. HINT: Check almanac for noteworthy past events. RESULT: Meeting minutes reveal thinking of ministers on issues. (Cabinet documents routinely become public only after 30 years).

13. RECORD: Prime Minister's e-mail. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: E-mail sent to the Prime Minister by visitors to his website. HINT: Limit request to a one-week period. RESULT: Names of correspondents are deleted, but letters yield an interesting mix of feedback, including light-hearted, angry and thoughtful correspondence.

14. RECORD: Criminal intelligence briefs. AGENCY: RCMP. ASK FOR: Criminal intelligence briefs prepared during the last six months. HINT: Make time-frame the last couple of years if you are seeking a brief on a specific subject. RESULT: Briefs cover issues such as aboriginal militancy, drug trade and smuggling.

15. RECORD: Incident reports. AGENCY: RCMP. ASK FOR: Incident report on a specific event. HINT: Broaden request to include other records if incident is a prolonged one, such as a standoff. RESULT: Can help explain police decision-making.

16. RECORD: Lessons learned. DEPARTMENT: National Defence. ASK FOR: "Lessons learned" from major military missions. HINT: Wait a month or two after mission is complete. RESULT: Provides evaluation of peacekeeping tours and other assignments.

17. RECORD: UFO reports. DEPARTMENT: Transport. ASK FOR: Reports of unidentified flying objects filed by the public. HINT: UFO reports are also often filed with Defence and RCMP. RESULT: Names of people who make reports are deleted, but other details can be released.

18. RECORD: Observer reports. DEPARTMENT: Fisheries. ASK FOR: Observer reports prepared for the department. HINTS: Limit request to specific geographic area and time frame. RESULTS: Can provide details about operations of foreign vessels.

19. RECORD: SIRC reports. AGENCY: Security Intelligence Review Committee. ASK FOR: Specific reports prepared by committee on CSIS activities. HINT: Reports are listed in back of committee's annual report. RESULT: Reports, though heavily edited, provide check on spy agency CSIS.

20. RECORD: CRTC debriefing notes. AGENCY: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. ASK FOR: Debriefing notes prepared in connection with a specific licensing hearing. HINT: Make request shortly after licence decision is made. RESULT: Can provide behind-the-scenes reasoning on why TV, radio licences are granted or denied.

Ten ways to improve your searches (TOP)

1. Look to the headlines for ideas.

2. Check the relevant federal websites for forms, contacts, info on
departmental holdings.

3. Call the access co-ordinator before making your request.

4. Call the co-ordinator after submitting your request.

5. Make similar requests to more than one agency or government.

6. Keep a photocopy of each request and attach all return correspondence.

7. Negotiate with agencies.

8. Be persistent. If necessary, complain.

9. Read the records you receive carefully.

10. Don't get discouraged.

Biographies (TOP)

Jim Bronskill

Jim Bronskill is a reporter in the Ottawa bureau of The Canadian Press news agency, specializing in security and intelligence, the RCMP and justice-related issues. He has considerable experience using information laws to uncover stories. Before joining CP in November 2003, Jim was a reporter with Southam News (now CanWest News Service). He previously held various positions at CP and has also worked for the Ottawa Citizen, the Owen Sound Sun Times and TVOntario. Jim holds a master's degree in journalism from Carleton University. He is a co-founder and steering committee member of Open Government Canada, a national coalition formed in March 2000 to guard against undue government secrecy. In 2002, he received two Canadian Association of Journalists awards (http://www.caj.ca/mediamag/summer2002/award-open-news.html), including one for best overall investigative report, for a series he co-wrote with David Pugliese of the Citizen about the crackdown by security agencies on public dissent. Last year, he and CP colleague Sue Bailey were CAJ award finalists for their series on missing and murdered aboriginal women.

David McKie

David McKie is an Ottawa-based, award-winning journalist who has been radio with the CBC for 18 years. For the past six years, he has focused on federal regulatory affairs such as health, food and air safety, correctional issues and workplace safety. In researching these topics, he has become increasingly dependent on computer-assisted investigative reporting techniques, using the Internet to find sources, background material, and using spreadsheets and database managers to organize information and produce story ideas. He is now with the CBC's investigative unit.

To get an idea of the stories he has researched, written and broadcast, please go to the following links: A Matter of Trust , Faint Warning , Prescribed to Death , Dying for a Job and Out of Synch. For a story in the series, A Matter of Trust, on a botched clinical trial and its effect on two families, David and CBC documentary maker, Bob Carty, won the 2003 Science in Society Journalism Award in the radio category. Faint Warning was a finalist for the 2004 Michener award, winner of the 2004 RTNDA award for best investigative report, and winner the Canadian Association of Journalists' 2004 computer-assisted reporting (CAR) award and the overall CAJ award for best investigative series. Faint Warning won the Service Journalism category for the 2004 Online News Association. The follow-up series, Prescribed to Death, that ran in 2005 was also a big award winner. The series won the CAJ's 2006 CAR award, the Open Radio News Award and, for the second year in a row, the overall award. The series also won the 2006 CNA ( Canadian Nurses Association ) & CMA ( Canadian Medical Association ) Media Awards for Excellence in Health Reporting and the American-based IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors) award in the radio category. His latest project, Beaten Down: Fear and violence in Canada's Nursing Homes, examines the national problem of violence in Canadian long-term care facilities. .

David edits a magazine for the Canadian Association of Journalists called Media, which you can find at: Media magazine And he maintains a web site that keeps track of access-to-information requests that are made to federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations. The CAIRS site, which used to be maintained by professor Alasdair Roberts, has become a valuable tool for journalists.

David obtained a Master of Journalism degree from Carleton University in the summer of 2001. One of the areas he researched was the evolution of computer-assisted, investigative reporting in Canada and the United States. And he was also one of four journalists/journalism instructors who wrote Digging Deeper, a Canadian textbook on investigative research techniques. You can order it by visiting Amazon.ca. And he is presently working on a second textbook, this one focusing on computer-assisted reporting. He is writing the book with Fred Vallance-Jones.

Links (TOP)

As you'll discover in class, Julian Sher's home page, http://www.journalismnet.com/, is an excellent source of information on a wealth of topics, especially finding people on the Web. Sher, an award-winning journalist who used to be a producer with CBC-TV's the fifth estate, now writes books and trains journalists around the world on using the Internet.

Here are some other useful access-to-information websites and resources

ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

The Canadian Access to Information Manual (courtesy of the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) at the University of Ottawa)
http://idtrail.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=284&Itemid=88

Federal Enquiry points
http://www.infosource.gc.ca/enq-ctr/enq-ctr00_e.asp

Access to Information and Privacy Coordinators
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/gos-sog/atip-aiprp/ATIP-Coords_e.asp

InfoSource (directory of holdings):
http://www.infosource.gc.ca/fed/fed05_e.asp

Access to Information request forms:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/tbsf-fsct/350-57_e.asp

Information Commissioner of Canada (complaints, resources):
http://www.infocom.gc.ca/menu-e.asp

Federal Access to Information and Privacy Legislation Annotated 2004 by Colonel Michel W. Drapeau & Marc-Aurèle Racicot
http://www.pubgouv.com/legislation/fed_access.htm

David McKie's CAIRs page
http://www.onlinedemocracy.ca/CAIRS/CAIA-OD.htm

Access to Information database (Department of National Defence)
http://www.admfincs.forces.gc.ca/daip/new_e.asp?sel=atip

Access to Information archives (Department of Foreign Affairs)
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/department/privacy/processed-en.asp

Provincial and territorial access laws
http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/atip/provte.html

Alberta
http://foip.gov.ab.ca/

British Columbia
http://www.oipcbc.org

Manitoba
http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/fippa/

New Brunswick
Main: http://www.gnb.ca/0073/info-e.asp
Law: http://www.gnb.ca/acts/acts/r-10-3.htm

Newfoundland and Labrador
http://www.gov.nf.ca/just/civil/atipp/

Northwest Territories
http://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/ATIPP/atipp.htm

Nova Scotia
Main: http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/foi/foisvcs.htm
Review: http://www.foipop.ns.ca/

List of public bodies covered by the Nova Scotia law
http://www.foipop.ns.ca/content/Publications/FOIPOP%20Act%20Administrators.pdf

The Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia
http://www.nsrighttoknow.ca/

Nunavut
http://www.gov.nu.ca/Nunavut/atip/

Ontario
Main: http://www.accessandprivacy.gov.on.ca/english/doi/index.html
Forms: http://www.accessandprivacy.gov.on.ca/english/download/index.html
FAQ: http://www.cfipo.gov.on.ca/mbs/dor/dirrec.nsf/webpages/FAQ

Prince Edward Island
http://www.gov.pe.ca/law/statutes/pdf/f-15_01.pdf

Quebec
http://www.cai.gouv.qc.ca/index-en.html

Quebec access-to-information coordinators
http://www.cai.gouv.qc.ca/09_listes_des_responsables/01_pdf/minister.pdf

Saskatchewan
http://www.oipc.sk.ca/

City of Ottawa
http://www.city.ottawa.on.ca/city_hall/mfippa/index_en.html

U.S. FOI requests
http://www.rcfp.org/foiact/index.html

U.S. FOI requests for electronic data by state
http://www.rcfp.org/elecaccess/

U.S. Coalition of Journalists for Open Government
http://www.cjog.net/

Historically Significant FBI Files
http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/foiaindex.htm

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Electronic Reading Room
http://www.fda.gov/foi/electrr.htm

U.K. FOI requests
http://www.dca.gov.uk/foi/yourRights/index.htm

Access to information around the globe
http://foi.missouri.edu/international.html

Overview of FOIA Countries Worldwide – February 1 2006
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2006/feb/foia-feb-2006.pdf

POLICE Freedom of Information[Top]

Peel
http://www.peelpolice.on.ca/Police%20Records/Freedom%20Of%20Information%20Requests.aspx

Halton Regional Police
http://www.hrps.on.ca/main.asp?mainid=freedomofinformation

Niagara Regional Police
http://www.nrps.com/download/default.asp

London Police Force
http://www.police.london.ca/OverTheCounter/FreedomofInformation.htm

Vancouver Police Department
http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/Support/info/InfoPrivacy.htm

CATALOG SEARCH ENGINES[Top]

Yahoo
http://ca.yahoo.com/

LookSmart
http://search.looksmart.com/

Open Directory Project
http://dmoz.org/

Cluster searches
http://clusty.com/

KEY WORD SEARCH ENGINES [Top]

Google
http://www.google.ca/

Yahoo Search
http://search.yahoo.com/

Windows Live (MSN Search)
http://www.live.com/?searchonly=true&mkt=en-ca

AlltheWeb
http://www.alltheweb.com/

Wisenut
http://wisenut.com/

Vivisimo
http://vivisimo.com/

Killer Info
http://www.killerinfo.com/

Wayback machine (Internet archives)
http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
http://www.archive.org/index.php

Cyberjournalists.net
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/cyberjournalists.php

SEARCH ENGINE RESEARCH[Top]

Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog. William B. Badke. 2d ed. iUniverse, 2004.
http://www.acts.twu.ca/lbr/preface.htm

Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com/

DegreeTutor
http://www.degreetutor.com/library/research-tools/librarian-searchguide

Lycos
http://www.lycos.com/info/search-engines-list.html

PEOPLE FINDERS[Top]

Canada 411
http://canada411.sympatico.ca/

WhitePages.com
http://www.whitepages.com/10592/?source=OV00000002&KW=WhitePagesOnly_04_ZZ_w hite_page

Yellow.ca
http://www1.yellow.ca/pl/f.jsp?p_lang=0&p_ln=&p_recc=1&p_lna=&p_fna=&p_ct=&p _pr=CN&p_ph=&p_ty=N&p_mt=X

PeopleSearch.net
http://peoplesearch.net/

AnyWho directory
http://www.anywho.com/international.html

Searchsystems.net
http://www.searchsystems.net/

Obituaries
http://www3.sympatico.ca/bkinnon/obit_links2.htm
http://obits.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/obit.cgi

Usenet archives
http://usenet-addresses.mit.edu/

BAREX ( property searches in Ontario )
https://www.bar-ex.com/barex/index2.jsp

IPAddressGuide.com
http://www.ipaddressguide.com/

DISCUSSIONS[Top]

Listservs
http://web.syr.edu/~bcfought/

Listserv search
http://www.lsoft.com/lists/listref.html

Listserv search on journalismnet
http://www.journalismnet.com/people/listserv.htm

Canada FOI listserv
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canada-foi

Inside cbc.com
http://www.insidethecbc.com/

The Slyck's Guide to newsgroups
http://www.slyck.com/index.php

Tile.Net/Newsgroups (The Reference to Usenet Newsgroups)
http://www.tile.net/news/

Cyberfiber Newsgroups
http://www.cyberfiber.com/

Women's Health
http://www.research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/f_hlth.html

THE INVISIBLE WEB[Top]

Resource Shelf
http://www.resourceshelf.com/

Price's List of Lists
http://www.specialissues.com/lol/

Complete Planet
http://aip.completeplanet.com

Freepint.com
http://www.freepint.com/gary/direct.htm

Complete Planet (The Deep Web Directory)
http://aip.completeplanet.com

Librarians' Internet Index
http://search.lii.org

Invisible Web tutorial
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/InvisibleWeb.html

Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com/

JOURNALISM RESOURCE SITES[Top]

Media magazine
http://www.caj.ca/mediamag/spring2006/

The Canadian Association of Journalists
http://www.eagle.ca/caj/

The Canadian Journalism Project
http://www.j-source.ca/

Newscollege ( Practical Journalism Tips )
http://www.newscollege.ca/

No Train, No Gain
http://www.notrain-nogain.com/

Poynter Institutue
http://www.poynter.org/

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
http://www.publicintegrity.org/icij/

Journalism Education in Canada (Carleton professor, Mary McGuire)
http://http-server.carleton.ca/~mmcguire/J-Ed/

JournalismNet
http://www.journalismnet.com/

JNet's Picks of the Week (a random selection of web sites of use to journalists)
http://www.journalismnet.com/picks

Radio-Canada (archives)
http://www.radio-canada.ca/actualite/v2/tj22h/archive50_200408.shtml

Kirk LaPointe's J-home
http://www.kirklapointe.com/

Infomart
http://www.infomart.ca/

Canada.com
http://www.canada.com/

Canadian Press
http://www.recorder.ca/cp/

World news
http://wn.com/

Independent media
http://www.indymedia.org/

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
http://www.aejmc.org/

Independent Media TV
http://www.independent-media.tv/about.cfm

DiversityWatch
http://www.diversitywatch.ryerson.ca/media/

Newspaper archives
http://www.newspaperarchive.com/

http://www.paperofrecord.com/

Sept.11 Archives
http://www.september11archive.com/

Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA)
http://www.ccna.ca/

Community Press Online (Ontario)
http://www.communitypress-online.com

Online Newspapers
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/

Google News Advanced Archive Search
http://news.google.com/archivesearch/advanced_search

LexisNexis AlaCarte! (advanced search)
http://alacarte.lexisnexis.com/partners/int/lexisnews/srchNW.asp

LexisNexis AlaCarte! (free short-term news searches on hot stories)
http://www.lexisnexis.com/news/

Hospital News
http://www.hospitalnews.com

Medical Doctor (a Canadian website that tracks medical coverage)
http://www.mediadoctor.ca/

Columbia Journalism Review
http://www.cjr.org/

The Complete New Yorker: Eighty Years of the Nation's Greatest Magazine
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400064740/ref=pd_bxgy_text_2/702-6007597-6128034

Gannett Newsroom Resources
http://www.gannett.com/go/newswatch/nwwebtips/webresmain.html

Counterpunch (left-wing American political newsletter)
http://www.counterpunch.org/

Cyberjournalist.net ( The Online News Association )
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/supersearch.php/

Expert sources -- ProfNet
http://www2.profnet.com/login_prn.jsp

Carleton's journalism in Rwanda effort
http://www.rwandainitiative.ca/index2.html

Snopes.com (Rumour Has It)
http://snopes.com

Regret The Error ( it reports on corrections, retractions, clarifications and trends regarding accuracy and honesty in the media)
http://www.regrettheerror.com/

Wikileaks
http://www.wikileaks.org/index.html

OhmyNews International
http://english.ohmynews.com/

Canadian Association of Internet Providers
http://www.cata.ca/

MULTI-MEDIA [Top]

Liveleak
http://liveleak.com/

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/

COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING [Top]

CBC's adverse drug reaction database series
http://www.cbc.ca/news/adr

Rapid Fire ( the Ottawa Citizen's searchable online gun registry database )
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/features/rapidfire/form.html

National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting
http://www.nicar.org/

Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc.
http://www.ire.org/

Center for Public Integrity
http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/default.aspx

CARinCanada
http://carincanada.ca/

Percentage Calculator
http://www.infoseek.com.au/percentage.htm

NewsEngin's Percent Change Calculator
http://newsengin.com/neFreeTools.nsf/PercentChange/formPercentChange

Stephen Lamble's computer-assisted reporting home page (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia)
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~slamble/index.html

SearchEngineWatch.com
http://searchenginewatch.com/

Jakob Nielsen's Website (Expert advice on Internet trends and usage)
http://www.useit.com/

Domain name registries around the world
http://www.norid.no/domenenavnbaser/domreg.html

SPREADSHEET TUTORIALS [Top]

Spreadsheet tutorial from CARinCanada
http://www.carincanada.ca/CARCANtips.htm

Technology training for journalists
http://canyonwolfephoto.com/

Math for Journalists

http://www.newsu.org/courses/course_detail.aspx?id=nu_math05

Spreadsheet tutorial from Computer-Assisted Reporting: A Pratical Guide, 3rd edition, by Brant Houston
http://www.ire.org/carbook/chapter3/referredData/crony.xls

Nilesonline (a simple guide to understanding statistics)
http://nilesonline.com/stats/

Spreadsheet tutorial
http://www.j-walk.com/ss/

Introduction to spreadsheets
http://www.cmu.edu/computing/education/excel/Excel2003/index.htm

Daily Dose of Excel
http://dailydoseofexcel.com

Jon Peltier's Excel Page
http://peltiertech.com/Excel

Pearson Software Consulting
http://www.cpearson.com/excel.htm

Stephen Bullen's Excel Page
www.bmsltd.co.uk/excel.htm

David McRitchie's Excel Pages
www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm

Mr. Excel
www.mrexcel.com/

Microsoft.public.excel.misc ( a general discussion group )
http://groups.google.ca/group/microsoft.public.excel.misc/topics?lnk=sg&hl=en

Microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions
http://groups.google.ca/group/microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions/topics?lnk=sg&hl=en

Microsoft.public.excel
http://groups.google.ca/group/microsoft.public.excel/topics?lnk=sg&hl=en

Microsoft.public.excel.programming
http://groups.google.ca/group/microsoft.public.excel.programming/topics?lnk=sg&hl=en

Microsoft.public.excel.charting
http://groups.google.ca/group/microsoft.public.excel.charting/topics?lnk=sg&hl=en

The City of Ottawa budget in Excel format
Ottawa Budget

WEBSITES WITH TABLES FOR DOWNLOAD[Top]

Ontario's Public Sector Salary Disclosure
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/english/publications/salarydisclosure/2006/index.html

Elections Canada
http://www.elections.ca/scripts/webpep/fin/select_search_option.aspx

Women Candidates in General Elections (1921 to Date)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/asp/WomenElect.asp?Language=E&source=hoc

Quebec political contributions
http://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/fr/recherche_donateurs_app.asp

Canadian charities ( Canada Revenue Agency )
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/haip/srch/sec/SrchInput01Validate-e

Transport Canada
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp3322/2004/menu.htm

Environment Canada's National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI)
http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/npri_dat_rep_e.cfm#databases

Canada's Greenhouse Gas Inventory ( Environment Canada )
http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/onlinedata/DataAndReports_e.cfm

Greenhouse Gas Reporting Site ( glossary of terms )
http://www.ghgreporting.gc.ca/GHGInfo/Pages/page15.aspx

Contaminated sites in Quebec
http://www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/sol/residus_ind/resultats.asp

Health Canada's Drug Product Database
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/databasdon/index_e.html

Health Canada's list of recalled drugs and medical devices
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/compli-conform/recall-retrait/list/index_e.html

CARinCanada
http://www.carincanada.ca/DATABASES.htm

Statistics Canada
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/popula.htm

Annual wage adjustments (Human Resources and Social Development Canada)
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/en/lp/wid/aawa/yearly_index.shtml&hs=axe

Income statistics
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/agency/stats/gb04/pst/final/downloadf-e.html#tables1to12

Exploring Data (a tutorial for examining statistics)
http://exploringdata.cqu.edu.au/

Fatality Reports Database ( The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)
http://www.ccohs.ca/products/databases/fatalityreports.html

Arms Exports
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/tdo/tdo.php#tag

Canadian National Defence Contracts over $10,000
http://www.admfincs.forces.gc.ca/pd/contracts/reports_e.asp

City of Ottawa paramedic serives
http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/ambulance/structure_contact/operations/daily/stats_en.html

Office of Pipeline Safety (U.S.)
http://ops.dot.gov/rinfo.htm

Environmental Journalism Tipsheet
http://www.rtnda.org/resources/tipsheet/september26.shtml

Data Handbook ( city of Ottawa )
http://www.ottawa.ca/city_services/statistics/data_handbook/index_en.shtml

INNOVATIVE TOOLS [Top]

The Word on Wikis
http://forjournalists.com/cookbook/index.php?title=Wiki_Panel_Handout_and_Notes

READINGS [Top]

Working the fringes
http://www.cjr.org/issues/2005/6/cunningham.asp

Working the fringes in Canada
Public journalism in a Canadian context

The elements of journalism
http://www.journalism.org/resources/publications/books/elements_intro.asp

The quest for context
http://www.caj.ca/mediamag/winter2002/tools.html

Inspiration
Tips for rediscovering your passion for story telling

`Right to Know' Series -- Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1064009410600&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154

Report Card on Canadian News Media
http://www.cmrcccrm.ca/english/reportcard2004/01.html

2005 Report on state of the media
http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2005/index.asp

2006 List of Banished Words
http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

2007 List of Banished Words
http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

Election Coverage
http://www.ompp.mcgill.ca/pages/2006election.htm

PREPARING STORIES [Top]

Interviewing Tips
http://www.concernedjournalists.org/node/94

Interviewing
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/reporting/interviewing/tips.asp?from=print

Writing
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/weblines/4.html

George Orwell's Six Rules
To find Orwell's rules, please click here.

The story process
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/writing/lessons/blackbox.asp?from=print

Accuracy checklist
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/reporting/accuracy/mercury.asp?from=print

Grammar and punctuation
http://www.yorku.ca/ycom/style/

http://www.snn-rdr.ca/snn/nr_reporterstoolbox/snnstyleguide.html

Journalism ethics
http://www.poynter.org/subject.asp?id=32

Journalism Ethics Morals and the Media, 2nd edition, by Nick Russell (sample
chapter)
http://www.ubcpress.ca/books/pdf/chapters/russell.pdf

Journalism Ethics for the Global Citizen (UBC School of Journalism)
http://www.journalismethics.ca/about_us/index.htm

CP Copy Talk (Look under Staff, then Copy Talk)
http://www.cp.org/english/hp.htm

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT[Top]

Government of Canada official website
http://canada.gc.ca/main_e.html

Federal government departments
http://canada.gc.ca/depts/major/depind_e.html

Federal government search engines
http://www.canada.gc.ca/search/srcind_e.html

Federal government selected disclosure of travel and hospitality expenses and contracts
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pd-dp/gr-rg/index_e.asp

Federal government phone book
http://direct.srv.gc.ca/cgi-bin/direct500/BE

Parliament
http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/index.asp?Language=E&Parl=37&Ses=2

Hansard
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/housechamberbusiness/ChamberPublicationIndexSearch.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1

History of electoral ridings
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=R&Source=AboutParl_Process

Polling (click on the "continue to the document" link to get to the departmental polls)
http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/por-ef/index.html

Committees
http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/committee.asp?Language=E&Parl=38&Ses=1

Federal bugets
http://www.fin.gc.ca/access/budinfoe.html

Reviews, Audits and Evaluations
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rma/database/aeve_e.asp

Auditor General of Canada
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/domino/oag-bvg.nsf/html/menue.html

Proactive Disclosure
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pd-dp/index_e.asp

Contract search
http://csi.contractscanada.gc.ca/csi/prod/EN/applctrl.cfm?Language=EN&cmd=start&init=1&f=

Travel and Hospitality Expenses Reports (Government of Canada: Privy Council Office)
http://www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/di/category_list.asp?id=1&Language=E

Public Office Holders Search (Office of the Ethics Commissioner)
http://www.parl.gc.ca/oec/PublicSearch/PublicSearch.aspx

Plans and Priorities / Performance Reports
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/estime.asp#OSD

Public Accounts
http://www.pwgsc.gc.ca/recgen/text/pub-acc-e.html

Contracts Canada
http://contractscanada.gc.ca/en/index.html

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS[Top]

http://www.canada.gc.ca/othergov/prov_e.htm

Links to provincial government directories
http://canadaonline.about.com/od/govtdirectories/Canadian_Government_Directories.htm

B.C. Online
https://www.bconline.gov.bc.ca/

Alberta Legislative Assembly
http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=adr_home

British Columbia Legislative Assembly
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/

Manitoba Legislative Assembly
http://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/hansard/

Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
http://www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/business/

New Brunswick Legislative Assembly
http://www.gnb.ca/legis/business/currentsession/currentsession-e.asp

Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/house_business/hansard.html

Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly
http://www.assembly.gov.nt.ca/hansard/

Nunavut Legislative Assembly
http://www.assembly.nu.ca/english/index.html

Ontario Legislative Assembly
http://www.ontla.on.ca/hansard/

Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly
http://www.assembly.pe.ca/hansard/

Quebec National Assembly
http://www.assnat.qc.ca/eng/

Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly
http://www.legassembly.sk.ca/hansard/

Yukon Legislative Assembly
http://www.hansard.gov.yk.ca/

PROVINCIAL AUDITS[Top]

Alberta
http://www.oag.ab.ca/

British Columbia
http://www.bcauditor.com/auditorgeneral.htm

Manitoba
http://www.oag.mb.ca/

New Brunswick
http://www.gnb.ca/oag%2Dbvg/

Newfoundland and Labrador
http://www.ag.gov.nl.ca/ag/

Northwest Territories
http://www.gov.nt.ca/FMBS/

Nova Scotia
http://www.gov.ns.ca/audg/

Nunavut
http://www.gov.nu.ca/finance/public.shtml

Ontario
http://www.auditor.on.ca/

Prince Edward Island
http://www.assembly.pe.ca/auditorgeneral/

Quebec
http://www.vgq.gouv.qc.ca/

Saskatchewan
http://www.auditor.sk.ca/

Yukon
http://www.yukonenergy.ca/about/business/auditor_reports

PROVINCIAL CONTRACTS[Top]

Alberta
http://vendor.purchasingconnection.ca/

British Columbia
http://www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca/open.dll/welcome

Quebec
https://www.seao.ca/index.aspx

Saskatchewan
http://www.sasktenders.ca/index.html

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS[Top]

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
http://www.fcm.ca/english/main.html

Munimall (general information and news stories about municipalities)
http://www.munimall.net

Quebec municipalities
http://www.quebecmunicipal.qc.ca/liens/index.asp?LienID=47

Property assessments (Quebec municipalities)
http://www.quebecmunicipal.qc.ca/liens/index.asp?lienid=47

OTTAWA [Top]

Ottawa city council
http://ottawa.ca/index_en.html

Information
http://www.ottawaplus.ca/

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT[Top]

GPO Access (The Federal Depository Library Program Electronic Collection (FDLP/EC) is a comprehensive digital library of U.S. Government information)
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/ec/

http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/alpha

CANADIAN BUSINESS [Top]

Google Finance
http://finance.google.com/finance

Business Terminology
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/Glossary/glossary-A.htm

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/business/glossary/

http://www.investorwords.com/

http://www.investopedia.com/

Corporations database online
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/cgi-bin/sc_mrksv/corpdir/dataOnline/corpns_se

http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/engdoc/main.html

Canada NewsWire
http://www.newswire.ca/htmindex/etoday.html

CCN Matthews
http://www.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/home.jsp

PR Newswire (U.S.)
http://www.prnewswire.com/

CBC Business News
http://www.cbc.ca/business/

CBC (Venture)
http://cbc.ca/venture/

CBC Marketplace
http://cbc.ca/consumers/market/

Canadian Business Resource Centre
http://www.cbr.ca/Default.aspx

SEDAR (Canada)
http://www.sedar.com/search/search_en.htm

Cyberbahn (fee-for-service)
http://www.cyberbahn.ca/cyberbahn/default.aspx

Advice for Investors
http://www.adviceforinvestors.com/

Ontario Securities Commission
http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/Regulation/Rulemaking/Current/Part5/rule_20040402_51-102-cont-disc-ob.pdf

Search for information about private businesses
http://www.cyberbahn.ca/

Search for information about private corporations
http://www.oncorp.com/

Registre des entreprises du Québec
http://www.registreentreprises.gouv.qc.ca/fr/default.aspx

Canadian Insider
http://www.canadianinsider.com/

Bankruptcy
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inbsf-osb.nsf/en/home

Intellectual property (patents, trade-marks, copyrights)
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/new/new-e.html#dec30

Government contract tendering
http://www.merx.com/Services/AboutMERX/English/MK_SiteMap.asp?FLASH=Yes

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (a federal agency that educates and protects consumers)
http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/default.asp

Charities
http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/tax/charities/online_listings/charity_listings-e.html

Enforcement Activities: Prosecution and Conviction Statistics (Ontario Ministry of Labour)
http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/report_card/rc_2.html

Workplace Safety Fines: Ontario Ministry of Labour (courtesy of CNW Group)
http://ogov.newswire.ca/getorg_e.html?okey=16716
http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/news/court_news.html

Workplace Safety Fines: Ontario Ministry of Labour (courtesy of the Occupational Safety Group)
http://67.69.16.62/fmi/iwp/cgi?-db=OSGCA&-loadframes

OHS CANADA Magazine
http://www.ohscanada.com

Business Edge ( Bi-weekly business news magazine)
http://www.businessedge.ca

U.S BUSINESS[Top]

Business Wire (U.S.)
http://www.businesswire.com/

EDGAR (U.S.)
http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/srch-edgar

Descriptions of 10-Ks, 10-Qs, 6-Ks and other forms companies are required to file with the SEC
http://www.sec.gov/info/edgar/forms/edgform.pdf

New York Stock Exchange
http://www.nyse.com

The National Association of Securities Dealers
http://www.nasd.com/web/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=6

The North American Securities Administrators Association
http://www.nasaa.org/home/index.cfm

Standard & Poor's
http://www2.standardandpoors.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=sp/Page/HomePg&r=1&l=EN&b=10

Moody's Investors Service
http://www.moodys.com/cust/default.asp

Dun & Bradstreet
http://www.dnb.com/us/

Hoover's Online
http://www.hoovers.com/free/

Financial Directory
http://investorlinks.com/

Fast Company
http://www.fastcompany.com/homepage/index.html

Newslink
http://newslink.org/biznews.html

Business magazines
http://allyoucanread.com/index.asp?idCat=7

Facsnet
http://www.facsnet.org

The McKinsey Quarterly
http://mckinseyquarterly.com

Sources and Experts
http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/internet/experts.html

American Experts
http://www.journalismnet.com/experts/us.htm

The National Bureau of Economic Research
http://nber.org

Searchable database for bills in Congress
http://thomas.loc.gov/

U.S. Government Printing Office
http://www.access.gpo.gov

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's archive of warning letters
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/wlcfm/searchwl_new.cfm

FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html

FDA Enforcement Report Index
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html

Securities lawsuits
http://securities.stanford.edu/companies.html

Lawyers
http://www.yourlawyer.com

Confined Space ( A U.S. site on workplace safety)
http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/

U.S. Department of LABOUR (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
http://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/establishment.html

LOBBYISTS[Top]

Lobbyist Registration System
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inlr-el.nsf/en/Home

Federal Public Registry of Lobbyists
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inlobbyist-lobbyiste.nsf/en/h_nx00012e.html

Lobbyists ( British Columbia)
http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/lra/

Lobbyists (Nova Scotia)
http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/lobbyist/

Lobbyists (Ontario)
http://lobbyist.oico.on.ca/Integrity/RegistrationGeneral.nsf

Lobbyists (Quebec)
http://si1.lobby.gouv.qc.ca/internet/documentation.asp

Lobbyists search
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/cgi-bin/sc_mrksv/lobbyist/bin/lrs.e/view_search.phtml?

Elections Canada (contributions and expenses)
http://www.elections.ca/intro.asp?section=fin&document=index&lang=e&textonly=false

LEGAL SYSTEM/ COURTS [Top]

Martindale.com
http://www.martindale.com/

Legal terminology
http://www.duhaime.org/dictionary/diction.htm

Canada's justice system
http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/jus/

The Criminal Code
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-46/index.html

Canadian legal resources
http://jurist.law.utoronto.ca/ref_desk.htm

The Canadian Legal Information Institute
http://www.canlii.org/

Supreme Court of Canada
http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca/information/index_e.asp

Federal Court of Canada
http://www.fct-cf.gc.ca/index_e.html

Tax Court of Canada
http://www.tcc-cci.gc.ca/main_e.htm

Ontario Courts
http://www.ontariocourts.on.ca/english.htm

Quebec Courts
http://www.jugements.qc.ca/generalites/contenu.php

Provincial Offences Court - Ottawa
http://ottawa.ca/city_hall/prov_crt/index_en.html

Canadian Bar Association
http://www.cba.org/CBA/Home.asp

Canadian Law List
http://www.canadianlawlist.com/

Law Commission of Canada
http://www.lcc.gc.ca/default-en.asp?lang_update=1

U.S. COURT FILINGS AND LEGAL ACTION

Pacer
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov

Lexis
http://www.lexis.com/

United States Department of Justice
http://www.usdoj.gov/index.html

Bankruptcydata.com
http://www.bankruptcydata.com/default.asp

Findlaw
http://www.findlaw.com/index.html?srchfindlaw

Smoking Gun
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/

VITAL STATISTICS/CERTIFICATES[Top]

Statistics Canada
http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/

Canadian vital statistics offices
http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/4UBMCE.htm

Ontario births, deaths, marriages
http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/4ULUQT.htm

Ontario historical births, deaths, marriages
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/interloan/vsfaq.htm

Ontario coroner's reports
http://www.mpss.jus.gov.on.ca/english/pub_safety/office_coroner/coroner_how.html

Ontario wills
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/virtualrr/info15.htm

Ontario divorce files
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/guides/rg_210_divorce_ont.htm

Ontario land registration
http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/4UBSJK.htm

Ontario personal property registry
http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/269a_3ea2.htm

Ontario liens
http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/2502_3ea2.htm

Ontario fire deaths
http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca/english/publications/Statistics/deathrate/default.asp

TRANSPORTATION[Top]

Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS)
http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/applications/cadors/English/main.asp

Civil aircraft register
http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/activepages/ccarcs/en/notice_e.asp?x_lang=e

U.S. aircraft register
http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/aircraft_registry/

Vessel registry
http://www.tc.gc.ca/ShipRegistry/menu.asp?lang=e

Ontario driver, vehicle information
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/catalogue.htm

Vehicle Recalls On-line Database
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/recalls/search_e.asp

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (Aircrart Inquiries)
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_inquiry.asp

Pilot Getaways (U.S.)
http://www.landings.com/

THE ENVIRONMENT[Top]

The National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI)
http://www2.ec.gc.ca/pdb/npri/npri_home_e.cfm

Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry
http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/index_e.cfm

Canadian Environmental Protection Act and Fisheries Act (prosecutions)
http://www.ec.gc.ca/ele-ale/prosecutions/prosecutions_e.asp

SOCIAL SERVICES[Top]

Deadbeat dads directory ( Ontario )
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/familyResponsibility/debtors/list

Alberta Justice Maintenance Enforcement Program - List of Debtors
http://www.justice.gov.ab.ca/mep/help_find.aspx?id=2827

Wanted criminal databases (The United States)
http://www.indexoftheweb.com/Information/WantedCriminalDatabases_A-M.htm

SCIENCE[Top]

Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
http://www.sshrc.ca/web/home_e.asp

The Canadian Research Information System
http://webapps.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/cris/Search?p_language=E&p_version=CRIS

Science-related search engines ( in French and English )
http://sdis.inrs.uquebec.ca/index.jsp?page=5_3#statistiques

The National Academies Press (U.S)
http://www.nap.edu/

HEALTH[Top]

Food recalls (Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada)
http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/pr-rp/index_e.php

MedlinePlus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html

E-CPS (Canadian Pharmacists Association)
https://www.e-therapeutics.ca/wps/portal/!ut/p/.scr/Login

Psychotropics
http://www.psychotropics.dk/monographies/index.asp?Catalogtype=A

Science Daily
http://www.sciencedaily.com

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
http://www.ccohs.ca/

Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada
http://www.awcbc.org/english/

Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html

Dear Health Care Professional Letters
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/advisories-avis/prof/index_e.html

Health Canada's Adverse Drug Reaction Database
http://cpe0013211b4c6d-cm0014e88ee7a4.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com/CADRMP/LocaleAction.do?lang=en

Health Canada list of expert advisory committees
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/activit/sci-consult/index_e.html

Food and Drug Administration advisory committees
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/acwhatsnew.htm

Controversial drug marketing
http://www.cbc.ca/disclosure/archives/0103_pharm/resources.html

Recently approved medical devices ( FDA )
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfTopic/MDA/mda-list.cfm?list=1

Reports on Long-Term Care Homes ( Ontario )
http://publicreporting.ltchomes.net/en-ca/default.aspx

Quebec long-term care inspections
http://www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/sujets/organisation/visites_appreciation/visites.php

The Ministère de la Famille et des Aînés (Quebec)
http://www.mfa.gouv.qc.ca/

Health Space (contains online inspection information for provinces such as B.C.)
http://www.healthspace.ca/Websites/HealthSpace/Website_CA.nsf/index.html

SENIOR'S CARE[Top]

Beaten Down: Fear and Violence in Canada's Nursing Homes (CBC News investigation into nursing homes)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/nursing-homes/index.html

Residential care facilities ( B.C. )
http://www2.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/DBs/RedBook/orgPgs/3/3248.html

The Care Guide (calls itself "Canada's most comprehensive guide to seniors' housing and care services")
http://www.thecareguide.com/Search.aspx

CORONERS'/CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINERS' OFFICES[Top]

Directory of chief coroners (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)
http://ccinfoweb.ccohs.ca/help/fatality/coroners.html

B.C.
http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/coroners/

Alberta
http://www.justice.gov.ab.ca/ocme/

Saskatchewan
http://www.saskjustice.gov.sk.ca/coronersoffice/

Manitoba
http://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/about/chief.html#2

Ontario
http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/English/pub_safety/office_coroner/about_coroner.html

Québec
http://www.msp.gouv.qc.ca/coroner/coroner.asp?txtSection=bureau_coroner

New Brunswick
http://www.gnb.ca/0276/Coroner/index-e.asp

Nova Scotia
http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/cme.htm

Prince Edward Island
http://www.gov.pe.ca/infopei/index.php3?number=52651

Nunavut
http://www.justice.gov.nu.ca/english/courtserv.html

NWT
http://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/Coroner/coroner.htm

Yukon
http://www.justice.gov.yk.ca/prog/cjps/crnr/

DIRECTORIES/REFERENCE WORKS [Top]

Webopedia
http://www.webopedia.com/

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Wikiscanner
http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/

Globe and Mail article about political staff making changes to Wikipedias, please click here

Canadian Historical Association Booklets
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/002/013/index-e.html?PHPSESSID=3f3137912b9f2b1722e11155b6401860

Sources Directory
http://www.sources.com/

Canadian Business & Current Affairs (CBCA): Queen's University Library
http://library.queensu.ca/inforef/guides/databases/cbca.htm

Electronic Collection: A Virtual Collection of Monographs and Periodicals
http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/

Various Canadian sources
http://www.gdsourcing.ca/indexa.htm

Maps
http://www.multimap.com

Atlas of Canada
http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/index.html

Books
http://www.bookfinder.com/

Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

Canadian Encyclopedia
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?TCE_Version=A

Columbia University Libraries
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/

AskOxford.com (Oxford Dictionaries)
http://www.askoxford.com/

The Canadian Illustrated News (1869 to 1883)
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/cin/index-e.html

Dictionary of Canadian Biography
http://www.biographi.ca/EN/

Bilingual Dictionaries
http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/SUBJECT_SEARCH.html?subject=s16&authstatuscode=200

History of the Federal Electoral Ridings since 1867
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?

Historical statistics of Canada
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/11-516-XIE/sectiona/toc.htm

The Early Alberta Newspaper collection
http://136.159.239.228/newspapr/

Saskatchewan News Index 1884-2000
http://library.usask.ca/sni/

Acadiensis: The Journal of the History of the Atlantic Region
http://www.lib.unb.ca/Texts/Acadiensis/

Proquest
http://www.proquest.com/

World News Digest
http://www.2facts.com/stories/digest-home-feature.asp

Europa World
http://www.europaworld.com/welcome?authstatuscode=200

PUBLIC POLICY ORGANIZATIONS[Top]

Canadian Policy Research Networks
http://www.cprn.org/en/

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation
http://www.taxpayer.com/main/index.php

The Fraser Institute
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/

The C.D. Howe Institute
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/

The Polaris Institute
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/

The Parkland Institute
http://www.ualberta.ca/~parkland/

LIBRARIES/ARCHIVES [Top]

Library of Parliament
http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/library_prb.asp?Language=E

Library and Archives Canada
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/index-e.html

The Internet Public Library
http://ipl.si.umich.edu/div/subject/

The Canadian Council of Archives
http://www.archivescanada.ca/index2.html

Theses Canada Portal (Library and Archives Canada)
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/thesescanada/index-e.html

ArchiviaNet Online Research Tool
http://www.archives.ca/02/0201_e.html

Ottawa Public Library
http://www.library.ottawa.on.ca/english/index.htm

Proquest
http://www.proquest.com/

Bartleby.com (a complete reference guide)
http://www.bartleby.com/reference/

Gumshoe Librarian ( A bibliography of Recommended Websites for Global Research Issues )
http://www.llrx.com/features/gumshoe.htm

U.S. News Archives on the Web
http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/internet/archives.html

MISCELLANEOUS TOOLS [Top]

Listservs
http://www.lsoft.com/catalist.html

Blogs
http://www.bloglines.com/

Blog search (blog search)
http://www.technorati.com/

Google's BlogSearch
http://blogsearch.google.com/

Sphere
http://www.sphere.com

Feedster
http://www.feedster.com/

Day-of-the-week calculator
http://www.swinarski.net/dev/day_of_wk.html

Bank of Canada exchange rate converter
http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/exchform.htm

Translation sites
http://babelfish.altavista.com/

http://www.google.ca/language_tools?hl=en

JOB HUNTING [Top]
http://jeffgaulin.com/

EVALUATING WEB PAGES[Top]

We will place a lot of emphasis on ensuring that the Web site you use when researching a story is trustworthy. In order to determine credibility, it's necessary to have a checklist of key criteria that the site must meet. Here are some sites that will help reinforce and add to what you've already learned: http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/evaluating/; http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/instruct/evaluate/evalbiblio.html; http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm; http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html; http://members.optusnet.com.au/~slamble/links.htm#VERIFYING%20ONLINE%20INFORMATION.What also helps is to know who is behind the Web page in question. The following links will help you determine who set up the commercial site that has attracted your interest: http://whois.cira.ca/public (For Canadian Web sites); http://www.alexa.com/ (deals with domains from all countries, and analyzes the Web site's reach; that is, the number and identity of visitors to the page) http://www.geektools.com/ and http://www.betterwhois.com/ and http://www.register.com/ , http://www.networksolutions.com/en US/whois/index.jhtml, http://www.domaintools.com/ and http://www.norid.no/domenenavnbaser/domreg.html and http://www.nominet.org.uk/ for "UK" domain names. When plugging in the Web site you're researching, be sure to exclude the "www." The first site on the list, "geektools," contains the easiest interface of the three. The choice is yours.