I recently conducted a series of interviews with info pros who work in large organizations, to find out how they conduct online research. One of the most unexpected findings was that about 40% of the info pros provide little or no massaging of the material they retrieve; they either forward search results directly to the client or they simply package the results in a Word or PDF file and then send it on to the client. Another 40% of info pros provide a moderate amount of added value to their deliverables, including creating a table of contents, removing irrelevant results and prioritizing articles, writing an executive summary of results, and so on. Only 20% of the info pros write full-blown reports based on the research they conducted, with market share analysis, SWOT analysis and so on.
I was very surprised -- I had assumed that virtually all info pros offered at least some degree of post-processing, which IMHO is one of the best ways to inoculate clients against outsourcing to the cheapest vendor around the world.
Many of the info pros said that they simply didn't have the time or skills to offer any added value. To self-promote for just a moment, I'll note that I am offering a half-day CE workshop in conjunction with the Special Libraries Association conference in Seattle this June on post-processing. Here's the description of the workshop:
"What Do I Do AFTER I Log Off? Being a Value-Adding Info Pro"
This lively half-day workshop will look at that part of research which takes place after you finish your searching. What are the most cost-effective and efficient ways to add value to your research results? How can you create deliverables that make it clear to your clients the value you add? How do you make yourself invulnerable to the "It's All On The Web For Free" syndrome? This workshop will provide you with the tools, resources and techniques to enable you to clearly demonstrate the additional value that information professionals bring to their organization.