Finding and Managing Information
Tsehay Gashaw and Ewen Le Borgne
ILRI Komms Klinics Session
ILRI, Addis Ababa, 28 August 2012

The Komms Klinics approach
• Away from (just) tools, into
communication processes
• Six broad communication areas
• Tools are still part of the picture
• Awareness raising and hands-on
training sessions
• More trainers, more trainees

The Komms Klinics approach

Overview
1. What is Finding and Managing Information ?
2. Finding information
1. - As individuals
2. - As organizations
3. Managing information
- Why? and How?
- Managing information organizationally
4. One step further: Working out loud & PKM
5. Summary

What is finding & managing
information?

Why finding and managing information ? WIIFM?
What’s in it for me?

What is finding & managing information?
•
•
Collecting
Sharing
•
Managing

As individuals?
What is finding & managing information?
As organizations?
As individuals?
As orgs?

Finding information?

Finding information What are information sources?
• From the work we (ILRI & partners) do
• Face-to-face meetings
• Events / workshops
Internet
Publications or books
•

Finding information Finding information: problems ?
• Too much!
- Too much information / knowledge out there
- Too many platforms / tools?
• Dealing with information overload...
• Quality Information
• Filter failure?

Finding information Overcoming information overload
• What are the information sources?
• What is your priority?
• Know what your are looking for ?
• Deal with your email
• Know what your are subscribing (RSS
feeds)
• Get your own time (disconnect yourself for a moment)

Finding information personally • Finding information as individuals

Finding information personally
• Face-to-face

• On the web
Finding information personally
Basic command:
“...” : the exact phrase
* : Words starting with e.g People*
OR : Logical expression
Advanced search:
[site: country code] : country code e.g et
[filetype:] : specific format e.g doc
Etc...

Finding information personally
• Using social media

Finding information personally
• Using social media: Yammer

Finding information personally
• Using social media: Twitter

Finding organizational information
• Finding organizational information

The ILRI case
Finding information – the ILRI case
Repository (final outputs)
Website
Ilrinet
Online academic journals
Blogs (subscribe to newsfeed)
Social media (Yammer, flickr, twitter, etc...)

Outputs harvested
Outputs
re-published Scientists’
research results
Search, browse,
subscribe
Journals Publications
Search result Search result
User Video/audio Presentation

http://mahider.ilri.org
Finding organizational information
Open digital repository of ILRI (and
other) final outputs
• Search and browse:
– Use keywords, title, author, etc.
– Search in the different sub-communities
– Search in different collections: ILRI journal
articles, conference papers, publications
etc.
• Subscribe to RSS feed / e-mail alerts

Finding organizational information
• ILRI website

Finding organizational information

Finding organizational information
• Online academic journals

Finding organizational information
• ILRI Clippings

Finding organizational information
• ILRI News blog

Finding organizational information
ILRI’s presentations

Finding organizational information
ILRI’s photo collection

Finding organizational information
• ILRI Calendar

Managing information?

Managing information: Why? and How? Why manage information?
To make informed decisions
…Based on up-to-date information
Quality /relevant information
To re-use information…
…And learn from the past

Managing information: Why? and How?
How?

Managing information: Why? and How? What does it involve?
And content!!!

Managing information: Why? and How? How do we manage
information?
Organize our content
Categorize and tag it properly
Use different technology like:
• - Social media tools
• - Content management systems
• - Your note pad...

Managing information organizationally
• Managing information organizationally
the ILRI case

How do we manage information? Managing information organizationally
Mahider
Wikis
Blogs
Delicious
Slideshare
Flickr
Blip
RSS feeds
ILRI comms does it with you!

One step further…
Working out loud
PKM

One step further… Working out loud
Journal and share your work!

Personal knowledge
management (PKM)
One step further…
Credits: Harold Jarche

Summary

Summary
Identify the right source(
to look for relevant
Credits: Chacka Chacka
information

Summary
Good information management leads to
better informed decisions

Summary
Filter
quality
content &
sharpen
your filters
(networks)

Summary
Re-use
content
saved,
tagged,
stored

Summary
Manage your information needs and
practices (reflect!)
Credits: Adam Cohn

Summary
Work out loud!

Summary
Learn from the past, prepare the future

What’s more?

Resources
• “Working out loud”, your personal content
strategy
• The personal KM primer
• Some personal effectiveness bookmarks
on Del.icio.us
• Managing information at ILRI – our
guidelines ILRI Comms wiki (FAQ)

More about Komms Klinics
• Visit our Komms Klinics training wiki:
http://ilri-training.wikispaces.com
• Find out more and contact Tsehay, Ewen or
Peter
• Find answers to communication questions:
http://ilri-comms.wikispaces.com
• Find out about the activities of ILRI’s
communication team:
http://infoilri.wordpress.com

Reflection & group work
• What are your personal tips and tricks to find
and manage information individually?
• E.g. What are the best sources?
• What are useful practices and tools?

International Livestock Research Institute
Better lives through livestock
Animal agriculture to reduce poverty, hunger and
environmental degradation in developing countries
ILRI
www.ilri.org