CAR - Computer Assisted Research for Journalists


With the pressures on journalists increasing, fast and efficient researching on the internet becomes essential.

This research is known as Computer Assisted Reporting which is done all on the World Wide Web.

An integral part of any journalist’s role is to track down people for interviews or as reliable sources for the stories they write. These people can be celebrities or real people who have been in the news.

This can be done through databases such as lexis nexis, 192.com, 123 people and yoname.com they are databases which will search far and wide in the internet for any information you are looking for.

There are also certain techniques that journalists can use when searching in Google or any other search engine which can make them find the information they require easier.

It is best to avoid using simple terms as it will only take you so far. It helps to visualise the information you want on the web page you are looking for.

These techniques are such an eye opener as people can use them not only for work but in their everyday life as well; to track down information, people they have lost touch with or even past loves.