Computer-assisted reporting (CAR) remains one of the biggest advances in the past 20 years for investigative reporting. This section has information about how CAR can assist you in your work.
CAR covers two main areas, data mining and online research. We have also included sections on anonymity, as protecting your identity and data when online becomes more important.
data mining
Excel
Access
SQL – to come
online investigating
finding people
advanced search
finding hidden documents
finding website owners
automated web browsing
anonymity
published stories
All of the following stories came from analysing data produced by Freedom of Information Act enquiries.
Elena Egawhary (front page) in The Guardian, July 2007.
Heather Brooke in The Times, December 2007.
The Fire Brigades Union in Metro, February 2008.
useful links
analysing data is the future for journalists
According to Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, “data-driven journalism is the future” find out why in this Guardian article.
Computer-Assisted Reporting: A Practical Guide, 3rd edition
The Guardian: A year in open data: how the Open Platform has changed what we do
Reynolds Center US-based business CAR courses