UpTo.it   Home > Information Services: International Information Research

UpTo.it carries out research projects to obtain business information about Italy
for foreign companies interested in the Italian market

When commercial, technical or scientific documentation is required for the development of a commercial strategy or to guide an important business decision, consider consulting UpTo.it's International Information Research Service. The service, informally called "information brokering" or just "infobroker", involves:

• Research carried out by a knowledgeable user ("infobroker") of databanks and other sources of publicly available information
  
• Analysis and interpretation of the identified documentation, in consideration of the client's specific questions and information needs, and
• Preparation of the information into personalized reports, in line with the client's expectations, including copies of the original documentation and summaries or translations, as necessary, into English.

UpTo.it's International Information Research Service is specialized

Information about Italy, especially regarding commerce, markets, industries, culture. Researchers at UpTo.it are experienced with the Italian Internet and with Italian databases (see our Guide to Databases and our Recent Writings). When there is no appropriate online source, UpTo.it's researchers are skilled at finding information legally through alternative channels, including expert interviews. Pan-European information in scientific and medical areas, when research and analysis require specialized technical knowledge and real laboratory research experience, UpTo.it's operators are suited for the job.

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What topics have been researched recently?

The exact natures of our research projects are clearly confidential. Broadly speaking, some of our recent projects have looked in depth at topics related to:

Legal publishing industry in Italy: leading companies, market characteristics, sales venues Italian chemical industry: exports, prices of particular substances, trends Osler-Rendu-Weber syndrome: leading European clinicians Profile of the CEO of an Italian multinational firm Essential oils: latest extraction technologies Importation diseases: epidemiology, trends, prevention, legislation Italian trade with countries in post-communist transition: volumes/values of trade, and identification of major exporters, by sector

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International Information Research Service: how does it work?

In the event of a curiosity, doubt or specific information need, a client contacts the infobroker and requests a "project evaluation". A professional information researcher will evaluate the client's query, both for the chances of success (is such information available? can it be obtained while respecting privacy and copyright?) and for the time and costs necessary for a thorough search. Often, this evaluation requires a preliminary search which, at UpTo.it, is always provided at no cost. With this background, the infobroker is able to prepare an accurate project estimation.

A research project will have a successful outcome only when the query is well defined. The infobroker works with the client until there is a clear vision of the needed information. After the research, when the appropriate documentation has been obtained, the infobroker elaborates and interprets the results according to the client's requests.

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What are the features of a good Information Research Service?

Honesty, legality and capability are essential features of a good infobroker. To start with, UpTo.it belongs to professional associations and adheres to their Codes of Conduct:

AIIP: Association of Independent Information Professionals, & Code of Ethical Business Practice

AIDA: Associazione Italiana Documentazione Avanzata

The International Information Research Service at UpTo.it is:

• Efficient: UpTo.it's researchers make it their business to know the best way to obtain the necessary documents, and they can determine when a query is too vague or not feasible. Additionally, by networking with other researchers throughout Europe and the world, UpTo.it can coordinate research in multiple countries, while maintaining a personal contact with the client.
• Confidential: UpTo.it does not reveal its clients' names to others when carrying out a research project. This confidentiality protects our clients' interests: no one else will ever know who commissioned a job at UpTo.it.
• Personal: Each research project is performed once for one client only. The information and knowledge obtained from one project are never reused or sold to another client.
• No surprises: Before initiating work, UpTo.it prepares a detailed, written project and estimate of time and cost. The client is informed of the research strategy, the type and quantity of information to be obtained, and the time for delivery of the results.
• Legal: UpTo.it does not perform industrial espionage nor does it offer private investigative services. Our work is performed in respect of the laws of copyright and privacy.
• Continuous: When a client so desires, UpTo.it will monitor a sector for new events or information.

Public domain information sources

By accessing a world of information housed in national and international databases or by carrying out manual research, UpTo.it will obtain specific and detailed information required by a client. UpTo.it carries out information research by consulting databases, publicly available documents, Internet, local and national experts, professional associations and other valid sources.

UpTo.it challenges itself to know (and know how to use) the databanks and other information sources relevant for our fields of research. To illustrate the panorama of Italian information sources, we have written a Guide to Italian Databases. But our experiences go beyond the national borders, and we have access to over 500 databanks of international relevance that, together with Internet and our infobroker network, cover all subject areas.

For further information info@uptoit.org or:

UpTo infotechnologies
Via Roma 10, I-31020 Vidor (TV), Italy
Tel./fax +39-0423-985191

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Copyright © UpTo infotechnologies. All rights reserved. Document modified: 7 February 2007.