About

Internet Research Clinic features links, tools and study material for professional researchers. The site accompanies the training courses delivered by BBC Internet research specialist, Paul Myers. 

The techniques invented by Paul are now being taught across the media and other industries, his pioneering approaches have become standard practice. 

As the Net continues to grow, the tools and techniques continue to evolve. If you would like to exchange ideas with Paul and other research enthusiasts please feel free to join the Research Clinic's Facebook Group.

More

Tools

trace domain owners
customise your browser
look up a country code
scan a server for images

 

Essentials

website archive
UK company details
find people (UK)
intl. phone books
newspapers
online radio
 

Study links

Google's Search Syntax
Better Searching PDF
Tips and Tricks
Choosing Keywords
Searching by Title
Searching by address
Searching by link
Searching by Subject
Websearchguide blog
Infiltrate Communities
What's an IP address?
Your data trail
Hidden info in Word docs
Arabic language research
Browser forensics tools

 

Latest Links & Stories

  • MP's (redacted) expenses are now online
  • HonestReporting.com has a great article about social media
  • TinEye goes public Beta!
    This is an amazing new sort of search engine that searches for sites hosting an image that you upload. I guess it won't be long before someone does online face recognition!
  • Mumbai terrorists' site hosted & registered in the US
  • Amy Winehouse - time travel research
    Strangely, a few researchers (myself included) had the idea of using Google's 2001 index to background Amy Winehouse. The best discovery is the film buff Yahoo Club she set up under the user name "Bunny Caress". Classic quote:

    "My agent calls and apologises for waking me up and all, but there's an audition at twelve...She tells me Spielberg's doing Anne Frank's story and she wants me to audition for the part of Anne. Seriously, no shit....How are you guys, anyway? I'm going to order loads of wrestling paraphernalia on my mother's credit card"

    Bunny's old Yahoo profile.




     Speaking of which...
  • Yahoo Profiles RIP 
    Yahoo Profiles used to be a hugely useful place to find background info on anyone with a Yahoo account, email address or Geocities Web page. Now it's suddenly been replaced by a new facebook/myspace style system. The company explain:
     

    "We should have let you know that change was coming"


    Great - except they haven't migrated details from the former system and all that personal information is unavailable to researchers.  Solution? If you need old profile information, use the version on archive.org instead.
  • Find people on social networks with Yoname!
  • Use the Google's 2001 index! 
    Why? Because you can find sites that have long since disappeared. What use is that? Plenty, if you click on the archive.org link and bring them back. This search represents the best way yet, of finding websites from yesteryear. Sadly it will just last a few more days, so dig up those prize winning facts now.

earlier:

Feature articles by Paul Myers

Al Qaeda - online in the USA!

It may surprise you to learn that many American Internet companies are part of the technical chain that allows groups like Al Qaeda to publish their videos on the Internet. 

These companies may be totally oblivious to their role in the chain, so how do we trace those responsible and differentiate between the parties involved?

full article

Going undercover online

The faceless, remote nature of the Internet allows groups that were previously shadowy and localised to come together in online communities. It offers a degree of safety and anonymity that is ideal for criminals, subversives & activists. 

The same conditions offer ideal cover for undercover journalists, but anyone attempting covert work online should still be aware of the technical risks the medium presents...

full article

Finding Website Owners

It's often difficult to trace the owners of a website. 

However, by using technical tools and imaginative searching you will be surprised how much information you can find. Although tracing techniques vary according to the kind of web host being used, some methods are universal....

full article

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