The reasons behind formation of a group like AIIP are many, but the simplest one is that it's darned hard to find things once you get online. Although many of these individuals are employed by corporations and academic institutions, some prefer to work in an entrepreneurial fashion. These are the independent information professionals. By 1987, Dr. Marilyn Levine, a professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin and the owner of Information Express, an information brokerage firm, had recognized the need for a professional association to serve this new type of entrepreneur. Valuable Links Cindy Shamel understands where she and other independent researchers fit into the scheme of things.
Independent researchers are available to track down all kinds of information.
I focus on market research and competitive intelligence for businesses, particularly in the area of science and biotechnology. People come to me because they do not know how to find the information themselves and they want to be sure that they get accurate and thorough answers. Also, they save money by asking a professional to do the work, rather than taking time to figure it out on their own. Shamel bulked up her computer system, especially her communication links. I have a Dell Dimension XPS R400.