Patent Publication Number: US-2006010080-A1

Title: Dispute resolution method and system

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims the priority of the following application, which is herein incorporated by reference: U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/640,649, filed 30 Dec. 2004, entitled, “PAID-FOR RESEARCH SYSTEM AND METHOD”.  
      This application is a continuation-in-part of the following applications, which are herein incorporated by reference: U.S. Ser. No. 11/073,980, filed: 7 Mar. 2005, entitled: PAID-FOR RESEARCH METHOD AND SYSTEM; U.S. Ser. No. 11/074,142, filed: 7 Mar. 2005, entitled: PAID-FOR RESEARCH METHOD AND SYSTEM; U.S. Ser. No. 11/074,084, filed: 7 Mar. 2005, entitled: DATA STRUCTURE WITH EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTORS; U.S. Ser. No. 11/073,809, filed: 7 Mar. 2005, entitled: DATA STRUCTURE WITH MARKET CAPITALIZATION BREAKDOWN; U.S. Ser. No. 11/073,993, filed: 7 Mar. 2005, entitled: DATA STRUCTURE WITH CODE OF CONDUCT; U.S. Ser. No. 11/073,990. filed: 7 Mar. 2005, entitled: DATA STRUCTURE WITH PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS; U.S. Ser. No. 11/073,994, filed: 7 Mar. 2005, entitled: ANALYST SEARCH ENGINE METHOD AND SYSTEM; and U.S. Ser. No. 11/073,977, filed: 7 Mar. 2005, entitled: PAID-FOR RESEARCH METHOD AND SYSTEM. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      This disclosure relates to paid-for business services and, more particularly, to paid-for business research services.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Service providers (e.g., engineers, researchers, academics, contractors, and/or analysts) provide paid-for services for customers (e.g., individuals, corporations, agents and/or sponsors). Examples of the services offered by the service providers include: academic evaluation, research and reporting services; engineering evaluation, research, and reporting services; financial evaluation, research, and reporting services; product evaluation, research, and reporting services; corporate evaluation research, and reporting services; and/or securities evaluation, research, and reporting services.  
      Real-world examples of the service provider/customer relationships include: the homeowner that hires a contractor to build an addition on the homeowner&#39;s house; the construction company that hires an environmental engineering company to prepare an environmental impact study with respect to a highway that is planned for construction; and the company that hires an equity analyst to perform equity research and issue a buy/sell/hold opinion concerning a specific security.  
      Equity research is a primary tool relied upon by investors and investment professionals to identify, evaluate and filter public companies as candidates for investment. Once invested, equity research may be relied upon to monitor ongoing performance of a company&#39;s stock and its potential for future performance.  
      Equity research is necessary because investors make investment decisions based upon evaluations concerning the future performance potential of a stock. Equity research may also be essential to advancing the media visibility and commercial interests of a company.  
      As would be expected, a public company does not provide research concerning its own stock, as the research would typically be deemed conflicted and allegations could be made concerning the company&#39;s intent to mislead the public. Therefore, since the public relies upon equity research and the companies typically provide comparatively limited guidance, investors must turn to third parties (i.e., the professional research community) for predictions concerning the future performance of a company and it&#39;s stock.  
      Research firms generally have infrastructures that are geared to delivering their research and relevant updates on that research to targeted investors, the media, and corporations. In the case of equity research, these investors, in reaction to an analyst&#39;s research, reports, and comments, may issue buy or sell orders for a particular stock, which (on balance) helps promote liquidity in the underlying shares. This increased liquidity often results in greater market efficiency as demonstrated by e.g., tighter trading spreads, lower transaction costs, reduced stock price volatility (risk), and lower cost of capital to the Company, for example.  
      Academic literature indicates that if a research firm adds equity research coverage on a company, the company tends to add significant market value. Conversely, stocks that have little or no equity research coverage suffer valuation and liquidity discounts, as the stock lacks the visibility and information flow to attract and support a sufficient number of investors, resulting in a lack (on balance) of investor, media and/or commercial interest.  
      Unfortunately, most public companies no longer generate sufficient trading and commission revenue to naturally attract adequate sell-side equity research coverage, thus resulting in a broad decline in the depth and breadth of “coverage” of public companies. Further, if a public company implicitly contracts for equity research via underwriting engagements with investment banking institutions, the public company risks losing the benefit of the paid-for research, as the integrity, accuracy, and independence of the research may be brought into question.  
      Additionally, analysts who write or comment in a way that is perceived as contrary (i.e., negative) to the interests of a company may be deprived of necessary access to the company. Specifically, analysts may be blocked from attending or asking questions on conference calls, denied entry to analyst meetings, denied access to management, or turned down on invitations to company management to attend/speak at analyst-sponsored forums, thus depriving the analyst of the ability to do their job.  
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      In one implementation, a dispute resolution method includes allowing a user to select a qualified analyst from an information resource that defines one or more qualified analysts, thus defining a selected analyst. The user is bound by a user code of conduct. The selected analyst is bound by an analyst code of conduct and is capable of providing paid-for research within a specific business sector. A dispute resolution process is executed if an accusing party believes that either of the user code of conduct or the analyst code of conduct has been violated by an accused party.  
      One or more of the following features may also be included. The selected analyst and the user may be required to enter into a research contract that requires the selected analyst to provide research concerning the specific business sector for a defined period of time.  
      The information resource may be maintained by a third-party facilitator. The research contract may include a user research contract and an analyst research contract. The user research contract may be entered into by the user and the third-party facilitator, and the analyst research contract may be entered into by the third-party facilitator and the selected analyst.  
      The specific business sector may be chosen from the group consisting of: the securities industry; the health care services industry; the business products industry; the business services industry; the consumer products industry; the consumer services industry; the medical products industry; the medical services industry; the energy industry; the insurance industry; the contracting industry; the transportation industry; the pharmaceutical industry; the environmental industry; the technology products industry; the technology services industry; the telecom products industry; the telecom services industry; the financial products industry; the financial services industry; the academic services industry; and the entertainment industry.  
      The user may be a company or an agent of the company. The company may be the producer of a product offered for sale and the user is interested in obtaining paid-for research concerning the product offered for sale.  
      The product may be chosen from the group consisting of: a consumer product; a business product; a medical product; an energy product; an insurance product; a contracting product; a transportation product; a pharmaceutical product; a technological product; a telecom product; a financial product; an academic product; and an entertainment product.  
      The company may be the issuer of a security and the user may be interested in obtaining paid-for research concerning the security. The security may be chosen from the group consisting of a stock, a derivative security of a stock, a bond, and a derivative security of a bond.  
      The company may be a provider of a service and the user may be interested in obtaining paid-for research concerning the service. The service may be chosen from the group consisting of: a consumer service; a business service; a health care service; a hospital service; a rehabilitative service; a long-term care service; a medical service; an energy service; an insurance service; a contracting service; a transportation service; a pharmaceutical service; an entertainment service; a technological service; a telecom service; a financial service; an academic service; and an environmental service.  
      The information resource may be an analyst database and/or a printed publication.  
      The accusing party may be chosen from the group consisting of: the user, and the selected analyst. The accused party may be chosen from the group consisting of: the user, the selected analyst, and a third-party.  
      The user and the selected analyst may be members of a service management organization maintained by a third-party facilitator. Executing a dispute resolution process may include: allowing the accusing party to file a complaint with the third-party facilitator concerning the actions of the accused party; and determining if the accused party is a member of the service management organization.  
      Executing a dispute resolution process may further include: serving the complaint upon the accused party if it is determined that the accused party is not a member of the service management organization. Executing a dispute resolution process may further include: allowing the accused party to become a member of the service management organization if it is determined that the accused party is not a member of the service management organization. Executing a dispute resolution process may further include: allowing the accused party to voluntarily enter into a dispute resolution procedure with the accusing party if it is determined that the accused party is not a member of the service management organization. Executing a dispute resolution process may further include: issuing a public service announcement if the accused party refuses to voluntarily enter into a dispute resolution procedure with the accusing party. Executing a dispute resolution process may further include: executing a dispute resolution procedure with the accused party and the accusing party; and requiring that the accused party and the accusing party abide by the decision of the dispute resolution procedure. Executing a dispute resolution process may further include: issuing a public service announcement if either the accused party or the accusing party refuses to abide by the decision of the dispute resolution procedure.  
      The above-described method may also be implemented by a server computer and/or as a sequence of instructions executed by a processor.  
      The details of one or more implementations is set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a service management system coupled to a distributed computing network;  
       FIG. 2  is a more-detailed diagrammatic view of the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of an “individual” data record maintained by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of a “firm” data record maintained by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a process executed by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a flow chart of a process executed by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic view of a disclosure screen rendered by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic view of a search screen rendered by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 9  is a flow chart of a process executed by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic view of an alternative search screen rendered by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 11  is a diagrammatic view of a result screen rendered by the service management system of  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 12  is a diagrammatic view of a data record rendered by the service management system of  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      System Overview:  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a service management system  10  that allows users (e.g., customers  12 ,  14 ,  16 ) to obtain services within a specific business sector from service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  (e.g., engineers, researchers, academics, contractors, and/or analysts, for example). Customers  12 ,  14 ,  16  may be individuals, corporations, agents, investors, institutions, and/or sponsors, for example.  
      Examples of the specific business sector include: the securities industry; the health care services industry; the business products industry; the business services industry; the consumer products industry; the consumer services industry; the medical products industry; the medical services industry; the energy industry; the insurance industry; the contracting industry; the transportation industry; the pharmaceutical industry; the environmental industry; the technology products industry; the technology services industry; the telecom products industry; the telecom services industry; the financial products industry; the financial services industry; the academic services industry; the entertainment industry; and the business sector(s) of various publically-traded companies, for example.  
      Examples of the services offered by the service providers include: academic evaluation, research and reporting services; engineering evaluation, research, and reporting services; financial evaluation, research, and reporting services; product evaluation, research, and reporting services; corporate evaluation research, and reporting services; securities evaluation, research, and reporting services; contracting evaluation, research, and reporting services; and/or any other services offered by a company/individual, for example. Additional services (offered by service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22 ) may include: consumer services; business services; health care services; hospital services; rehabilitative services; long-term care services; medical services; energy services; insurance services; contracting services; transportation services; pharmaceutical services; entertainment services; technological services; telecom services; financial services; academic services; and environmental services, for example.  
      Examples of products that may be evaluated include: consumer products; business products; medical products; energy products; insurance products; contracting products; transportation products; pharmaceutical products; technological products; telecom products; financial products; academic products; entertainment products, and any other product produced by a company/individual.  
      Service management system  10  typically resides on and is executed by a computer  24  that is connected to network  26  (e.g., the internet). Computer  24  may be a web server running a network operating system, such as Microsoft Window 2000 Server™, Novell Netware™, or Redhat Linux™. Typically, computer  24  also executes a web server application, such as Microsoft IIS™, Novell Webserver™, or Apache Webserver™, that allows for HTTP (i.e., HyperText Transfer Protocol) access to computer  24  via network  26 . Network  26  may be connected to one or more secondary networks (e.g., network  28 ), such as: a local area network; a wide area network; or an intranet, for example.  
      The instruction sets and subroutines of service management system  10 , which are typically stored on a storage device  30  coupled to computer  24 , are executed by one or more processors (not shown) and one or more memory architectures (not shown) incorporated into computer  24 . Storage device  30  may be, for example, a hard disk drive, a tape drive, an optical drive, a RAID array, a random access memory (RAM), or a read-only memory (ROM).  
      Customers  12 ,  14 ,  16  and service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  may access service management system  10  directly through network  26  or through secondary network (e.g., network  28 ). Further, computer  24  (i.e., the computer that executes service management system  10 ) may be connected to network  26  through a secondary network (e.g., network  28 ).  
      Customers  12 ,  14 ,  16  and service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  typically access service management system  10  through a computer (e.g., computer  32 ) that is connected to network  26  (or network  28 ) that executes a desktop application  34  (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer™, Netscape Navigator™, or a specialized interface).  
      An administrator  36  typically accesses and administers service management system  10  through a desktop application  38  (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer™, Netscape Navigator™, or a specialized interface) running on an administrative computer  40  that is also connected to the network  26  (or network  28 ).  
      The Database:  
      Referring also to  FIG. 2 , service management system  10  includes: a data interface module  50  for accessing data stored within a database  52  (e.g., an Oracle™ database, an IBM DB2™ database, a Sybase™ database, a Computer Associates™ database or a Microsoft Access™ database); a searching module  54  for searching data records within database  52 ; a user interface module  56  for allowing customers  12 ,  14 ,  16 , service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  and administrator  36  to access service management system  10 ; an administration &amp; maintenance module  58  for allowing administrator  36  to access, configure and maintain service management system  10 ; a qualification module  60  for qualifying service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  for inclusion within database  52 ; and a code module  62  for monitoring the actions of customers  12 ,  14 ,  16 , and service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  to ensure that each adheres to various codes of conduct.  
      Each of the above-stated modules will be discussed below in greater detail. Further and as will be discussed below in greater detail, in addition to machine-executed processes and procedures performed by one or more of the aforementioned computer systems (e.g., computers  24 ,  32 ,  40 ), one or more of the above-stated modules may include one or more human-executed processes and procedures.  
      As stated above, service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  offer various services (e.g., academic evaluation, research and reporting services; engineering evaluation, research, and reporting services; financial evaluation, research, and reporting services; product evaluation, research, and reporting services; corporate evaluation research, and reporting services; securities evaluation, research, and reporting services; contracting evaluation, research, and reporting services; and/or any other services offered by a company/individual, for example) to customers  12 ,  14 ,  16  that are desirous of obtaining such services.  
      An example of a typical customer of service management system  10  is an IT (i.e., information technology) product evaluation company that produces quarterly publications that evaluate the newest IT products and technologies. Since the value and reliability of an IT product evaluation company (and the publications produced) are heavily dependent upon the reputation of the IT product evaluation company in the eyes of the consuming public (i.e., the people that make the IT purchasing decisions), it is paramount that the IT product evaluation company be seen as being unbiased, neutral, and knowledgeable in their recommendations. Accordingly, the IT product evaluation company may research and utilize (via service management system  10 ) engineering researchers and product researchers to generate reports concerning various IT products, such that these reports are incorporated into e.g., the quarterly publications of the IT product evaluation company.  
      In addition to the information technology area, service management system  10  may be employed in a variety of unrelated areas, such as: the review and evaluation of medical insurance companies, the review and evaluation of long term care facilities; the review and evaluation of securities analysis firms; the generation of environmental impact studies; the issuance of fairness opinions during merger and acquisition proceedings; the appraisal of houses offered for sale; and the review and evaluation of consumer products, for example.  
      Administration and maintenance module  58  allows administrator  36  to configure and maintain database  52  so that information concerning service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  can be stored in a logical and searchable fashion (via searching module  54 ). Typically, using administration &amp; maintenance module  58  in combination with data interface module  50 , administrator  36  creates one or more data records (e.g., data record  64 ) that define the service provider and the expertise offered by the service provider.  
      Referring also to  FIG. 3 , data record  64  may include e.g., a name field  100  for defining the service provider&#39;s name, a firm field  102  for defining the firm employing the service provider, an education field  104  for defining the education of the service provider, and an expertise field  106  for defining the areas of expertise/specializations of the service provider. A work history field  108  may define the previous customers for which the service provider has provided services and the type of service provided (assuming the services weren&#39;t provided in confidence). The number and type of fields included within a data record (e.g., record  64 ) may be defined/configured by administrator  36  via user interface module  56  and administration &amp; maintenance module  58 .  
      Depending on the type of service provider, additional fields may be included that provide additional information concerning the service provider. For example, if the service provider is an expert witness in the area of psychology that testifies in criminal cases, an additional field (not shown) may be included that defines the number of times that the expert witness testified for the defense, versus the number of times that the expert witness testified for the prosecution.  
      As stated above, service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  may be individuals (e.g., engineers, researchers, academics, contractors, or analysts, for example). Additionally, service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22  may be firms (e.g., engineering firms or research firms, for example). For example, an individual service provider may be John Smith (an electrical engineer), and a firm service provider may be XYZ Engineering Consultants, a firm that employs over one hundred engineers that cover a broad spectrum of engineering disciplines. Accordingly, if a data record defines a firm (i.e., as opposed to an individual), the areas of expertise/specialization field  106  and the experience field  108  may define the expertise/specializations and experience of the firm as a whole (as opposed to the individuals within the firm).  
      Since the individual service providers may provide services in a variety of areas (e.g., academic evaluation, research and reporting services; engineering evaluation, research, and reporting services; financial evaluation, research, and reporting services; product evaluation, research, and reporting services; corporate evaluation research, and reporting services; contracting evaluation, research, and reporting services; and/or securities evaluation, research, and reporting services), each data record may include a field that defines the type of service provider.  
      For example, data record  64  includes a provider type field  110  that defines the “provider type” of John Smith as “technical analysis”. The granularity of the “provider type” descriptor field may be as fine as desired by the administrator (e.g., administrator  36 ) configuring the data records. For example, for a broad descriptor, John Smith may be classified as “technical analysis”. A narrower descriptor may allow John Smith to define himself as a “technical analysis:electrical”, or even more narrowly as “technical analysis:electrical:digital”.  
      Depending upon e.g., qualifications and experience, a service provider may be categorized using more than one descriptor. For example, John Smith (having an MBA) may also be qualified to provide business consultation services. Therefore, in addition to using the descriptor “technical analysis”, service provider John Smith may also use the descriptor “business analysis”.  
      When a data record defines a firm, the record may include a field that defines the individual members of the firm. For example and as shown in  FIG. 4 , a firm data record  150  (e.g., concerning the ABC Analysis Corp.) may include a member field  152  that defines the members of the firm (e.g., Samantha Long, Alan Lee, Jack Jones, and Mary Donovan). As in data records for “individuals”, data record  150  (i.e., a “firm” data record) includes a provider type data field  154  that defines ABC Analysis Corp. as a service provider that provides “securities research” services concerning e.g., stocks, bonds, derivative securities of stocks, and derivative securities of bonds. Data record  150  may additionally include an area of expertise/specialization field  156  that defines the industry specializations and experience of the firm. For example, concerning securities research firms, the areas of expertise/specializations field  156  may define e.g., experience in the areas of equity research and/or fixed income research. Field  156  may further define: the median size of the company for which the research firm has performed research (e.g., in market capitalization, for example); and the existence of specialized sales forces associated with the research firm. Examples of specialized sales forces may include: salespeople dedicated to stocks of a specific industry (e.g., technology stocks) or a specific geographic origin (e.g., Australian stocks); or salespeople dedicated to a specific type of security (e.g., equities versus convertibles versus corporate debt versus options), for example.  
      Additionally, field  156  may define: one or more marketing/promotional activities engaged in by the research firm (e.g., arranging institutional investor conferences for management, conference calls with investors, and branch visits, for example); and/or one or more style specializations offered by the research firm (e.g., fundamental versus quantitative versus qualitative, for example). Additional fields within data record  150  include a name field  158  for defining the name of the service provider.  
      The types of fields included within a data record (and the types of data populating the fields) may vary depending on the “provider type” of the service provider. For example, for data records concerning “securities research” provider types, a performance indicator field  160  may define e.g., an overall ranking/rating/score for the analyst/firm or a ranking/rating/score for specific tasks performed by the analyst/firm. As discussed above, the level of detail and granularity of the data included within a field may be as broad or as narrow as desired. For example, field  160  may provide data concerning the accuracy of the firm&#39;s buy/sell/hold security ratings. Continuing with the above-stated example, assume that ABC Analysis Corp. issues quarterly buy/sell/hold ratings for various securities. Accordingly, data field  160  may be populated with numeric descriptors indicating the accuracy of these buy/sell/hold ratings. Assume that at the beginning of a fiscal quarter, ABC Analysis Corp. issues fifty “buy” ratings for fifty (50) different securities. Further, assume that at the end of the same fiscal quarter, seventeen (17) of those fifty (50) securities actually lost value and thirty-three (33) of those fifty (50) securities either maintained or gained value. Accordingly, concerning “Buy Accuracy”, ABC Analysis Corp. would have a rating of 0.666.  
      What is considered a correct versus an incorrect rating is subjective and may be defined by administrator  36 . For example, instead of defining a correct “buy” prediction as simply a security that does not lose money, a correct buy prediction may be defined as one that gains value at a rate greater than or equal to the rate of an index, such as the Standard &amp; Poors 500, or the Consumer Price Index, for example.  
      For “securities research” provider types, a capitalization field  162  may be included that defines a market capitalization breakdown of the companies covered by the service provider, which defines the relevant experience that the service provider (i.e., the equity research firm) has concerning various market capitalization segments.  
      The market capitalization of a company is defined as the product of the total number of outstanding shares and the individual share price. Typically, a micro cap security is a share of a company having a market capitalization of less than $100 million; a small cap security is a share of a company having a market capitalization in the range of $100 million to $1 billion; a mid cap security is a share of a company having a market capitalization in the range of $1 billion to $5 billion; and a large cap security is a share of a company having a market capitalization greater than $5 billion.  
      When a customer is looking for a service provider to do equity research for e.g., a mid cap company, the customer would typically want to employ a service provider that has considerable mid cap equity marketplace proficiency (as opposed to a service provider that exclusively performed equity research for only micro cap and small cap companies). Therefore, when a customer (e.g., customer  16 ) is reviewing the data records of service providers that the customer is considering contracting with, the market capitalization breakdown  162  in data record  150  (which shows that 51% of the research prepared by ABC Analysis Corp. concerned mid cap securities) is a useful tool that will assist the customer in selecting the appropriate service provider.  
      As the market capitalization breakdown of an analyst or firm varies over time, the capitalization field  162  should be updated on a regular basis. As will be discussed below in greater detail, when searching database  52 , market capitalization breakdown  162  may be used to rank and/or order the analysts/research firms listed within a specific result set.  
      Various factors may be used to calculate the market capitalization breakdown for a particular analyst/research firm, such as: the number of research pages written; the report generation frequency; and the number of companies within an industry category. The market capitalization breakdown would then be broken down into the various market capitalization categories (e.g., micro cap securities, small cap securities, mid cap securities, and large cap securities).  
      In addition to the fields included in data record  64  and firm data record  150 , additional fields (not shown) may also be defined and included within these data records  64 ,  150 . For example, fields may be included that define: a) the float of one or more securities covered by the service provider; b) the average daily trading volume of one or more securities covered by the service provider; c) a list of the indices in which one or more securities covered by the service provider are included; d) the total number of pages of research generated for one or more securities covered by the service provider; e) the industry grouping of one or more securities covered by the service provider; f) the periodicity of research written concerning one or more securities covered by the service provider; g) the report characteristics of the coverage produced concerning one or more securities covered by the service provider; and/or h) the universe of ratings issued by the service provider (e.g., buy, sell, hold), and the breakdown of each. Each of these fields may be used to rank and/or order the analysts/research firms listed within a specific result set.  
      Admission Requirements:  
      Prior to being entered into database  52  (i.e., admitted into the pool of qualified service providers), a service provider must be pre-qualified and deemed to meet or exceed the standards of database  52 . The standards of the database are defined by a third-party facilitator  42  and administered and configured by administrator  36 , who is typically an employee or agent of third-party facilitator  42 . An example of such a third-party facilitator is The National Research Exchange of New York, N.Y. (www.TheNRE.com).  
      Database  52  may be a local database or a remote database maintained by third-party facilitator  42 . Additionally or alternatively, database  52  may be maintained by and/or the property of a third party (e.g., an equity research firm).  
      Once it is determined that a service provider meets or exceeds the standards for admission into database  52 , the service provider typically enters into a contract with third-party facilitator  42 , is entered into database  52  and becomes a member of a service management organization  44  maintained and administered by third-party facilitator  42 .  
      Additionally and as will be discussed below, customers  12 ,  14 ,  16  wishing to obtain paid-for services must also enter into a contract with third-party facilitator  42  and become a member of service management organization  44 , prior to being allowed to utilize a service provider (e.g., service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22 ) listed within database  52 .  
      The membership requirement for entry into database  52  (i.e., the pool of qualified services providers) varies depending on the area of expertise in which the service provider provides services. For example, if the service provider is a general contractor that provides construction/improvement services to residential customers, the membership requirement may include: the requirement that the general contractors carry a specified amount of insurance, the requirement that all the individuals employed by the general contractor are covered by disability insurance, and/or the requirement that the general contractor has a specified minimum number of years experience, for example. For general contractors that provide construction/improvement services to commercial customers, there may be additional requirements, such as compliance with certain state or federal standards (e.g., OSHA certifications), and membership in or utilization of certain trades unions.  
      Additionally, if the service provider is a lawyer, the membership requirements may include: admission into certain bars/jurisdictions; the requirement that the lawyer carry a specified amount of malpractice insurance, the requirement that the lawyer be in good standing in all of the jurisdictions in which they practice, the requirement that the lawyer has never been the subject of disciplinary action; and the requirement that a malpractice claim has never been filed against the lawyer, for example.  
      Further and expanding on the discussion of performance indicator field  160  of database record  150 , if the service provider provides equity research, prior to becoming a member of service management organization  44  and being admitted into database  52  (i.e., the pool of qualified service providers), the service provider may be required to illustrate a defined level of mastery within their area of expertise (i.e., equity research). The mastery level may equate to e.g., a minimum requirement being defined for one or more performance statistics associated with the “buy”, “sell” and “hold” ratings issued by the service provider over a defined period of time. Alternatively, the mastery level may illustrate that the service provider is in compliance with all governmental agencies and SROs (i.e., self-regulatory organizations)  
      For example, assume service provider  18  (an equity research provider) applies for admission to database  52 . Third-party facilitator  42  may examine the “buy”, “sell” and “hold” ratings issued by service provider  18  during e.g., the previous two years (i.e., the two years proceeding the time at which service provider  18  applied for admission to database  52 ) to determine whether or not the service provider should be admitted to database  52 .  
      Referring also to  FIG. 5 , qualification module  60  allows administrator  36  to monitor  200  the total number of recommendations previously made by the service provider. These recommendations are then categorized  202  into correct recommendations and incorrect recommendations and one or more performance statistics are determined  204 . As discussed above, this categorization may be dependant upon e.g., the time frame being analyzed and may include e.g., compensation for rates of inflation. The performance statistics are typically numerical ratios (e.g., 0.573) that define the number of correct recommendations versus the total number of recommendations. Once these performance statistics are determined, the accuracy statistic is compared  206  to one or more statistical ranges; a determination  208  is made concerning the appropriate action to be taken; and the action is executed  210 .  
      For example, assume that there are two ranges (e.g., an unacceptable range of 0.000-0.499 and an acceptable range of 0.500-1.000) and the performance statistic for service provider  18  is determined to be 0.473 (i.e., within the unacceptable range). Accordingly, the service provider is denied admission  212  to database  52 .  
      However, the decision to deny admission  212  or grant admission  214  need not be a binary decision, as additional performance ranges may be established. For example, three ranges may be established, namely: an unacceptable range of 0.000-0.399; a probationary range of 0.400-0.499; and an acceptable range of 0.500-1.000. Therefore, if the performance statistic for service provider  18  is determined to be within the unacceptable range, service provider  18  is denied admission  212  to database  52 . And if the performance statistic is determined to be within the acceptable range, service provider  18  is granted admission  214  to database  52 . However, if the performance statistic for service provider  18  is determined to be within the probationary range, service provider  18  may be granted a probationary admission  216  to database  52 . As service provider  18  is admitted on a probationary basis, the service provider may be required e.g., to raise their performance statistic so that it is within the acceptable range within a defined period of time (e.g., one year).  
      Alternatively, service provider  18  may automatically be granted a probationary admission to database  52 . However, at the end of a probationary period (e.g., one year), third party facilitator  42  may either affirm or deny the admission of service provider  18 , based upon whether service provider  18  met certain baseline performance benchmarks during the probationary period.  
      In addition to qualification module  60  determining whether a new service provider should be admitted to database  52 , qualification module  60  may also be used to maintain database  52 . For example, once admitted to database  52 , a service provider (e.g., service provider  18 ) may be required to maintain an acceptable level of performance or else risk being placed on probation  216 , being suspended  218  from database  52 , being expelled  220  from database  52 , or being prevented  222  from renewing their membership within database  52  (i.e., the pool of qualified analysts).  
      Continuing with the above-stated example, assume that service provider  18  is granted admission to database  18  and, unfortunately, over the next two years, the performance statistic of service provider  18  drops to 0.383 percent, placing service provider  18  in the unacceptable statistic range. At this point, third-party facilitator  42  may take one of many actions, such as: placing service provider  18  on probation  216  for a defined period of time, during which the service provider must raise their performance statistic to the acceptable level; suspending  218  service provider  18  from database  52  for a defined period of time, during which the service provider (working outside of service management, organization  44 ) must raise their performance statistic to the acceptable level; expel  220  service provider  18  for a defined period of time, after which the service provider may reapply for admission; expel  220  service provider  18  permanently; or prevent  222  service provider  18  from renewing their membership in organization  44 .  
      Accuracy statistic  160  may include more than one statistic. For example and as described above, one of the typical performance statistics for equity research service providers is a statistic that defines their accuracy of the service provider concerning their buy/sell/hold recommendations. In order to provide enhanced information concerning the performance of a particular service provider, a first performance statistic may be defined for buy recommendations, a second performance statistic may be defined for sell recommendations, and a third performance statistic may be defined for hold recommendations. Additionally, the performance statistic may be quantified based on one or more time frames. For example, the performance statistic may include a current performance statistic (i.e.,  164 ,  FIG. 4 ) and a long-term performance statistic (i.e.,  166 ,  FIG. 4 ), similar to the way in which baseball players have both a season batting average and a career batting average. Therefore, for an equity research service provider, a current performance statistic may only concern recommendations made within the last 12 months, while a long-term performance statistic may concern: all of the recommendations made by the service provider since they became a member of organization  44 ; or all of the recommendations ever made by the service provider.  
      In addition to third-party facilitator  42  monitoring the “buy”, “sell” and “hold” ratings issued by service provider  18  to determine the performance statistic, other configurations are possible. For example, third-party facilitator  42  may determine the performance statistic by monitoring how often a recommended stock hits a target price within a stated/estimated time period.  
      These performance statistics (e.g. statistics  164 ,  166 ,  FIG. 4 ) are typically recalculated on a periodic basis, such as daily, weekly, monthly, per fiscal quarter, per fiscal year, or per a defined period of time (e.g., a performance statistic that defines the performance level of a service provider during the previous year is recalculated annually).  
      As stated above, while the above-described examples generally concern service providers that provide equity research, the above-described processes may be generally applied to all service providers, providing there is a manner in which the quality of the service provided by the service provider can be monitored. For example, if the service provider is a residential general contractor, qualification module  60  may monitor the pass/fail ratio of building inspections performed by the building inspector. And, in this scenario, the ranges may be that for all initial inspections performed, the inspection pass rate must be 0.700 and, for reinspections (i.e., the second or greater time a portion of a project is inspected), the pass rate must be 0.950, as the general contractor has already been put on notice concerning the issues that need to be addressed.  
      Codes of Conduct:  
      Referring also to  FIG. 6 , prior to being allowed to join organization  44  (i.e., prior to a service provider  18 ,  20 ,  22  being admitted into database  52 ; and prior to a customer  12 ,  14 , 16  being allowed to utilize a service provider within database  52 ), code module  62  requires  224  all service providers and all customers to contractually agree (i.e., in a membership contract with third-party facilitator  42 ) to adhere to and be bound by a code of conduct, which regulates the actions and interactions of customers  12 ,  14 ,  16 , service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22 , and third-party facilitator  42 . Additionally, service provider  18 ,  20 ,  22  and/or customer  12 ,  14 ,  16  may be required to periodically attest (e.g., on a quarterly or annual basis, for example) to their compliance with the code of conduct.  
      In the event that a service provider is a firm (as opposed to an individual), the firm may be allowed/required to contractually bind (to the code of conduct) all of the individual members employed by the firm. Therefore, if a firm enters into a contract with third-party facilitator  42  and agrees to be bound by the code of conduct, each of the individual members employed by the firm may be bound by the code of conduct, even though each did not enter into a contract with third-party facilitator  42 .  
      As is known, professional associations and memberships are organized around communities of common professional interest, such as the American Medical Association (i.e., AMA), the American Bar Association (i.e., ABA), the Association for Investment Management and Research (i.e., AIMR), the National Inventor Relations Institute (i.e., NIRI), the New York Stock Exchange (i.e., NYSE) and the National Association of Securities Dealers (i.e., NASD). Many of these professional associations have bylaws of rules of conduct that provide rules and guidelines concerning the level of conduct and professionalism expected from members of these organizations.  
      The members of organization  44  (i.e., the service providers listed in database  52  and the customers that choose to utilize service providers listed within database  52 ) interact in a manner similar to that of the members of a professional association, such that the actions and interactions of these members are controlled by the codes of conduct promulgated by third-party facilitator  42 .  
      When defining a code of conduct, consideration is typically given concerning the particular type of service provider and the code of conduct is typically adjusted accordingly. For example, when the service provider is a general contractor, the code of conduct (concerning general contractors) may prohibit any general contractor included in database  52  from performing contracting services on properties owned or operated by building inspectors, especially building inspectors that will be inspecting projects being performed by the general contractor.  
      Further, when defining a code of conduct, the code is tailored to ensure the integrity of the end product produced. Therefore, the code of conduct (and the enforcement thereof) is designed to prohibit  226  undesirable behavior and require  228  desirable behavior (on the part of the service provider and/or the customer).  
      For example, if the service provider is an equity analyst, the analysts&#39; code of conduct is tailored such that high-quality, independent and unbiased securities analysis is produced. Therefore, for an equity analyst, prohibited undesirable behavior may include: the user acting in a manner that will knowingly mislead the analyst or the general public; the user retaliating against the analyst; the user disclosing the identity of a known research sponsor; the user inquiring as to the identity of an unknown research sponsor; and the user discriminating against a potential analyst based on previously-generated research, for example.  
      Additionally, for the equity analyst, the required desirable behavior may include: the user having a reasonable basis for making an allegation concerning a violation of the analyst code of conduct by the analyst; the user taking remedial action to correct known violations of the user code of conduct; and the user disclosing potentially-suspect third-party business relationships (to be discussed below in greater detail), for example.  
      Further, if the service provider is a general contractor, the contractors&#39; code of conduct may be tailored such that a high-quality construction project is produced using high-quality construction services/techniques; and if the service provider is an engineering research firm, the researchers&#39; code of conduct may be tailored such that high-quality technical research is produced.  
      Tailoring a code of conduct typically includes: a) identifying membership classes (e.g., contractors, analysts, researchers, and/or customers, for example) that may have significant input and/or influence over the end product produced (e.g., the analysis report, the research report, and/or the project, for example); b) binding these membership classes in a way that incentivizes ethical behavior and disincentivizes unethical behavior; and c) creating disclosures that better protect consumers of the end product.  
      Typically, when third-party facilitator  42  is defining a code of conduct, a series of diagnostic questions may be asked, such as: 
          1) What is the end product, service or recommendation?
            a) What is the current “market standard” in serving the end consumer/public?   
            2) What categories of institutions and individuals hold direct or indirect influence over the end product, service or recommendation?
            a) Is there reason to believe that the interactions between these entities, if properly supervised, would result in a “better than market standard” in serving the end consumer/public?    b) Can these entities be joined in a reciprocal “code of conduct” and can this conduct be reasonably enforced in a manner that results in a “better than current market standard.”   
            3) Is there compelling economic interest to cause the intended “membership classes” to join together in a regulated environment such as that organized and monitored by the third-party facilitator?       

      Continuing with the above-stated example, assume that for equity research service providers, three membership classes are created, namely: a) subject companies and their managers (i.e., the issuer of the security being analyzed); research providers and their analysts (i.e., the company or individual actually performing the equity research); and research sponsors and their managers and/or analysts (i.e., the company/individual/institution sponsoring the equity research), which may include direct sponsors (i.e., entities that fund third-party facilitator  42  to pay for specified research) and/or indirect sponsors (i.e., entities that directly pay research providers with payments that are sufficiently large enough that a “reasonable person” could foresee a conflict of interest).  
      By regulating the interaction of the membership classes via a code of conduct, third-party facilitator  42  minimizes the potential for inter-party conflicts that, if left unchecked, would likely degrade the integrity of the end product (e.g., the analysis report, the research report, or the project) and, therefore, undermine public interest. Accordingly, through the use of a code of conduct, services rendered under the auspices of third-party facilitator  42  and organization  44  are typically viewed by the general public to be more trustworthy.  
      Typically, a code of conduct includes multiple governance layers. Continuing with the above-stated example, a typical code of conduct for equity research may include four governance layers, including: A) a reciprocal code of conduct; B) an honor code/infraction-reporting obligation; C) a dispute resolution procedure; and D) one or more disclosure procedures that may include: D1) point of consumption disclosures (incorporated onto the cover of the end product) and D2) web-based disclosures for both members and non-members or the organization; each of which is discussed below in greater detail.  
      Reciprocal Code of Conduct:  
      Every member of a membership class within organization  44  has a responsibility not to interfere with the ability of members of other membership classes to fulfill their legal, ethical and professional responsibilities. The reciprocal code of conduct outlines these inter-membership-class responsibilities.  
      As discussed above, when defining a reciprocal code of conduct, the code is tailored to ensure the integrity of the end product produced. Therefore, if the service provider is an equity analyst, the reciprocal code of conduct is tailored such that high-quality securities analysis is produced, and apportioned with respect to the various membership classes. For example, a typical reciprocal code of conduct for security analysis is as follows:  
      Concerning Subject Companies: 
          A) DO NO HARM RULE: 
            1) the subject company shall not engage in behavior that will knowingly mislead research providers (i.e., analysts) or the general public;     2) the subject company shall take corrective action to ensure that misleading statements or behaviors are corrected immediately and in a manner which is in compliance with the law;     3) the subject company shall not retaliate against other members of the organization (especially research providers) except to pursue due process via the dispute resolution process described below, wherein retaliation includes: 
                i) not having a “reasonable basis” for initiating any and all complaints against other members of the organization; and    
                4) the subject company may actively discriminate against non-members of the organization, provided such discrimination does not knowingly mislead research providers or the general public.    
            B) CONFIDENTIALITY RULE: 
            1) the subject company shall not disclose the identity of the research sponsor;     2) the subject company shall not inquire into the identity of the research sponsor;     3) the subject company shall not disclose fact or detail about their sponsorship activities, if any, except as required by law;     4) the subject company shall not inquire as to the sponsorship activities of others; and     5) the subject company shall recognize that analysts must be free of the threat of retaliation of any sort if they are to preserve the integrity of their work product and fulfill their obligation to investors.    
            C) FAIR TREATMENT RULE: 
            1) the subject company shall not discriminate between analysts on the basis of the conclusions and/or recommendations, including such items as: 
                i) ratings (buy/sell/hold);     ii) price targets; and     iii) estimates (e.g., revenue, earnings, and cash flow, for example);    
                2) the subject company shall disclose its policies concerning how it treats analysts and the subject company shall publish these policies in a manner such that they are accessible by other members of the organization;     3) the subject company shall demonstrate compliance/implementation of the subject company&#39;s published policies; and     4) the subject company shall catalog and record empirical evidence substantiating that the subject company does not discriminate or retaliate against analysts on the basis of their conclusions and/or recommendations, such that the empirical evidence demonstrates: 
                i) fair access to senior management for investor visits and conference calls;     ii) fair access to senior management for sell-side conferences; invitation to and awareness of all analyst events; and     iii) equal opportunity to ask questions on conference calls with management (e.g., quarterly earnings conference calls and web casts)    
                 wherein fair access shall be interpreted to mean that the subject company shall provide the same access and support (both quantitatively and qualitatively) to analysts that provide negative opinions as they do to those analysts that provide positive opinions (i.e., those analysts that are perceived to be supportive of the subject company and its management).    
            D) IMMEDIATE ACTION RULE: 
            1) the subject company shall take immediate action to correct any unfair treatment of analysts.    
            E) FULL DISCLOSURE RULE: 
            1) the subject company shall disclose all commercial relationships with research providers including (but not limited to) those concerning: 
                i) investment banking;     ii) commercial banking, including: 
                    a) lending; and     b) treasury/cash management;    
                    iii) money/investment management, including: 
                    a) firm; and     b) senior officers;    
                    iv) any other commercial relationship that may be deemed material to evaluating the independence of research.    
               
               

      Concerning Research Providers: 
          A) DO NO HARM RULE: 
            1) the research provider shall not engage in behavior that will knowingly mislead the public;     2) the research provider shall take corrective action to ensure that misleading statements/behaviors are corrected immediately and in a manner that is in compliance with the law; and     3) the research provider shall not retaliate against other members of the organization (especially subject companies) except to pursue due process via the dispute resolution procedures described below, wherein retaliation includes: 
                i) engaging in disruptive behavior;     ii) engaging in manipulative behavior; and/or     iii) failing to have a “reasonable basis” for initiating any and all complaints against other members of the organization.    
               
            B) CONFIDENTIALITY RULE: 
            1) the research provider shall not inquire into the identity of a research sponsor;     2) the research provider shall not ask or speculate as to the identity of the research sponsor; and     3) wherein strict sponsor confidentiality minimizes the incentive for the research provider to bias their opinion, since the analyst has no way of knowing whether the sponsor has a vested interest in a buy (e.g., public company) or sell (e.g., a competitor company or hedge fund) opinion.    
            C) REASONABLE BASIS RULE: 
            1) the research provider shall distinguish between fact and opinion, and must have a reasonable basis (concerning allegations) supported by: 
                i) adequate diligence;     ii) reasonable care; and     iii) adequate records to support basis for conclusions.    
               
            D) IMMEDIATE ACTION RULE: 
            1) the research provider shall take immediate action to correct material mistakes/omissions in research.    
            E) FULL DISCLOSURE RULE: 
            1) the research provider must disclose all conflicts;     2) all paid-for research must avoid any appearance of impropriety;     3) the research provider shall not engage in an investment banking business with the subject company until at least six months after the research contract has expired; and     4) the research provider shall disclose all commercial relationships including (but not limited to) those concerning: 
                i) commercial banking, including: 
                    a) lending; and     b) treasury/cash management;    
                    ii) money/investment management, including: 
                    a) firm; and     b) senior officers; and    
                    iii) any other commercial relationship that may be deemed material to evaluating the independence of research.    
               
               

      The research provider may further be required to be in compliances with all federal, state, agency and SRO rules &amp; regulations.  
      Concerning Research Sponsors: 
          A) DO NO HARM RULE: 
            1) the research sponsor shall not engage in behavior that will knowingly mislead an analyst or the general public;     2) the research sponsor shall take corrective action to ensure that misleading statements/behaviors are corrected immediately and in a manner that is in compliance with the law;     3) the research sponsor shall not retaliate against other members of the organization (e.g., subject companies and research providers) except to pursue due process via the dispute resolution procedures described below, wherein retaliation includes: 
                i) failing to have a “reasonable basis” for initiating any and all complaints against other members of the organization; and    
                4) the research sponsor may actively discriminate (i.e., deny access) against non-members of the organization, as non-members are not bound to the code of conduct and the dispute resolution procedures of the organization.    
            B) CONFIDENTIALITY RULE: 
            1) the research sponsor shall not disclose their identity to anyone other than an employee/agent of the organization unless required by law; and     2) the research sponsor shall maintain strict confidentiality concerning their research sponsorship activities, and any unnecessary disclosure is presumed to have been with improper intent to influence the research provider(s).    
            C) FORFEITURE RULE: 
            1) in instances where the research sponsor is not the subject company, “specific performance” cures are not available as a remedy, and the available remedies shall be limited to: 
                i) censorship;     ii) suspension of membership; and     iii) forfeiture of prepaid sponsorship fees    
               
            D) FULL DISCLOSURE RULE: 
            1) the research sponsor shall keep confidential their research sponsorship activities except in those instances where the research sponsor is a public company, in which case the public company would disclose conflicts only in its capacity as a “subject company”.    
               

      While Institutional Investors (i.e., entities such as insurance companies, investment companies, pension funds, and/or trust departments that invest large sums of money in the securities market) typically do not directly contract with analysts (at sell-side providers) for research-related service, Institutional Investors may still assert undue influence upon analysts and research firms. For example, buy-side analysts and portfolio managers may make threats to sell-side analysts concerning e.g., the cutting of commissions and/or the withholding of votes in the various institution investors polls, for example.  
      As many Institutional Investors will never contract with third-party facilitator  42  for the performance of services (e.g., the generation of research), an Institutional Investor may wish to become a member of organization  44  for the sole purpose of acknowledging that they are willing to be bound by a code of conduct and, therefore, be held accountable for their actions. Accordingly, Institutional Investors are typically governed by rules similar to those of Research Sponsors.  
      Concerning Institution Investors: 
          A) DO NO HARM RULE: 
            1) the institutional investor shall not engage in behavior that will knowingly mislead an analyst or the general public;     2) the institutional investor shall take corrective action to ensure that misleading statements/behaviors are corrected immediately and in a manner that is in compliance with the law;     3) the institutional investor shall not retaliate against other members of the organization (e.g., subject companies, research providers, and research sponsors) except to pursue due process via the dispute resolution procedures described below, wherein retaliation includes: 
                i) failing to have a “reasonable basis” for initiating any and all complaints against other members of the organization; and    
                4) the institutional investor may actively discriminate (i.e., deny access) against non-members of the organization, as non-members are not bound to the code of conduct and the dispute resolution procedures of the organization.    
            B) CONFIDENTIALITY RULE: 
            1) the institutional investor shall maintain strict confidentiality concerning their research sponsorship activities, and any unnecessary disclosure is presumed to have been with improper intent to influence the research provider(s).    
            C) FORFEITURE RULE: 
            1) since “specific performance” cures are not available as a remedy, the available remedies shall be limited to: 
                i) censorship;     ii) suspension of membership; and     iii) forfeiture of prepaid sponsorship fees 
 
 Honor Code: 
   
               
               

      As will be discussed below, code module  62  requires  230  that each member of organization  44  contractually agree to utilize a dispute resolution procedure to settle allegations concerning violations of the code of conduct. Further, every member of a membership class (i.e., both customers and service providers of organization  44 ) is required  232  to report (to third-party facilitator  42 ) any and all observed infractions of the reciprocal code of conduct caused by another member of organization  44  or by a non-member of organization  44 .  
      When allegations are made by a member of organization  44  concerning an alleged infraction of the conduct code by either: another member of organization  44 ; or a non-member of organization  44 , the accusing member may initiate  234  a complaint (which is filed with and received  236  by third-party facilitator  42 ) that outlines the conduct (engaged in the accused member/non-member) that is alleged to violate the code of conduct. Typically, these complaints are electronically submitted by organization members via code module  62  and a secure website (to be discussed below), in which the organization member making the allegation and the member/non-member that is the target of the allegation are identified, and the specifics of the alleged event are outlined. Alternatively, the complaint may be filed in writing with third-party facilitator  42 .  
      Once the complaint is received  236  by third party facilitator  42  (via e.g., code module  62 ), the complaint is typically reviewed and the technical sufficiency of the complaint is verified  238  (e.g., verifying that the accused member/non-member is identified, verifying that the accusing member is identified, and verifying that the conduct taken by the accused member/non-member may indeed violate the code of conduct, for example) by code module  62 .  
      As stated above, allegations of conduct code infractions may concern the actions of both members and/or non-members of organization  44 . Once the complaint is verified  238 , if the allegations concern  240  an alleged conduct code violation by a non-member, third party facilitator  42  serves  242  a copy of the complaint on the accused non-member. This service  242  of complaint is typically similar to that used in civil proceedings (e.g., a process server delivers a copy of the complaint to the accused non-member).  
      Once served  242 , the accused non-member may be offered  244  the opportunity to become a member of service management organization  44  maintained and administered by third-party facilitator  42 . If the accused non-member agrees to become a member of service management organization  44 , the dispute resolution procedure (described below in greater detail) is initiated to investigate and resolve the dispute.  
      If the accused non-member refuses to join organization  44 , the accused non-member may be offered  246  the opportunity to participate in the dispute resolution procedure (described below in greater detail) so that the substance of the complaint can be investigated and resolved. With the exception of out-of-pocket costs (e.g., lawyers fees and witness fees, for example), the accused non-member may typically participate in the dispute resolution procedure at no cost.  
      If the accused non-member refuses to participate in the dispute resolution procedure, third party facilitator  42  may issue  248  a public service announcement that publicly discloses: the allegation made against the accused non-member; and the fact that the accused non-member was given the opportunity but refused to participate in the dispute resolution procedure. Typically, this public service announcement is made via e.g., a web site maintained by the third-party facilitator  42 , a press release, a trade publication/journal, and/or a general or industry-specific newspaper/magazine, for example.  
      Conversely, if the accused non-member agrees to participate in the dispute resolution procedure, the dispute resolution procedure (described below in greater detail) is initiated to investigate and resolve the dispute.  
      As with the reciprocal code of conduct, the honor code is tailored (based on business sector) to ensure the integrity of the end product produced. Therefore, if the service provider is an equity analyst, the analysts&#39; honor code is tailored such that high-quality securities analysis and research is produced, and apportioned with respect to the various membership classes. For example, a typical honor code for security analysis is as follows:  
      Concerning Subject Companies: 
          A) the subject company shall report to the organization: 
            1) renegade analysts (both members and non-members) that make analyst statements and conclusions for which there is no factual basis and which (if left unchecked) will do harm to current or future investors; and    
            B) the subject company shall: 
            1) document and maintain a history of all requests that an analyst has made of the subject company management and how the subject company management responded to those requests;     2) document all invitations that the subject company management has extended to analyst;     3) be available to serve as an arbitrator; and     4) maintain current user profiles on all subject company management that interfaces with analysts and/or investors.    
               

      Concerning Research Providers: 
          A) the research provider shall report to the organization: 
            1) instances in which the research provider believes they were treated in a way (by either members or non-members) that interferes with the research provider&#39;s ability to do their job, provided this treatment is a violation of the honor code and not simply the byproduct of the subject company management managing their time and/or other resources; and    
            B) the research provider shall: 
            1) document and maintain a history of all requests that the research provider has made of the subject company management and how the subject company management has responded to those requests;     2) document all invitations that the subject company management has extended to the research provider;     3) be available to serve as an arbitrator;     4) maintain current and accurate all information that is stored in the database concerning the research provider; and     5) provide the organization with access to all research ratings, reports and other coverage information (both current &amp; historical), such that the organization (or an agent of the organization) may evaluate the performance of the research provider.    
               

      Concerning Research Sponsors and “Deemed” Sponsors (i.e., buy-side account members that pay commissions to research provider firms): 
          A) the research sponsor shall report to the organization: 
            1) renegade analysts (both members and non-members) that make analyst statements and conclusions for which there is no factual basis and which (if left unchecked) will do harm to current or future investors; and     2) violations of the terms of any contract entered into by the organization for specified research, such that the organization may withhold payment pending an investigation. 
 
 Dispute Resolution Procedure: 
   
               

      In order to deliver services that have a high level of integrity, any allegations that jeopardize the integrity of the end product provided by the service provider should be disclosed and adjudicated swiftly to curtail damage to the offended member (e.g., the service provider and/or the customer) and the general public that relies on the integrity of the end product.  
      In order to facilitate swift adjudication of disputes, a two-part dispute resolution procedure is employed, which includes: a mandatory non-binding resolution period; and a mandatory binding resolution period.  
      When an complaint is initiated  234  and verified  238  by third-party facilitator  42  (via e.g., a secure website or in writing), a mandatory non-binding resolution period (e.g., fourteen days) is typically initiated  250  (by code module  62 ) to assist the parties involved in privately and confidentially settling the dispute amongst themselves (prior to having the dispute elevated to a higher level).  
      In the event that such a settlement cannot be achieved during the above-described non-binding resolution period, the two parties must agree  252  to enter into the mandatory binding resolution period. In the event that either or both of the parties refuses to enter into the mandatory binding resolution period, third party facilitator  42  may issue  254  a public service announcement that publicly discloses: the allegation made against the accused member/non-member; that the parties are currently in a dispute that cannot be internally settled; and that either or both of the parties refused to enter into the mandatory binding resolution period. Typically, this public service announcement is made via e.g., a web site maintained by the third-party facilitator  42 , a press release, a trade publication/journal, and/or a general or industry-specific newspaper/magazine, for example.  
      Conversely, in the event that the parties (involved in the above-described non-binding resolution period) agree to enter into the mandatory binding resolution period, the issuance of a public service announcement is avoided and code module  62  initiates  256  the mandatory binding resolution period.  
      This mandatory binding resolution period may include adjudication, binding arbitration, and/or any other commonly recognized forms of binding alternative dispute resolution. Further, this mandatory binding resolution period is typically an expedited procedure (e.g., twenty-eight days), and the adjudicators/arbitrators employed are typically members of an alternative dispute resolution organization, such as the American Arbitration Association. Alternatively, the service providers and customers may be contractually obligated to act as adjudicators/arbitrators and assist in settling disputes arising between other service providers and customers.  
      During this mandatory binding resolution period, one or more of the above-described dispute resolution procedures may be employed. For example, during a twenty-eight day mandatory binding resolution period, the first seven day period may employ mediation (i.e., low pressure and not binding on the parties); the second seven day period may employ non-binding arbitration (i.e., higher pressure and not binding on the parties); and, if still not resolved, the last fourteen day period may employ binding arbitration (i.e., higher pressure and binding on the parties). Typically, by the expiry of the mandatory binding resolution period, the dispute must be resolved.  
      Once resolved, the accusing member and the accused member/non-member must agree  258  to abide by the decision of the dispute resolution procedure. In the event that either party refuses to abide by the decision, third party facilitator  42  may issue  260  a public service announcement (e.g., a press release) that publicly discloses: the allegation made against the accused member/non-member; the decision of the dispute resolution procedure; and the refusal of the accusing member and/or the accused member/non-member to abide by the decision of the dispute resolution procedure. Typically, this public service announcement is made via e.g., a web site maintained by the third-party facilitator  42 , a press release, a trade publication/journal, and/or a general or industry-specific newspaper/magazine, for example.  
      Additionally, if at some point in the future, if the accusing member and/or the accused member/non-member subsequently ceases to abide  262  by the decision of the dispute resolution procedure, third party facilitator  42  may issue  264  a public service announcement (e.g., a press release) that publicly discloses: the allegation made against the accused member/non-member; the decision of the dispute resolution procedure; and the refusal of the accusing member and/or the accused member/non-member to continue to abide by the decision of the dispute resolution procedure. Typically, this public service announcement is made via e.g., a web site maintained by the third-party facilitator  42 , a press release, a trade publication/journal, and/or a general or industry-specific newspaper/magazine, for example.  
      Disclosures:  
      Disclosures help protect the public and the integrity of an end product by compelling both members and non-members (of organization  44 ) within the market that produced the end product to demonstrate a higher-level of integrity in their dealings with other market participants.  
      Point of Consumption Disclosures: These disclosures are included within the end product produced by members (i.e., service providers) of organization  44 . For example, if the end product produced is a technical research report, the cover of the research report may include an annotation or seal stating that the product was produced by members of organization  44 . This notation or seal may further state that the members of organization  44  are e.g., bound by a code of conduct. Alternatively, if the end product produced is an addition on a house, the customer may be presented with a certificate that certifies that the addition was constructed by members of organization  44 . This certificate may then be used, during resale of the house, to bolster the sale price. If the end product produced is securities analysis that results in the issuance of a buy/sell/hold rating for a particular security, the annotation/seal may be placed on the front cover of the report, informing the reader that the report was prepared by a member of organization  44 , who is/are bound by a code of conduct. Further, the annotation/seal may provide information about that analyst(s) performance statistics (as described above) or the analyst&#39;s market capitalization breakdown (as described above), for example.  
      Web-based Disclosures: Web-based disclosures harness market forces to put pressure on, encourage and provide incentives for behavior that improves the integrity of the end product produced.  
      Referring also to  FIG. 7  and as discussed above, whenever a member believes that: another member is in violation of the code of conduct; or a non-member is behaving in a manner that may potentially undermine the integrity of the end product, these allegations are typically reported via a disclosure screen  280  that is executed by code module  62  and rendered by user interface module  56 . Disclosure screen  280  is a portion of the secure website (not shown) maintained by third-party facilitator  42 . Depending on the manner in which system  10  is configured by administrator  36 , the reporting of these allegations may be mandatory (i.e., the member is required to report) or voluntary (i.e., the member may choose to report). Additionally, third-party facilitator  42  may institute sanctions (e.g., against service provider  18 ,  20 ,  22  and/or customer  12 ,  14 ,  16 ) if a false/misleading claim is filed.  
      Disclosure screen  280  allows a member to make a disclosure by e.g., providing their Member ID (via field  282 ) and Member Password (via field  284 ) for identification and authentication purposes. Additionally, website  280  allows the member to identify (via field  286 ) the other member or non-member that is allegedly violating the code of conduct and/or acting in a manner that may potentially jeopardize the integrity of an end product. Further, website  280  allows the accusing member to summarize the suspect behavior within field  288 . Once the appropriate fields are populated, the member may select the “submit” button  292  (via a screen pointer  290  that is controllable by a pointing device such as a computer mouse, not shown), which completes the submission process. Code module  62  then initiates the dispute resolution process described above. Alternatively, the member may abort the submission process by selecting the “cancel” button  294  with screen pointer  290 .  
      As described above, once a member makes an allegation against another member, the dispute resolution process is initiated and the parties are given a defined period of time (i.e., the voluntary resolution period) to resolve the matters confidentially amongst themselves. In the event that an impasse is reached, the parties enter into the mandatory resolution period, in which a dispute resolution procedure (e.g., mediation, arbitration, or binding arbitration, for example) is used to resolve the matter.  
      Searching:  
      As discussed above, once a service provider is deemed qualified for admission into database  52 , the service provider enters into a contract with third-party facilitator  42  to become a member of organization  44 . Once a member of organization  44 , administrator  36  configures and populates one or more database records with the pertinent information required to properly identify the service provider within database  52 . Additionally and as discussed above, when a customer (e.g., customers  12 ,  14 ,  16 ) wishes to obtain paid-for services from one of the service providers (e.g., service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22 ) listed within database  52 , the customer must enter into a contract with third-party facilitator  42  and become a member of service management organization  44 .  
      When researching service providers listed within database  52 , the customer (e.g., customer  12 ) accesses service management system  10  via customer computer  32  that is connected to network  26  (or network  28 ). Customer computer  32  (via user interface module  56 ) accesses searching module  54 , which allows customer  12  to define queries for searching database  52 . Searching module  54  may include: a traditional search engine (e.g., a localized version of the Google™ or Yahoo™ search engines); or a standard SQL (i.e., Structured Query Language) search engine that allows customer  12  to compose structured search strings.  
      Referring also to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , once searching module  54  is accessed by customer  12 , the customer is presented with a search screen  300  (which is rendered by user interface module  56 ) that includes the various data fields  302 ,  304 ,  306 ,  308 ,  310 ,  312  that may be used by customer  12  to define  320  a query (using query generation module  330  of searching module  54 ). As with traditional search engines, wild card descriptors (e.g., “*”, and “!”, for example) may be used to broaden search terms. Additionally, a blank field may be interpreted as a field wild card descriptor. Therefore, if all fields within search screen  300  are left blank and “search” button  314  is selected using screen pointer  290 , the result set generated by searching module  54  would typically include each data record within database  52 . Accordingly, it may be desirable to narrowly construe searches so that the result sets generated are manageable in size.  
      In addition to manually-typed entries within search screen  300 , one or more of the search fields may include drop-down menus that allow the customer to select from a defined number of choices. For example and as shown in  FIG. 10 , drop down menu  350  allows customer  12  to scroll (using scroll bar  352 ) through the possible choices concerning e.g., data field  302 ′ (i.e., the provider-type field). The customer may then select the desired choice from drop down menu  350 , thus populating the “provide type” data field  302 ′.  
      Once a query is defined  320  and submitted, searching module  54  executes  322  the query (using query execution module  332 ) by searching the data records of database  52  and generating  324  a result set (using result generation module  334  of searching module  54 ) from which the customer may select  326  a service provider. Referring also to  FIG. 11 , a typical result screen  400  is shown, as rendered by user interface module  56 . Result screen  400  typically includes a list of records  402  that match the search criteria entered by the member. List of records  402  may be apportioned into columns (e.g., columns  404 ,  406 ,  408 ) that define e.g., the firm name, individual name, and address of the service provider(s). A vertical scroll bar  410  allows customer  12  to scroll through the list of records  402  if the result set is large enough to fill more than one result screen. Using screen pointer  290 , customer  12  may select  326  one or more of the line items (e.g., line item  412 ) included within the list of records  402  of result screen  400 .  
      While list of records  402  is shown to include three columns, this is for illustrative purposes only, as other configurations are possible. For example, in addition to columns  404 ,  406 ,  408  described above, other columns may also be included in result screen  400  that e.g., correspond to the various terms defined in the query. For example and as discussed above, the various data records (e.g., data record  150 ) included within database  52  may include fields corresponding to a market capitalization breakdown  162 , a current performance statistic  164 , and/or a long-term performance statistic  166 . Accordingly, when result screen  400  is rendered, the list of records  402  may include columns corresponding to these fields. In the event that the number of columns included in list of records  402  exceeds the maximum number of columns simultaneously displayable on result screen  400 , a horizontal scroll bar  414  allows customer  12  to view obscured columns not currently viewable on result screen  400 .  
      Typically, list of records  402  may be sorted based on any of the columns included within the list of records, thus allowing the user to alter the manner in which the line items in list of records  402  are ranked. For example, while the records included in list of records  402  are sorted in accordance with the firm name (i.e., column  404 ), list of records  402  may also be sorted based on individual name (i.e., column  406 ), business address (i.e., column  408 ), market capitalization breakdown (not shown), current performance statistic (not shown) or long-term performance statistic (not shown), for example. Accordingly, if customer  12  is interested in sorting list of records  402  to determine which of the service providers specified in list of records  402  has the highest current performance statistic (not shown), customer  12  may simply scroll to the right (using horizontal scroll bar  414 ) to reveal the current performance statistic column and e.g., click on that column to sort the records (included within list of records  402 ) based on the value of their current performance static.  
      Service management system  10  may also include an API (i.e., application program interface; not shown) that allows third-party users (i.e., third-party user  46 ,  FIG. 1 ) to retrieve data stored within database  52 . Third-party user  46  may then incorporate this retrieved data into various products offered by third-party user  46 . For example, third-party user  46  may retrieve (from database  52 ) market capitalization breakdown data for inclusion in a report concerning the top ten U.S. research firms.  
      Referring also to  FIG. 12 , once a line item is selected  326 , the data record  450  corresponding to that line item is rendered by user interface module  56  for review by the customer. For example, by selecting line item  412  (i.e., the line item that corresponds to John Smith), the data record belonging to John Smith (i.e., data record  64 ) is accessed (by data interface module  50 ) from database  52  and rendered (by user interface module  56 ) for review by customer  12 . Customer  12  may then review the qualifications of the selected service provider (i.e., John Smith) to decide whether the customer wishes to enter into a contract with third-party facilitator  42  to have service provider “John Smith” perform one or more services for customer  12 . The contract process may e.g., be initiated electronically by selecting (via screen pointer  290 ) the “contract button”  452 . Alternatively, the contract process may be initiated by contacting third-party facilitator  42  in writing or telephonically.  
      Contracting:  
      Once the contracting process is initiated (i.e., the service provider is selected), the service provider is typically contacted by third-party facilitator  42 . The contact may be made by simultaneously sending messages to both the third-party facilitator and the selected service provider concerning the customer&#39;s desire to obtain services from the selected service provider.  
      As discussed above, prior to the obtaining the services desired from the selected service provider (e.g., service provider  18 ), customer  12  is required to enter into a user research contract with third-party facilitator  42 . Additionally, prior to being allowed to render services, service provider  18  is required to enter into an analyst research contract with third-party facilitator  42 . Alternatively, a single three party contract may be executed, in which the parties to the contract are the customer, the service provider, and the third-party facilitator.  
      The contract(s) entered into by the customer and the service provider require: the service provider to provide services to the customer for a defined period of time; and require the customer to accept the services rendered by the service provider for the defined period of time; with all the contracting parties being subject to the terms and conditions of the code of conduct (as discussed above).  
      As discussed above, system  10  (generally) and the code of conduct (specifically) are configured to ensure the integrity of the end product produced by the service provider(s). Accordingly and referring again to  FIG. 6 , when renewing a contract, a customer may be surcharged  266  if the contract is renewed within the terminal portion of the contract. For example, when configuring system  10 , administrator  36  typically defines the terminal portion of a contract. This terminal portion may be a fixed amount of time e.g., a contract cannot be renewed within six months of the expiration date of the contract. Alternatively, the terminal portion of a contract may be configured such that the terminal portion is defined to be a percentage (e.g., 50%) of the contracting period. While the customer is typically allowed  268  to renew the contract during any portion of the contract term, the customer is typically surcharged when renewing the contract during the terminal portion. The surcharge associated with renewing the contract during the terminal portion may be as high as 100% of the contract amount.  
      Regardless of the manner in which the terminal portion is defined, by encouraging the customer to renew their contract a significant amount of time prior to the expiry of the contract, the ability of the customer to compromise the integrity of the end product is reduced.  
      In addition to surcharging customers that renew their contract during the terminal portion of the contract, each contract entered into by the customer may require  270  that the customer accept multiple bundles of services (i.e., multiple discrete service projects) from the service provider during the term of the contract.  
      As above, by requiring that the customer accept multiple bundles of services, the ability of the customer to compromise the integrity of the end product is reduced. For example, assume that customer  12  (i.e., a publicly-traded company that issues stocks) and service provider  18  (i.e., a securities analyst) enter into contracts with third-party facilitator  42  for research concerning the stocks issued by customer  12  and the issuance of a buy/sell/hold recommendation concerning the stocks. If customer  12  and service provider  18  are required to enter into contracts for multiple recommendations (e.g., issuing a buy/sell/hold recommendation twice per year for two years), the ability of the service provider to be unbiased is enhanced, as the service provider may issue an unfavorable recommendation (i.e., a hold/sell recommendation) without fear of the customer deciding not to renew the research contract. Additionally, as the service provider is somewhat shielded from the threat of not renewing the contract, the customer is less likely to try to intimidate the service provider into issuing a favorable (i.e., buy) recommendation.  
      Additionally, when entering into a contract, the contract entered into by the service provider may prohibit  272  (and/or require the disclosure of) potentially-suspect third-party business relationships, such as: investment banking relationships; commercial banking relationships; money management relationships; investment management relationships; and any other commercial relationship that may be deemed material to evaluating the independence of research, for example.  
      While the above-described system is said to include a database, this is for illustrative purpose only. As is known in the art, other configurations are possible and any data structure may be used. For example, as opposed to a record-based database, table-based data files may be employed.  
      While the above-described system is said to include an electronic database, this is for illustrative purposes only and other non-electronic configurations are possible. For example, instead of the pool of qualified service providers being published in an electronic form, a printed publication may be produced by third-party facilitator  42  on a periodic basis (e.g., weekly or monthly, for example). This publication would allow potential customers to review the qualifications of the individual service providers who are members of organization  44 . Typically, such a publication would include a resource index that allows the potential customers to search the publication for qualified service providers. As above, the customer may be required to enter into a membership contract with the third-party facilitator  42  in order to review the publication. Further, the service provider would typically be required to enter into a membership agreement with third-party facilitator  42  in order to be listed within the publication. Alternatively, all potential services providers may be listed within the publication (regardless of whether they entered into a membership agreement with third-party facilitator  42 ). However, prior to performing a service for a customer, the service provider would be required to enter into a membership agreement with third-party facilitator  42 .  
      While performance indicator field  160  is defined above as including numerical descriptors associated with the “buy”, “sell” and “hold” ratings issued by the service provider, other configurations are possible, such as: the addition of e.g., “strong buy” and “strong sell” ratings; numerical descriptors associated with an outperform recommendation, a market perform recommendation, and an under-perform recommendation; or the consolidation of the numeric descriptors, in which a single descriptor is used to define cross-spectrum (i.e., buy, sell and hold) rating accuracy.  
      While the system is described above as if the customer selects the specific service provider whom the customer wishes to employ, this is for illustrative purposes only and other configurations are possible. For example, the customer may contract with third-party facilitator  42  for the desired/required services and delegate the service provider selection process to third-party facilitator  42 .  
      While the system is described above as requiring a customer to become a member of organization  44  (i.e., enter into a contract with third-party facilitator  42 ) prior to being able to search database  52 , this is for illustrative purpose only and other configurations are possible. For example, the customer may be allowed to search database  52  and review the qualifications of the individual service providers (e.g., service providers  18 ,  20 ,  22 ) prior to entering into a contract with third-party facilitator. However, prior to the performance of any services by the service provider, the customer may be required to become a member of organization  44 .  
      Membership in organization  44  and entering into a contract with third-party facilitator  42  (for both customers and service providers) may be mutually exclusive. For example, a customer may be required to enter into a membership contract with third-party facilitator  42  prior to being able to review database  52 , and may be required to enter into a service contract prior to being able to receive services from a service provider. Further, a service provider may be required to enter into a membership contract with third-party facilitator  42  prior to being listed within database  52 , and may be required to enter into a service contract prior to being able to perform services for a customer.  
      While the performance statistics are described above as being statistical averages (e.g., an unacceptable range of 0.000-0.499 and an acceptable range of 0.500-1.000) that are associated with the “buy”, “sell” and “hold” ratings issued by the service provider over a defined period of time, this is for illustrative purposes only and other configurations are possible. For example, the performance statistics may be letter-based grades (e.g., “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” or “E”) that essentially mimic the grade school reporting system. Alternatively, the performance statistics may be based on a common scenario that is applied to all service providers that are being rated. An example (concerning securities analysis service providers) may be the determination of what the current market value for a $10,000 investment would be if: (a) the investment was made a defined period of time ago (e.g., one year, five years, or ten years, for example); and (b) the investor had followed all of the service provider&#39;s buy/sell/hold recommendations.  
      The performance statistic made be calculated for: (a) an individual stock; (b) the securities analyst&#39;s complete universe of stocks, equally weighted; or (c) one or more industry subsets of the securities analyst&#39;s universe of stocks, in that the various industries researched by the securities analyst are parsed so that the securities analyst&#39;s performance within specific industries/sectors may be may be compared/contrasted.  
      While the system is described above as requiring members of organization  44  to report alleged violations of the code of conduct through a secure website, this is for illustrative purposes only and other configurations are possible. For example, system  10  may be configured so that allegation are reported in writing or telephonically to third-party facilitator  42 .  
      While the system is described above as requiring members of organization  44  to report alleged violations of the code of conduct, this is for illustrative purposes only and other configurations are possible. For example, system  10  may be configured so that the reporting process is voluntary.  
      While the market capitalization breakdown is described above as being a graphical bar chart, this is for illustrative purposes only and other configurations are possible. For example, a graphical pie chart or a text-based table may be displayed.  
      A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.