FMO on Delicious

Forced Migration Online (FMO) has started two sets of delicious bookmarks, one for new documents added to its digital library and the other for RSC working papers. As I've mentioned before, the handy thing about delicious is that it offers RSS feeds for tags created to describe one's bookmarks. So users can subscribe to feeds for both the aforementioned bookmark lists, here and here. Very handy for keeping up-to-date on FMO content.

Updating the Forced Migration Research Guide

I recently made available an RSS feed to let users know what resources had been newly added to my forced migration research guide. To supplement this, I have also added a link and RSS feed to my del.icio.us bookmarks for pending resources that I plan to add to the guide when time permits! This helps me to keep track of things, and it allows readers to access relevant reference and research materials in the interim.

23 Things: The Eleventh Tool = Wikis

I have written previously about wikis and their use in the forced migration field. I have also used the wiki format to "publish" a research guide (see Researching Forced Migration). Wikis represent an easy way to set up a database online. Personally, I have limited technical knowledge, but using pbwiki.com, I was able to create over 450 pages of narrative text and bibliographic descriptions, and inter-link them in such a way that - hopefully - makes my research guide easy and intuitive to use. I can also regularly update the guide, as well as quickly make corrections to URLs and other bibliographic details.

I did add a page to SLA's Wiki Sandbox, to see what other applications are like.

23 Things: The Ninth Tool = Custom Search

There are a number of tools available that allow you to build your own customized search engine. I posted about this earlier. I also built my own search engine using Google's Custom Search. It just searches refugee and forced migration blogs. You can also check out Humanitarian Drive (searches humanitarian web sites) and Forced Migration Search (searches refugee and forced migration web sites).

Forced Migration Guide

For any new researchers out there, I have compiled a guide to information resources relating to refugees and forced migration. It is available as a wiki at http://forcedmigrationguide.pbwiki.com.

You can use the guide in two ways. First, read through the chapters just like you would a regular text. Part one begins with an introduction to the concept of “forced migration” that includes a review of forced migration categories, their legal or policy bases, the principal assistance organizations, and the academic perspective on forced migration definitions. The second part of the guide presents a basic framework for conducting forced migration research both in libraries and on the Internet. It introduces key search concepts and principles to consider in any research undertaking, then describes resources that can be used 1) as starting points for research, 2) to help expand research, and 3) to support research. Part three highlights key information sources in forced migration, such as scholarly journals, reports and books, and discusses strategies for finding additional research literature through databases, library catalogues, search engines, and people.

Second, access the information resources described in the guide either by:

• type of source (e.g., bibliographies, periodicals, glossaries, etc.);
• specific index term (e.g., climate, culture, refugee impact, etc.);
• broad subject category (e.g., asylum/legal protection, mental health, etc.);
• region (if applicable);
• language (if applicable); OR
• using the search function (for example, search on an author or a keyword that is not included as an index term or subject category).

So why a wiki? Basically, it's an easy way to set up a database online. I have no technical experience, but using pbwiki.com, I was able to create over 450 pages of narrative text and bibliographic descriptions, and inter-link them in such a way that - hopefully - makes the guide easy and intuitive to use. I can also regularly update the guide, as well as quickly make corrections to URLs and other bibliographic details.

Hope you find the guide useful!

Posted in Web Sites/Tools.

Building your own search engine

Building your own search engine sounds like it would be a highly technical, and therefore difficult task. But it isn't! There are a number of tools available that allow you to customize a search engine with a few clicks of the mouse. Effectively, this means that you can select the web sites you feel are the most important for your work, and run searches just on those pages.

Here are two examples of custom-built search engines (both used Google's application):

Forced Migration Search Engine
The Humanitarian Drive

And this article describes a number of online tools that you can use to create your own engine: http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue55/search-engines/

Second IASFM Conference Podcast

As reported on the Forced Migration Discussion List and the Forced Migration Blog, the second podcast from the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) plenary session at the January 2008 conference is now available on Forced Migration Online (FMO).

This podcast includes the keynote address ‘Palestine refugees in the contemporary context: a view from UNRWA’ by Karen Abu Zayd, Commissioner General of UNRWA, followed by a panel discussion ‘The situation of refugees in the Middle East’ chaired by Maysa Ayoub, and including Helen Young, Patricia Fagen and Shahira Samy.

For other recordings in the series, visit the podcasts page on FMO.