Revision history for SIGSCollection
Additions:
||ratings||scorecard, report card, voting/legislative/congressional report, voting/legislative/congressional record, voting/legislative guide, candidate scores, roll call||
Deletions:
Deletions:
No Differences
Additions:
Search Engines is the most used tool in VoteSmart's research, simply because most news and updates can be found on websites. Search Engine would also return results that are more reliable and relevant if you can utilize the advanced search function that are available in almost any search engines.
Below shows a list of search engines with their advanced search functionality:
~|=|Search Engines|=|Syntax Guide/List|=|Tool||
Below shows a list of search engines with their advanced search functionality:
~|=|Search Engines|=|Syntax Guide/List|=|Tool||
Deletions:
|=|Search Engines|=|Syntax Guide/List|=|Tool||
Additions:
SIG tend to use their own terms to define what a rating should be called or how they would show their endorsements.
Below is a table showing the common keywords that has been used by many SIGS:
~|=|Data Type|=|Common Keyword||
Below is a table showing the common keywords that has been used by many SIGS:
~|=|Data Type|=|Common Keyword||
Deletions:
|=|Data Type|=|Common Keyword||
Additions:
Some news media can lean towards a side on the political spectrum and can be partisan. They are not the most reliable source of information but they normally cite their source. Citations are what we would typically look for in an news article especially the mentioning of endorsements of candidate(s) by a certain group. As a reminder, we only take firsthand sources, that is the information is from interest groups themselves. For special interest groups that are statewide, we would usually look for their local news channel to find for updates on SIGS.
Deletions:
For special interest groups that are statewide, we would usually look for their local news channel to find for updates on SIGS.
Deletions:
~
No Differences
Additions:
||ratings||scorecard, voter/voting guide, candidate scores, legislative guide, roll call||
Deletions:
No Differences
No Differences
Additions:
Over time, a SIG dissolves, either that they have achieved their goal or no longer receive any support. Although efforts have been made in our department to mark out SIGS who ceased all their activities, there are still some SIGS currently in the database that are potentially inactive. And some SIGS may not explicitly state their status, we need to find some evidence to infer their status since we do not track inactive ones. However, that does not mean removal of SIGS from our database, removal of SIGS only done when it is a mistake or changes in policy. For SIGS that are evidently known to have dissolve, we would attach this following statement in the SIGS description:
Deletions:
Additions:
"//The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, the print disabled, and the general public. Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge.//"
Occasionally, there will be SIGS in our database that have expired website URL or that there is no other website links can be discovered via search engines. This should raise an eye as to whether the SIG is still active. Wayback Machine is one way to tell see any changes they are on the website recently based on the latest capture.
Occasionally, there will be SIGS in our database that have expired website URL or that there is no other website links can be discovered via search engines. This should raise an eye as to whether the SIG is still active. Wayback Machine is one way to tell see any changes they are on the website recently based on the latest capture.
Deletions:
Occasionally, there will be SIGS in our database that do not have any information regarding the
Additions:
Researching these information might seem a little simple or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all these information have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that. One piece of data may look trivial, but a collection of them will be very useful and will benefit other research institutions. Other than the famous phrase of "saving democracy" from time to time you will hear working at VoteSmart, you can also view VoteSmart as a one-stop-shop for factual information pertaining to politics.
~-==Advocacy==
The search tool is an internal search function within the website that searches all content available. This is done by searching a keyword or phrase that exist in any of the web pages. You can normally find it at the top of the page at the side of the navigation bar, though sometimes it is located at the footer of the webpage. The function of the search tool is to find content that are not traversable from the surface or anything that is buried deep within website. Most SIG website will have this tool available since their website are usually quite large.
These terms can be reused across SIGS and have variations among them. Though it is not recommend to just use the search tool as a final way to conclude your research on the website. Using the search tool from time to time can be a mindless task and it will not guarantee results and might even give false negatives. So if possible, attempt to be thorough when looking for ratings or endorsements on the website. The key is to first look for structure, like those common traits mentioned above. Then, try and understand how the SIG function, it will give some insights on how to look for the things you need.
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines then can be your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website. Commonly used search syntax for a site search:
Search Engines is the most used tool in VoteSmart's research, simply because most news and updates can be found on websites. Search Engine would also return results that are more reliable and relevant if you can utilize the advanced search function that are available in almost any search engines. Below shows a list of search engines with their advanced search functionality:
|=|Search Engines|=|Syntax Guide/List|=|Tool||
As the most useful tool for finding information, there is a tendency to be too dependent on it, which can result in a messy research in the long run. The better mindset for it is a tool that serves as a pointer, that would be to find the relevant websites and the process should stop as soon as you found the right source. In this case, it is more important to focus on credibility of the source rather than the amount of sources.
For special interest groups that are statewide, we would usually look for their local news channel to find for updates on SIGS.
Over time, a SIG dissolves, either that they have achieved their goal or no longer receive any support. Although efforts have been made in our department to mark out SIGS that ceases all their activities, there are still some SIGS currently in the database that are potentially inactive. And some SIGS may not explicitly state their status, we need to find some evidence to infer their status since we do not track inactive ones. However, that does not mean removal of SIGS from our database, removal of SIGS only done when it is a mistake or changes in policy. For SIGS that are evidently known to have dissolve, we would attach this following statement in the SIGS description:
When a SIG decided that they no longer want to makes expenditure or receive contribution, they will file a report what known as the Termination report with the FEC. And of course, chances that a SIG would still remain in operation even when they do not wish to have any financial involvement, but this would substantially affect the SIG's power and influence. Therefore, it is unlikely that a SIG would remain in operation if they file a termination report.
Occasionally, there will be SIGS in our database that do not have any information regarding the
~-==Advocacy==
The search tool is an internal search function within the website that searches all content available. This is done by searching a keyword or phrase that exist in any of the web pages. You can normally find it at the top of the page at the side of the navigation bar, though sometimes it is located at the footer of the webpage. The function of the search tool is to find content that are not traversable from the surface or anything that is buried deep within website. Most SIG website will have this tool available since their website are usually quite large.
These terms can be reused across SIGS and have variations among them. Though it is not recommend to just use the search tool as a final way to conclude your research on the website. Using the search tool from time to time can be a mindless task and it will not guarantee results and might even give false negatives. So if possible, attempt to be thorough when looking for ratings or endorsements on the website. The key is to first look for structure, like those common traits mentioned above. Then, try and understand how the SIG function, it will give some insights on how to look for the things you need.
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines then can be your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website. Commonly used search syntax for a site search:
Search Engines is the most used tool in VoteSmart's research, simply because most news and updates can be found on websites. Search Engine would also return results that are more reliable and relevant if you can utilize the advanced search function that are available in almost any search engines. Below shows a list of search engines with their advanced search functionality:
|=|Search Engines|=|Syntax Guide/List|=|Tool||
As the most useful tool for finding information, there is a tendency to be too dependent on it, which can result in a messy research in the long run. The better mindset for it is a tool that serves as a pointer, that would be to find the relevant websites and the process should stop as soon as you found the right source. In this case, it is more important to focus on credibility of the source rather than the amount of sources.
For special interest groups that are statewide, we would usually look for their local news channel to find for updates on SIGS.
Over time, a SIG dissolves, either that they have achieved their goal or no longer receive any support. Although efforts have been made in our department to mark out SIGS that ceases all their activities, there are still some SIGS currently in the database that are potentially inactive. And some SIGS may not explicitly state their status, we need to find some evidence to infer their status since we do not track inactive ones. However, that does not mean removal of SIGS from our database, removal of SIGS only done when it is a mistake or changes in policy. For SIGS that are evidently known to have dissolve, we would attach this following statement in the SIGS description:
When a SIG decided that they no longer want to makes expenditure or receive contribution, they will file a report what known as the Termination report with the FEC. And of course, chances that a SIG would still remain in operation even when they do not wish to have any financial involvement, but this would substantially affect the SIG's power and influence. Therefore, it is unlikely that a SIG would remain in operation if they file a termination report.
Occasionally, there will be SIGS in our database that do not have any information regarding the
Deletions:
~-==Political Advocacy==
The search tool is an internal search function within the website that searches all content available. This is done by searching a keyword or phrase that exist in any of the web pages. You will find it easily as it normally locates at the top of the page at the side of the navigation bar, though sometimes it is located at the footer of the webpage, our website for example. When you use it, it is to find content that are not traversable from the surface or anything that is buried deep within website. Most SIG website will have this tool available since their website can be quite large. So, you will be using this tool when you want to search for a particular content quickly, for example ratings and endorsements.
These terms are reused across SIGS and different for each SIG you find. It is not recommend to just use the search tool as a final way to conclude your research on the website. Using the search tool from time to time can be a mindless task and it will not guarantee results and might even give false negatives. So if possible, be thorough when looking for ratings or endorsements on the website. The key is to first look for structure, like those common traits mentioned above. Then, try and understand how the SIG function, it will give some insights on how to look for the things you need.
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines would become your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website. Commonly used search syntax for a site search:
Search Engines is the most used tool in VoteSmart's research, simply because most news and updates can be found on websites. Search Engine would be return results that are more reliable and relevant if you can utilize the advanced search function that are in almost any search engines. Below shows a list of search engines with their advanced search functionality:
|=|Search Engines|=|Guide/List|=|Tool||
As the most useful tool for finding information, there is a tendency to be too dependent on it, which can result in a messy research in the long run. The better mindset for it is a tool that serves as a pointer, that would be to find the relevant websites and the process should stop as soon as you found the right source. The content discovered should focus on credibility of it rather than its information.
For interest groups that are statewide, we would usually look for their local news channel for sources that are
Over time, a SIG dissolves, either they have achieved their goal or no longer receive any support. Although efforts have been made to mark out SIGS that ceases all their activities, there are still some SIGS currently in the database that are potentially inactive. And some SIGS may not explicitly state their status, we need to find some evidence to infer their status since we do not track inactive ones. However, that does not mean removal of SIGS from our database, removal of SIGS only done when it is a mistake or changes in policy. For SIGS that are evidently known to have dissolve, we would attach this following statement in the SIGS description:
When a group decided that they no longer want to makes expenditure or receive contribution, they will file a report what known as the Termination report with the FEC. And of course, chances that a SIG would still remain in operation even when they do not wish to have any financial involvement, but this would substantially affect the SIG's power and influence. Therefore, it is unlikely that a SIG would remain in operation if they file a termination report.
Additions:
When a group decided that they no longer want to makes expenditure or receive contribution, they will file a report what known as the Termination report with the FEC. And of course, chances that a SIG would still remain in operation even when they do not wish to have any financial involvement, but this would substantially affect the SIG's power and influence. Therefore, it is unlikely that a SIG would remain in operation if they file a termination report.
"//The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, the print disabled, and the general public. Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge."
"//The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, the print disabled, and the general public. Our mission is to provide Universal Access to All Knowledge."
Deletions:
Additions:
When a group decided that they no longer want to makes expenditure or receive contribution, they will file a report what known as the Termination report with the FEC. And of course, chances that a SIG would still remain in operation even when they do not wish to have any financial involvement, but this would substantially affect the SIG's power and influence. So, it is unlikely that a SIG would remain in operation if they file a termination report.
Deletions:
Additions:
Over time, a SIG dissolves, either they have achieved their goal or no longer receive any support. Although efforts have been made to mark out SIGS that ceases all their activities, there are still some SIGS currently in the database that are potentially inactive. And some SIGS may not explicitly state their status, we need to find some evidence to infer their status since we do not track inactive ones. However, that does not mean removal of SIGS from our database, removal of SIGS only done when it is a mistake or changes in policy. For SIGS that are evidently known to have dissolve, we would attach this following statement in the SIGS description:
There are a few methods we have adopted to investigate the status of a SIG. We would refer to valid sources such as a government entity like the Federal Election Committee (FEC) or using a tool to investigate the past history of the SIGS website to find if they have any changes recently.
The FEC is responsible for any campaign finances for offices on the national level. These finances are sourced from though not limited to individual, groups and corporations. For every transaction that a candidate receive for the purpose of their campaigns, there will be a record. Likewise, these records also reflects on committee namely special interests groups in their filings. All of these filings are publicly accessible information and these filings are presented in a document format which anyone could view and obtain.
When a group decided that they no longer want to makes expenditure or receive contribution, they will file a report what known as the Termination report with the FEC. And of course, chances that a SIG would still remain in operation even when they do not wish to have any financial involvement, but this would obviously affect the SIG significantly as it would substantially reduce their power and influence. So, it is unlikely that a SIG would remain in operation if they file a termination report.
//See the FEC homepage [[https://www.fec.gov/ here]].//
There are a few methods we have adopted to investigate the status of a SIG. We would refer to valid sources such as a government entity like the Federal Election Committee (FEC) or using a tool to investigate the past history of the SIGS website to find if they have any changes recently.
The FEC is responsible for any campaign finances for offices on the national level. These finances are sourced from though not limited to individual, groups and corporations. For every transaction that a candidate receive for the purpose of their campaigns, there will be a record. Likewise, these records also reflects on committee namely special interests groups in their filings. All of these filings are publicly accessible information and these filings are presented in a document format which anyone could view and obtain.
When a group decided that they no longer want to makes expenditure or receive contribution, they will file a report what known as the Termination report with the FEC. And of course, chances that a SIG would still remain in operation even when they do not wish to have any financial involvement, but this would obviously affect the SIG significantly as it would substantially reduce their power and influence. So, it is unlikely that a SIG would remain in operation if they file a termination report.
//See the FEC homepage [[https://www.fec.gov/ here]].//
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGs will mainly focus on special interest groups [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]] before you start collecting them since you will need to recognize the content that you are collecting if you do not know them already. In some occasions, you might encounter a new group that is not already in our database, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups do both ratings and endorsements, some groups do one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup special interest groups]] that are currently on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and **we do not** collect groups that does not have either of these information.
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that our department adopted is to collect for endorsements at the essential time closing onto an election day or week, as there are more likely to have these information released. As of this writing, the current resource our department utilizes to keep track of our work is via a spreadsheet, what we call a sweep sheet. Basically, a sweep sheet keeps track of when the SIGS is last updated or swept by last updated date (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation sweep sheet]]). Collected information should also be properly stored and documented in the network drive. There are various methods to store the collected information, as such would be downloading documents (PDFs, spreadsheet, images), screenshots, printing and downloading web pages and scraping information. Stored and documented information will be vital as being a reference and evidence to our research. (//See more at [[SIGSDocumentation Documentation]]//).
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines would become your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website. Commonly used search syntax for a site search:
Search Engines is the most used tool in VoteSmart's research, simply because most news and updates can be found on websites. Search Engine would be return results that are more reliable and relevant if you can utilize the advanced search function that are in almost any search engines. Below shows a list of search engines with their advanced search functionality:
As the most useful tool for finding information, there is a tendency to be too dependent on it, which can result in a messy research in the long run. The better mindset for it is a tool that serves as a pointer, that would be to find the relevant websites and the process should stop as soon as you found the right source. The content discovered should focus on credibility of it rather than its information.
Some news media can lean towards a side on the political spectrum and can be partisan. They are not the most reliable source of information but they normally cite their source. Citations are what we would typically look for in an news article especially the mentioning of endorsements of candidate(s) by a certain group. As a reminder, we only take firsthand sources, that is the information is from interest groups themselves.
For interest groups that are statewide, we would usually look for their local news channel for sources that are
Over time, a SIG dissolves, either they have achieved their goal or no longer receive any support. Although efforts have been made to mark out SIGS that ceases all their activities, there are still some SIGS currently in the database that are potentially inactive. And some SIGS may not explicitly state their status, we need to find some evidence to infer their status since we do not track inactive ones. However, that does not mean removal of SIGS from our database, removal of SIGS only done when it is a mistake or our department's policy changes. For SIGS that are evidently known to have dissolve, we would attach this following statement in the SIGS description:
"//"This organization is dissolved. Its archives are kept here as a public service." -Project Vote Smart//"
"//The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency charged with administering and enforcing the federal campaign finance law. The FEC has jurisdiction over the financing of campaigns for the U.S. House, Senate, Presidency and the Vice Presidency.//"
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that our department adopted is to collect for endorsements at the essential time closing onto an election day or week, as there are more likely to have these information released. As of this writing, the current resource our department utilizes to keep track of our work is via a spreadsheet, what we call a sweep sheet. Basically, a sweep sheet keeps track of when the SIGS is last updated or swept by last updated date (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation sweep sheet]]). Collected information should also be properly stored and documented in the network drive. There are various methods to store the collected information, as such would be downloading documents (PDFs, spreadsheet, images), screenshots, printing and downloading web pages and scraping information. Stored and documented information will be vital as being a reference and evidence to our research. (//See more at [[SIGSDocumentation Documentation]]//).
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines would become your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website. Commonly used search syntax for a site search:
Search Engines is the most used tool in VoteSmart's research, simply because most news and updates can be found on websites. Search Engine would be return results that are more reliable and relevant if you can utilize the advanced search function that are in almost any search engines. Below shows a list of search engines with their advanced search functionality:
As the most useful tool for finding information, there is a tendency to be too dependent on it, which can result in a messy research in the long run. The better mindset for it is a tool that serves as a pointer, that would be to find the relevant websites and the process should stop as soon as you found the right source. The content discovered should focus on credibility of it rather than its information.
Some news media can lean towards a side on the political spectrum and can be partisan. They are not the most reliable source of information but they normally cite their source. Citations are what we would typically look for in an news article especially the mentioning of endorsements of candidate(s) by a certain group. As a reminder, we only take firsthand sources, that is the information is from interest groups themselves.
For interest groups that are statewide, we would usually look for their local news channel for sources that are
Over time, a SIG dissolves, either they have achieved their goal or no longer receive any support. Although efforts have been made to mark out SIGS that ceases all their activities, there are still some SIGS currently in the database that are potentially inactive. And some SIGS may not explicitly state their status, we need to find some evidence to infer their status since we do not track inactive ones. However, that does not mean removal of SIGS from our database, removal of SIGS only done when it is a mistake or our department's policy changes. For SIGS that are evidently known to have dissolve, we would attach this following statement in the SIGS description:
"//"This organization is dissolved. Its archives are kept here as a public service." -Project Vote Smart//"
"//The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency charged with administering and enforcing the federal campaign finance law. The FEC has jurisdiction over the financing of campaigns for the U.S. House, Senate, Presidency and the Vice Presidency.//"
Deletions:
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that our department adopted is to collect for endorsements at the essential time closing onto an election day or week, as there are more likely to have these information released. As of this writing, the current resource our department utilizes to keep track of our work is via a spreadsheet, what we call a sweep sheet. Basically, a sweep sheet keeps track of when the SIGS is last updated or swept by last updated date (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation sweep sheet]]). Collected information should also be properly stored and documented in the network drive. There are various methods to store the collected information, as such would be downloading documents (PDFs, spreadsheet, images), screen shots, printing and downloading web pages and scraping information. Stored and documented information will be vital as being a reference and evidence to our research. (//See more at [[SIGSDocumentation Documentation]]//).
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines would become your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website. Below shows a list of search engines with their site search functionality:
Commonly used search syntax for a site search:
Additions:
---<<site:example.com "must keyword" any keyword<<::c::
Deletions:
<<::c::
Additions:
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines would become your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website. Below shows a list of search engines with their site search functionality:
|=|Search Engines|=|Guide/List|=|Tool||
||Google|| [[https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433 guide]] || [[https://www.google.com/advanced_search tool]] ||
||Bing|| [[http://help.bing.microsoft.com/#apex/18/en-US/10001/-1 list]] || - ||
||Yahoo|| - || [[https://search.yahoo.com/web/advanced tool]] ||
||Duck Duck Go|| [[https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/results/syntax/ list]] || - ||
Commonly used search syntax for a site search:
---<<site:example.com "must keyword" any keyword
<<::c::
===Utilizing Search Engines===
|=|Search Engines|=|Guide/List|=|Tool||
||Google|| [[https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433 guide]] || [[https://www.google.com/advanced_search tool]] ||
||Bing|| [[http://help.bing.microsoft.com/#apex/18/en-US/10001/-1 list]] || - ||
||Yahoo|| - || [[https://search.yahoo.com/web/advanced tool]] ||
||Duck Duck Go|| [[https://help.duckduckgo.com/duckduckgo-help-pages/results/syntax/ list]] || - ||
Commonly used search syntax for a site search:
---<<site:example.com "must keyword" any keyword
<<::c::
===Utilizing Search Engines===
Deletions:
===Utilizing Google Search===
Additions:
===Site Search===
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines would become your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website.
The search algorithm however, is not as sophisticated or elegant as say Facebook. The word that you search for would not be fuzzy matched with other word. So, searching for posts containing the word 'endorsements' would not return posts that contains word 'endorse' and vice versa. There is a part exception to that where searching for 'endorse' would return posts containing the word 'endorses', that is because 'endorses' is the plural form, past tense however is not included. So, be thorough and mindful of false negatives.
Instagram is a straightforward one as the interface is intuitive and content appears right off the profile page. Just like Facebook, you will have to log-in in order to have more access to posts.
Sometimes, the search tool provided is not completely developed or there is no search tool at all. Search engines would become your friend. Most search engine now would have a site search function that enables your search results to only focus on a specifically mentioned website.
The search algorithm however, is not as sophisticated or elegant as say Facebook. The word that you search for would not be fuzzy matched with other word. So, searching for posts containing the word 'endorsements' would not return posts that contains word 'endorse' and vice versa. There is a part exception to that where searching for 'endorse' would return posts containing the word 'endorses', that is because 'endorses' is the plural form, past tense however is not included. So, be thorough and mindful of false negatives.
Instagram is a straightforward one as the interface is intuitive and content appears right off the profile page. Just like Facebook, you will have to log-in in order to have more access to posts.
Deletions:
There is not much to cover for Instagram as the interface are straightforward and the content appears right on the profile page.
Additions:
Twitter's advanced search tool is publicly accessible without having the user to log in. You can accessed the search tool [[https://twitter.com/search-advanced here]]. The search that is most often performed is an account-wide search for keywords pertaining to endorsements. To do that, you must have both twitter handle and keyword(s) ready.
The search algorithm however, is not as sophisticated or elegant as say Facebook. The word that you search for would not be fuzzy matched with other word. So, searching for posts containing the word 'endorsements' would not return posts that mentioned 'endorse' and vice versa. There is a part exception to that where searching for 'endorse' would return posts containing the word 'endorses', that is because 'endorses' is the plural form, past tense however, is not included. Be mindful of false negatives.
The search algorithm however, is not as sophisticated or elegant as say Facebook. The word that you search for would not be fuzzy matched with other word. So, searching for posts containing the word 'endorsements' would not return posts that mentioned 'endorse' and vice versa. There is a part exception to that where searching for 'endorse' would return posts containing the word 'endorses', that is because 'endorses' is the plural form, past tense however, is not included. Be mindful of false negatives.
Deletions:
Additions:
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that our department adopted is to collect for endorsements at the essential time closing onto an election day or week, as there are more likely to have these information released. As of this writing, the current resource our department utilizes to keep track of our work is via a spreadsheet, what we call a sweep sheet. Basically, a sweep sheet keeps track of when the SIGS is last updated or swept by last updated date (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation sweep sheet]]). Collected information should also be properly stored and documented in the network drive. There are various methods to store the collected information, as such would be downloading documents (PDFs, spreadsheet, images), screen shots, printing and downloading web pages and scraping information. Stored and documented information will be vital as being a reference and evidence to our research. (//See more at [[SIGSDocumentation Documentation]]//).
All the posts on the Facebook page are originally sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform advanced filtering that would speed up the process.
Twitter's advanced search tool is publicly accessible without having the user to log in. You can accessed the search tool [[https://twitter.com/search-advanced here]]. The search that is most often performed is an account-wide search for keywords pertaining to endorsements. To do that, you must have both twitter handle and keyword(s) ready. The search algorithm however, is not as sophisticated or elegant as say Facebook. The word that you search for would not be a fuzzy matched but an exact match. So, searching for posts containing the word 'endorsements' would not return posts
There is not much to cover for Instagram as the interface are straightforward and the content appears right on the profile page.
All the posts on the Facebook page are originally sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform advanced filtering that would speed up the process.
Twitter's advanced search tool is publicly accessible without having the user to log in. You can accessed the search tool [[https://twitter.com/search-advanced here]]. The search that is most often performed is an account-wide search for keywords pertaining to endorsements. To do that, you must have both twitter handle and keyword(s) ready. The search algorithm however, is not as sophisticated or elegant as say Facebook. The word that you search for would not be a fuzzy matched but an exact match. So, searching for posts containing the word 'endorsements' would not return posts
There is not much to cover for Instagram as the interface are straightforward and the content appears right on the profile page.
Deletions:
All the posts on the Facebook page are originally sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process.
Twitter's advanced search tool is publicly accessible without having the user to log in. You can accessed the search tool [[https://twitter.com/search-advanced here]].
There is not much to cover for Instagram as most of the things on there are pretty straightforward.
Additions:
When a SIG appears on Facebook, it usually comes in pages. The important section on the page to look through are the 'About' and the 'Posts' section. The 'About' section would normally contain their up-to-date basic information such as contact information and organization's mission that we use to update on our end. 'Post' section on the other hand is where you will look for endorsements.
All the posts on the Facebook page are originally sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter is more focused on posts and ideas than profiling and it is standardized across different types of profiles; there are no functional differences when comes to individual or a business profile. Hence, there is a more advanced search for posts than Facebook. This means that there are more likely to have frequent updates for posts regarding endorsements.
==Advanced Search==
Twitter's advanced search tool is publicly accessible without having the user to log in. You can accessed the search tool [[https://twitter.com/search-advanced here]].
There is not much to cover for Instagram as most of the things on there are pretty straightforward.
All the posts on the Facebook page are originally sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter is more focused on posts and ideas than profiling and it is standardized across different types of profiles; there are no functional differences when comes to individual or a business profile. Hence, there is a more advanced search for posts than Facebook. This means that there are more likely to have frequent updates for posts regarding endorsements.
==Advanced Search==
Twitter's advanced search tool is publicly accessible without having the user to log in. You can accessed the search tool [[https://twitter.com/search-advanced here]].
There is not much to cover for Instagram as most of the things on there are pretty straightforward.
Deletions:
All the posts on the Facebook page are originally sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process, just make sure to not get distracted by other things (//*wink wink//).
Unlike Facebook, twitter is more focused on posts and ideas than profiling the organization.
Additions:
All the posts on the Facebook page are originally sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process, just make sure to not get distracted by other things (//*wink wink//).
Deletions:
Additions:
When a SIG appears on Facebook, it usually comes in pages. The important section on the page to look through are the 'About' and the 'Posts' section. The 'About' section would normally contain their up-to-date basic information such as contact information and organization's mission that we use to update on our end. 'Post' section on the other hand is where you will look for both ratings and endorsements.
Unlike Facebook, twitter is more focused on posts and ideas than profiling the organization.
Unlike Facebook, twitter is more focused on posts and ideas than profiling the organization.
Deletions:
Additions:
All the posts on the Facebook page are sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process, just make sure to not get distracted by other things (//*wink wink//).
Deletions:
Additions:
All the posts on the Facebook page are sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keywords or phrases in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process, just make sure to not get distracted by other things (*wink wink).
Deletions:
Additions:
When a SIG appears on Facebook, it usually comes in pages. The important section on the page to look through are the 'About' and the 'Posts' section. The 'About' section would normally contain their up-to-date basic information such as contact information and organization's mission that we use to update on our end. 'Post' section on the other hand is where you would look for both ratings and endorsements.
All the posts on the Facebook page are sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keyword in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process, just make sure to not get distracted by other things (*wink wink).
All the posts on the Facebook page are sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keyword in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process, just make sure to not get distracted by other things (*wink wink).
Deletions:
Additions:
The other source comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram (endorsements in the form of posters). They are likely to have the most up-to-date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform in an instant. Most SIGS will have at least one or more social media platform, this wiki page will only cover the most common ones that have been used.
When a SIG appears on Facebook, it usually comes in pages. The important section on the page to look through are the 'About' and the 'Posts' section. The 'About' section would normally contain their up-to-date basic information such as contact information and organization's mission that we use to update on our end. 'Post' section on the other hand is where you would look for both ratings and endorsements. All the posts on the Facebook page are sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keyword in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process, just make sure to not get distracted by other things (*wink wink).
When a SIG appears on Facebook, it usually comes in pages. The important section on the page to look through are the 'About' and the 'Posts' section. The 'About' section would normally contain their up-to-date basic information such as contact information and organization's mission that we use to update on our end. 'Post' section on the other hand is where you would look for both ratings and endorsements. All the posts on the Facebook page are sorted in the latest to date fashion. Lucky for you if you would be able to find ratings and endorsements by looking through the latest posts, however, for time sake we will resort to using the search function right away. The search function utilizes a keyword search where you could input those keyword in reference to the table above. The found posts are not arranged in any particular order so look as far down as possible to be thorough. Sometimes it is better to log-in to your Facebook account (if you had one) to perform some more advanced filtering that would speed up the process, just make sure to not get distracted by other things (*wink wink).
Deletions:
Additions:
=====Verifying Existing SIGS=====
No Differences
Additions:
===News Articles===
Additions:
===Wayback Machine===
Additions:
===Utilizing Google Search===
No Differences
Additions:
==Searching using Keywords==
Deletions:
No Differences
Additions:
SIG tend to use their own terms to define what a rating should be called or how they would show their endorsements. Below is a table showing the common keywords that has been used by many SIGS:
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGs will mainly focus on special interest groups [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]] before you start collecting them since you will need to recognize the content that you are collecting if you do not know them already. In some occasions, you might encounter a new group that is not already in our database, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup special interest groups]] that are currently on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and **we do not** collect groups that does not have either of these information.
Deletions:
Additions:
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that our department adopted is to collect for endorsements at the essential time closing onto an election day or week, as there are more likely to have these information released. As of this writing, the current resource our department utilizes to keep track of our work is via a spreadsheet, what we call a sweep sheet. Basically, a sweep sheet keeps track of when the SIGS is last updated or swept by last updated date (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation sweep sheet]]).
Deletions:
Additions:
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that our department adopted is to collect for endorsements at the essential time closing onto an election day or week, as there are more likely to have these information released. As of this writing, the current resource SIGs utilize to keep track of our work is via a spreadsheet, what we call a sweep sheet. Basically, a sweep sheet keeps track of when the SIGS is last updated or swept by last updated date (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation sweep sheet]]).
Deletions:
Additions:
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that our department adopted is to collect for endorsements at the essential time closing onto an election day or week, as there are more likely to have these information released. As of this writing, the current resource SIGs utilize to keep track of our work is via a spreadsheet, what we call a sweep sheet. Basically, a sweep sheet keeps track of when the SIGS is last updated or swept by last updated date (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation Sweep Sheet]]).
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGs will mainly focus on special interest groups [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]] before you start collecting them since you will need to recognize the content that you are collecting if you do not know them already. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not already in our database, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup special interest groups]] that are currently on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and **we do not** collect groups that does not have either of these information.
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGs will mainly focus on special interest groups [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]] before you start collecting them since you will need to recognize the content that you are collecting if you do not know them already. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not already in our database, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup special interest groups]] that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and **we do not** collect groups that does not have either of these information.
Deletions:
//Click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup here]] to learn more on special interest groups//.
Additions:
//Click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup here]] to learn more on special interest groups//.
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGs will mainly focus on special interest groups [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]] before you start collecting them since you will need to recognize the content that you are collecting if you do not know them already. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not already in our database, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and **we do not** collect groups that does not have either of these information.
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGs will mainly focus on special interest groups [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]] before you start collecting them since you will need to recognize the content that you are collecting if you do not know them already. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not already in our database, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and **we do not** collect groups that does not have either of these information.
Deletions:
No Differences
Additions:
The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram (in the form of endorsement posters). They are likely to have the most up-to-date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform in an instant. Most SIGS will have at least one or more social media platform, this wiki page will only cover the most common available as of this writing.
Deletions:
No Differences
No Differences
Additions:
The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram (in the form of endorsement posters). They are likely to have the most up-to-date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform in an instant.
===Facebook===
===Twitter===
===Instagram===
===Federal Election Committee (FEC)===
===Facebook===
===Twitter===
===Instagram===
===Federal Election Committee (FEC)===
Deletions:
Deletions:
//To learn more on SIG endorsements, click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements here]]//.
Additions:
||ratings||scorecard, voter/voting guide, candidate scores, legislative guide ||
||endorsements||endorse/endorsed/endorsement(s), recommend, support, vote for||
||endorsements||endorse/endorsed/endorsement(s), recommend, support, vote for||
Deletions:
||endorsements||endorse/endorsed/endorsement(s), recommend, support, vote for||
Additions:
Most of the ratings or endorsements we will be collecting can be found on interest group's website, as they are one of the fastest way to obtain firsthand information from. And since most interest group at the state and national level will have a website themselves, even for member's activities that usually requires authentication. So, as you can imagine, interest groups website can contain thousands of webpages. The challenge here is to know where to look, and you will get better at it with experience.
SIGS tend to use their own terms to define what a rating should be called or how they would show their endorsements. Below is a table showing the common keywords that has been used by SIGS:
These terms are reused across SIGS and different for each SIG you find. It is not recommend to just use the search tool as a final way to conclude your research on the website. Using the search tool from time to time can be a mindless task and it will not guarantee results and might even give false negatives. So if possible, be thorough when looking for ratings or endorsements on the website. The key is to first look for structure, like those common traits mentioned above. Then, try and understand how the SIG function, it will give some insights on how to look for the things you need.
SIGS tend to use their own terms to define what a rating should be called or how they would show their endorsements. Below is a table showing the common keywords that has been used by SIGS:
These terms are reused across SIGS and different for each SIG you find. It is not recommend to just use the search tool as a final way to conclude your research on the website. Using the search tool from time to time can be a mindless task and it will not guarantee results and might even give false negatives. So if possible, be thorough when looking for ratings or endorsements on the website. The key is to first look for structure, like those common traits mentioned above. Then, try and understand how the SIG function, it will give some insights on how to look for the things you need.
Deletions:
SIGS tend to use their own terms to define what a rating should be called or how they would show that their endorsements. Below is a table showing the common keywords that has been used by SIGS:
These terms are reused across SIGS and different for each SIG you find. It is not recommend to just use the search tool as a final way to conclude your research on the website. Sometimes, the search tool will not work perfectly to find all the pages you need. Be as thorough as you can when looking for ratings and endorsements on the website.
Additions:
These terms are reused across SIGS and different for each SIG you find. It is not recommend to just use the search tool as a final way to conclude your research on the website. Sometimes, the search tool will not work perfectly to find all the pages you need. Be as thorough as you can when looking for ratings and endorsements on the website.
No Differences
Additions:
===Searching using Keywords===
Deletions:
Additions:
||endorsements||endorse/endorsed/endorsement(s), recommend, support, vote for||
Deletions:
Additions:
The search tool is an internal search function within the website that searches all content available. This is done by searching a keyword or phrase that exist in any of the web pages. You will find it easily as it normally locates at the top of the page at the side of the navigation bar, though sometimes it is located at the footer of the webpage, our website for example. When you use it, it is to find content that are not traversable from the surface or anything that is buried deep within website. Most SIG website will have this tool available since their website can be quite large. So, you will be using this tool when you want to search for a particular content quickly, for example ratings and endorsements.
==Searching using Keywords==
SIGS tend to use their own terms to define what a rating should be called or how they would show that their endorsements. Below is a table showing the common keywords that has been used by SIGS:
|=|Data Type|=|Common Keyword||
||ratings||scorecard, voter/voting guide, candidate scores, legislative guide ||
||endorsements||endorsed, endorsements, recommend, support, vote for||
==Searching using Keywords==
SIGS tend to use their own terms to define what a rating should be called or how they would show that their endorsements. Below is a table showing the common keywords that has been used by SIGS:
|=|Data Type|=|Common Keyword||
||ratings||scorecard, voter/voting guide, candidate scores, legislative guide ||
||endorsements||endorsed, endorsements, recommend, support, vote for||
No Differences
Additions:
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that the current SIGs adopted to collect for endorsements is at the essential time closing onto an election day or week, as there are more likely to have these information released. As of this writing, the current resource SIGs utilize to keep track of our work is via a spreadsheet, what we call a sweep sheet. Basically, a sweep sheet keeps track of when the SIGS is last updated or swept by last updated date (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation Sweep Sheet]]).
Note that they do not normally have the same title as shown above, but could be somewhat look and function similarly. Some groups will have specific web domain dedicated to contain these information. Groups that does this would want to keep their main operations apart from their political actions or that they have a PAC--Political Action Committee. This normally happen on major groups such as the [[https://nra.org National Rifle Association (NRA)]] or [[https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Planned Parenthood]]; political action site for [[https://www.nrapvf.org/ NRA Political Victory Fund]] and [[https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ Planned Parenthood Action Fund]]. So you might want to look for these websites before concluding the research for that SIG.
===Search Tool===
Note that they do not normally have the same title as shown above, but could be somewhat look and function similarly. Some groups will have specific web domain dedicated to contain these information. Groups that does this would want to keep their main operations apart from their political actions or that they have a PAC--Political Action Committee. This normally happen on major groups such as the [[https://nra.org National Rifle Association (NRA)]] or [[https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Planned Parenthood]]; political action site for [[https://www.nrapvf.org/ NRA Political Victory Fund]] and [[https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ Planned Parenthood Action Fund]]. So you might want to look for these websites before concluding the research for that SIG.
===Search Tool===
Deletions:
Note that they do not normally have the same title as shown above, but could be somewhat look and function similarly. If they contain neither of the above, it could also mean that the group has a specific web domain dedicated to it. So you might want to look for these websites. Groups that does this would want to keep their main operations apart from their political actions or that they have a PAC--Political Action Committee. This normally happen on major groups such as the [[https://nra.org National Rifle Association (NRA)]] or [[https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Planned Parenthood]]; political action site for [[https://www.nrapvf.org/ NRA Political Victory Fund]] and [[https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ Planned Parenthood Action Fund]].
Additions:
Other than above two mediums, the other way is to look for pointers. Highly emphasizing pointers here is because we only take **firsthand** source of data, it is important to note that we will not use any secondary sources as evidence to our findings and research, even how convincing or creditable it looks. These pointers are news media, candidate announcements and other third parties.
Deletions:
Additions:
~-==Political Advocacy==
~
~-==News and Updates==
~
~-==Take Action==
~
~
~-==News and Updates==
~
~-==Take Action==
~
Deletions:
~-News and Updates
~-Take Action
Additions:
Note that they do not normally have the same title as shown above, but could be somewhat look and function similarly. If they contain neither of the above, it could also mean that the group has a specific web domain dedicated to it. So you might want to look for these websites. Groups that does this would want to keep their main operations apart from their political actions or that they have a PAC--Political Action Committee. This normally happen on major groups such as the [[https://nra.org National Rifle Association (NRA)]] or [[https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Planned Parenthood]]; political action site for [[https://www.nrapvf.org/ NRA Political Victory Fund]] and [[https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ Planned Parenthood Action Fund]].
Deletions:
This normally happen on major groups such as the [[https://nra.org National Rifle Association (NRA)]] or [[https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Planned Parenthood]]; political action site for [[https://www.nrapvf.org/ NRA Political Victory Fund]] and [[https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ Planned Parenthood Action Fund]]
Additions:
Note that they do not normally have the same title as shown above, but could be somewhat look and function similarly. If they contain neither of the above, it could also mean that the group has a specific web domain dedicated to it. Groups that does this would want to keep their main operations apart from their political actions and could also be that they have a PAC--Political Action Committee.
This normally happen on major groups such as the [[https://nra.org National Rifle Association (NRA)]] or [[https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Planned Parenthood]]; political action site for [[https://www.nrapvf.org/ NRA Political Victory Fund]] and [[https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ Planned Parenthood Action Fund]]
This normally happen on major groups such as the [[https://nra.org National Rifle Association (NRA)]] or [[https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Planned Parenthood]]; political action site for [[https://www.nrapvf.org/ NRA Political Victory Fund]] and [[https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/ Planned Parenthood Action Fund]]
Deletions:
Additions:
Note that they do not normally have the same title as shown above, but could be somewhat look and function similarly. If they contain neither of the above, it could also mean that the group has a specific web domain dedicated to it. This appear often on big groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) or Planned Parenthood Advocates.
Deletions:
Additions:
Note that they do not normally have the same title as shown above, but could be somewhat look and function similarly.
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGs will mainly focus on special interest groups [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]] before you start collecting them since you will need to recognize the content that you are collecting if you do not know them already. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database yet, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and **we do not** collect groups that does not have either of these information.
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that SIGs has adopted is A sweep sheet would be updated from time to time (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation Sweep Sheet]]).
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the latest info as soon as you can. One strategy that SIGs has adopted is A sweep sheet would be updated from time to time (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation Sweep Sheet]]).
Deletions:
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the data mentioned above. . A sweep sheet would be updated from time to time (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation Sweep Sheet]]).
Additions:
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with [[SIGSRatings ratings]] and [[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]] before you start collecting them since you will need to recognize the content that you are collecting if you do not know them already. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database yet, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and **we do not** collect groups that does not have either of these information.
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the data mentioned above. . A sweep sheet would be updated from time to time (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation Sweep Sheet]]).
Most of the ratings or endorsements we will be collecting can be found on interest group's website, as they are one of the fastest way to obtain firsthand information from them. And since most interest group at the state and national level will have a website themselves, even for member's activities that usually requires authentication. So, as you can imagine, interest groups website can contain thousands of webpages. The challenge here is to know where to look, and you will get better at it with experience.
The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram. They are likely to have the most up-to-date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform.
Other than these two mediums, the other way is to look for pointers. Highly emphasizing pointers here is because we only take **firsthand** source of data, it is important to note that we will not use any secondary sources as evidence to our findings and research, even how convincing or creditable it looks. These pointers are news media, candidate announcements and other third parties.
The collection process should follow a schedule to perform checks on groups that are currently live and active in the database, the goal is to keep it updated with the data mentioned above. . A sweep sheet would be updated from time to time (see more on [[SIGSDocumentation Sweep Sheet]]).
Most of the ratings or endorsements we will be collecting can be found on interest group's website, as they are one of the fastest way to obtain firsthand information from them. And since most interest group at the state and national level will have a website themselves, even for member's activities that usually requires authentication. So, as you can imagine, interest groups website can contain thousands of webpages. The challenge here is to know where to look, and you will get better at it with experience.
The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram. They are likely to have the most up-to-date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform.
Other than these two mediums, the other way is to look for pointers. Highly emphasizing pointers here is because we only take **firsthand** source of data, it is important to note that we will not use any secondary sources as evidence to our findings and research, even how convincing or creditable it looks. These pointers are news media, candidate announcements and other third parties.
Deletions:
Most of the ratings or endorsements we will be collecting can be found on interest group's website, as they are one of the fastest way to obtain firsthand information from them. And since most interest group at the state and national level will have a website themselves, even for member's activities that usually requires authentication. So, as you can imagine, interest groups website can contain thousands of webpages. The challenge here is to know where to look, and you will get better at it with experience. The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram. They are likely to have the most up-to-date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform. Other than these two mediums, the other way is to look for pointers. Highly emphasizing pointers here is because we only take **firsthand** source of data, it is important to note that we will not use any secondary sources as evidence to our findings and research, even how convincing or creditable it looks. These pointers are news media, candidate announcements and other third parties.
Additions:
Researching these information might seem a little too easy or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all these information have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that. One piece of data may look trivial, but a collection of them will be very useful and will benefit other research institutions. Other than the famous phrase of "saving democracy" from time to time you will hear working at VoteSmart, you can also view VoteSmart as a one-stop-shop for factual information pertaining to politics.
===Common Traits===
===Common Traits===
Deletions:
Common Traits
Additions:
~-Take Action
Deletions:
Additions:
Common Traits
Special Interests Group (SIG) websites tend to share a similar pattern. Just like websites that uses a design template that serves a specific function, you could think of a SIG website as using a "template" that functions to cater information to the public and members alike. The common traits of SIG websites is that they will usually have the the following section:
~-Political Advocacy
~-News and Updates
~-Taking Action
Note that they don't normally show
Special Interests Group (SIG) websites tend to share a similar pattern. Just like websites that uses a design template that serves a specific function, you could think of a SIG website as using a "template" that functions to cater information to the public and members alike. The common traits of SIG websites is that they will usually have the the following section:
~-Political Advocacy
~-News and Updates
~-Taking Action
Note that they don't normally show
Deletions:
Additions:
Special interests group websites tend to share a similar pattern. Just like websites that uses a design template that serves a specific function, you could think of a SIG website as using a "template" that functions to cater information to the public and members alike.
Deletions:
Additions:
=====Collecting from Websites=====
=====Collecting from Social Media=====
=====Collecting from other sources=====
=====Collecting from Social Media=====
=====Collecting from other sources=====
Deletions:
=====Collecting SIG Endorsements=====
=====Collecting New SIGS=====
Additions:
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with **[[SIGSRatings ratings]]** and **[[SIGSEndorsements endorsements]]** before you start collecting them since you will need to know what you are collecting. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database yet, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and we do not collect groups that does not have either of these information.
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with **[[SIGSRatings ratings]]** and **endorsements** before you start collecting them since you will need to know what you are collecting. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database yet, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and we do not collect groups that does not have either of these information.
Deletions:
Additions:
Most of the ratings or endorsements we will be collecting can be found on interest group's website, as they are one of the fastest way to obtain firsthand information from them. And since most interest group at the state and national level will have a website themselves, even for member's activities that usually requires authentication. So, as you can imagine, interest groups website can contain thousands of webpages. The challenge here is to know where to look, and you will get better at it with experience. The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram. They are likely to have the most up-to-date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform. Other than these two mediums, the other way is to look for pointers. Highly emphasizing pointers here is because we only take **firsthand** source of data, it is important to note that we will not use any secondary sources as evidence to our findings and research, even how convincing or creditable it looks. These pointers are news media, candidate announcements and other third parties.
Deletions:
Additions:
Researching these information might seem a little too easy or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all these information have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that. One piece of data may look trivial, but a collection of them will be very useful and will benefit other research institutions. Other than the famous phrase of "saving democracy" from time to time you will hear working at VoteSmart, you can also view VoteSmart as a one-stop-shop for factual information pertaining to politics. Just remember, we like our steak raw (//not approved by the FDA however//).
Deletions:
Additions:
Most of the ratings or endorsements we will be collecting can be found on interest group's website, as they are one of the fastest way to obtain firsthand information from them. And since most interest group at the state and national level will have a website themselves, even for member's activities that usually requires authentication. So, as you can imagine, interest groups website can contain thousands of webpages. The challenge here is to know where to look, and you will get better with experience. The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram. They are likely to have the most up-to-date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform. Other than these two mediums, the other way is to look for pointers. Highly emphasizing pointers here is because we only take **firsthand** source of data, it is important to note that we will not use any secondary sources as evidence to our findings and research, even how convincing or creditable it looks. These pointers are news media, candidate announcements and other third parties.
Deletions:
Additions:
Researching these information might seem a little too easy or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all these information have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that. One piece of data may look trivial, but a collection of them will be very useful and will benefit other research institutions. Other than the famous phrase of "saving democracy" from time to time you will hear working at VoteSmart, you can also view VoteSmart as a one-stop-shop for factual information pertaining to politics. Just remember, we like our steak raw (not approved by the FDA however).
Deletions:
Additions:
Researching these information might seem a little too easy or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all these information have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that. One piece of data may look trivial, but a collection of them will be very useful and will benefit other research institutions. Just remember, we like our steak raw (not approved by the FDA however).
Deletions:
Additions:
Researching these information might seem a little too easy or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all of these information will have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that. One piece of data will seemed trivial, but a collection of them will be very useful and will benefit other research institutions. Just remember, we like our steak raw (not approved by the FDA however).
Deletions:
Additions:
Researching these information might seem a little too easy or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all of these information will have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that. One piece of data will seemed trivial, but a collection of them will be very useful that will benefit any other research. Just remember, we like our steak raw (not approved by the FDA however).
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with **ratings** and **endorsements** before you start collecting them since you will need to know what you are collecting. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database yet, you will be collecting them as well. Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both and we do not collect groups that does not have either of these information.
Most of the ratings or endorsements we will be collecting can be found on interest group's website, as they are one of the fastest way to obtain firsthand information from them. And since most interest group at the state and national level will have a website themselves, even for member's activities that usually requires authentication. So, as you can imagine, interest groups website can contain thousands of webpages. The challenge here is to know where to look, and you will get better with experience. The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram. They are likely to have the most up to date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform. Other than these two mediums, the other way is to look for pointers. Highly emphasizing pointers here is because we only take **firsthand** source of data, it is important to note that we will not use any secondary sources as evidence to our findings and research, even how convincing or creditable it looks. These pointers are news media, candidate announcements and other third parties.
Researching these information might seem a little too easy or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all of these information will have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that; we like our steak raw (not approved by the FDA).
Most of the ratings or endorsements we will be collecting can be found on interest group's website, as they are one of the fastest way to obtain firsthand information from them. And since most interest group at the state and national level will have a website themselves, even for member's activities that usually requires authentication. So, as you can imagine, interest groups website can contain thousands of webpages. The challenge here is to know where to look, and you will get better with experience. The other source of data comes from social media, mainly from Twitter or Facebook, or in some rare occasions even graphical social network like Instagram. They are likely to have the most up to date publicly accessible information, since it is most convenient to put up new information on those platform. Other than these two mediums, the other way is to look for pointers. Highly emphasizing pointers here is because we only take **firsthand** source of data, it is important to note that we will not use any secondary sources as evidence to our findings and research, even how convincing or creditable it looks. These pointers are news media, candidate announcements and other third parties.
Researching these information might seem a little too easy or unintelligible at times, because these data are usually pretty straightforward. If that is the case for you, you will need to remember that all of these information will have a starting point, and we are at the very beginning of that; we like our steak raw (not approved by the FDA).
Deletions:
Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both; we do not typically collect groups that do not release these information.
Additions:
<<{{{toc title="Index"}}}<<::c::
Deletions:
Additions:
---
Additions:
======**Collection**======
Deletions:
Additions:
======Collection======
Deletions:
Additions:
======Collection (SIGS)======
Deletions:
Additions:
======**Collection (SIGS)**======
Deletions:
Deletions:
No Differences
No Differences
Additions:
<<{{{toc}}}<<::c::
Deletions:
Additions:
<<{{{toc}}}<<::cc::
Deletions:
No Differences
Additions:
<<{{{toc}}}<<
Deletions:
Additions:
[[SIGS <- Back to SIGS Index]]
Additions:
@@======**Collection (SIGS)**======@@
Deletions:
Additions:
@@======**SIGS Collection**======@@
----
Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both; we do not typically collect groups that do not release these information.
----
----
----
----
Not all special interest groups does both ratings and endorsements, some groups does one and not the other. It is important to note this when you are doing research and it will save you time from searching for something that does not exist. Most of the special interest groups that we currently stored on our database have either ratings or endorsements or both; we do not typically collect groups that do not release these information.
----
----
----
Deletions:
To begin with collection,
Additions:
To begin with collection,
=====Collecting SIG Ratings=====
=====Collecting SIG Endorsements=====
=====Collecting SIG Ratings=====
=====Collecting SIG Endorsements=====
Deletions:
=====Collecting Endorsements=====
Additions:
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with ratings and endorsements before you start collecting them since you will need to know what you are collecting. In some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database yet, you will be collecting them as well.
Deletions:
Additions:
=====Collecting Ratings=====
=====Collecting Endorsements=====
=====Collecting New SIGS=====
=====Collecting Endorsements=====
=====Collecting New SIGS=====
Deletions:
=====Endorsements=====
=====New SIGS=====
No Differences
Additions:
//To learn more on SIG endorsements, click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements here]]//.
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with ratings and endorsements before you start collecting them since you will need to know what you are collecting. Nevertheless, in some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database yet, you will be collecting them as well.
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with ratings and endorsements before you start collecting them since you will need to know what you are collecting. Nevertheless, in some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database, you will be collecting them as well. Before you start doing any collections.
Deletions:
No Differences
Deletions:
Additions:
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data. On some occasions, you might encounter a new SIG that is not in our database, you will be collecting them as well. Before you start doing any collections. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with
//To learn more on SIG ratings, click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSRatings here]]//.
//To learn more on SIG endorsments, click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements here]]//.
//To learn more on special interest groups, click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup here]]//.
//To learn more on SIG ratings, click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSRatings here]]//.
//To learn more on SIG endorsments, click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements here]]//.
//To learn more on special interest groups, click [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup here]]//.
Deletions:
//See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSRatings SIGS Ratings]]//
//See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements SIGS Endorsements]]//
//See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup Special Interest Group]]//
Additions:
>>{{{toc}}}>>
=====Introduction=====
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data.
Special interest groups usually
=====Introduction=====
Our research at SIGS will mainly focus on special interest groups ratings and endorsements. You will constantly be on a lookout for these two categories of data.
Special interest groups usually
Deletions:
=====Basics=====
//Sample//
Additions:
>>{{toc}}>>
Deletions:
Additions:
{{toc}}
Deletions:
Additions:
{{tos}}
No Differences
Additions:
//See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSRatings SIGS Ratings]]//
//See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements SIGS Endorsements]]//
//See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup Special Interest Group]]//
//See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements SIGS Endorsements]]//
//See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SpecialInterestGroup Special Interest Group]]//
Deletions:
See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements SIGS Endorsements]]
See more on
Additions:
@@======**Collection**======@@
Deletions:
Additions:
@@======Collection======@@
See more on
See more on
Additions:
//Sample//
Additions:
=====Basics=====
See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSRatings SIGS Ratings]]
See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements SIGS Endorsements]]
See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSRatings SIGS Ratings]]
See more on [[http://wiki.votesmart.org/SIGSEndorsements SIGS Endorsements]]
