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Research Service Request Example

The processing of the following research service request is to be seen as one alternative. Each request is unique and the outcome differs from subject to subject and it depends on the processing time available.
Please note that the validity of the links was last checked in July 2004.

Mushroom growing

Receiving the request
Identifying the information need
Defining the keywords
Executing the search
a. On the Internet
b. In databases

Asking experts

Delivering the results

1. Receiving the request

The following research service request reached InfoResources via the research service request form available on this website.

info = mushroom growing
english = yes
french =
spanish =
german =
delivery_until_d = 1
delivery_until_m = 5
delivery_until_y = 2005
delivery_by = E-mail
name = xxx
firstname = xxxx
organisation = xxx
phone = xxx
fax = xxx
submit_by = xxx
address = xxx /Turkey

2. Identifying the information need

InfoResources confirmed receipt of the request and asked some questions in order to gain insight into the specific information needs of the enquirer. In an exchange of e-mails we learned that he was looking for information on small scale mushroom production units producing Agaricus bisporus, white variety.

3. Defining the keywords

Having learned the precise information need of our client, we were able to start with the search. First, we checked the correct botanical name and the synonyms for the mushroom in order to define the keywords that have to be included in the search. An Online Atlas of Fungi gave us the following information:

Species
Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) Pilát

Synonyms
Agaricus bisporus var. hortensis
Agaricus campestris var. bisporus
Agaricus hortensis
Psalliota bispora
Psalliota hortensis
Psalliota hortensis var. bispora

4. Executing the search

a. On the Internet

As a next step we searched the Internet using three different searching engines (eg. Google, Teoma and Ask Jeeves) in order to find more relevant documents.

We used different search terms:

Mushroom production
Mushroom-production small-farms
Agaricus-bisporus production
Agaricus-bisporus production small-farms
Agaricus campestris
Agaricus hortensis

This search produced an enormous amount of hits. Therefore we scrutinized the first 10 documents of each search and identified three websites as the most relevant ones for this research request:

b. In databases

Different databases and journals are another important source of information. In this special case we searched "Cab Abstract" with the search term (mushroom) and (small farms) and we got one relevant document:

TI: Production technology of edible mushroom as an option for rural development.
OT: La tecnologia de produccion de hongos comestibles como opcion dentro del desarrollo rural.
AU: Aguilar-Arrieta-A; Dominguez-Torres-T
SO: Agrociencia. 1996, 30: 1, 171-176; 9 ref.
LA: Spanish
LS: English
AB: The continuous degradation of natural resources and the growing demand for food requires the development of sustainable food production systems. The introduction of new technology is rarely suited to small farmers due to the high expense and the high risks involved. Also new technologies are often difficult to integrate into small farm systems. The production technology for edible mushrooms is shown to offer to small farmers in Mexico a sustainable alternative food supply and a source of employment and income in rural areas.
PT: Journal-article
AN: 961804932

c. Asking experts

As a next step we contacted a mushroom grower in Switzerland, asking him where he got his mushroom growing infrastructure from. We received the address of one mushroom growing infrastructure seller in the Netherlands.

We searched the Internet again and found more addresses of mushroom growing infrastructure providers:

And we also found a list with mushroom production consultants.

5. Delivering the results

We do our best to provide the search results within the period indicated by the client. Our customers get the results in the form of a Word or a PDF file attached to an e-mail. If the customer’s IT-infrastructure does not allow to transmit large files, we send the results on paper by ordinary mail or we fax them. Customers living next to our offices are invited to visit us in order to discuss the search results. In order to get a feedback and further optimize our services we always attach a short questionnaire to the research results.