Hello -
Of the dozens of sites I surveyed, there appears to only be a few
sites that fit your criteria. Most sites are either free, or don't
fit into the categories you list.
Intota
http://www.intota.com/
Business; $595 minimum
Kasamba
http://www.kasamba.com
Includes business/science as categories, but includes other topics as
well. Fees vary by expert.
AdviceTrader
http://www.advicetrader.com
Includes business/science as categories, but includes other topics as
well. Fees vary by expert.
Helpshare
Http://www.helpshare.com
Looks to be a start-up with a focus on business questions.
AnswerSquad
http://www.answersquad.com/
Technical-oriented (computer science) questions. $25 per month.
Experts Exchange
http://www.expertsexchange.com
Questions of a technical nature (computer science)
http://www.ingenio.com/categories/categorylist.asp?Category=680
Before rating this answer, please let me know how I can further assist
you in clarification or through additional information. Thank you!
jbf777
Search strategy:
traversed several directories
such as yahoo.com, google
and others |
Request for Answer Clarification by
apple18-ga
on
26 Jul 2005 13:23 PDT
The only site that looks particularly relevant is helpshare.com. I am
interested in specific questions about specific industries and not
interested in tech support or fluffy personal finance questions or
generic career advisors. I found three sites that traffic in
introducing to the actual expert that can answer your difficult
industry specific question. If there are others like the three below
or more like helpshare.com that would be the ideal answer to my
question. Thanks!
www.vistaresearch.com
Vista Research has identified the vital need for superior sources of
information in the research process. To satisfy this need, Vista
developed the Society of Industry Leaders, a group of highly qualified
thought leaders in the fields in which Vista's clients invest.
www.glgroup.com
Gerson Lehrman Group provides customized research services for
knowledge-driven businesses. We deploy the world's most developed
expert network: the Councils of Advisors. This fast-growing
association includes more than 100,000 doctors, lawyers, economists,
accountants and other regional and industrial experts. We employ
highly trained professionals (physicians, attorneys, technologists and
others) in ten offices around the world to recruit and manage this
network - and to deploy it in the ways that serve our clients'
specialized needs.
www.nitronadvisors.com
Our services range from background education (for example, a series of
seminars or consultations to help a team of investors understand
complex accounting principles) to industry analyses (for example,
surveys of top doctors to help pharmaceutical companies understand
their market). We set up thousands of consultations, surveys and
events every month, and enjoy substantial and continuous growth as we
identify more qualified specialists and experts to bring to our
customers.
Nitron Advisors works with investment professionals to enable them to
make better investment decisions. We introduce investors to members of
the Circle of Experts, a global network of frontline industry leaders
and practitioners.
We have particular expertise in serving clients who focus on
Technology and Energy. Our frontline industry experts provide precise
answers to specific questions concerning these and other industries.
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Clarification of Answer by
jbf777-ga
on
26 Jul 2005 20:59 PDT
Thanks for clarifying your requirements. I will see if I can find
other sites in this vain. I'll check back by end of business tomorrow
(Wednesday).
Thank you,
jbf777
|
Clarification of Answer by
jbf777-ga
on
26 Jul 2005 21:00 PDT
(excuse me; that would be "vein" )
|
Clarification of Answer by
jbf777-ga
on
26 Jul 2005 21:21 PDT
If you can please clarify: must a site refer you to "outside"
researchers, or can a site itself, or its employees, be the
researching entity?
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Request for Answer Clarification by
apple18-ga
on
27 Jul 2005 06:04 PDT
Thanks for your quick response. I am more interested in finding the
solutions to very specific industry related questions. ie. What is
the current sale price of stainless steel in shanghai right now? What
does it cost for a certain type of DRAM in certain quantities? How
much liquid natural gas will be entering the gulf of mexico in 2010?
Questions that require a specific expertise in an industry. I am most
interested in finding places to go to get these types of questions
answered. If there is an online resource where the employees of the
company can answer these industry specific questions that is great but
probably unlikely. A place like helpshare.com seems very interesting
because they actually broker the information between the expert and
the person asking the question and it is possible that the expert
would come to that website. Otherwise, places that refer you to
experts in the field like the sites i mentioned seem to be my best
bet. So just to clarify- i am looking for the best way to get these
questions answered which ideally is a website but most likely is a
referral network or specialized marketplace. But the key point is
that the people that would be capable of answering the questions we
are asking would almost always have to be an expert within a specific
industry and not simply a resourceful intelligent person. Thanks for
your time.
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Clarification of Answer by
jbf777-ga
on
27 Jul 2005 08:48 PDT
Thank you for the additional clarification. I have found some
additional sites, and am still looking. Can you clarify why Intota
wouldn't work for you? Intota has experts on hundreds of topics that
you can hire for specific research purposes.
Thanks,
jbf777
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
apple18-ga
on
27 Jul 2005 14:07 PDT
I apologize. I already knew about Intota so I did not mention it. It is relevant.
|
Clarification of Answer by
jbf777-ga
on
27 Jul 2005 17:23 PDT
No problem -- thanks for letting me know.
The terms "information broker" or "information professional" seem to
be most defining of the type of individual/business you're seeking.
Information brokers work in one or more fields and are essentially
topic-specific researchers. A company called Burwell Enterprises
publishes a directory called the "World Directory of Information
Brokers." Published since 1984, "the Burwell Directory now includes
nearly 1000 information brokers from around the world and is
considered the world's most comprehensive guide to independent
information experts and document retrieval firms in over 38
countries."
The directory is available on disc for $59.95 plus shipping, and
includes nearly 1000 contacts:
Burwell Enterprises
http://www.burwellinc.com/bedirectory.html
According to their website, the the Association of Independent
Professionals (AIIP) is recognized within the information industry as
the unifying voice for the independent information profession. They
have a referral service that can connect you with qualified
researchers to address your specific research requests. The referral
program is at no cost. See:
AIIP Referral
http://www.aiip.org/AboutAIIP/referral.html
Some additional services I was able to find:
ResearchConnect
http://www.researchconnect.com
Informars
http://www.informars.com/custom_research.asp
Magentine
http://magentine.com/
Econosystems
http://www.econosystems.com/
Summit Strategies
http://www.summitstrategies.com/services/services.htm
Emerging Europe Research
http://emergingeuroperesearch.com/
CIR
http://www.cambridgeinvestmentresearch.com/CIRServices.html
MindCommerce
http://www.mindcommerce.com/Services/Research/
TNS
http://text.tns-global.com/market-research/custom-research.htm
Please let me know if I can further assist you on this question.
Thank you,
jbf777
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