Sometimes, you’re writing a trend story and want some quick facts to plug in. Sometimes, you’re casting around for a story idea. In both cases, Research Alert, a publication searchable via Factiva, provides quick and convenient access to useful stats taken from market research reports (which are generally not available for free on the web).
To search Research Alert, connect to Factiva (access restricted to current Columbia affiliates) and plug in the following publication code in the search box:
rst=RSAL
After this, type and, then include keywords related to your topic, e.g.:
rst=RSAL and clothing
Here is an excerpt from a search result:
Big and tall men find best fit online.(notices)(Brief Article)
6 January 2006
Research Alert
10
ISSN: 0739-358X; Volume 24; Issue 1
English
Copyright 2006 Gale Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Frustrated by not being able to find clothes that fit them in stores, many big and tall men are turning to the Internet (33%) and catalogs (17%) for clothes that fit them, according to The NPD Group. Major complaints about the shirts available in stores include length too short (54%), sleeves too short (42%), tight necks and shoulders (38% each) and tightness across the chest (33%). Pants are often too tight in the waist (35%) and thighs (30%). [Clothing/Accessories]