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Google Squared
This site is an alternative to the ambiguous lists of Web pages that
result from entering a typical query. For example, a search for "currency"
creates a table with the currency name in the first column and image in
the second column, a description in the third, the central bank in the
fourth, what it has been succeeded by in the fifth, and its symbol in the
last. You can customize the results by specifying new columns and rows.
Tor: Anonymity Online
In homage to Harry Potter, there could be many reasons you might
want to pull out your "invisibility cloak" when surfing the web.
The disciplines of sociology, psychology, criminal justice or
specific courses such as "Terrorism: A New World Disorder" may call for you
to obtain information from web sites that you do not want tracing you.
Of course, you may be interested in preserving your anonymity for no other
reason than to claim your right as a United States citizen to do so
(like all those people who pay cash instead of using a credit card).
We recommend you visit torproject.org for one of the better tools
available for cloaking your activity on the web.
Kartoo
A click on the option button at the top of the page allows you to choose
a visual interface customized for your taste (see the bottom row of icons).
This site is especially useful for researchers who want to see a visual
topography of available information. For instance, a search for "currency"
results in a topographical map separated into the "regions" currency
correlations, converters, exchange, definitions, and analysis. Just
hover over the region of interest and specific, "clickable" links and
visuals will appear.
FeedReader 3.14
Smart-feed technology is used to aggregate news and information onto
the desktop. Once the FeedReader icon is downloaded, users are able to
choose up-to-the-second breaking news stories and other web content from
a variety of sources, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the BBC,
ABC News, and many others. Students who are not regular newspaper
readers will find this centralized source of breaking information
invaluable and easy to use.
Survey Monkey
Need a convenient way to conduct an online survey and see aggregate
results? Surveymonkey.com is the site that makes it easy to create a
professional looking survey using question designs that are sure to
meet your needs. A limited but effective pallet of options is available
for free although at this membership level your results will be provided
in aggregate instead of in a spreadsheet (field and record) form. The
support provided by the site is impressive and convenient (check out the
video tutorials), but you may want to do a little background reading. Per
the latter, we recommend reading Survey Research Methods by Floyd J.
Fowler (copyright 2009 by SAGE Publications, Inc.) or referencing the same
using Google Books
where you should make sure to read the introductory material on sampling
errors before you begin constructing your survey.
Wolfram Alpha Computational Research Engine
This highly recommended
research engine is refreshingly modern and intellectually appealing.
A search for Sidney, Maine reveals its population, location (both visual
and in longitude and latitude), current local time, current weather,
approximate elevation, and nearby larger cities (ordered by distance
and population) and a list of related links. At the very bottom of the
page you can click on "Source information" to obtain more resource
information than you will ever need and, amazingly, the list does not
include Wikipedia.com! Not so incidentally, the site can also solve
a vast array of mathematical problems. For instance, entering 2x+3y=30
results in a description of the geometric equivalent (a line), its
graph, the x and y intercepts, the slope, the integer solution, and
solution for y as a function of x. This site is the one to go to when
you want to check or improve your basic skills in mathematics.
Reuters Currency Converter
The advantage of using Reuters is graphics. Once a student decides on
which currency to convert, an interactive chart can be customized to
illustrate changes in currency valuation over any length of time. The
powerful graphics include the ability to overlay moving averages, the
DOW, the S&P 500, any treasury index, etc. Users can add typical
stochastic measures (all terms are explained by hovering the pointer
over them), compare to the Relative Strength Index (RSI), and other
indices. The chart styling tab allows students to incorporate market
opening, high, low and closing data. Color coded candlestick effects
can highlight the day’s activity.
Wall Street Journal Market Data Center
Similar to other graphics programs, the WSJ Market Data Center can
generate a graph for most stocks, bonds, commodities, etc. There are
a number of overlays available. Charts can be fashioned on linear or
logarithmic basis. The WSJ volume charts are usually a good topic to
begin student exploration of the markets, as they are used to
examining stock/bond prices and percentage gains and losses.
Forbes Corporate Organizational Chart Wiki BETA
This is among the best ways for students to examine the organizational
charts of major corporations. A search device allows users to research
specific company charts. In addition to generating reporting
relationships, the actual names of the office holders are included.
Students can create charts or add people to an organizational chart.
Chain relationships can be broken through the use of a scissors tool.
International Monetary Fund DataMapper
This site renders many of the standard but tedious multi-step
procedures in Microsoft Excel obsolete for students of economics.
Economic data such as real GDP growth is available in matrix form
going back several decades for all countries of the world. By hovering
over a country on a world map, students can access time series data
to create charts instantly. In addition to GDP, students can create
graphics on unemployment, inflation, the balance of payments, capital
flows, etc. Cross-country comparisons are created with single click
of the mouse. Recent data postings include principal global indicators
and financial soundness indicators.
Financial Times Currency Macromaps
FT uses a global information system to discover and track currency
data for every country in the world. The advantage of this site is
the emphasis on currency cross rates.
FASB Accounting Standards Codification
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) now has a one-stop
site for research of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
Thomas College subscribes to FASB for access to this site.
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