Arch Investigations June 16-19, 1994

The IRE/NICAR conference in St. Louis on June 16, 1994 offers an optional day focused on computer-assisted reporting, featuring sessions on online research, databases, spreadsheets, and specialized topics like government records, environmental data, and mapping software.

Here's a look at the developing line-up for the optional day, June 16, at the St. Louis National IRE conference. This day we will focus on computer-assisted reporting. For more information on the conference, please call IRE/NICAR headquarters at (314) 882-2042.

Thursday Optional day 8-8:30 Online on the beat: 30 ideas in 30 minutes Bill Dedman, Associated Press 9:20-9:50 Data analysis on the beat: 30 ideas in 30 minutes Shawn McIntosh, Dallas Morning News

8:40-9:50 Specialized session: Business Rob Wells, Associated Press Penny Loeb, U.S. News & World Report Primer on online searching: Power up, modem in, log on. Everything you need to know to get started Beth Marchak, Cleveland Plain Dealer 10-11:10 Creating and recycling databases: When to use a database and which ones to keep available for use on deadline Jeff Kummer, St. Paul Pioneer Press Teresa Leonard, Raleigh News & Observer James Derk, Evansville Courier Government and social sciences Dan Browning, St. Paul Pioneer Press Rich Robertson, Arizona Republic Shawn McIntosh, Dallas Morning News The mystery and power of Internet Dan Woods, Raleigh News & Observer Dan Gillmor, Detroit Free Press 11:20-12:30 Using spreadsheets and national tabular data to show where your town or state ranks William Casey, Washington Post Rich Gordon, Miami Herald Chris Schmitt, San Jose Mercury News

Environment on computer Dave Davis, Plain Dealer Jane Kay, San Francisco Examiner Wendell Cochran, USA Today Online on the cheap Nora Paul, Poynter Institute for Media Studies Mike Berens, Columbus Dispatch 1-2 Brown Bag lunch: Attribution and accuracy on the information highway Nora Paul, Poynter Institute for Media Studies, moderator 2:10-3:20 Deadline online: Using bulletin boards to find eyewitnesses and experts and profiling people Deborah Crowe, Alameda Newspaper Group Matt Reavy, NICAR Mapping software on deadline: How to plot census, crime and gerrymandering information Suwan Brown, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jennifer LaFleur, NICAR

Medicine and science Bill Allen, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Paul Overberg, USA Today Beth Marchak, Plain Dealer 3:30-4:40

Access to federal, state and local online records: Success stories and pending battles Sandra Scott, Missouri School of Journalism Mike Casey, Dayton Daily News Statistics can be your friend: Five statistical tools you need to know Jon Schmid Sotomayor, Raleigh News & Observer Phil Meyer, University of North Carolina The electronic newsroom Corky Johnson and Karl Dsvoog, WPCO-TV, Cincinnati Mark Nichols, Indianapolis Star Neil Reisner, Bergen Record 7:30-9 p.m. Getting Started NICAR staff