Narrowing Your Factiva Search

Subject > Political/General News > National/Public Security > Armed Forces
OR
Subject > Political/General News > National/Public Security > State Security Measures/Policies

Also try any of the following

Source > By Type > Government and Politics

Source > By Region > ...

Region > ...

For example, to find documents from the last three months having to do with Pakistan's military, you might use the following filters (see the yellow-orange boxes)

[image content: a screenshot of Factiva showing filters for Pakistan, subjects of State Security Measures and Armed Forces, and news filters to Pakistan]

TRAAP

• Timeframe
• Relevance - does it have the information I need? Is it created for the right audience (e.g. researchers or policy makers)? How is it connected to the topic?
• Authority - who wrote it and what makes them qualified to provide this sort of information? Would you consider this creator to be an expert in the topic at hand?
• Accuracy - are the facts correct? Can you verify them with other sources? Are claims backed up with data? Does the author provide sources? Did it go through any type of review process?
• Purpose - why was this created? What underlying motive or bias might the author or organization bring to this information?

Questions to Consider:

• Read the About section. Does the organization clearly identify its political leanings or its neutrality?
• Does the organization focus on one issue alone? If so, look carefully at its funding.
• Look up the address. Is it a street address or a post office box? Google either: Is it shared with other organizations? Do they share a suite, a phone? What is their relationship?
• These tips and more from "Writing About Think Tanks and Using Their Research: A Cautionary Tip Sheet" from Journalists Resource.