Internet editorial 2

Citation

Almond, N. (1998), "Internet editorial 2", Property Management, Vol. 16 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.1998.11316dag.001

Internet editorial 2

Internet editorial 2

Keywords Information systems, Research, Surveyors

The WWW is a valuable resource in the provision of information, be it for business or leisure purposes. A practitioner was only recently telling me how he thought the WWW was starting to help provide information for the practising valuer. However, the problem he cited was the fact there is too much information out there, it is knowing where to look. Being a global network, finding a piece of information can often be like finding a needle in a haystack, unless you know where to start.

For the property professional a number of sites provide information for day-to-day practice. In a world where information is regarded as a valuable resource, some sites are only accessible on paying a subscription. Nevertheless, there are others that are freely accessible. Professional organisations are one such source, which are the subjects of this editorial.

Information is not just confined to viewing at individual sites, but may also be downloaded, and viewed using an appropriate viewer. The most common are PDF (Portable Document Format) files, which can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader, available from the adobe Web site (http://www.adobe.com/). The RICS Web site has a number of documents in this format.

The RICSThe RICS (http://www.rics.org.uk/) provides the most comprehensive information of the professional surveying bodies in the UK, and is of interest to both members and non-members of the RICS. One of the good points about the site is the continual change in format, and information available on the site. Sites can often become languid to regular visitors when information remains the same. This is not the case with the RICS Web site.

At the "Public" level, the RICS site provides information about the surveying profession, and what professional services are available. Documents are available to read or even download in a more presentable form. Additionally, a database is available on-line to search for surveyors in a particular area, and on the basis of their division or area of specialisation.

With continual revisions, keeping track of changes is easy on this site. Click on "What's new" and a list of the most recent additions will be listed with links to those pages. If you are after specific information, a search facility is available which provides links to articles by keying in a keyword. This is a useful device, though may produce many links to pages, due to the diversity of information now available on the site. That said, results are listed by file size and score. I have found looking at documents with a high file size often yields the best results.

Details of publications are available; these include information related to specific areas of practice (under the A-Z of professional guidance). Other publications include research papers and articles in Chartered Surveyor Monthly (CSM). Conference proceedings of the Cutting Edge, COBRA and ROOTS conferences are also available to view or download via the "Research" pages. In the future the RICS plans to publish all its conference proceedings on the Web. Through the "Media" section press releases and Parliamentary responses are also available to view, for those wishing to keep up-to-date with the latest views on issues affecting the property profession.

From mid-October, members (only) of the RICS will be able to access the on-line library, providing details of articles and publications held in the library. This will be a welcome addition to the site, especially for those who are unable to gain easy access to the library. An ordering facility will also be available to gain copies of articles of interest. Further details on this service are available on the site.

The RICS has also published a free booklet entitled Surveying the Superhighway: A Guide to the Internet for Chartered Surveyors, which provides a useful background to the Internet, how to get connected, and some useful Web addresses. Copies available from the information centre.

The ISVA and IRRVThe ISVA Web site (http://www.isva.co.uk/), compared to the RICS site, is more of an information and marketing site, providing details on the services offered by the ISVA, and how people can join.

The site provides a background to careers in the property profession, and details on joining the ISVA. As with the RICS Web site, a database of professional surveyors is available to search. The "What's new" section allows access to recent additions to the site. From this page, details of the latest changes to policy can be found, as well as extracts from some articles in The Valuer. However, with so much overlap in the services offered by the RICS, this site has comparatively little to offer.

The IRRV site (http://www.irrv.org.uk/) is the latest site to go on-line. As with the previous sites, details on the role of the organisation is provided, together with information on joining. With the orientation of the IRRV geared towards rating, there is greater scope in the provision of information, which follows the lines of the RICS Web site in providing details of press releases and Parliamentary submissions on issues related to rating. In addition, a list of publications is available to view with a brief abstract on each.

Other professional bodies/organisationsDuring the course of my research I have found more information on property-related issues in literature from the USA. With some similarities to the methods adopted, this information may be of use to professionals in the UK. Perhaps the best site to gain access to practice in the USA is that of the Appraisal Institute (http://www.appraisalinstitute.org/) which is the recognised organisation for appraisal in the USA.

By clicking on "Publications", a list is provided on the vast array of publications related to real estate, including textbooks, guides, and reports. Abstracts on each article are also available. A number of links are also provided to other related sites, including among others real estate organisations and governmental links.

Back in the UK, some of the readership might find the Law Society's Web site of interest (http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/). With legal aspects impacting on the profession it is worth mentioning this site, which provides a useful overview of the latest developments in law and policy in England and Wales.

A useful provision on the site is access to articles in the Law Society Gazette, which among other features provides an overview of the latest legal cases. A search facility is available for the site, and provides links to 15 articles on "Landlord and tenant" for the past two years.

Click on "What's new" and you have the ability to view information on the site in date order, or even by subject heading. For example, there is a heading for Commercial Property, under which the Law Society's response to the DoE consultation paper on the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 Part II can be viewed.

One final site, which may be of interest to those involved in property research, is that of the Society of Property Researchers (SPR), (http://www.propertymall.com/spr/). Again, a recently launched site, this provides those interested in research, with a background to the SPR. The site is divided into public and private pages. The public pages provide a background to, and the activities of the SPR. The private pages (only accessible to members), provides a wider range of information, with plans to include SPR reports and publications in due course.

Nigel AlmondCentre for Research in the Built Environment, University of Glamorgan. E-mail: nalmond1@glam.ac.uk