One of the biggest problems when it comes to capturing information is the overload or excess of information caused by the profusion of content on the Internet (infoxication).

That is why, in order to avoid infoxication and obtain a manageable and quality flow of information, it is necessary to define keywords, filters, and with them a filtering strategy for each of our areas of surveillance.

WHAT IS A FILTER?

A filter, in the context of information management, is an essential tool for navigating through the vast ocean of available data and extracting only the information that is relevant and meaningful to the specific objectives of an individual or an organisation. In essence, it acts as a sorting mechanism to sift through the flood of data and focus on what really matters.

A filter is an indispensable tool for any professional seeking to maximise productivity and make informed decisions in an increasingly data-saturated world. Informed decision making depends largely on the quality and relevance of the information available.

CATEGORIES OF FILTERS

A filter can take many forms and be applied in a variety of contexts. It can be a set of keywords, a set of rules, or even complex algorithms that sort and prioritise data in large information sets. In the context of surveillance, filters must be responsive to the objective and FCVs of each surveillance area.

• In order to define an effective filter, it is essential to follow a structured process that takes into account the specific needs and objectives of filtering.
• It is important to clearly identify the purpose of the filter and to define what type of information is to be filtered.
• It is necessary to determine the specific topics, keywords or criteria that will be used to select relevant information.
• Filtering by categories or topics is a widely used strategy to organise and classify information into different areas of interest.

HOW TO CREATE FILTERS?

When we search the internet, we are unknowingly using filters. Here are some basic concepts on how to filter information.

• Exact phrase: If we want to receive the content of an exact phrase we can use double quotes: ‘’.
  • For example: ‘electric car’ or ‘artificial intelligence’.
• Root of the word: In case we want to receive information about a group of words that have the same root we could use the asterisk: *.
  • For example, if we write inno* we are expressing that any word that begins with inno will be of interest to us, such as: innovation or innovate.
• Exclude content: In case we do not want to receive a content we can use the minus sign -.
  • For example, if you are looking for information on ‘production’ but want to exclude any reference to ‘agricultural production’, you can use the – to achieve this: -agricultural (no spaces)

BOOLEAN OPERATORS

Boolean operators are essential tools in creating effective filters, as they allow you to combine and refine search criteria to obtain more precise and relevant results. The most common operators are ‘AND’ and ‘OR’, and are used to specify the relationship between search terms and control what information is included in the final result.

• A product if you mention customer
  • product1 AND customer1
  • brake AND Renault
• Several products and a customer
  • (product1 OR product2 OR product3) AND (customer1)
  • (brake OR engine OR clutch) AND (renault)
• One product and several customers (one of them with a compound name)
  • (product1) AND (customer1 OR customer2 OR ‘customer3’)
  • (brake) AND (renault OR seat OR ‘mercedes benz’)
• Several products and several customers
  • (product1 OR product2 OR product3) AND (customer1 OR customer2 OR ‘customer3’)
  • (brake OR engine OR clutch) AND (renault OR seat OR ‘mercedes benz’)
• Several products (product3 with one material) and several customers
  • (product1 OR product2 OR (product3 AND material)) AND (customer1 OR customer2 OR customer3)
  • (brake OR motor OR (clutch AND aluminium)) AND (renault OR seat OR ‘mercedes benz’)

FILTERING STRATEGY

Una vez que tenemos creado las cateOnce we have created the filter categories and we know the main concepts of filtering such as Boolean operators, we now need to know some filtering strategies.

It is important to note that there is no single filtering strategy that works for all situations. It is essential that participants understand the variety of options available and are able to select and combine strategies according to their specific needs and objectives.

• LANGUAGE
  • The most relevant information is published in English, so the list of words in our filter should include those corresponding to the existing languages in the source catalogue.
• SOURCE TYPE
  • Some sources, such as a client or a competitor, are not as relevant as a magazine or an association. Depending on the origin of the source, the filter to be applied will be one or the other.
• NO FILTERING
  • In some cases, we may NOT want to filter the information and receive everything that is published. For example, in the case of our competitors or very important sources of information.
• SYNONYMS
  • Using synonyms is common. For example, a company is interested in following developments in artificial intelligence. To do so, they can use filters using keywords such as ‘artificial intelligence’, ‘machine learning’ and ‘technological innovation’.
• REDUCE NOISE
  • Make periodic adjustments to filtering criteria, add or remove rules as needed, and be open to new approaches that can improve the filter’s effectiveness.
• FILTERING LOCATION
  • Filtering can be applied on the title or content of the information or both. Depending on the source and words to be filtered, we must decide how and where to apply the filter.

It is crucial to maintain a flexible and adaptive attitude during the whole process of creating filters, as needs and requirements may change over time.