The investigator's handbook

Centre for Public Services, 142 pages, paperback, £14.50 including postage and packaging. Only available from CPS, 1 Sydney Street, Sheffield S1 4RG

This useful handbook provides easy paths to finding the detailed information needed to investigate a company, organisation, individual or quango. It is a very handy tool given the ever greater involvement of companies in the public sector.

The eight main sections of the book cover sources of information and rights to access; how to find out about a company; how to find out about organisations, such as Friendly Societies; how to find out about government, both centrally and locally; how to investigate individuals; investigating by subject area, such as housing or health; a bibliography; and legal, ethical and practical information, including tips on interviewing.

Each section covers an introduction to a sector, information about the key players, sources of information, including many websites, the key issues in the sector and questions to ask and answer.

If you want to dig the dirt for, say, a campaign, this handbook is for you.