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Collecting Information

Your community directory, profile or study will include information on the agencies, organisations and services which are available for members of the community. These will include:

  • Community learning resources (eg public library, community college, elders, local experts)
  • Primary health care resources (eg health centres, hospitals, doctors, dentists etc)
  • Drug and alcohol resources (eg. counsellor, AA)
  • Community organisations (eg. welfare, churches, sport teams, recreation clubs, education groups, schools)
  • Political cultural and economic resources (eg. local government, political parties, employment, transport).

Decide whether to collect information about all the organisation and services available to the members of community you are working with, whether they are in the same town or not, and whether they are community based organisations or not. With your team think about what kind of information you will need to make the directory, and where you can get it. If your directory is for a specialist purpose, this will influence the kinds of information you will collect.

The main sources of information will be existing directories and lists Find the directories used in your community, such as the phone book, and directories made by the local council, health services, chamber of commerce or tourist office. Collect leaflets handed out in health centres, sporting organisations, clubs, libraries, tourist offices and other places. If the information is more than a few months old, or to get extra information, telephone or visit agencies, and check that the information is up to date. If you are part of a team, do not all go the same organisation. Decide who in your team will visit each place to get information. Go to the public library, Area or District Community Health Centre, sporting and recreation clubs, tourist information offices, Municipal Council, Local Aboriginal Land Council, ethnic organisations. community workers, special interest groups and other places where you might find information.

Keeping information

Keep documents, leaflets, directories and written information in folders or files so you can find them when you want them. Write down information you are told, and keep that in the same way as printed information. For every piece of information you are given or told, make sure you record the source, and keep that with the information. If you are told something, make a note of who told you and on what date.