DDD1

Dirt Diggers No. 1
April 26, 2002

Editor: Philip Mattera

Dirt Diggers Network:

I thought I'd get the ball rolling.

In our work at the Corporate Research Project we are

frequently asked to compile background information on

a company's social responsibility record (labor,

environmental, etc.).

Often these companies are ones we haven't researched before,

so this process can be time-consuming. As a result, we're always

on the lookout for sources that can provide a head start.

I recently got a trail subscription to SOCRATES, a

database of company profiles compiled by KLD Research

and Analytics <www.kld.com>, a research outfit serving

social investment firms. The database, which covers

some 3,000 publicly traded companies, provides basic

information about a firm's record on the environment,

workforce practices, etc.

It seems like a handy thing to have but it's quite expensive

($25k a year and up), which reflects the fact that it's

sold mainly to institutional investors.

My questions are as follows:

- Has anyone on the list used SOCRATES -- and do you

have an assessment of its value?

- Does anyone have experience with any similar products

from other social investment firms or other

sources?

Phil Mattera

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Philip Mattera

Director of the Corporate Research Project

Good Jobs First

pmattera@goodjobsfirst.org

www.corp-research.org