Intern research tips and tricks

Intern research tips and tricks

As an intern with the ODDD team, you might be working on assigned tasks when the team is not online and immediately available to help. This guide is to help you troubleshoot your questions and find answers independently, so you spend less time head-scratching. Of course, once you’ve exhausted the options listed on this page, you can always shoot us a message and we will get back to you when we’re online.

As an intern, we have professional expectations that your mentor on ODDD discussed with you, but we also realize you are essentially volunteering your time with us. If you're feeling really stuck and no one from the ODDD team is around, we encourage you to pause what you're doing until we can chat. It's okay if that means your hours are less for that week - we'd rather make sure we're on same page that have you proceed with unanswered questions!

Each of the following sections includes a scavenger hunt type of self-check – these are questions to help guide you as you explore our content. Don’t worry, we won’t test you on these! And keep in mind the wikis and websites are always available, so there’s no need to memorize their content. In fact, many ODDD team members reference the wikis and websites on daily basis!

Read the wikis

The ODDD team's wikis are full of information on how to use the CMS, our user research process, pulling analytics, and so much more! There are 3 wikis:

• NRRD wiki
• ONRR.gov wiki
• Blog wiki

It’s ok and encouraged to take your time reading through the wikis. There is a TON of information and we do not expect you to be an expert in navigating the wikis nor an expert on the content within them.

• Use the right-side navigation pane to browse topics.
  • At the top of the right-side navigation, you can click the grey “Pages” drop-down to view all subsections for each topic in the navigation.
  • You can also use the search option with “Pages” to look for specific key words. To find this, toggle the “Pages” carrot.
• If you find something in the wiki that needs updating or is confusing, please let us know! The wiki is very easy to update, and we will include you in the process.

Wiki scavenger hunt

1. What pages would you find more information about ONRR.gov and NRRD user types, user scenarios or people that use our sites?
2. Can you list some the types of users or user scenarios?
3. What are two metrics that we are tracking?
4. Where would you go to find information about checking data on NRRD?
   • (hint: if you're having trouble, try different search words related to data review).
5. How would you find information about past user research studies?
   • (hint: check the research repo)
6. You’ve been asked to write a blog. Where would you find blog writing guidance?
7. Where would you go to learn how to check the accessibility of a PDF?
8. What page(s) provide information about design for our sites?

Familiarize yourself with revenuedata.doi.gov (we call it "the NRRD" or "NRRD")

This is our data website. It also has a significant amount of information about how ONRR and revenue works. While you are reviewing, look for anything that is confusing and note to ask us about. We want our information to be in plain language and written to a mid-high school reading level, so your feedback is important.

NRRD checklist:

• Use the search feature. Test by using search terms: revenue, reclamation fund, wind.
• Review the Homepage
  • Click through the summary charts for charts for the 3 major datasets (revenue, production, disbursements) .
  • Review the renewables and monthly factsheets.
• Explore data - Map-based tool to visualize 3 major datasets.
  • Choose a state, county and offshore area and review for each data type – revenue, production, disbursements. Make sure to scroll through the entire page to see the different visualizations.
• Query data - online pivot tables to drill down into the data without having to download whole files. Can download filtered views.
  • Explore each different data type – revenue, production, federal revenue by company, disbursements and federal sales data.
  • Explore the different filter functions for each datatype.
  • Download a filtered data selection.
• Download data - The download data pages contain the raw datasets, scope, FAQs and data dictionaries. Helpful for detailed questions.
  • Review each data download page
• How revenue works - narratives that explain how the federal government receives revenue from natural resources and where that revenue goes.
  • Read through our data, land ownership, laws and regulations, natural resources on Native American lands, resources to revenue and accountability.
• Glossary - key terms to understanding the natural resource revenue process.
  • Review the terms
  • Filter (top right) to the different glossary categories and review different categories.

NRRD scavenger hunt

1. Search for disbursements in the search box. What did you find? Can you find the data download page from the search results? What is 1 fund that receives disbursements from natural resource revenue?
2. On the homepage, find how much revenue ONRR collected from coal in April 2024. Is there anyway else you could find this information?
3. Where would you go to learn more about the offshore leasing process? What agencies are involved?
4. How could you find out more about renewable energy?
5. What is one of the newest datasets available on the NRRD? Where could you find that?
6. Where would you go to find information about your state? Are there any commodities produced on federal lands or waters for your state?
7. Name 3 kinds of data available for Native American lands.
8. What webpage would you go to learn more about the General Allotment Act of 1887 (Dawes Act)?
   • (hint: check in How Revenue Works).
9. What is the difference between sales year and accounting year? Which is used in the federal sales dataset?

Familiarize yourself with onrr.gov

This website contains all the resources and information industry needs to report and pay royalties. This site is the primary public facing website for ONRR.

onrr.gov checklist:

• Use the search feature
  • Test the search for key terms like: 2014, OGOR, reporting
• Homepage
  • Review the cards, which contained our most viewed pages and also summaries of the top navigation options.
• Getting started
  • Read through: How Leasing Works, New Reporter Checklists, System Access, and New Reporter Training
• Reporting
  • Read through all tabs within: O&G Production, O&G Revenue, Solid Minerals, and Geothermal.
• References
  • Includes many pages of guidance to help reporter and payors follow our regulations and governing statutes.
  • Review all subpages and focus on Handbooks and Valuation & Pricing pages. Be sure to review the Valuation Examples.
• Paying
  • Read through: Payment Options, Late Payment Interest, Unpaid Debt.
• Compliance and Enforcement
  • Read through: Compliance, Enforcement & Litigation Support, Appeal, and STRAC
• Indian Resources
  • ONRR has an important trust responsibility to American Indians. Take time to understand ONRR’s role.
  • Read through: Assistance, Tribal Consultation, Indian Pricing, Indian References, Tribal Lockbox Payments.
• About ONRR
  • Make sure to know ONRR’s mission, vision, and organizational values.
  • Read through: Public Affairs, Organization & Leadership, Office Locations, Employment, Engagement, Interagency Coordination, FOIA, and Anti-Harassment Program.
• Contacts
  • Test out the contacts search, using search terms: Shell, Chevron, BLM. Read the search tips.
  • Explore the contacts pages.
• Events
  • Review upcoming events.
• Glossary
  • Browse through key terms.

onrr.gov scavenger hunt

1. Who would a new reporter contact to get their ONRR customer ID?
2. Where would you go to find the royalty equation? What is the royalty equation?
3. What were the IBMP prices for Navajo Nation in January 2024?
4. What resource(s) would you use to learn how to properly report federal processed gas?
5. What were the interest rates for Oil & Gas during 1/1/2024-3/31/2024?
6. What is FOGRMA? Where would you find amendments to FOGRMA?
7. What is one upcoming event?
8. Who is ONRR’s director?
9. Who are the royalty contacts for Chevron?
10. How much did ONRR disburse to GOMESA in FY24? What is GOMESA?

Researching outside of ODDD resources (the rest of the internet!)

You might run into a general question that is not ODDD or ONRR specific. You probably have done plenty of research for your academic coursework, but government research can be a little different. Here are some tips on how to research online for topics that might come up while you’re working with ODDD.

1. Define your research question
   • Clearly define your research question or objective. Understand what information you need and why. This will help you stay focused and avoid irrelevant information.
2. Identify reliable sources
   • Use official federal websites and reputable sources. Look for websites ending in .gov or .edu, as these are generally more reliable.
   • Verify the credibility of the source. Check the author's qualifications, the date of publication, and the website's reputation.
3. Use effective search strategies
   • Use specific keywords. Combine keywords to narrow down your search. For example, use "federal environmental policies 2023" instead of just "environmental policies."
   • Use quotation marks for exact phrases. This will help you find information that includes the exact phrase you are looking for.
   • Use advanced search operators. Operators like "site: .gov" restrict searches to government websites, which can be very useful.
4. Evaluate information critically
   • Check for accuracy and bias. Cross-check information with multiple sources. Be cautious of websites with strong biases or agendas.
   • Consider the timeliness. Ensure the information is up-to-date, especially for rapidly changing topics.
5. Organize your findings
   • Take detailed notes. Include the source of each piece of information, so you can reference it later.
6. Save your sources
   • Keep track of your sources. Use citation tools, bookmarks, or keep a detailed list of references to ensure you properly attribute all information.

Research scavenger hunt

1. What are two sites or blogs where you can learn more about digital innovation in the federal government?
2. Where would you go to learn more about other agencies within the Department of the Interior? How many bureaus are within DOI?