Desk Research (Totem)

Offered by Totem project,
Desk Research (Totem)

Outsmart your search engine. In this course on Desk Research for journalism, you will gain knowledge on best ways to use the Internet to collect data for investigations, including: finding documents and numbers; optimizing your Google Search results; and searching for specific sources.

Why should you take this course?Data collection is an important part of journalism and investigations. It allows you to move beyond opinions and unverified facts as well as to investigate and substantiate a story with data from official databases, including a range of viewpoints from different sources.

What will you learn?
You will come away from this course understanding:

  • How to conduct intelligent research online research on databases, people and sources * Best practices and tips for conducting information research beyond a Google search
  • How to search and extract data contained in local, national and international databases.

Totem is an online platform that offers interactive courses to learn how to increase digital security and privacy. The optimal user experience is currently on your desktop computer. The aim is to support journalists, human rights defenders and activists use privacy tools and tactics more effectively in their work. Not a journalist? Don’t worry these courses should work for everyone.
Start today and learn how to protect yourself online.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

3D Data Visualization for Science Communication (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3D Data Visualization for Science Communication (Coursera)

This course is an introduction to 3D scientific data visualization, with an emphasis on science communication and cinematic design for appealing to broad audiences. You will develop visualization literacy, through being able to interpret/analyze (read) visualizations and create (write) your own visualizations.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Inspiração e motivação de indivíduos (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Inspiração e motivação de indivíduos (Coursera)

Neste curso, você aprenderá como criar uma visão compartilhada para sua equipe e como comunicá-la de forma eficaz aos seus colegas. Você também aprenderá como definir metas e expectativas eficazes de forma a melhor permitir que sua equipe alcance a visão compartilhada. Por fim, você entenderá as necessidades e os fatores de desempenho mais importantes entre culturas e aprenderá a alinhar as recompensas com os comportamentos desejados para que seus colegas sejam motivados a atingir os objetivos da equipe.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
How to bypass internet censorship (Totem) Totem
Totem project

How to bypass internet censorship (Totem)

How to stop censorship stopping you... and improve your online privacy and security. Across the world, the internet connects us to each other and to what sometimes seems like an unlimited amount of information. In some countries such as Iran, however, the internet is censored by the State. This means that internet filtering systems regulate what can be seen or published online.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Cómo inspirar y a motivar personas (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Cómo inspirar y a motivar personas (Coursera)

En este curso, aprenderá a crear una visión compartida para su equipo y a comunicarla con eficacia a sus compañeros. También aprenderá a fijar metas y expectativas eficaces de un modo que le permita a su equipo alcanzar esa visión compartida. Por último, comprenderá las necesidades y los factores de desempeño más importantes en todas las culturas y aprenderá a alinear incentivos con conductas deseadas, para motivar a sus compañeros a alcanzar los objetivos del equipo.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Implementing a Risk Management Framework (Coursera) Coursera
University System of Georgia

Implementing a Risk Management Framework (Coursera)

The ultimate destination for a security manager is the Chief Information Security Officer (or Chief Security Officer) a senior executive role responsible for all cybersecurity operations in the organization. But how do you get from entry-level IT or security employee to the CISO’s office and what do you need to know when you get there? This course examines the career path and requirements to be an effective CISO, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the position.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Secure Passwords (Totem) Totem
Totem project

Secure Passwords (Totem)

Pa$$word123, really? Follow your guide to good password management. By this point in the evolution of technology, most of us have a fairly large number of online accounts to keep track of, and to keep safe. It seems like we need multiple accounts for everything - email, messaging, social media, shopping, banking, project-managing, file-sharing, etc, etc - it’s all a bit endless.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Promote your Scientific Results (Coursera) Coursera
Institut Mines-Telecom

Promote your Scientific Results (Coursera)

Whether you are a member of the natural or human science community, if you are a PhD student, professor, part of an academic department or international research team, or self-employed and you wish to showcase your work to a wider audience then this is the perfect course for you. You will learn how to promote your work to professional peers, the general public, as well as the media.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Moving to the Cloud (Coursera) Coursera
University of Melbourne

Moving to the Cloud (Coursera)

The cloud is taking business by storm. In fact, due to the extraordinary growth of the cloud, it has been described as a tornado, not a fluffy white floating object! Commercial research analysts consider cloud as one of the most significant trends with a potential to change the whole global IT industry. Governments, including those in the US, Britain, and Australia, have cloud-first policies now in place which mandate cloud over non-cloud services in ICT procurement.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Security and Privacy for Big Data - Part 1 (Coursera) Coursera
EIT Digital

Security and Privacy for Big Data - Part 1 (Coursera)

This course sensitizes regarding security in Big Data environments. You will discover cryptographic principles, mechanisms to manage access controls in your Big Data system. By the end of the course, you will be ready to plan your next Big Data project successfully, ensuring that all security related issues are under control. You will look at decent-sized big data projects with security-skilled eyes, being able to recognize dangers. This will allow you to improve your systems to a grown and sustainable level.

Nov 2nd 2026
1 Week
Cybersecurity in Healthcare (Hospitals & Care Centres) (Coursera) Coursera
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Cybersecurity in Healthcare (Hospitals & Care Centres) (Coursera)

The Cybersecurity in Healthcare MOOC was developed as part the SecureHospitals.eu project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Coordination Research and Innovation Action under Grant Agreement No. 826497. The course "Cybersecurity in Healthcare" has been developed to raise awareness and understanding the role of cybersecurity in healthcare (e.g., hospitals, care centres, clinics, other medical or social care institutions and service organisations) and the challenges that surround it.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks