Studying Information Warfare Leads Independent Information Researcher to Launch Information Brokerage Firm Chess Research LLC

Alexandria, LA, August 16, 2016 --(PR.com)-- It was first at the Ekstorm library on the University of Louisville campus that then Political Science Major, Rhonda Johnson realized that she found great comfort with conducting primary and second research in the library. “One time I had to retrieve a document for an Anthropology class and I surprised myself when I was able to find the document through some creative researching. I was thrilled by the chase of it, because it was thirty minutes before the assignment was due. I thought to myself that I could easily see myself doing this for a living,” Johnson recalled. At the time, Johnson did not think that such a job existed outside of being a traditional Librarian so she did not further entertain the idea. A research paper for a Philosophy of History course that explored The Peloponnesian War and a Pan African Studies course that explored the various conflicts in West Africa sparked a sudden interest in Military History. After completing a BA in Political Science with minors in History and Pan-African Studies from the University of Louisville in 2009, Johnson searched for a degree program that focused on military history which she found at American Military University.

When studying the tactics and strategies used in various conflicts such as World War II, counterinsurgency campaigns in Africa and several proxy wars of the Cold War, Johnson was introduced to the strategic power of information and counterintelligence. “The strategic power of information and disinformation fascinated me. While studying military history at the graduate level, I became interested in the role that Information Warfare played in Strategic Deceptions and Espionage. When completing research projects and the final thesis for my degree program, I also became fascinated with using different online databases to retrieve valuable and obscure information not available at the library.” This academic interest resulted in Johnson earning a Master of Arts in Military History with a concentration in War Since 1945 with Honors and a graduate certificate in Counterintelligence from American Military University in 2012. Johnson subsequently earned a MBA in Computer and Information Security from Northcentral University in 2014. While exploring the asymmetrical warfare techniques and strategic goals of cyber-terrorists in the CIS coursework, Johnson was able to further explore the critical role that Information Warfare played in 21st century warfare, in both military and business environments. That concern and appreciation for strategic value of information in a dynamic globalized environment encouraged Johnson to pursue a career as an independent information researcher.

In May of 2016, Johnson launched Chess Research LLC, an information research consulting firm that provides primary and secondary research in Regulatory Compliance, Competitive Intelligence and general Academic/Business research. Her academic background and value added information services has allowed her to work on several interesting projects such as perception management, information monitoring and using the deep web to build financial profiles of competitors for several corporations. Johnson notes that the mission statement of Chess Research LLC is “to provide value added information services so that clients can make the best strategic decisions as it relates to their prospective organizations or projects.” Johnson further explains, “We utilize our expertise in internet, library, primary and second research to obtain information that can serve as a force multiplier in the highly competitive information environment. Often our clients are not familiar with the wide range of online and offline resources available for obtaining certain information or maybe our clients have familiarity but simply feel that the time and costs needed to compile and analyze all of the data would be too costly. We like to think of our services as a partnership between our clients, thus our motto 'Your Informational Partner in Success'.”