"We look for high cash, low debt, and screen for management quality and efficiency, " Callahan says, adding that he considers direct meetings with companies' executive spinmeisters a waste of time.

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"With the high resolution Mars Orbiter Camera images, things that look smooth at low resolution appear very rough from high resolution and vice versa, " said David Spencer, mission manager for the Mars 2001 mission.

CNN: High-resolution images help prepare for Mars landing

To pull out the most important themes in the data, look for survey questions in which you are rated high across all sources, and questions where you are rated low across all sources.

FORBES: How to Get the Most out of your 360 Survey Feedback