BHCC Library
& Learning Commons  

Welcome HADERSLEV HANDELSSKOLE BUSINESS to the BHCC's Academic Enrichment Enhancement Studies Program. During your 3 week stay, you will be studying globalization. Consider American culture, political science, and economics while you participate in culture excursions and company visits. You will be asked to prepare a project synopsis when you return home.

This web file is meant to accompany sessions conducted by a course instructor from the BHCC Business Department and a BHCC Library Instructor.

Best of the Best Business Websites
Three links from this American Library Association page will be useful. The link at Core Competencies for Business Reference covers sites of a general nature. More specific sites are at General Management and Small Business.

Begin by considering these 3 looks @ Pepsi as example of range.
Company Info
Background and History
Sample of Wikipedia

Now, move in to conduct your research.

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BUSINESS RESEARCH -- ONLINE DATABASES

Formulating search strategies -- example one
Let's begin by considering an approach to using subscription databases to gather information. We can start broad by trying a search using the company's name and general terms. Formulating a search strategy can take two parts: figuring out what the main concepts are and then figuring out how the particular database names those concepts. Of course, it also helps to know a little bit about a web site and its search tool before you get started. Let's use LEXIS-NEXIS as an example of using an online source for the first time.

Go to the following web address:

Before you begin using this site, click on How Do I?, to find general information on how the use the site and gain some control over your search time. For example, following the link Find information on a small, specialized industry? will give you some information that will help you find information for this assignment.
To perform a search, try selecting Business and clicking on the hypertext link for Business News. Set the parameters of your search by indicating that you are interested in searching Industry News for the Previous Six Months (follow the screen prompts) and in the keyword field type something general like hotel chains. Scroll down the search page to consult the TIPS; apply what you learn to get the best search results.

Formulating search strategies -- example two
Remember to try to learn something new from every database you use. Also recall that Web search tools and databases use different wordlists (authority controlled vocabulary) to organize their content. Watch for search assistance tools like a "Thesaurus" or some other type of context relevant list of terms used by the information organizers.

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If you are doing a topic that involves manufacturing companies, The Thomas Register is a specialized resource that could prove useful. Although the site asks you to register, registration is free. You can find the 34 volume paper version of The Thomas Register on the BHCC library shelf using the call number Ref T12 .T6 2000.
Again, it helps to know a little bit about a web site and its search tools before you start. Try looking for the Help or FAQ section; this helps you get some control over your search time. Since Web search tools and databases often use different wordlists (authority controlled vocabulary) to organize their content, their help files can give you some short cuts to searching. Try the Search Tips found in the FAQ file for the Thomas Register. In addition, the company listing product links can lead you to the product headings and the product descriptive keywords used in the Thomas Register database.

If we start at the The Thomas Register homepage and do a search for sneakers under “Product or Service,” we won’t find a whole lot of information. The companies that we do find don’t actually have anything to do with sneaker manufacturers. To find out what words The Thomas Register might be using to describe sneakers, run a search for a known manufacturer, Nike, and see what their information says. If you can’t think of a company, try synonyms for sneakers like footwear or athletic shoes.

Selected online databases
There are a number of electronic databases that are available for free to Bunker Hill Community College students and employees. As long as you have a Bunker Hill library card, you can access these databases from on-campus or off-campus.Use your research topics coupled with the database descriptions to decide which online services are most appropriate for your research. You might want to start with:

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BUSINESS RESEARCH -- REFERENCE AND PRINT RESOURCES
To find out what Reference and print resources we have in the library, use the BHCC library catalog. The library catalog works in a similar fashion to most other online databases; however, when looking for basic reference resources, start with broader search terms such as United States industries or corporations. Some of the BHCC Library Reference books you'll find are:

BUSINESS RESEARCH -- WEB RESOURCES
When using online subscription databases and Web sites it is important to think critically about these electronic resources. Cornell University has information on judging the authority of Web sites at Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools. Wesleyan University has also put together a mini-tutorial on evaluating Web sites, available on the Wesleyan library Web site at Evaluating what you Find.

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When looking for information about a particular company, often the best idea is to go to the source. You'll be conducting an interview with a company employee (see resources below), but a good place to start is usually the company website. Use a search engine like Google and type in your company's name -- just be sure that the website you choose is that company's official website! For example, if you go to the Corporate Information section of the Marriott Hotels website, you'll find information on the company's core values, community involvement, and annual reports.

Selected Web Magazines and Newspapers:

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Selected Web Business Resources:

In addition to commercial business Web sites useful information can also be found on other academic institutions' Web sites. For example, the following site from Duke University organizes a great amount of industry information in a manageable and focused way that is meaningful to an academic researcher: Resources for Industry Analysis. It includes guides on how to find survey and forecast information.

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DOCUMENTING YOUR SOURCES
Whether you paraphrase, summarize, or quote directly from an information resource you must credit and document the source. There are a few standard formats for citation that you can follow. Both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) offer paper styles and formatting which include directions on how to cite both print and electronic information resources. Try using the following formats as guides for understandable and consistent citation.

A helpful tool for citing sources is NoodleBib, a part of NoodleTools found on our website. NoodleBib automates the process of producing a citation list and saves time.

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