Library Databases
- ABI Inform/Global. Scholarly articles on various issues relating to business ethics and commercial law.
- Business Source Premier. Standard EBSCO database provides news and analysis of business law issues.
- Emerald. Scholarly articles from 100 international management journals.
- LexisNexis. Click on “Legal” tab. Covers articles from law reviews; U.S., Canadian, and European case law; and tax law. Facilitates looking up of cases by Shepard’s Citations.
- Philosopher’s Index. A current, comprehensive index to books, articles, and essays in anthologies.
- Public Affairs Information Database. (PAIS). Covers the literature of public policy and government.
- Sage Journals Online. Indexes 560 journals from business, social sciences, humanities, science, and technology.
- ScienceDirect. Covers some 11,000 books and 2,500 journals across scientific, social sciences, and professional literature.
- Social Science Research Network. Provides white papers on provocative social science topics.
- Web of Knowledge. (Social Science Citation Index). Covers not only scholarly articles, but also conference proceedings.
Web Links
Categories: Research guides for academic courses
Research on marketing concepts and techniques
- Books. Search the NOBLE Catalog for current books on marketing concepts, techniques, trends, and campaigns.
- Journal articles. Search the following library databases for journal and magazine articles on marketing concepts and techniques:
Research on innovation, product innovation, and creativity
- Books. Search the NOBLE Catalog for current books on innovation, new products, product innovation, and creativity.
- News articles. Search the following library databases for news articles:
Research on target marketing groups
- Reports and statistics.
- Global Market Information Database.
- New Strategist reference books. A multi-volume series that analyzes who is buying various products and services. Includes data on age, gender, race, geographic region, etc. See the Salem State College Library NOBLE catalog to identify specific titles. Sample titles:
- Who’s Buying Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic Beverages.
- Who’s Buying By Age.
- Who’s Buying at Restaurants and Carry-outs.
- Consumer USA reference book.
- TableBase, library research database available via the Boston Public Library Electronic Resources site. SSC students can get a library card online at http://www.bpl.org/general/circulation/ecards.htm. TableBase indexes data tables published in a wide spectrum of sources.
Research on industries
Categories: Research guides for academic courses
Assignment One: Presentation on Marketing In a Specific Country
STEP ONE: Gather background information on your country.
Recommended Web sites
- Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. Covers geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for most countries of the world. Includes the European Union.
- Economist.com Country Briefings. Gives news, profiles, forecasts, and statistics for some 80 countries.
- Country Insights/Global Edge. Created by the International Business Center (IBC) at Michigan State University, this site provides pertinent statistical data and historical, political, and social information for 200 countries. Intended for use by both academia and business. The “Countries” section provides statistics, economy, history, government, culture, risk, rankings, etc. for 190 countries of the world.
- Country Studies. Library of Congress. Present a description and analysis of the historical, social, economic, political, and national security settings of countries throughout the world.
- Portals to the World. Library of Congress. Provides business, commerce, and economy links for most nations of the world.
- Google Videos. Search for videos about your country and “international marketing.”
- The Economist.com. Videos, blogs, and articles about world events. Some articles are limited to subscribers. See the SSC library web site for access to these.
Recommended Library Resources
- Books. Search the Noble Catalog for current books on your country.
- Business Source Premier - EBSCO. (Library Database). After entering a country’s name in the search box, select “Country Reports” in the left frame.
- Global Market Information Database (GMID). (Library Database). Upon entering the system, click on the “Countries” tab. Pull-down menus under “Country Briefings,” “Country Profiles,” and “Future Demographics” let you search for specific country overviews of these areas. In addition, comparisons of countries are found under specialized topics such as “Economic Indicators,” “Finance,” Lifestyles,” etc..
- STAT-USA. U.S. Department of Commerce. (Library Database). Click on ”Globus and NTDB” and select “Country Background Notes” under “Market and Country Research.”
STEP TWO: Research doing business in your country
Recommended Web Sites
- Export.Gov. Streamlines access to U.S. government market reports, trade regulations, and industry reports. Users can search by industry, market research, trade leads, and trade events. They can look for solutions to international trade, finance, marketing, logistics, regulations, licenses, etc..
- BuyUSA.Gov. U.S. Commercial Service. Intended for importers and exporters. Of particular interest to SSC students are the following full-text reports: Doing Business In, Country Commercial Guides, and Trade Events. The site also identifies market reports which might be obtained via interlibrary loan.
- Doing Business. The World Bank. Provides objective measures of laws and regulations across 178 world economies and selected cities.
- Doing Business in International Markets. U.S. Department of State. Provides practical advice on doing business overseas.
- Google Videos. Search for “doing business in” and the name of your country. Expand your search by searching for “doing business in” in Google web.
- The Economist.com. Videos, blogs, and articles about world events. Some articles are limited to subscribers. See the SSC library web site for access to these. Search for “doing business in.”
Recommended Library Resources
- Books. Search the Noble Catalog for current books on your country.
- STAT-USA. U.S. Department of Commerce. (Library Database). Click on ”Globus and NTDB” for current and historical trade releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analyses. Market analyses, industry analyses, and statistics. Particularly helpful are the “Doing Business In” titles found under “Market and Country Research” - “Country Commercial Guides.
- ABI/INFORM GLOBAL. (Library Database). Search for ”doing business” and “name of your country;” “business ethics and “name of your country.” This may lead to analytical articles on your company.
- Wiley InterScience Journals. (Library Database). Search for ”doing business” and “name of your country;” “business ethics and “name of your country.” Searching for articles in the Thunderbird International Business Review, will lead to many insightful articles on the business climate in specific countries.
STEP THREE: Gather data on markets and industries in your country
Recommended Web Sites
Recommended Library Databases
- Global Market Information Database (GMID). (Library Database). Provides data and reports on countries, industries, consumers, and economies. Select a category, or insert terms in the “Text” search.
- IBIS World. (Library Database). Provides in-depth reports on industries.
- ISI Emerging Markets. (Library Database). Select a country, then browse by categories for news, company, industry, macroeconomics, financial markets, legal, and research. Searchable in English and languages native to the selected country.
- Table Base. (Boston Public Library Database). Available remotely to SSC students from the Boston Public Library, this international database provides access to data compiled from trade and business publications, investment research, trade associations, statistical annuals, primary research, and international organizations. To gain access, sign-up for a BPL e-Card at: http://www.bpl.org/general/circulation/ecards.htm. Cards are issued in about 15 minutes. Once issued, log on to http://www.bpl.org. Select “Electronic Resources,” then “T,” then, “Table Base.”
- STAT-USA. U.S. Department of Commerce. (Library Database). Click on “Globus and NTDB” for current and historical trade releases, international market research, trade opportunities, and country analyses. Market analyses, industry analyses, and statistics.
STEP FOUR: Become aware of current developments in your country
Recommended Web Sites
Recommended Library Databases
STEP FIVE: Research etiquette of doing business in your country
Recommended Web Sites
Recommended Library Resources
- Books. Search the Noble Catalog for current books on business etiquette and your country.
Categories: Research guides for academic courses
Professor Gina Vega
Business Librarian Nancy Dennis, X6218
STEP ONE: Identify the SICS or NAICS code of your entrepreneur’s business.
STEP TWO: Become acquainted with your entrepreneur’s industry.
- Key Source: IbisWorld, Salem State library research database, provides overviews of industries in the U.S.. The Library’s subscription provides access to U.S. and global reports. (Note: we do not subscribe to company reports). IBIS facilitates searching by keyword or NAICS code. A typical report includes key statistics; market segmentation; market characteristics; industry conditions; key industry factors; key competitors; industry performance, and industry outlook.
- Try this: Access IBISWorld directly through Google in on-campus searches.
- Key Source: Industry association statistics and overviews.
- Some industry reports are fully accessible in Google. Search for your product and service and the term “association.” Example: commercial bakeries and associations
- Some industry reports, such as those by the National Restaurant Association, are available in the Library.
STEP THREE: Find local data on your industries.
STEP FOUR: Research your entrepreneur’s customers.
- New Strategist research publications. Salem State library reference book set. A multi-volume series that analyzes who is buying various products and services. Includes data on age, gender, race, geographic region, etc. See the Salem State College Library NOBLE catalog to identify specific titles. Volumes cover who’s buying beverages, healthcare, apparel, entertainment, groceries, pet care, information, house hold furnishings, etc..
- TableBase, library research database available via the Boston Public Library Electronic Resources site. SSC students can get a library card online at http://www.bpl.org/general/circulation/ecards.htm. TableBase indexes data tables published in a wide spectrum of sources.
- Global Market Information Database (GMID), Salem State Library research database. Provides consumer profiles of many consumer goods. Enter the name of your product in the “Text” box under the “Search” tab at the upper left of the search screen, then limit your search by consumer groups and geographical areas.
STEP FIVE: Research demographics and psychometrics of the geographical location of your entrepreneur’s business
- Claritas.com: You Are Where You Live. Claritas’ unique Prizm software profiles consumers within cities and towns., defining consumers by 66 characteristics. Non-subscribers have access to basic, but immensely helpful data in the “You Are Where You Live” module. To enter, click on the round “You Are Where You Live” icon in the right side of the web page.
- Community Sourcebook of Zip Code Demographics. Vienna, VA: ESRI, 2004 - . Reference Book in the Salem State Library. Call Number: REF HA203 .S66
- Community Sourcebook of County Demographics. Vienna, VA: ESRI, 2004 - . Reference Book in the Salem State Library. Call Number: REF HA 203 .S65
STEP SIX: Research competitors of your entrepreneur.
- Google Maps.
- Reference USA, Salem State library research database, is an electronic directory of local businesses. Gives basic sales and employee data. Enter “Advanced Search” to set custom search criteria, such as NAICS, sales size, employee size, geographical location, etc..
- Web sites of competitors.
STEP SEVEN: Research what your enterpreneur does in his/her work.
- Search for articles on your industry/product/service in trade publications. Search for your product/service/industry in the library database Business Source Premier to identify articles on logistics, “insider” views, etc.. Another good database to try is Lexis Nexis.
- Search for web sites of associations for your industry/product/service on Google. Some sites will let you view articles and data, while others are limited to members.
- The Kirstein Business Collection at the Boston Public Library subscribes to many industry-specific journals. http://www.bpl.org/research/kbb/kbbhome.htm
STEP SEVEN: Check out the larger regional and national economic picture.
Your entrepreneur’s success will be much influenced by larger state and national economic, political, and social trends. For economic forecasts and data, see:
Where to ask for more help!
- Nancy Dennis, Business and Economics Librarian, ndennis@salemstate.edu
Categories: Research guides for academic courses
January 22nd, 2010 · 1 Comment
Searching information
No special passwords are required for on-campus searching. Entering from off-campus, however, requires inputting one’s Salem State College VPN username and VPN password. Users will be prompted for this information after they click on a desired database title.
Sorry, but access is limited to Salem State College students and faculty with valid identification.
Books
- World Cat. Identifies books, web sites, and some articles from all disciplines. Tells which libraries carry particular items.
Peer-reviewed scholarly articles from research journals
- Academic Search Premier. (an EBSCO database). Indexes 253 economics journals, providing full-text for most items.
- EconLit. Contains citations, with abstracts, to books, working papers, and articles in economics journals. Also indexes dissertations, book reviews, and essays in collective works.
- Emerald. Provides full-text articles and citations for some 190 journals in business and the social sciences.
- JSTOR. Provides full-text articles from 42 economics journals. JSTOR is primarily used for retrospective coverage. It usually does not provide articles published within the past five years.
- NBER. White papers on various economics topics.
- Project Muse. Provides full-text coverage of eleven prestigious economics journals. Published at Johns Hopkins University.
- SAGE Journals Online. Includes articles relating to macro and micro economics; economic thought; financial economics; international economics; labor economics; and urban economics.
- ScienceDirect. The Library subscription covers 208 journals in economics, finance, and econometrics.
- Social Science Research Network. (SSRN). Provides white papers on various economics topics.
- Web of Knowledge/Science. Includes 250 titles pertaining to business and economics.
- Wiley InterScience. Indexes articles and book reviews published in 94 economics journals.
Working papers on the web
Economics blogs
Categories: Research guides for academic courses
Related posts
Breaking news
World News
Commentaries
Government Interventions, Fall 2008 to Date
Monetary Policies and Regulations
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Policy Tools. Provides background and current news on key tools such as the Discount Rate, Reserve Requirements, etc.
Proposals
Background
Financial Sector Current Data
Categories: Research guides for current news topics
Analysis and Current Developments
Obama Announcements on the Auto Industry.
Big 3 Testimonies and Statements Before Congress, December 4-5, 2008.
Auto Makers Current News and Views
- General Motors web site. Click on “Our Company” for latest documents on restructuring.
- Ford web site. Click on “Company Information” for investor information.
- Chrysler Restructuring web site. Provides legal documents, correspondences with employees, etc.
Categories: Research guides for current news topics
Current Analyses
- MassBenchmarks. Journal on the Massachusetts economy. Published jointly by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
- Recent articles:
- Alan Clayton-Matthews. Recession Grips the Bay State. MassBenchmarks, Vol. 11, Iss. 1, 2009, 4 - 9.
- “Massachusetts Economy Continues Its Rapid Descent.” MassBenchmarks, Current and Leading Indices, February, 2009.
- Turcotte, David, et al. Foreclosures Cast Long Shadow Across Northeast Region. MassBenchmarks, Vol. 11, Iss. 1, 2009, 19 - 26.
- Sherman, Robin and Wolf, Jeremy. Heat Rises: Lessons From the 2008 Heating Oil Price Spike. MassBenchmarks, Vol. 11, Iss. 1, 2009, 10 - 18.
- Alan Clayton-Matthews. The Year in Review: 2007 Marks Start of Slowdown. MassBenchmarks, Vol. 10, Iss. 2, 2008, 4 - 11.
- Alan Clayton-Matthews. National Woes Test Bay State Economy. MassBenchmarks,Vol. 10, Iss. 1, 2008, 4 - 9.
Current Data
Categories: Research guides for current news topics
How to find books on a topic
- Go the Library home page at: http://www.salemstate.edu/library.
- Select “SSC Library Catalogs.”Search by key word(s).
- Click on subject headings for additional books on the topic.
- The Call Number tells where the book is located in the Library.
- If the Call Number says “STORAGE,” ask at the Circulation Desk for assistance in retrieving the book from the Old Library.
How to find magazine and periodical articles
- Go the Library home page at: http://www.salemstate.edu/library.
- Select “Databases.”
- If you are new to searching, select EBSCO in the “Database Quick Links” section. This covers many subjects, including the excellent Business Source Premier.
- Within EBSCO, you have a choice of many databases. Scroll down the list until you find one that seems likely to cover your subject. Hint: Business Source Premier would be great for most business topics.
- Click on the name of the database you want to search.
- Enter your topic in either the Basic or Advanced Search boxes.
- Once a list of articles appears, scroll through it to find ones that look promising.
- Click on the titles.
- For many articles, the full-text is provided. If it isn’t here, ask a Librarian how to search further.
- Once you have several articles that you like, either save them to a Folder for printing, saving to disk, or emailing OR save/print/email them one at a time.
How to tackle a research problem
- Clarify your research question.
- What are you trying to find?
- What is the purpose of your research?
- Outline your information seeking strategies.
- Where will you begin?
- What type of information resource will best suit your research needs?
- Locate your research materials from the web or Library resources.
Where does the SSC Library fit within your research universe?
Salem State College Library greatly expands our students’ access to information and efficient use of information by:
- Providing access to thousands of scholarly books and journals on a wide range of subjects.
- Providing unlimited access to sophisticated, fee-based databases for journal articles and specialized types of information.
- Facilitating access to online resources to students researching from off-campus.
- Enabling students to borrow materials from hundreds of thousands of academic and public libraries through the Interlibrary Loan service and reciprocal borrowing agreements.
- Providing trained Library professionals and subject specialists to assist you with navigating both the web and Library resources.
- Teaching students information literacy skills in special course-related instruction sessions.
- Providing a special place for research, writing, and reflection in our new Library at Central Campus and satellite study areas in the Ellison Campus Center at North Campus and the Student Lounge of the Academic Building on South Campus.
Where is the SSC Library?
- The Physical Library, with books, seats, computers, and staff, is located off the Mezzanine above the cafeteria at Central Campus. The building has two floors.
- The Virtual Library, which consists of all of our electronic databases and e-books, exists anywhere that is accessible with a computer.
How do students find out what materials and services the SSC Library offers?
- The Library web page (http://www.salemstate.edu/library) is the basic navigating point for Library resources.
- The page has four components: “Research, ” “Services,” “Help,” and “Library.” Where does one begin?
- To find books, click on the “SSC Library Catalogs” link. Next, select “NOBLE Library Catalog.” This lets you search for books among the holdings of Salem State and some 40 public and academic libraries that belong to the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE).
- Search by author, title, or key word. Limit your search to holdings of Salem State College or any other desired library.
- Try the “Request” and “Save to My List” buttons to see what else you can do with the Catalog!
- To find articles from magazines, newspapers, and journals, click on the “Databases” link.
- This brings up five options: “Off-Campus Databases/Periodicals;” “Periodicals and E-books Directory;” “Database Quick Links;” “Databases by Name;” and “Databases by Subject.”
- “Off-Campus Databases/Periodicals” describes how to get into databases from off-campus. Basically, you simply select a database, and you will be prompted for your SSC email user name and email password.
- “Periodicals and E-books Directory” is essentially a telephone directory of all periodicals and e-books contained in all of the databases. Begin here when you know the title of a periodical or e-book and want to see a) if the Library owns it; and b) which system(s) contain it. Direct links to the journal within various systems are provided.
- “Database Quick Links” provides short-cuts to oft-used databases.
- “Databases by Name” is an alphabetical listing of all databases. Note: this is different from the “Periodicals Directory,” which lists specific periodicals and e-books contained within databases.
- “Databases by Subject” is a list of databases by broad topic areas. It also includes free databases from the Internet.
How do SSC Library resources differ from those in Google?
- Library resources come from traditional publishing channels. While this may include news and popular sources, it also includes very high level scholarly sources.
- While many scholarly sources are beginning to appear on the web, for instance, through Open Source collections, most are still accessible through subscription databases the Library provides. This means that students should supplement web searches with library resources.
- The Library provides access to very costly databases and periodical titles typically found in business or scientific environments.
- For instance, while users may find resources like Hoovers and ValueLine on the web, they would be required to pay substantial amounts of money to use them.
- Since databases found in library resources are built with different coding from Google, they require different search approaches.
- For instance, most databases require the use of connecting terms like “and” between concepts.
- Google is easier to search than most Library databases, and offers a superior search interface.
- Google enhances Library resources and expands research quests.
- Google Scholar, for instance, can be used to identify scholarly articles from JSTOR. Since our Library subscribes to JSTOR, students can automatically link to articles while on campus.
- Librarians use Google to get correct terminology about topics and ideas on where to go for information.
- Not all information students need is answered by finding a book or periodical article. There is incredibly valuable information on government, business, scientific, and education web sites.
What are best ways to search Google?
- Google’s Advanced Search features and shortcuts enable users to make searches more efficient.
What about other search engines?
How does one evaluate web pages?
- Key points to consider when deciding the reliability of a web page are:
- Can you replicate claims of the web site on other sites?
- If you don’t know a lot about the subject you’re investigating and have questions about the accuracy of a site, can you find a professor who might be able to help you?
- Is the language neutral, and not slanted? Can you determine who authored or sponsored the web page?
- Can you determine if the site was sponsored by an educational agency or organization? (urls would end in .edu or .org)
- Is the web site up-to-date?
- Is the web site well-maintained - do all links work?
- What other sites link to this site? (Use the Google “link” command to determine this).
- Is the information documented and footnoted?
- For more information, go to the UC Berkeley’s “Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply and The Questions to Ask.” http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
What is plagiarism?
- Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own, without giving credit with a footnote, endnote, etc.
- Avoid plagiarism by using footnotes, in-text citations, and endnotes to sources that provided you with the information.
- Even if you paraphrase (put something in your own words), you must give credit to ideas of others.
- If something is generally known, for example, 9/11 was a terrorist attack on the U.S. - you don’t need to footnote it. However, if you mention that some feel that the attacks were actually carried out by the U.S. and Israel, you would definitely need a footnote reference.
- Plagiarism.org provides more details. http://www.plagiarism.org/
What are Style Guides and why should I care?
- Style Guides are books and web sites that show you how to cite ideas and also how to put together a bibliography or list of works cited.
- There are many guides, but the most common are: APA (American Psychological Association); MLA (Modern Language Association); and Chicago Manual of Style.
- These guides are published in book form. The OWL site at Purdue University also prints excerpts from them. Many Composition textbooks also print excerpts.
- The EBSCO system can format citations for you at the “Print” level. This system includes Business Source Premier!!
Some web sites that automatically* creates a “Works Cited” list are:
* Note: some “clean up” of records is often necessary with these utilities.
Categories: Research guides for academic courses
Background and recent developments
Research on Gaming in Massachusetts
- The Casino Gaming Industry: The Stakes for the Bay State. MassBenchmarks, Vol. 10, Iss. 1, 2008.
- Casino Gaming in Massachusetts: The Devil is in the Details. MassBenchmarks, Vol. 10, Iss. 1, 2008.
- Center for Policy Analysis, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. New England Gaming Research Project. Reports. Three pdf reports looking at the feasibility of gaming in Massachusetts and other New England states.
- UHY Advisors FLVS, Inc. Casino Gambling in Massachusetts: An Economic, Fiscal, and Social Analysis. 2008. Study commissioned by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
Governor Deval Patrick Documents
Positions of Religious, Social, Labor, and Business Organizations
Categories: Research guides for current news topics
