Introduction to Business

Introduction to Business
Research Class

Prepared for Professor Helen Lynch
Nancy Dennis, Business Reference & Instruction Librarian
Fall 2007

Finding Books on Your Topic

Step One: Start at the SSC Library Home Page.
http://www.salemstate.edu/library/

Step Two: Click on "SSC Catalog."

Step Three: Enter search terms: Author, Title, Subject, or Key
Word.

Step Four: You will be given a list of books that match your terms.
Browse results and select books that look interesting. Click on "Full
Record" to get more details.

Step Five: Write down the call numbers of books you want. These
tell where the book is located in the Library.

Step Six: Use a Library bookmark to determine where the call
number(s) are located. For example,

    REF - has dictionaries, encyclopedias, subject atlases, and statistical sources
    on all subjects
    HD   - is the general call number range for business
    HF is a call number for human resources management
    HB is a call number for entrepreneurship

Step Seven: Go to the stacks to find the book.

Finding Business Periodical Articles in EBSCO
and Gale Infotrac

Step One: Link to the Salem State College Library Home Page.
http://www.salemstate.edu/library

Step Two: Select "Databases."
http://www.salemstate.edu/library/research/databases/

Step Three: Go to "Databases Quick Links" and Select
"EBSCO" or "Gale InfoTrac."

Step Four: Select a database that covers your research topic.

Step Five: Enter key words, such as: motivation and employees;
best companies and employees; etc. Re-arrange key words, add
synonyms, etc. until you find articles that you want to read.
You will be given a list of article references that match your
key words. In many cases, the "full-text," that is, the entire
article, will be provided as well.

Step Six: Browse the list of titles, abstracts, and in some cases,
full-text, to find best articles for your research needs.

Step Seven: Next, print out articles and citations at your
workstation; e-mail relevant informationto your home computer; or
save the article to disk.

Step Eight: For articles that are not available as full-text in
EBSCO, check the Periodicals Directory to see if another database
has the title:
http://www.salemstate.edu/library/research/periodicals/

Step Nine: If a journal is not available in the electronic full-text
at Salem State, we might have the printed issue. The Periodicals
Directory will tell this also. If the journal is at Salem State,
go to the second foor of the Library to locate the print or microfilm
issue.

Step Ten: For articles that are not at Salem State at all,
ask the Library to request a copy of the article for you through
Interlibrary Loan. A link to this is on the Library home page.
http://salemstate.edu/library/information/ill.htm

Step Eleven: If you did not find your topic in EBSCO, or simply
want to see what else has been written, try another periodical
database system. Gale/InfoTrac has two business databases:
General Business File ASAP and Business and Company ASAP.
Another helpful database is FirstSearch's Wilson Select Plus.
Both systems are found on the database page:
http://www.noblenet.org/ssc/research/databases/

Suggested Databases for BUS 170 Assignments

Current Events

    Business Source Premier (EBSCO)
    Newspaper Source (EBSCO)
    Regional Business NEWS (EBSCO)
    General Business File ASAP (InfoTrac)
    NewsBank

Business Theory

    Business Source Premier (EBSCO)
    General Business File ASAP (InfoTrac)
    Emerald
    ABI Inform (Proquest)

Local Company News

    Google - company web site; articles from interest groups
    Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Worcester Telegram
        (within NewsBank)
    Boston Business Journal
    Regional Business News (EBSCO)
    local associations such as High Tech Council, Pioneer Group, etc.

Off-Campus Access - Getting into Library Databases
from Home or Work

Click on the "Off-Campus Services" link from the main
SSC Library homepage.

http://www.salemstate.edu/library/offcampus/

There are two options:

A. SSC e-mail access via the portal. This involves going to "Off
Campus Services," and clicking on the database you want to enter.
You will be prompted for your SSC e-mail username and password.
To get an SSC e-mail account, follow the link on the Off Campus
Library page. http://www.salemstate.edu/library/offcampus/

B. Password access. Note: This method is being phased out
and will not work for new systems like ABI Inform and Emerald.

If you choose the password route, EBSCO and "Answers to Go"
Databases require you to input a validated Library Barcode. This
is the long number on the back of the Clipper Card.

For further information and research assistance,

Contact:

Nancy Dennis
Business Reference & Instruction Librarian
978-542-6218; nancy.dennis@salemstate.edu