Jump to specific links for BA 321 (Jenkins)
RESEARCH GUIDES
Penn State subject librarians have set up Research Guides to help students navigate the library resources in particular subject areas. You will find a number of guides dealing with Business and Economics. You can also access a host of resources from the Schreyer Business Library.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Search Gale Virtual Reference Library for background information on hundreds of business topics.
NAICS
The North American Classification System (NAICS) replaced the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) in 1997. NAICS is used to classify businesses in order to collect and analyze statistical data. You may find it helpful to know the NAICS code for your business since some databases are searchable using NAICS.
You can find NAICS codes on the U.S. Census Bureau website.
DATABASES
ABI/Inform
In addition to local and regional business publications, this database includes company profiles, journals, trade publications, and industry periodicals. The Wall Street Journal, full text, is included in this database. Look at the indexing for the article “Do Your Own Taxes – Or Not” (found after the full text) to see the Subjects listed. Searching using relevant subject terms will improve your results.
Searchable fields in the ABI/Inform database
You can search this database using your selected firm as a keyword, or, to find more relevant results, by company name (select Company/org-ORG).
You can also search this database by NAICS code. For example, to find useful information for analyzing H & R Block, I could search by the NAICS code for tax preparation services (541213).
This database contains First ReSearch Industry Profiles, which provide industry overviews and general background information, including information about the competitive landscape, sales & marketing, and business challenges.
Try searching using the term accounting services in the document title field combined with the publication title First Research to see the December 2011 quarterly update “Accounting Services.”
Business Source Premier
An essential article database for business research providing the full text for more than 2,000 periodicals. You can also search this database by company name or NAICS code. Try combining your company name with the term SWOT to find a SWOT analysis.
Hoover’s
Excellent for company information, including business news, SEC filings, and competitors.
Mergent Online
Another excellent source of company information.
Plunkett Research Online
This database is divided into Industry Research Centers. Choose “Search all industries” if you’re not sure where to begin. Once you get to the appropriate center, you’ll find tools such as Market Research and Trends, Statistics, a Glossary, and Associations.
Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage
You may find some useful information in the Industry Surveys.
CCH Business and Finance Internet Research NetWork
IBISWorld
IBISWorld is one of the best business databases and includes:
- information you need to do a SWOT analysis
- over 700 full-text industry reports
- information organized by NAICS
- over 8,000 publicly traded companies
- hundreds of economic and demographic profiles
Value Line
To access a Value Line report for a particular company, you may find it helpful to refer to my suggestions for searching.
BOOKS
You can find books, DVDs, CDs, and links to electronic resources in Penn State’s online library catalog The CAT.
- I recommend using the Advanced Search option
- If the item you want is not at the York campus, request it by clicking “I Want It.” You will be asked for your Access ID and password. Select York as the pickup location and then click Place Hold. Books usually arrive at our campus within 2-3 days.
Searching by subject heading will produce more relevant results.
BA321 (Jenkins)
Put First Things First
Make sure you understand all the terminology and concepts you need to complete your project.
- Reference sources are the best place to find definitions, background information, and an overview of a topic. For example, you need to understand what is meant by the term “message development” in order to create your advertising message. Barron’s Dictionary of Marketing Terms, available in The CAT as an e-book, provides a concise explanation of message development.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library, one of the library databases, includes hundreds of dictionaries and encyclopedias. You can find articles on Stephen Covey in sources such as the Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration, Business Leader Profiles for Students, and the St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. You can also find articles about advertising in many of the business and marketing resources in this database.
Seek First to Understand
Penn State University Libraries rank in the top ten research libraries in North America, so take some time to understand how librarians have organized these vast resources to make your research a little easier.
First of all, use the Research Guides. In addition to the information about Research Guides at the top of this page, explore the following guides:
Synergize
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Use your resources and your creativity to create a project that is more than just a compilation of the information you found.
FranklinCovey Resources and Tools
Take a look at the subject headings in The CAT for The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Those subject headings are links to other items in The CAT on the same subject.
Academic Search Complete uses the same subject headings as The CAT, so you could search the following:
- Character
- Leadership
- Success
- Psychological aspects (The CAT shows the subject heading Success–Psychological Aspects. However, in Academic Search Complete, you need to separate the subdivision of Psychological Aspects from the main subject. See the image below).
