Business Research Tutorial

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Business Research Tutorial
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Contents

• Basics
• Company Research
• Industry Research
• Concept Research
• Example searches in databases

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Basics

• Sources of information
• Why Internet/Free does not have the best info
• Official corporate disclosures
• Government documents/web sites
• e.g. Dept of Commerce, IRS, SBA
• Statistical data for industries, not companies
• Specialty print resources
• Specialty databases
• Periodicals scholarly, trade, popular,
  newspapers

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Company Research, 0

• Public vs. Private Companies
• Public SEC filings, regulatory laws for
  shareholders (eg SOX)
• Private no disclosure requirements,ex. Godiva
  Chocolatier
• Since Godiva Chocolatier, Inc. is a wholly owned
  subsidiary, we do not publish a separate
  financial statement, and do not discuss total
  sales, advertising costs or financial
  performance.

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Company Research, 1

• Official corporate disclosures
• SEC filings
• Annual reports
• Company web site

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Company Research, 2

• Specialty print resources
• Directory of Corporate Affiliations
• Who owns whom, brand index
• Value Line Investment Survey
• Standard Poors Industry Surveys
• Market Share Reporter
• International Directory of Company Histories
• Entire book about company? - MOBIUS

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Company Research, 3

• Specialty databases
• Business and Company Resource Center
• Business Source Premier
• LexisNexis Academic

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Company Research, 4

• Periodicals
• Business Source Premier
• Business and Company Resource Center
• Proquest Wall Street Journal
• LexisNexis Academic newspapers
• Especially home town

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Industry Research, 0

• Industrial Codes
• SIC Standard Industrial Classification
• 2082 Malt beverage manufacturing
• NAICS North American Industry Classification
  System
• 312 Beverage tobacco product mfg
• 3121 Beverage manufacturing
• 312120 Breweries

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Industry Research, 1

• Trade Associations web sites
• Government web sites
• Department of Commerce www.commerce.gov
• US Census Bureau www.census.gov
• Agencies specific to industry, e.g. medical

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Industry Research, 2

• Specialty print resources
• Standard Poors Industry Surveys
• Standard Poors Monthly Investment Review
• Annual Statement Studies
• Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios
• Almanac of Business and Financial Ratios
• Ask a librarian!

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SP Industry Surveys list of industries covered
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Industry Research, 3

• Specialty databases
• Business and Company Resource Center
• Business Source Premier

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Industry Research, 4

• Periodicals
• Proquest Wall Street Journal
• Business Source Premier
• Business and Company Resource Center
• LexisNexis Academic

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Concept Research, 1

• Management theory and practices
• e.g. regulations affecting businesses, motivation
  of employees, operations management, TQM, etc.
• Government web sites, esp. Commerce, SBA

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Concept Research, 2

• Specialty print resources
• Reference handbooks, inc. dictionaries
• Other books - MOBIUS

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Concept Research, 3

• Periodicals
• Business Source Premier
• Business and Company Resource Center
• PsycINFO
• Industry-specific, e.g. medicine, education
• Consider type scholarly, trade, popular

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Concept Research, 4

• Search tips
• Analyze your topic into conceptual clumps
• Use jargon
• Use only keywords
• Avoid existential and role terms (eg. cause,
  effect)
• Use built-in subject terms
• Refine as you go

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Concept Research, 5

• Search example
• Topic "non-financial incentives for employee
  motivation or retention
• A good search
• (non-financial incentives OR non-monetary
  incentives OR employee recognition OR fringe
  benefits) AND (motivation OR retention OR job
  satisfaction OR employee morale)