Introduction to Business Research in the Marshall Libraries

1
Introduction to Business Research in the
Marshall Libraries

• Julie Kwan Greg Fleming
• Crocker Business Library
• MBA-PM Orientation
• August 5, 2000

2
Agenda

• Marshall Libraries
• Library Services
• MarVEL
• Access to MarVEL / Getting Your Computer Set Up
• Types of Information Resource Producers
• Common Types of Business Questions

• Finding Information about a Company
• Finding Information about an Industry
• Finding Numbers
• Finding Articles
• Finding International Information
• Review

3
Marshall Libraries

• MarVEL, Marshalls Virtual Electronic Library
• Crocker Business Library
• Accounting Library
• Other USC libraries Doheny, Leavey, VKC,
  Cinema/TV
• HOMER is the library catalog for main campus
  libraries

4
Library Services

• Print collections you can borrow books in all
  USC libraries
• Online resources (e.g., through MarVEL)
• Reference service in the library and through
  email
• Consulting Reference research assistance
  online
• Interlibrary loan

5
MarVEL is Marshalls Virtual Electronic Library

• Marshalls information gateway - linked from the
  Marshall home page
• Provides access to business information systems
  to which Marshall subscribes
• Provides access to freely available sites (e.g.
  government sites) useful for classes and research
• Access to services reference, interlibrary
  loan, library catalog, etc.
• MarVEL is evolving

6
Access restrictions to MarVELs subscription
resources

• MarVELs subscription resources require
  verification of your USC status
• This verification is done through TCP/IP number
  in most cases only one of our major resources
  uses passwords (OneSource Business Browser)
• Consequently, you may not be able to access some
  resources in your corporate office

7
How to get to MarVEL resources

• Use a machine on-campus
• Register your laptop and plug in at Popovich or
  the Marshall libraries
• Dial direct to USC and use PPP access (there are
  new local numbers)
• Use your own ISP and the VPN client software (not
  easy!)
• MarVEL includes instructions for getting access
  from off-campus

8
Information Resource Producers

• Newspapers
• Government Agencies
• Trade Associations
• Commercial Information Providers

9
The Role of Newspapers

• Who, what, where, when, why, how
• Dont count on their analysis use them for the
  facts
• Dow Jones Interactive is a key resource -- 6,000
  sources including full-text of the Wall Street
  Journal

10
The Role of Government Agencies

• Government agencies have legal mandates to
  collect data and provide analyses.
• Their efforts are on-going you can expect them
  to gather this data into the future.
• The U.S. government, in particular, has made
  major strides in getting data and information on
  the Web.
• State local governments and foreign governments
  are now coming online.

11
The Role of Trade Associations

• Their purpose is to support the work of the
  people and companies in their industry.
• Sometimes they restrict their data so that only
  members have access.
• More associations are putting industry data on
  the Web.
• The quality and quantity of data can vary from
  one association to another.

12
The Role of Commercial Information Providers

• This industry is evolving -- many more companies
  are providing information over the web direct to
  subscribers.
• Market dominance is changing -- the systems you
  know while you are in school will change in the
  future.
• New products/services are appearing -- and are
  likely to be directed to individuals in the
  future as well as to companies/organizations.

13
Common Types of Business Questions

• Company Information
• Industry Information
• Getting Good Numbers
• Getting News and Analysis

14
Company Information Preliminary Questions

• Is the company public or private?
• Is it a U.S. company?
• Do I want to know what the company says about
  itself? -- or,
• Do I want to know what others say about the
  company?

15
Key Resources for Company Information

• FIS Online (Moodys Manuals)
• Hoovers Online
• Million Dollar Directory
• OneSource U.S. Business Browser
• Other resources on MarVELs Company Research page

16
Industry Information Methodology

• Get an overview of the industry.
• Look for articles on trends and see if you can
  find forecasts.
• Gather statistics from government agencies and
  trade associations.
• Go to trade associations for additional
  information about the industry.

17
Common Problems in Finding Industry Information

• Each information tool uses its own industry
  groupings and covers different industries.
• Small industries are often reported as part of
  larger industries in government data.
• Quality, availability, and cost of trade
  association information varies widely.
• Emerging industries are difficult to research in
  government and other sources.

18
Industry Information Sources

• OneSource U.S. Business Browser
• Standard Poors Industry Surveys
• Trade association publications (included in
  OneSource Business Browser, ABI/Inform, and other
  resources)
• Gartner IntraWeb if you are doing anything in
  e-commerce
• Other sites on the Industry Research page

19
OneSource Business Browser Industry Profiler

• SIC Overviews
• Industry Overviews
• Industry Norms
• Newswires and trade articles
• Custom search
• Links to related organizations

20
Where Can I Get Good Numbers?

• Census Bureau includes critical population,
  business, and economic data
• FEDSTATS -- go to the Agencies section and select
  the agency, or go to Programs and get an idea of
  whats available for your subject
• STAT-USA -- includes domestic and international
  economic information
• TableBase -- 25,000 tables from trade
  associations are added every year

21
Where can I get articles?

• Trade association publications OneSource,
  ABI/Inform on Proquest Direct, Lexis-Nexis
• Newswires OneSource, Dow Jones Interactive,
  Lexis-Nexis
• Newspaper articles ABI/Inform on Proquest
  Direct, Dow Jones Interactive, Lexis-Nexis
• Academic articles ABI/Inform on Proquest Direct,
  Web of Science

22
International Resources

• EIU Country Reports
• FIS online
• ISI Emerging Markets
• STAT-USA

23
Review

• Get your computer setup with the appropriate
  software
• Start working with key resources such as
• ABI/Inform
• Dow Jones Interactive
• OneSource U.S. Business Browser
• Standard Poors
• TableBase
• Contact us by phone or on Consulting
  Reference