LIBRARY WORKSHOP – BUSINESS
Contact Information: library@ncu.edu | 888-628-1569
summary | This workshop will introduce students to Business research
databases available from the Library. It will provide students with techniques
to become more effective at searching for information within this field.
learning objectives | Upon completion of this workshop students will know
how to:
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Access the Find an Article - Business page on the Library’s website
Access the Library’s Business research databases
Select the appropriate database based on the information need
Locate a variety of information resources including industry and
consumer data, company information, SWOT analysis, country reports,
reference books and scholarly/peer-reviewed journal articles.
Access the Learn the Library - Business page on the Library’s website
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find an article | A comprehensive list of all discipline-related databases
may be found on the Library’s Find an Article – Business page.
Databases are listed alphabetically and include a brief description.
These databases provide access to industry and consumer data,
company information, SWOT analysis, country reports, reference books,
scholarly/peer-reviewed journal articles, and more.
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country info | Knowing background information about a particular
country will be pertinent to your market, industry or company research.
You may locate country profiles in the following Library databases and
online resources:
 Britannica Online – Country profiles from Britannica World Data.
 CIA World Factbook – Select country from drop down box.
 Business Source Complete– Select “Country Report” under
Publication Type.
 LexisNexis – Select “Country Information” from the “Search by
Content Type” drop-down menu to the upper-right of the search
box.
 Mergent Online – Country Profile drop down box in the lower righthand corner of the home page.
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industry info | Begin by identifying your industry of interest and finding
relevant SIC and NAICS codes using the code lookup in the Library’s
Mergent Online and ProQuest databases, or by visiting the Standard
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Industrial Classification Search (SIC) and North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) websites. You may locate industry
surveys, overviews, and reports in the following Library databases:
 Mergent Online - provide broad coverage of 24 of the largest
global industries in North America, Europe, Asia, and global
geographic areas. Click on the Industry Analysis tab at the top of
the screen, then use the “Search by Industry” box.
 Business Source Complete - Contains Industry Surveys from
Datamonitor, Global Insight and EIU Economist Intelligence Unit
Industry Forecasts.
 ProQuest ABI/INFORM Global - Contains industry surveys from
First Research (U.S. Reports) and Business Monitor International
(U.S. and International).
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consumer
info|
Types
of
consumer
information
include:
demographics, expenditures, and contact lists. The following resources
will assist with finding consumer data:
 American FactFinder - Find popular facts (population, income,
etc.) and frequently requested data about your community.
 Consumer Expenditure Survey - provides information on the
buying habits of American consumers, including data on their
expenditures, income, etc.
 ReferenceUSA – U.S. Consumers/Lifestyle database contains over
200 million consumers. Use Quick Search when looking for
demographic/recreational traits in particular geographic area. Use
Custom Search to locate statistical information about potential
markets, such as geography, home value, and lifestyle.
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company info | Library databases and internet sources provide a
wealth of data including company profiles, financial data, balance
sheets, income statements, and financial ratios. The following
resources will assist with finding company information:
 Business Source Complete– Select “Company Information” tab at
the top of the screen.
 LexisNexis – Provides company profiles from over 20 different
sources. Includes extensive financial data in the Company
Dossier.
 Mergent Online - Detailed financial records for companies include
up to 15 years of historical data.
 ReferenceUSA – U.S. Businesses database includes over 24
million businesses. Use Custom Search to locate businesses by
various criteria, such as business type (industry codes),
geography, business size, etc.
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American FactFinder - Find popular facts (annual payroll, sales and
receipts, number of employees, etc.) about businesses or
industries.
The Street – Includes financial news, commentary, analysis,
ratings, and business and investment content.
Yahoo Finance - Free stock quotes, financial news, portfolio
management resources, international market data, and
mortgage rates.
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SWOT analysis | SWOT analyses are a particular type of company
information in which the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats are analyzed. Business Source Complete allows you to limit your
Publication Type to SWOT Analysis. LexisNexis also provides SWOT
analysis. Use the Company Profiles search and include “SWOT” as one
of your search terms, in addition to company name.
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reference books | Business reference books are a great way to learn
background information, definitions, and history on a particular topic.
The Library’s Find an E-Book page is a comprehensive list of all e-book
databases. The following resources are recommended:
 Credo Reference – Click “Find an E-Book” to browse by Business
 SAGE Knowledge – Browse by Subject “Business & Management”
 Ebrary – contains over 100,000 reference and non-reference
books
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scholarly journal articles | The Library’s Roadrunner Search is a great
starting point for your scholarly journal article research, as it will search
multiple research databases simultaneously, including EBSCOhost,
ProQuest, and others. Check the box to limit your results to
Scholarly/Peer Reviewed Journals.
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find a resource | Use Find a Resource if you are looking for a particular
journal, magazine or newspaper. For example, you may want to read
the entire current issue of the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg
Businessweek, or a similar publication. If your publication is available,
the results screen will tell you which years you have access to and in
which databases. You may also set alerts to be notified when the new
issue is available. If you would like to determine whether or not a
particular journal is peer-reviewed, search for the journal name in
Ulrichsweb, available from the Library’s Databases page.
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additional resources | Please visit the below links for additional
information on resources related to Business research.
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Learn the Library - Business – Includes workshop recordings,
quick tutorial videos, written guides, internet resources, and
more.
Open Access Resources - Business Specializations – websites
selected by NCU Librarians
Government Resources – Include open-access government
business websites.
Best of the Best Business Websites – Developed by a division of
the American Library Association. Includes hundreds of websites
in sixteen categories.
Finding Statistics – Provides resources and research techniques
for locating statistical information.
quiz| Answer the questions below to reinforce what you have learned in
today’s workshop.
1. What page in the Library shows only business related databases?
2. Where would you go to locate a report on the Brazilian economy (or
another country)?
3. What are some sites you might helpful if you are interested in starting
a business?
4. In which databases can find industry level information?
5. How would you find the number of grocery stores (or any other business
type that would be in competition with your business) in any given city?
6. What is one database that you could use to locate company financial
information?
7. What does SWOT stand for?
8. In which databases can you find Business encyclopedias, dictionaries
and handbooks?
9. Which Library resource is a good starting point for locating
scholarly/peer reviewed articles on Business topics?
10.
Where would you go to determine if the Library subscribes to a
particular Business newspaper?
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