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Introduction to Business Research at the Marshall School of Business

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... can be accessed from any location (they are not subscription based) ... Each information tool uses its own industry groupings and covers different industries. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Introduction to Business Research at the Marshall School of Business


1
Introduction to Business Research at the
Marshall School of Business
  • Julie Kwan, Crocker Business Library
  • FIM Technology Orientation
  • January 24, 2001

2
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

3
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)
  • Most government sites can be accessed from any
    location (they are not subscription based)

4
How to get to MarVEL resources
  • Use a machine on-campus
  • Register your laptop and plug in at Popovich, the
    Marshall libraries, or any plug in a Marshall
    building
  • Dial direct to USC and use PPP access
  • MarVEL includes instructions for getting access
    from off-campus (go to the Show Me! Box)

5
Primary vs. Secondary Research
  • Primary data is collected for a specific purpose.
    It can take a long time to collect, and it can be
    very expensive.
  • Secondary research is research done by others. It
    was probably collected for a different purpose.
  • You can get secondary research from libraries,
    information companies, the internet, other
    peoples files, etc.

6
Advantages of Secondary Research
  • It already exists -- if you can find it.
  • It is less expensive than conducting your own
    research.
  • It helps you avoid re-inventing the wheel.

7
Disadvantages of Secondary Research
  • It may not be exactly what you want.
  • It may reflect someone elses interpretation of
    the data.
  • It may not be as up-to-date as you would like.

8
Thinking About Your Question
  • People use the most accessible information, even
    if its not the best information.
  • You can be more competitive by getting the best
    information you can get.
  • We want to make that information accessible to
    you through MarVEL.
  • Use an iterative process to look for answers.

9
Questions about your Question
  • What do you already know about the topic? About
    related material?
  • Who else cares about this topic?
  • Who would know or need to know about this?

10
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

11
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.

12
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.

13
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.

14
Common Types of Secondary Research Questions
  • Company Information
  • Industry Information
  • Getting Good Numbers
  • Getting News and Analysis

15
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?

16
Key Resources for Company Information
  • FIS Online (Moodys Manuals)
  • Hoovers Online
  • Million Dollar Database
  • OneSource U.S. Business Browser
  • Other resources on MarVELs Company Research page

17
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.

18
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.

19
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

20
OneSource Business Browser Industry Profiler
  • SIC Overviews
  • Industry Overviews
  • Industry Norms
  • Newswires and trade articles
  • Custom search
  • Links to related organizations

21
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

22
Where can I get articles?
  • Trade association publications OneSource,
    ABI/Inform on Proquest Direct, Lexis-Nexis,
    Business Source Premier
  • 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, Business Source Premier

23
International Resources
  • EIU Country Reports
  • FIS online
  • ISI Emerging Markets
  • STAT-USA

24
When You Have It, Dont Lose It -- Cite Your Data
Correctly!
  • Citing your data correctly adds validity and
    weight to your position.
  • Guidelines for citing your sources are available
    on MarVEL.
  • Go to MarVELs Show Me! box for guides on citing
    resources
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