Finding Finding Business Business Research Research SourcesSources

© 2006 James © 2006 James FalkofskeFalkofske

Metropolitan State Metropolitan State UniversityUniversity

Graphics courtesy of Microsoft Clipart

What Type of Information What Type of Information is Needed?is Needed?

Credible / ReliableCredible / Reliable Timely / RecentTimely / Recent Accurate / ReplicatedAccurate / Replicated Unbiased / BalancedUnbiased / Balanced Specific / DetailedSpecific / Detailed

Credible / ReliableCredible / Reliable Professional / Academic Professional / Academic

Peer-Reviewed JournalsPeer-Reviewed Journals Governmental institutionsGovernmental institutions Educational institutionsEducational institutions Not-For-Profit Professional Not-For-Profit Professional

SocietiesSocieties Major corporationsMajor corporations Popular Press (Trade & Popular Press (Trade &

Consumer Magazines)Consumer Magazines) IndividualsIndividuals

More Credibl

e / Reliable

Less Credibl

e / Reliable

Timely / RecentTimely / Recent

Most recent is bestMost recent is best Where possible, published in Where possible, published in

last 1 - 9 monthslast 1 - 9 months Online article databases Online article databases

make finding recent make finding recent information much easierinformation much easier

Older sources okay if Older sources okay if supported by newer findingssupported by newer findings

Accurate / ReplicatedAccurate / Replicated

Information conforms to same results and Information conforms to same results and predictions as provided for in other predictions as provided for in other sourcessources

Unbiased / BalancedUnbiased / Balanced Attempt to find information from neutral Attempt to find information from neutral

reporting sources.reporting sources. When presenting from non-neutral sources, also When presenting from non-neutral sources, also

present points of view and major points of present points of view and major points of competition groupscompetition groups (i.e. NRA versus Gun-Control organizations) (i.e. NRA versus Gun-Control organizations)

Specific / DetailedSpecific / Detailed Resources should provide specific, Resources should provide specific,

quantitative evidence to incorporate into quantitative evidence to incorporate into your writingsyour writings

Situations and assumptions should match Situations and assumptions should match those in your study / thesisthose in your study / thesis

Finding SourcesFinding Sources

Library Academic DatabasesLibrary Academic Databases Effective Google SearchesEffective Google Searches Business WebsitesBusiness Websites Current News EventsCurrent News Events

Library Academic DatabasesLibrary Academic Databases

EbscoHost (peer-reviewed journals)EbscoHost (peer-reviewed journals) NexisLexis (news and politics/government)NexisLexis (news and politics/government) InfoTrac (information about organizations)InfoTrac (information about organizations) ERIC – Educational Resources ERIC – Educational Resources

Information Center (education related Information Center (education related literature) literature)

FirstSearch (mainly abstracts, articles FirstSearch (mainly abstracts, articles must be obtained through inter-library must be obtained through inter-library loan)loan)

Effective Google SearchesEffective Google Searches

Use “quotes around phrases” for better Use “quotes around phrases” for better matchingmatching

Restrict to certain domain site(s) or sub-Restrict to certain domain site(s) or sub-domainsdomainssite:.gov “search term”site:.gov “search term”site:mnscu.edu “search term”site:mnscu.edu “search term”

Use + to force a match and – to force an Use + to force a match and – to force an exclude exclude site:.gov +”Minnesota taxes” –cigarettesite:.gov +”Minnesota taxes” –cigarette

Business WebsitesBusiness Websites Search by specific phrase that might yield Search by specific phrase that might yield

research & development results:research & development results:site:ibm.com "business trends“ site:ibm.com "business trends“

Search by specific productSearch by specific productname or service markname or service marksite:3m.com respirators healthcare site:3m.com respirators healthcare "Post-It""Post-It"

Search by specific personnel / executives, Search by specific personnel / executives, who often are quoted in news articleswho often are quoted in news articles(for example, Lawson Software’s CEO (for example, Lawson Software’s CEO "Harry Debes“)"Harry Debes“)

Current News EventsCurrent News Events

Search EnginesSearch EnginesNews.Yahoo.ComNews.Yahoo.ComNews.Google.ComNews.Google.Com

Media SitesMedia SitesCNN.com, NPR.org, StarTribune.comCNN.com, NPR.org, StarTribune.com

RSS Feeds into PortalsRSS Feeds into Portalsmy.Yahoo.com (pick content with RSS)my.Yahoo.com (pick content with RSS)

Documenting SourcesDocumenting Sources

www.citationmachine.netwww.citationmachine.net APA StyleAPA Style

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ http://www.westwords.com/guffey/apa.htmlhttp://www.westwords.com/guffey/apa.html http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshhttp://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/worksh

op/citation.htmop/citation.htm