Business Research Guides 

The very thought of business research can be off-putting to those who have a more creative bent or those who are disinclined to delve into the nasty business of business.  This guide introduces the notion that business research can be fun and creative.  For starters, note that even Boomberg, a mega financial database with screens that typically look like this, has a right-brain or imaginative side.  Bloomberg MUSE covers arts and culture. To  see if this is the right guide for you take this simple Right Brain  v. Left Brain test (warning, contains nudity and may or may not be accurate). 

The following business history research scenarios are examples of inquiries from non-business researchers:

A. A student interested in the history of leisure who  wants to begin to explore  Wham-O, the company that first sold the Frisbee and hula hoop can quickly find information by searching Business & Company Resource Center  by company name. This resource includes the International Directory of Company Histories.

B. Environmental Studies or Gender Studies students might need information on the early manufacturers of disposal diapers. They can find it in Proquest Historical Annual Reports by using the keyword diapers. Steps: 1. Click on Advanced Search  2. Choose Document Text. 

C. Although  Making of the Modern World  (The Goldsmiths'- Kress Library of Economic Literature 1450-1850)  is mainly focused on business and economics, searching for humanities related topics sometime is fruitful.  For example, try searching for dance as a Subject.

Thomson ONE Banker, Factiva, ISI Emerging Markets and Business Source Complete are among the most frequently used business databases.  With the exception of Business Source Complete (an EBSCO product), the  resources in this section most likely are not familiar in content and format to many humanist.  Examples of how each database can be used in a "non-business" way follow:

A. Use Thomson ONE Banker to search for analysts reports* on topics of interest to librarians, like social networks. Here's how: 1. Click on Research, Conduct Research. Search for "Social Networks".

*Analyst reports are produced by investment banks or brokerage firms and provide excellent overviews of companies and industries. They can contain marketing strategies market share forecasts, industry statistics, country risk and more.

B. Even research on using natural textiles  for crafts can benefit from a business-like approach. Search  Factiva  by using Industry codes and key words.  1. Click on Industry, Clothing/Textiles, Fiber/Yarn/Thread. Click the blue triangle to add the code to the search box and then search for alpaca.

 C. ISI Emerging markets , a product developed to meet the needs of Wall Street for business, industry and finance news from developing economics, also covers some aspects of cultural news.  For example, click on  Philippines and do a search on film industry.

 D. The use of story telling in management, an example of how the humanities and the business world can complement one another, has gained increasing popularity over the last decade.  Business Source Complete is an excellent source for tracking this trend.

Business-related databases can be used to glean a unique insight into the future of library trends and services.  e-marketer and  Mintel  are good examples of resources that cover issues such web2.0 and social networks from the perspective of what our future costumers will need or want.

e-marketer  provides reports and articles that discuss the sustainability of Web 2.0 tools. For examples, the search "Twitter and Second Life" turns up  a chart on social media used at work. 

Mintel  includes special reports such as Techtrak U.S. which provides insights into questions like "What are the implications of an increasingly portable lifestyle?".  (One-time registration is needed to access Mintel)

Business Answers Now ! (formerly Ask Handsome Dan)  is a database of frequently asked questions that retrieves resources that best fit your specific information needs. FOR BEST RESULTS Enter one specific word or phrase. EXAMPLES: bonds, earnings, analyst report etc. CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU NEED? Browse the questions under the most relevant category, e.g. Finance,  Marketing, etc it your specific information needs. MORE HELP: Check a Social Science Library Subject Guide, email us: SSL Reference or call our front desk (203) 432-3300. 

If you aska question Dan can't answer a human reviews your inquiries and if  appropriate adds your question and an answer to the database. Dan thrives on  your input, please use him!