SEARCHING STRATEGY (All databases have useful Help Screens!)
“Key” words: To select the keywords or terms to search with: imagine the title of the article that would have exactly what you are looking for, then select at least two, or maybe three, “key” words from the title. The keywords will usually be nouns. You can also select keywords from the thesis sentence or abstract of your project.
Most of these databases are full text, that is, they have the entire text of the article. Others include full text articles. When there is no full text there is usually an abstract (a summary) of the article. And note the SFX link to additional full text resources. We urge that you DO NOT restrict your search to the full text articles because you can not be sure that all you need will be available full text. In business writing the abstract might contain the data you need. And scholarly publications are not always available in full text. In addition, most searches require use of several databases to be complete. Consult with a librarian for further guidance.
Business Full Text (Wilson Web) This excellent resourceincludes some 350 business titles. All records include an abstract or summary of the article whether full text or not. Begin basic business research here because the most read business magazines in the US, including some scholarly titles, are included in Wilson and not all are of these are in the larger databases. Also, this is the only business database that is linked to Library holdings.
Searching tips: Use the “Advanced Search” option; enter a key word that describes the
subject in each window. The Boolean Operator and is set up as a default. You can change settings to search by author. You can limit your search to full text and/or to
peer reviewed (that is, scholarly, research) publications. An icon indicates full text articles. Use the "Check for Library Holdings" link to see if the Library has the title.
ABI/Inform Dateline 175 local and regional business news publications.
ABI/Inform Global 1,800 international periodicals including scholarly journals.
ABI/Inform Trade and Industry 750 publications with a trade or industry focus.
Searching tips: Select “Advanced Search” at the top. The Boolean operator and is set (and you can select author, title, journal, etc.). Set “Database” pull-down menu (below search windows) to Business - ABI/Inform Global or Business - ABI/Inform Trade and Industry. Select “Multiple Databases” link to search both at the same time through check boxes. You can limit your search to peer reviewed (that is, scholarly, research) publications.Icons to the left of list of articles indicate full text (most are).
Factiva - For a search of publications select “Search”, “Free-Text/Indexing” just below the Factiva logo (this will probably be the setting already when you open this database). Select check box for “All Publications” to search 9000 business publications of all types from newspapers to scholarly journals. Factiva includes publications in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science and Technology in addition to Business. Access Factiva through MS Internet Explorer.
Searching tips: ALWAYS set “Search for free-text terms in:” to “Headline and Lead Paragraph”. This pull down menu is included under “+More Search Options”. Factiva requires you type the Boolean and between words. A search will bring a listing of “Headlines” (titles) with a brief description including the number of words in the article. Select a “Headline” to retrieve the article (most are full text). The “Source” link will allow you to find out if a given publication is in Factiva and if available full-text.
Hoovers Company Reports Files for data on 40,000 Companies, both publicly-traded and private companies. Information includes company history, financial data, products or services, a list of competitors, and executives and board members.
Searching tips: The “Publication Search” tab at the top of the screen will bring an alphabetical listing of companies. Choose “Advanced Search” and you can search for company, executive, or location (for example all companies in California).
MergentOnline This is the online version of the Mergent (formerly Moody’s) manuals, data on some 15,000 US and 20,000 Foreign companies. Data includes SEC EDGAR filings (10(K), etc.), annual reports, company descriptions, histories, current news, and more.
Searching tips: Use “Basic Search” for most purposes; enter either company name or ticker symbol. Then select company link. You will see directory information and some basic data. Choose from tabs across top of display for more complete data. For SEC EDGAR filings begin your search by selecting the EDGAR Search tab.
NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK (NTDB) via STAT-USA/Internet: NTDB provides access to over 100,000 full-text documents, including reports on countries, market reports, and foreign trade statistics. Use this database for international business and foreign trade. The documents often have the name and phone number of the expert who produced the document. See also the USA Trade Online Database for import and export statistics by country or commodity, trade to and from USA.
Searching tips: On the GLOBUS & NTDB page, scroll down. The choices under “Market and Country Research” are usually the best for research papers. Open and select country or topic from Country Commercial Guides, Best Market Research Reports, Industry Sector Analysis, etc. rather than search the entire NTDB at once.
Daniel Hanne
8/07
