Finding the Best Information for Your Case

1
Finding the Best Information for Your Case

• Julie Kwan, Marshall Libraries
• BAEP 452 Cases in Feasibility Analysis
• September 5, 2000

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Thinking About Your Question

• Most people use the most accessible information,
  even if its not the best information.
• So, you can be more competitive by getting the
  best information.
• You have access to lots of information through
  MarVEL.
• Use an iterative process to look for answers.

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MarVELYour Information Gateway

• MarVEL is Marshalls Virtual Electronic Library
• You can access MarVEL from the Marshall Home
  Page, or
• You can access MarVEL from the ISD Home Page (go
  to either the Accounting Library or the Crocker
  Business Library their home pages are MarVEL)

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MarVEL Provides

• Links to business information resources selected
  specifically to support Marshalls educational
  programs
• Guidance on how to approach an information
  problem
• Information about library hours, services, and
  contact information

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MarVELs Structure

• Top bar has most frequently used buttons
• Show Me! box for new users (includes how to
  access MarVEL from home)
• Quick pick of most frequently used electronic
  resources
• Business Information includes detailed
  methodology for company and industry research and
  other common business questions.
• Course Pages include pages for course assignments

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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?

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Sources of Information

• Newspapers
• Trade associations
• Governments
• Academics
• Companies themselves
• Industries themselves
• Commercial information providers

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What you need to know about the information
provider

• What is their motive (mandate? money?)
• Who is their intended audience?
• Where do they get their information?
• What is their track record?

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Common Types of Business Questions

• Company Information
• Industry Information
• Market Information
• Getting Good Numbers
• Getting News and Analysis

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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?

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Key Resources for Company Information

• FIS Online (Moodys Manuals)
• Hoovers Online
• OneSource U.S. Business Browser
• Other resources on MarVELs Company Research page
  (look for it by clicking on Business Information)

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OneSource Passwords

• Here are the OneSource passwords for this class
• This information was distributed in class.

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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.
• Contact trade associations for additional
  information about the industry.
• Talk to people in the industry

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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.
• There always is SOME relevant industry
  information!

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Key Resources for Industry Information

• OneSource U.S. Business Browser
• Standard Poors Industry Surveys
• Trade association publications (included in
  OneSource Business Browser, ABI/Inform, and other
  resources)
• Gartner Online - if you are doing anything in
  ecommerce
• Other sites on the Industry Research page

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OneSource Business Browser Industry Profiler

• SIC Overviews
• Industry Overviews
• Industry Norms
• Marketshare Data
• Research Reports (Wall Street analysts)
• Trade publications
• Custom search
• Links to related organizations

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Key Resources for Market Information

• Government agencies Census Bureau
• TableBase they use lots of terms for specific
  markets (Gen X, Gen Y, etc.)
• More detailed information is available on the
  Marketing page on MarVELs Business Information
  section

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Where Can I Get Good Numbers?

• Census Bureau -- includes the Economic Census,
  the Census of Population, the Census of Housing
• FEDSTATS -- go to the Agencies section and pick
  the most appropriate one
• STAT-USA -- includes domestic and international
  economic information
• TableBase -- 25,000 tables from trade
  associations are added every year

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Where can I get articles?

• Trade association publications OneSource,
  ABI/Inform on Proquest Direct, Lexis-Nexis
• Newswires OneSource, Dow Jones Interactive,
  Lexis-Nexis
• Newspaper articles ABI/Inform on Proquest
  Direct, Dow Jones Interactive (especially for the
  Wall Street Journal, Lexis-Nexis
• Academic articles ABI/Inform on Proquest Direct

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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 (look under Library Services, then User
  Guides)