Business Research (General)

Cultivate an explorer's mindset

• Approach research with an open mind
• Be curious
  • What information exits about your topic?
  • There will not be only one answer to a question or problem. 
• Rarely will you find all the information you need in one source
  • Find pieces of information from a variety of sources
  • Synthesize and combine them to meet your research needs

A brief overview of finding information

• Choose your topic
  • What aspect(s) of business are you interested in learning more about?
  • Do you have an assigned topic or task? Start there!
• Gather background information
  • General reference databases like Credo Reference or Britannica Library are great resources for gaining context on new-to-you topics.
• Find specific information
  • Once you feel comfortable with your chosen topic, use business-specific databases like Business (Gale OneFile), Business Source Premier (EBSCO), and Business Insights: Gale to find information on industry data, business strategies, full-text articles, financial information, and so much more.

Embrace the process of discovery

Follow these steps as you uncover the information you need: 

1. EXPLORE multiple sources to find out what information has been published about your topic
   • Skim or scan the article, looking for useful facts
   • Jot them down and keep track of the article title and database (copying and pasting a permalink is an efficient way to keep track of sources)
2. DISCOVER what you don't know and what you need to learn 
3. IDENTIFY and RECORD key facts, details, terms, and concepts that relate to your topic
4. EVALUATE the credibility of the information
5. ANALYZE how useful a source might be and how you might use it
6. SYNTHESIZE all the information gathered to complete your task or assignment

Locating business information step-by-step 

• Step 1: Choose a topic of interest
• Step 2: Make a list of relevant search terms related to your topic
• Step 3: Locate background information by using a reference database, like Credo Reference or Britannica Library 
  • Pay close attention to the following:
    • Key terms, definitions, and concepts 
    • Basic facts and ideas (significant people, issues, dates, locations, events, etc.)
    • Identify new search terms based on what you've learned
  • Take notes! The background information you find will help guide your detailed research.
• Step 4: Search for detailed research about your business topic, such as scholarly articles, data, statistics, etc.
  • Databases for relevant detailed research might include:
    • Business (Gale OneFile)
      • Full-text coverage in the fields of accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management and strategy, and business theory and practice 
    • Business Source Premier (EBSCO) 
      • Contains articles, economic reports, company profiles, industry reports, and videos from business publications in areas such as marketing, management, accounting, and finance
• Step 5: Evaluate the articles and sources you select by asking yourself the following questions: 
  • Is the article useful for your assignment?
  • Is the information up-to-date?
  • Is the author qualified to write about your topic?
  • Did you verify the information by cross-referencing with other sources?
  • Is the article factual and bias limited?
  • What is the purpose of the article? Educate? Inform? Persuade? 
• Step 6: Synthesize what you already knew about the topic with the new knowledge you've gained during the research process to complete your paper, assignment, or other task.