MIS 513 - Business Foundations for Information Technology: Library Research Guide
Industry Research Benchmarking Research Vendor Research Grants for Small Businesses
Industry research
A variety of resources are available through the UA Library as well as the internet for researching an industry. To find detailed information about your industry, you will want to use a variety of sources to obtain both information from both broad and narrow points of view. One of the most effective ways to locate industry information is through the variety of databases to which the library and university provide access. You may alsofind the Industry Research Guide helpful as you research your specific industry.
Databases
The two primary article databases for business research are ABI/Inform and Business Source Complete. Each of these databases provides full-text access to articles about various industries. Beyond articles from scholarly journals, each of the databases also includes articles from newspapers, business magazines and trade publications. Any of these can be a source of information about your industry.
Each of these databases contains some information that will not be found in the other, so it is worthwhile to search both databases. For example, Business Source Complete is an excellent resource for market research reports, SWOT analysis reports, industry profiles and product reviews, while ABI/Inform provides unique online access to some items, such as the Wall Street Journal.
To search either of these databases, you can begin by doing a simple keyword search for the industry in which your company is involved.
These are not the only resources you will want to use for your industry analysis. Some of the other resources available include:
UA Library Catalog: The libraries may very well have books or other documents available that will assist you in researching your industry. Try doing a keyword search for your industry and seeing what type of results you get.
Business and Company Resource Center: This database contains company and industry profiles as well as business rankings and articles from business periodicals.
MarketResearch.Com Academic: can be an excellent resource for researching a particular market or industry. Not all industries are covered, but most are, so it is worth searching.
Gartner, Inc: Provides research and analysis on the IT industry. Whether the company you work with is specifically a technology company or not, Gartner, Inc. is an essential resource for your research. Note: you must have a UA NetID established to access the Gartner, Inc. reports.
Industry associations can be an excellent resource for information about your industry. The Encyclopedia of Associations allows you to search for associations in that industry or find some in related industries that might have relevant information for your industry analysis.
Additional resources for industry research
The resources listed above are just a few of the resources available for finding information about your industry and market. Other resources you may want to search include:
Business NewsBank
In-depth company, industry, product and executive news, covering both private and public companies. Offers full text coverage from hundreds of regional and local business publications (e.g., Inside Tucson Business).
Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe
Full-text articles from thousands of news sources. Choose the Business search form on the left-hand side of the page, then search in the Industry & Market News section.
Regional Business News
Full text for over 50 regional business journals, newspapers, and newswires, including Inside Tucson Business.
Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys (reference book)
HG4921 .S68 Information Commons Reference
Excellent source for broad industry overview of and trends.
Benchmarking Research
Benchmarking: Benchmarking is a means to identify best practices for a company or industry by comparing similar processes across different organizations and industries. This is something you cannot research until you know what the company you are working with is trying to accomplish.
As you begin to plan your research strategy for this section, think beyond just the industry in which your company operates and instead focus on what the company wants. For example:
- A computer company may want to set up an online help desk. What other industries or professions have done similar work?
- A laundry wants to start doing home pickup and delivery. What companies or services already do this that aren't just laundries?
The answers to these questions can help direct your research beyond the business databases as well. For example, for the first question, libraries have provided online reference services for a number of years. Searching in the library databases may help you identify some services of use. For the second question, thinking broadly, the first that comes to mind may be the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx.
The research for this section of your project may be the most time consuming of the project. Any of the databases mentioned in the Industry Research section may be of use, as well as those listed in other subject areas, and information available on the internet.
Vendor Research
Identifying Vendors: Locating a vendor for the service or equipment your company wants to implement may be as simple as the local yellow pages, but it may take a more effort than that. If your research has identified a best producer for the technology to support the service or product your company wants to provide, then you may be set. Otherwise, search the trade publications produced in your industry. You may find these through association websites or through databases like Business Source Complete and ABI/Inform. Some additional places to search for vendors include:
Million Dollar Database: a database of public and private companies with more than $9 million in sales or 180+ employees
ReferenceUSA: Available with a Pima County Public Library card or with a database access code from the Pima County Public Library, if you do not have a card. This database is a directory of public and private businesses in the United States. It can be searched by company name, location or industry.
ThomasNet: The online version of the Thomas Register of Manufacturers. Access is free with registration. This directory has vendor contact information. The focus is primarily on manufacturing supplies, but some technology vendors are listed, primarily in the Services area.
GSA IT Vendor Search: In-depth information about IT vendors to the Federal Government. The advanced search allows vendors to be located by location or browse the full list.
Business Intelligence Network: Allows you to browse for companies by the type of product they provide. Not all companies are listed.
Grants for Businesses
If the company/agency with which you are working fits a of a variety of criteria, they may qualify for grants or loans to assist with the costs of their project.
Small Business Adminstration (SBA)'s Small Business Innovation Research Program: Established to help small businesses compete for federal research and development awards. This is a highly competitive program that assists small businesses in obtaining research funds set aside by 11 governmental agencies for awards to small businesses.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: An online catalog of a wide variety of Federal Assistance available.
Grants.gov: Grants.gov is an excellent resource for locating grants available to a wide variety or organizations and businesses.
Local Grants and Loans: Local organizations and agencies may provide grants or loans to eligible businesses and agencies. Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities is one such agency in the Tucson area. Pima County Public Library has additional information on grants and funding for Businesses and non-profit or community organizations.
Class page created and maintained by Laura Carscaddon, August 21, 2007. Portions of this page were adapted from the Marketing 361 class guide developed by Mary Feeney.