Business Correspondence
Introduction
Effective communication skills are fundamental in the business world. No one ever gets a second chance to make a first impression, and first impressions are largely set by how well you express yourself in speech and in writing. Meaningful content, clearly and accurately expressed, is essential, but style sets you apart. You will fare better if you cultivate a good vocabulary and know how to use it.
As you research topics for this class or for any of your classes, you will find information in a variety of different media.
- Newspapers and popular magazines
- There are often the best sources for current or very recent events, especially for news of state and regional interest.
- Professional journals
- Some of these offer bulletins for breaking news and events, but most emphasize in-depth scholarly research articles.
- Books from the Reference and circulating collections
- Subject oriented encyclopedias typically found in the library's reference section can provide context and an overview of broad topics, while other reference works provide capsule information. Books in the circulating collection can offer in-depth coverage, broad context for the average reader, or both.
- Films and Videos
- The library maintains an extensive collection of DVDs and videotapes, some of which deal with business or human resources topics.
- Internet (World Wide Web)
- As the newest and fastest growing source of information, the Web offers information from the most scholarly to the broadly popular to the blatantly false and misleading. Commercial interests are driving the Web's growth, but unfortunately, some of the best business oriented sites are not free.
One trade-off among these different media is in how current they can be, with the Internet and popular print media usually being most current and books being least current. This handout offers suggestions for navigating among these sources.
For any research assignment, it's a good idea to start early. Even casual library work takes time. Be sure to jot down as you go where you get your information–nothing is more frustrating than trying to compile a list of sources with incomplete citations!
Above all, if you have difficulty, don't hesitate to ask for help.
Suggested Print Resources
Newspapers
The SFCC Library subscribes to a variety of local, regional, and national newspapers.
- Journal of Business [Inland Empire]
- Available in paper from 1986–present, and (selectively) from 1986–present on ProQuest; ProQuest offers selective indexing from 1986–present.
- Spokane Spokesman-Review
- Available on microfilm from July, 1989–August, 1996, and (selectively) from 1986–present on ProQuest; there is a printed Spokesman-Review Index available from 1988–1993, and ProQuest offers selective indexing from 1986–present.
- The New York Times
- Available on ProQuest full-text from 1995–present; this will most useful for historical context and background.
- The New York Times Online
- requires registration, but still recommended; although the Times is good about keeping personal data confidential, one can register anonymously simply by making up the necessary information. The online version is best for current awareness and recent articles; for older articles (1995-present), use ProQuest.
- The Wall Street Journal
- Indexed and available full-text in ProQuest for the years 1984–present, and the Library has a paper subscription to the most recent issues; this could also be useful for context and background.
- The Wall Street Journal Online
- The online version of the paper is not free, but they do offer a free 14-day trial.
Journals and Magazines
To find articles in general interest magazines or scholarly journals, you can browse through the issues (not very efficient) or you can use an index. The index we recommend to start is
- ProQuest
http://library.spokanefalls.edu/_auth/journal.asp
- This is the best index in the SFCC Library for a broad range of articles; the full text of many articles is provided online. This index is available from any campus computer; students who have Internet access from home can use this index with a current student ID number.
Not all indexes use the same terms or subject headings for the same concept. One of the best ways to become a more effective researcher is to broaden your vocabulary so you can search different words on your topic.
For topics you might be working on in this class, the following terms should prove useful in Proquest. They may work in other indexes as well, but be open to trying different keywords if these don't produce enough results.
| for articles on worker theft | use employee theft |
| for articles on requiring uniforms | try Dress codes [SUB] AND workplace (ABS), and in lieu of workplace also try business or job |
| for articles on office design | office design was successful, but office layout retrieved more results |
| for articles on employee wellness programs | use wellness programs |
| for articles on onsite daycare | use (sub(day care centers) or sub(child care)) and sub(employee benefits) |
| for articles on purchasing vs. leasing of computers | try (sub(computers) or sub(personal computers)) and abs(leasing) |
- Opposing Viewpoints
http://library.spokanefalls.edu/_auth/journal.asp
- Full-text pro- and con- coverage of numerous topics. Can be browsed or searched. Also provides some access to magazine and journal articles.
- MarketLine
- The MarketLine Business Information Center is a research tool to gain a greater understanding of different markets and the issues major companies are facing. It presents in-depth professional analysis in an easy-to-digest format, covering companies, industries and countries.
Reference sources
The reference section in any library is a smaller version of the whole collection. Items in Reference are genrally not available to check out. You can of course make photocopies if you like. You can also browse similar call numbers in the circulating stacks to find sources which can be checked out.
The following are examples of reference books in our library which might be useful in writing and proofing a business report.
R 423.1 Spears
| NTC's Dictionary of American English Phrases
|
R 428 B458d
| Dos, Don'ts & Maybes of English Usage
|
R 428 C691b
| Beginner's Dictionary of American English Usage
|
R 428 Maggio
| Dictionary of Bias-Free Usage
|
R 658 Encyclo
| Encyclopedia of Business English Sources
|
R 658.003 Busines
| Business Statistics of the United States
|
R 658.03 Interna
| International Encyclopedia of Business & Management
|
R 658.11 Womans
| The Woman's Business Resource
|
R 658.4012 Busines
| Business Plans Handbook
|
R 658.8003 Rosenb
| Dictionary of Marketing & Advertising
|
R 659.103 D561
| Dictionary of Advertising
|
Finding Books & Videos
The SFCC Library shares an online catalog with SCC at http://ccs.wash-id.net/ The catalog lists books, videos, magazines, journals, and other items held by one or both of the two libraries.
Items requested from SCC can generally be delivered to the SFCC circulation desk overnight (except on Fridays, with delivery on Monday).
World Wide Web Resources
The Internet, especially the part known as the World Wide Web, is the most used source of information for most students. Since the Web is relatively new, using it for scholarly research requires caution.
In the first place, try to identify stable, reputable sources. Look for sites that are kept up to date and which have an identifiable author or responsible party, with contact information (postal addresses, phone numbers, or at least an email address). Use sites on free hosts like Geocities or Angelfire with caution, if at all.
Commercial web sites, particularly those with very current or useful business information, offer a limited set of services or data for free, and more complete packages for those willing to pay. You are best served if the free information is easily distinguishable from a sales pitch.
Last but not least, don't overlook government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and college and university schools or departments.
Suggested Sites
The following Web sites have been selected for you to use as starting points:
Business Communication Resources
- Business Communication Resources for Instructors
http://www.westwords.com/GUFFEY/sections.html
- Business Communication Resources for Students
http://www.westwords.com/guffey/site.html
- Two sites by Mary Ellen Guffey in support of her textbooks, the first and better of the two being directed at instructors, the latter towards students. Both are worth a look.
- EnglishClub Grammar
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/index.htm
- Although intended for ESL/EFL students, this site offers clear and useful information on parts of speech, usage questions, and so on. You might also find the Business English section helpful.
- Garbl's Grammar Guides Online
http://home.comcast.net/~garbl/writing/grammar.htm
- Claims to offer "everything you'll ever want to know about sentence structure and using the parts of speech correctly." This is one of a set of related, interlinked pages, all addressing topics of clear writing, punctuation, and communication in general. See also Garbl's Style Manual for extensive coverage of usage questions.
- Guide to Grammar and Writing
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
- A nicely designed and very thorough site "prepared by Professor of English/Humanities Charles Darling for English courses at Capital Community College." More than a list of links to take you somewhere else, these pages actually give you the skinny on a variety of stylistic questions.
- Writing Handouts Listed by Topic
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/index2.html
- The Online Writing Lab, or OWL, at Purdue University has dozens of handouts and guides available, both on matters of grammar, punctuation, and style, as well as on professional/business topics such as report writing, abtracting, resumes, cover letters, and so forth. A very useful resource.
- Revision in Business Writing
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_revisebus.html
- This sample guide from the Purdue University OWL is especially pertinent, and not just to business writing.
- Yahoo: English Grammar and Style
http://dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Linguistics_and_Human_Languages/
Languages/Specific_Languages/English/Grammar__Usage__and_Style/
- If the above haven't satisfied your itch for information, this lengthy list should keep your busy for awhile.
Guides to Business Sites
- A Catalog of Business Web Sites (Yahoo)
http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/
- Thousands of sites are included among Yahoo's well-organized and searchable categories.
- Web 100 (Largest corporations on the Web)
http://www.metamoney.com/w100/
- A good source for selected business information and statistics on large corporations; there is also a newswire for breaking stories.
Whatever sources you use must be cited and attributed. Electronic and Internet sources are particularly troublesome because they can change and disappear. MLA style, developed by the Modern Language Association, is one format which has been adapted and modernized to include online sources:
MLA-Style Guides to Internet Citation
- Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html
- The Purdue Online Writing Center's guide to MLA format is highly recommended.
- MLA-style Citations for ProQuest articles
http://library.spokanefalls.edu/proquestMLA.stm
- Citing articles obtained though the ProQuest service requires a particularly long and detailed citation. This pages shows how to do it.
For authoritative information on MLA style, please consult MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed., available at 808.027 GIBALDI 2003. There is also a copy at the Reference Desk.