Company Research

Introduction

The Internet has made the task of researching companies much easier than it used to be. Searches that would once have required a visit to a large university library can now be replicated almost entirely online. The "almost" is significant, because while there is a wealth of information available online for free, most business and financial information is available only for a fee. Think about it: compiling current, accurate information is an expensive chore. No one is likely to do it unless they can make a profit.

This Web page is intended as a guide to:

• Finding books
• Finding magazine & journal articles
• Finding Web sites
• Citing information in a paper

Books

The following titles are located in the Reference stacks on the first floor of the Library. You are welcome to photocopy from them. You may also wish to browse similar call numbers among the circulating books to find titles which can be checked out.

Newspapers, Magazines, and Scholarly Journals

ProQuest
http://library.spokanefalls.edu/_auth/journal.asp

This database is available from any campus computer; students who have Internet access from home can use this index with a current student ID number. Search specifically by company name or by SIC code for industry information. ProQuest indexes articles from a variety of publications, including the Spokesman Review, The Spokane Journal of Business, and other local Washington and Oregon newspapers.

 

MarketLine
http://library.spokanefalls.edu/_auth/journal.asp

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.

 

Consumer Behavior 2007
http://library.spokanefalls.edu/_auth/journal.asp

A PDF reference book with detailed information on consumer demographics, intentions, trends, actions, socially conscious consumerism, and more, by various demographic criteria.

 

Business and Company Resource Center
http://www.spokanelibrary.org/research/electronicresources.asp#Business

This database is available through the Spokane Public Library. You must have a Spokane Public Library card to log in.
Business and Company Research Center contains a variety of full-text information, from company histories to financial data to recent news articles.

 

The most recent two or three issues of periodicals are kept on the open shelves in the northeast corner reading room. Older issues are upstairs on the South Library mezzanine.

World Wide Web Resources

The World Wide Web is increasingly useful for scholarly research, as long as you use it with caution.

Try to identify stable, reputable sources. Start with ones we have already selected for you (listed below). If you want to search the Web yourself, here is an excellent site which recommends various search tools for different purposes:

Choose the Best Search Engine for Your Information Needs

tp://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

General information on search strategies is available at

"Why Can't I Find Anything I Want on the Internet?"

http://GeorgeSuttle.com/teaching/websearching/

Listed below are some sites that may be useful:

Larger, National, or Public Companies

EDGAR (the S.E.C.)
http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/webusers.htm

Find a company's Annual Report (10-k) or Quarterly Report (10-Q).

Report Gallery
http://www.reportgallery.com/

Find companies' annual reports

Virtual Chase
http://www.virtualchase.com/coinfo/

This site is subtitled "Teaching Legal Professionals How To Do Research." This site has some good tips and ideas, as well as links to a variety of Web sites which might be helpful.

Washington Post Special Report: Company Research
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/business/companyresearch/

This will most helpful in researching larger public companies, but there is some information regarding private ones as well.

Researching Smaller, Local, or Private Companies

Spokane Chamber of Commerce
http://www.thechamber.net/spokane/membmain.htm

Type your company's name in the "Business" line.

Google Search Engine
http://www.google.com/

Remember to use the exact name of the company in question and enclose the name in quotes. For example type in "Rosauer's Food and Drug" not Rosauer's or "Rosauer's Grocery"

More on Business Research

Seaching for Company Information
http://www.nypl.org/research/sibl/company/c2index.htm

from the New York Public Library

Researching Companies Online
http://www.learnwebskills.com/company/index.html

"a step-by-step process for finding free company and industry information on the World Wide Web"

Company Research
http://iws.ohiolink.edu/companies/

Another good overview with step by step instructions

How to cite sources in your paper

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.