Guide to Library Resources
Foundations of Business Thought—BA 201
Business Dictionaries
Like many areas of specialization, business has its own set of unique “jargon.” Listed below are some print and online dictionaries which may help de-mystify the jargon of business. The books are in the reference area of the main floor of the library.
International
dictionary of banking and finance. HG151 .C54 1999
Dictionary of
business and management. HF1001
.R79 1993
A dictionary of business (
Information about Companies
Standard & Poors Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives. Ready Ref. HG 4057 .A4 2005 (3 vols.) Also available online through Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage.
Ward’s Business Directory of U.S.
Private and Public Companies. Ref. HG 4009 .W37 2004
(8 vols.)
The Hoover‘s books contain information sheets on companies, providing an overview, history, chart of key financial information for the past 10 years, list of major products, rankings, and competitors. Also available online at Hoover’s.
MarketLine Business Information Center – accessible from Library Indexes & Databases
A Reuter’s database which
includes detailed information on over 10,000 companies both
Mergent Online (formerly FIS Online/Moody’s) database contains extensive financial and historical information on over 10,000 U.S. public companies, 11,000+ non-U.S. public companies, and 17,610 municipal entities, as well as corporate and municipal bond, and dividend information. Users can build custom reports on companies, compare companies based on financial performance, and export data into spreadsheets.
From their website: “Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in the United States and in major international markets….Morningstar is a trusted source for insightful information on stocks, mutual funds, variable annuities, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds, separate accounts, hedge funds, and 529 college savings plans.” Much of the information on this site is on a fee basis, but the free information is very useful, especially for mutual funds and other amalgamated financial products.
Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage – accessible from Library Indexes & Databases
S&P’s NetAdvantage is another gateway to in-depth company information, geared particularly toward investors. It incorporates a number of classic S&P publications, including their Register of Corporations (discussed above) and their Corporation Profiles, which gives detailed financial information. S&P Industry Surveys, which contain current analyses for 21 industries and approximately 1000 companies, are an important component of this database. The weekly publication, The Outlook, is also available and contains financial information about selected companies. Much other stock, bond and mutual fund information is also included in NetAdvantage.
Business and Company Resource Center - accessible from Library Indexes & Databases
This Gale database provides company profiles, rankings, products, investment reports, company histories, financial information, periodical articles, etc.
Annual
Reports
The 10-K financial reports that public companies are required to file with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) are full of potentially useful information. To access these reports, search the SEC Edgar Database at http://www.sec.gov/edgarhp.htm. The annual reports companies issue to shareholders can also be excellent sources of information. Many companies make their annual reports available on their web sites, usually under a link called something like “investors.” If you are looking for a company’s web site and the URL is not obvious, try doing a web search.
All companies are classified into industry classifications by the federal government. Until recently, the categorization was called an SIC (Standard Industrial Classification). In 1997, a new system of categorization was developed: the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). One or both of these codes (the SIC or the NAICS) may be used in a directory listing. It is very important to know the SIC or NAICS code when doing an industry analysis or placing company information within the industry context.
The BSC Library owns the most recent NAICS and SIC manuals, as well as a book that “translates” SIC to NAICS and vice-versa.
North American industry classification system. Ref. HF1042 .A55 .N67 2002.
The NAICS divides the economy into 20 sectors. Industries within these sectors are grouped according to production criteria. Each industry is assigned a 6-digit code. There is an alphabetic index by industry and a section that matches the 1997 NAICS to the 1987 SIC.
Standard Industrial Classification Manual. HF1042 .U5 1987.
The SIC consists of 99 major industrial groups. Each industry is assigned a 4-digit code within a group. The manual contains an alphabetic index by industry.
This is the book that “translates” between the SIC and the NAICS. Another matching table is available online at http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naicstab.htm - you may view or download either code in detail, or translate between the two.
Information about Industries
Encyclopedia of American Industries. Ref. HC
102.E53 2001 (2 vols.)
Provides comprehensive information on every industry recognized by the SIC system. Covers both manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries and includes historical information as well as significant business trends and statistics
Contains key financial information, operating data and ratios for around 3500 companies. The information is arranged by industry in 137 industry groups. Statistics are updated twice a year for each industry.
Gives brief industry reviews and forecasts for the year in question, for numerous industries. Includes tables and charts. Updated information is available at the U.S. International Trade Administration’s Trade Development website: http://www.ita.doc.gov/td
All of the databases listed below are accessible from the Library’s Indexes & Databases page. Many of these databases also provide analysis by industry, including LexisNexis Academic and Infotrac General BusinessFile ASAP.
This premier business database covers over 1,000 journals in the areas accounting, business conditions, management, trends, and industry-specific topics. Information on over 60,000 companies as well as executive profiles, reports on market conditions, and in-depth case studies of global business trends can be found. Over 500 journals provide full-text articles, while the others have abstracts only.
Business Full Text 1995- (continues Business Periodicals Index, 1962-2000) (Index shelves)
Provides indexing and abstracting
for around 500 international English-language business magazines, with
information on companies, industries, and subjects.
EbscoHost Business Source Premier. 1984 - present
This database provides full text coverage for over 960 journals in the areas of business, management, economics, finance, banking, and accounting.
Infotrac General BusinessFile ASAP. 1994 - present
Covers business and management topics, some articles available in full text. “Includes directory listings for over 150,000 companies as well as Investext investment analysts’ reports on major companies and industries.” To see available search options, choose Advanced Search.
Lexis Nexis Academic, Business section. 1974 - present
Retrieves full-text company news and financial information, business articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, wire services, and transcripts (as far back as the 1970s in some cases). Lexis Nexis Academic (News section) also indexes the Wall Street Journal back to 1973, with abstracts for articles provided since 1989. Options to search for information by industry and access to SEC reports and filings are also provided.
ProQuest Direct Research Library Complete. 1992 - present
In-depth business coverage; full text articles from the Wall Street Journal and some other publications. Searchable by company name and product name, as well as by keyword, personal name, etc.
Wall Street Journal Index. 1986-2002 (Index shelves in library)
Use the Corporate volume to find articles under company name, and the General section to search by subject or industry. The Library no longer subscribes to the print version of the Wall Street Journal Index. ProQuest Newspapers does index the Wall Street Journal, from 1982 to the present, and has some full text. Select the More Search Options and enter Wall Street Journal in the Publication Title field to limit your search to the Journal.
The Library subscribes to many business journals and magazines, and many more are available full-text through the indexes and databases listed above. To see if an article is available full-text in a database, or if it’s available in print or microfilm format in the Library, please consult Periodicals @ BSC on the Library home page.
Two special issues of journals that may be of particular interest to you are the Forbes Global 2000 issue: and the Fortune 500 issue, both appear in March or April. Forbes includes an annual survey which measures profits, assets, and sales of top companies. The complete Global 2,000 list for the current year and previous 4 years can also be found at http://www.forbes.com (see the Lists tab from the home page and look for the “World’s 2,000 Largest Companies”). Fortune gives the top 500 companies ranked by revenue, as well as other rankings by industry, state, etc. Both journals are available in print in the Current Periodicals section of the Library and also available in fulltext databases by using Periodicals @ BSC.
Local and State Business Information
There is a special section of the Birmingham News: The Birmingham News Business Outlook, an annual supplement which gives a great deal if information on the local business environment, and includes some good information on local private companies. The current issue is in the reserve section; ask for it using the call number XP REF A. An additional source of local information is the Birmingham Business Journal. On the state level, BusinessAlabama is a monthly publication which includes an annual book of lists, Top Rank Alabama (HC 107 .A2 T67 x), located in the reference collection).
rev 2/2008