Business Pathfinder

I've found the book I need on my business topic but my library doesn't have it. How can I get it?

Start with TexShare resources netLibrary or the Library of Texas (LOT).

netLibrary offers a collection of ebooks and digital materials like journals and databases. It allows you to search the collection by author, title, or subject (with keywords like Google). You can browse online or check items out digitally.

Library of Texas is a search engine. It allows you to search the catalogs of libraries around the state as well as multiple TexShare databases, all at the same time. It also allows you to search these collections by author, title, or subject (with keywords like Google). The search results will tell you if the item is a book. If so, you may request the book through Interlibrary loan and have the item sent to your local library. If it tells you the book is available at a nearby library, you can request a TexShare card from your local library, go to that nearby library, and check it out yourself.

Where can I find current news articles on business related topics?

In 2007, TexShare offers three major databases that contain current news articles on business topics. They are InfoTrac Custom Newspapers, Newspaper Source and Regional Business News.

InfoTrac Custom Newspapers is a Thomson/Gale product. It offers full-text content from 100 US newspapers and 60 international ones. It's fully indexed (except for obituaries) and so very easy to search. Some of its contents go back as far as 1985.

Newspaper Source is an EBSCO product. It covers 245 regional papers, 18 international sources, and 35 radio and TV stations. You can search and sort by date and publication type (including newspapers, transcripts, newswires and magazines). If you try the advanced search tab at the top, you can also search by document types such as; articles, book reviews, short stories, speeches, poems, interviews or even case studies.

Regional Business News is another EBSCO database but this one concentrates on regional news. It draws from 75 US regional papers, particularly those with a concentration on state and county business news. As with all the EBSCO databases, you will be able to search many sources simultaneously.

If you want to find the most current news on a certain company, try searching by the name of the company and limiting the search to the current year.

I see a tab called Visual Search. What does this mean?

Visual search is a fabulous new way of finding what you need. For example, you might be interested in pizza restaurants in the United States. Click on the visual search tab at the top of the screen. Enter "pizza" in the keyword blank and select "Newspaper Source" from all the choices in the drop-down menu provided underneath. After a few seconds, the big circle in the window will fill with smaller circles. Each of these represent themes of "pizza" from cookery to restaurants, some are distinguished by location, like US or New York. Zoom in on the smaller circles, these often have others within them too. Follow your interest on down to the smallest level and you will be presented with the name of the article, its date, and where to find it. (This information also shows up on the right hand side of the screen for easy copy and pasting.)

I want to find out how to start my own business. What are some good resources?

The TexShare databases have a lot of information to offer you! Get your password from your library and use it to log on to the TexShare databases. From there, choose one (or all) of these:

Business Source Complete is a great place to start. For example, if you're interested in pizza restaurants, you might want to go to basic search, put "pizza in the keyword box, scroll down and set the date for the last couple of years, and set the publication type for industry profile. This will give you all sorts of broad statistics about the whole industry, who's healthy and what's going on. When you've looked at those results, you might want to click on "company profiles" at the top of the page. This will give you lots of specific information about companies that might interest you if you want to join a franchise; key facts, business descriptions, history, key employees, locations and subsidiaries, and how the company views itself.

NetLibrary is another good source. Try searching by keywords such as "small business," "self-employment," or "Entrepreneurship." The search results will display digital books that you can browse and even check out. Materials are also available here in Spanish.

MasterFile Premier contains recently published information on a variety of business related topics. You might try using terms such as "Entrepreneurship," "starting your own business," or "small business tips." Many of the search results may contain journal and news articles on issues surrounding starting and operating small businesses.

I want to invest in the stock market. How do I research companies I am interested in?

Business Source Complete is a good way to get started. Go to it, and click on the "Company Profiles" tab at the top. Type in the name of the company that interests you. You might try Dell as an example. When the results come up, click on the company name for a quick overview, including last year's profits. Click on the Datamonitor Report for a downloadable report in greater depth. You will be able to print, email, or save this information and the program will help you remember what you've already searched.

When you're finished with the Datamonitor Report, you can just click on the link to search periodicals and other sources for articles on Dell. You'll be offered the choice of information about Dell from a wide range of sources including; academic journals, trade publications, market research reports, product reviews, and SWOT analyses, as well as newspapers, magazines, and of course, books.

Some Useful TexShare Database Descriptions

Business Source Complete

The world's largest resource of full text business publications. Business Source Complete offers full text journals in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, accounting, banking, and finance. Indexing, abstracts, and full text are available as far back as 1886. Additional full text content includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more.

InfoTrac Custom Newspapers

InfoTrac Custom Newspapers offers a collection of over 400 full-text newspapers from around the globe. Updated daily, articles are indexed and searchable by title, author, headline, date or section. Cover-to-cover coverage of USA Today, Austin-American Statesman from 1996, Washington Times from 1996, Houston Chronicle from 1996, The Financial Times from 1996, The Times (London) since 1985, and many more.

NetLibrary (27,000 eBooks)

More than 27,000 eBooks are available for browsing, searching, and virtual check-out through NetLibrary. TexShare's eBook collection includes titles from the world's leading business, technology, trade, reference, academic, and scholarly publishers. Search by title, author, keyword, publisher, publication date, or ISBN number. You may either view the book online or check it out electronically for a limited time.

Newspaper Source

Newspaper Source provides cover-to-cover full text for 20 large American & international newspapers, including The Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Times (London), Toronto Star. The database also contains selected full text for more than 230 regional newspapers, including The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, The Miami Herald, Daily News (New York), and the San Jose Mercury News. In addition, full text television & radio news transcripts are provided from CBS News, FOX News, and NPR.

EBSCO Business Source Complete

Economia y Negocios

Economia y Negocios is the result of a collaborative effort between EBSCO Publishing and ESAN (Escuela de Administracion de Negocios para Graduados). This continuously updated bibliographic database is an indispensable tool for research conducted in the areas of business and economics. It allows you to search with keywords in both Spanish and English. More than 60,000 records, dating back to the early 1980s, provide coverage for over 200 Spanish and Portuguese-language periodicals published in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, the United States and elsewhere. Active titles include Revista de la CEPAL, Revista de Administracao, Estudios Empresariales, and Agroeconomico.

Regional Business News

With daily updates, Regional Business News provides comprehensive full text for regional business publications (including titles from Crain Communications). This database provides full text for more than 50 sources, concentrating on state and county information about local

Additional Internet Resources

Allbusiness.com

http://www.allbusiness.com
This commercial portal offers an abundance of resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including expert advice, online tools, and downloadable forms.

BizStats

http://www.bizstats.com/
Statistical information tailored to the small business community. Provides benchmarking for specific industries as well as national business statistics.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov/
This government web site provides one stop shopping for the major
economic indicators. Check the Consumer Price Index, Producer Price Index, Unemployment figures, and Productivity. Both national and state figures are available through this site.

CNN Financial News

http://money.cnn.com/
This is a great site for keeping current with business news. Look up stock quotes and read the headlines.

The Entrepreneur's Reference Guide to Small Business Information

http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/guide/guide2/
This site is designed for small-business owners and business reference specialists, the guide is an annotated list of more than 179 resources, including how-to books, reference titles, directories, serial titles, and databases.

Hoover’s Online

http://www.hoovers.com/
This site is an online version of the Hoover's reference book and provides company profiles free of charge and offers reports for purchase.

Yahoo Small Business

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com
Site contains topical information with headings such as "How to Start a Small Business" and "International Business and Trade." Within each topic heading you can find numerous links to other sites filled with tools and information.

This page was written by Telesa Rountree in Spring 2005.
This page was revised by Ray James in Spring 2006.
This page was revised by Lisa Charbonnet in Spring 2007.
INF 382S: Library Instruction and Information Literacy, taught by Dr. Loriene Roy
School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin

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