We wanted to do a series of short posts about happenings on the Business Reference web page, specifically about our research guides. First, I wanted to mention that we recently published a new guide LGBTQ+ Resources in Business and the Workplace that includes materials on the issues that affect the economic circumstances of the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, I really wanted to get the word out on guides that we are also updating and adding on the Business homepage.
First up are guides for those doing research on companies and industries. These three guides get you started with basic sources and strategies, and since they don’t focus on a particular company or industry, they can be helpful regardless of what is being researched.
The company guide has sections specific to researching private and public companies, while the industry guide includes a number of government websites like Census that are good for all industries, or agencies like the Federal Communications Commission that have data which would be good for someone looking at a specific industry. While there are a number of subscription databases mentioned in both guides that can only be accessed through an account, many of the resources in both are either freely available on the Internet or may be available to you via a local public or university library.
A guide on historical research on companies that is an outgrowth of a class I have taught in the past. This guide is new to Business Reference and is designed to help someone doing research on older and/or defunct companies with strategies and a few resources.
We have also updated a guide on sources related to mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. This guide focuses primarily on valuation resources and sources for current and historical deal transaction information, because many people doing this type of research are specifically looking for comparable deals.
Keep an eye out for future posts on guide updates, but see our web page for a listing of all of our guides.