Author: Kimberly

Have a paper or project due soon, and need information to complete it?

Kimberly

Here is an opportunity that is just perfect for you.

ResearchHelp

Drop in to:

“I just need three sources by tomorrow”- a research workshop.

Bring whatever you are working on and get immediate expert assistance in finding the information you need, whether it be articles, statistics, company information, or books. You will walk away with the source or two (or three) that you need!
You have two opportunities to attend this week:

  • Monday, March 30th – 1pm to 2pm
  • Wednesday, April 1st – 3pm-4pm

(No RSVP necessary; come in anytime during the hour)

These sessions will take place in the Research Instruction Center (Room 11) located on the library’s lower level. (Coffee, Tea & Snacks are available).

Database of the Month: RIA Checkpoint

Kimberly

RIACheckpointRIA Checkpoint, also known as Thomson Reuters Checkpoint, provides access to ERISA, Internal Revenue Code & Regulations, State Codes & Regulations, Tax Cases, Tax Rulings, IRS Pubs & Other Tax Docs.

Here are some highlights and features of the Bentley Library’s institutional subscription:

Under the Table of Contents tab, users can browse to the specific document.

Under the Search tab, researchers can “find by citation” codes and regulations, cases, rulings, and IRS publications or researchers can use two different keyword interfaces. One keyword interface is called the “Intuitive Search” and the other is called “Terms & Connectors”. Intuitive Search recognizes if you enter a sentence, terms & connectors, or a citation and interprets your query to return the most relevant results for the terms you entered. It takes advantage of historical usage data, giving higher importance to documents that are frequently accessed. The second keyword interface is called “Terms & Connectors” which utilizes a more traditional search query language.

Top three search tips to increase relevancy in both the “Intuitive Search” and “Terms & Connectors” are:

  • “use quotes around phrases”
  • use the & symbol instead of AND between your search terms requiring both search terms appear in the results.
  • use of /p between search terms will require the terms to appear within 50 words of each other.

For more search tips view the Quick Reference Card.

Additional features of RIA Checkpoint include:

  • RIA Tax Watch (a chronological highlight of changes or proposed changes in tax legislation). Easily accessed under the Home tab in the My Quick Links area.
  • Personal Investment Calculators are available under the Tools area. Calculators are available for Auto, Business, Credit Card, Investment, Loan, Mortgage, Personal, Retirement, Savings & Tax guidance.
  • Quick Tax Amounts calculators are available under the Search tab in the Go To area.

More help is available at http://find.support.checkpoint.thomsonreuters.com

RIA Checkpoint is accessible via the library’s Databases A-Z page, and the Databases by Subject:Law & Taxation page. This database is limited to ten simultaneous users. Please contact the Reference Desk if you have questions or would like assistance using it.

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Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to a database available from the Library’s website, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases), please Ask a Librarian. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact Adam Williams, Research Instruction Coordinator at awilliams@bentley.edu.

Learn to Use RefWorks in 20 Minutes

Kimberly


Want to learn how to use Refworks? These video clips are available to help.

RefWorks is a tool that creates bibliographies and formats research papers in the citation style of your choice (e.g. APA, MLA). Learn to export citations, create bibliographies, and save and organize sources for all your research papers and projects – all in one place.

If you decide you’d like to use Refworks, just visit RefWorks and look for the link to “Sign up for a New Account”. It is important to use your Bentley University e-mail address when creating this account. This works best when you are on campus. Contact the Reference Desk if you need help creating an account from Off Campus.

“I Just Need 3 Sources By Tomorrow!”

Kimberly

Have a paper or project due soon, and need information to complete it?

ResearchHelp

Drop in to:

“I Just Need 3 Sources By Tomorrow!”
Drop-In Research Help

Bring whatever you are working on to a reference librarian and get immediate expert assistance in finding the information you need, whether it be articles, statistics, company information, or books. You will walk away with the source or two (or three) that you need!

You have three opportunities to attend:

  • Monday, October 27 , 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, October 28, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, October 29, 1:00 p.m. –  2:00 p.m.

 (No RSVP necessary; come in anytime during the hour)

These sessions will take place in the Research Instruction Center (Room 11) located on the library’s lower level.

Get a Jumpstart on Papers: Learn RefWorks Now!

Kimberly

refworks
The Bentley Library is offering a workshop for students about RefWorks. RefWorks is a tool that creates bibliographies and formats research papers in the citation style of your choice (e.g. APA, MLA). Learn to export citations, create bibliographies, and save and organize sources for all your research papers and projects – all in one place. Have sources you’re not sure how to cite? Bring them with you and we’ll help you get them right.

You have three opportunities to attend:

Monday, October 20, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Tuesday, October 21, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 22, 1:00 p.m. –  2:00 p.m.

All workshops take place in the library’s Research Instruction Center (RIC), Room 11, on the lower level of the library.

Since seating is limited, please register by sending an e-mail to library@bentley.edu. We also strongly recommend that you “Sign up for a New Account” before coming to the workshop – you can do so at the RefWorks’ website. This works best when you are on campus. Contact the Reference Desk if you need help creating an account from Off Campus.

Database of the Month: Ad$pender

Kimberly

ad$spender

Ad$pender from Kantar Media is a web based tool that you can use to track spending on advertising by industry, company, brand or product. Ad$pender provides the current five years of national spending on internet, television, magazines, newspaper, radio and outdoor (billboard) channels. Data is accessed through customizable reports which are available to download as a spreadsheet or view in .pdf format.

Questions you can answer using this resource include:

  • How much does a specific company spend on advertising?
  • Which media channels do companies use to market their products?
  • When do companies spend money on advertising?
  • What industries spend the most money advertising on the Internet?
  • And many more…

How to create a Custom Report

customereportsSteps to retrieve data:

  1. Select Media/Market (i.e. Internet Advertising / Boston Market)
  2. Select Time Period (i.e. Month, Year to Date, 2012, etc.). You can select multiple time periods.
  3. Select Product or Show All (i.e. a category might be Baby Products/ a product might be Nike)
  4. Report Format (choose the rows you want to show and the order for sorting).
  5. Report Options(.csv, .pdf, etc.)
  6. Report Summary (give your report a name and review the specific criteria that you’ve chosen).

After you have created and run a report, your screen will appear as below:

reportviewer
click to view larger image

As this tool is web based, you need to keep using the “Refresh Listing” button [Red #1 on above screen capture] to find out if the report has finished running. The final report will appear under view [Red #2 in the above screen capture] when the report is completed. The check mark [Red #3 in the above screen capture] is for the specifications or spec of the report. The Spec report is a useful way of keeping track of what you asked for. You can use the Spec report as a way of rerunning or tweaking your report criteria to find the data you want.

Of note: The time it takes to run the report depends on the size of the data set requested. The more specific you can be with your request, the smaller the file size and the faster the report will run.

More Information and Help

Help is available at the Ad$pender site including a “Brand Central” document that is particularly useful for understanding the hierarchy of Ad$pender’s category and product levels.  The Goizueta Business Library also provides this excellent handout for using this resource.  Please contact the Reference Desk if you’d like more help using Ad$pender.

Ad$pender can be accessed via the Databases A-Z page and the Marketing Databases page.

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Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please Ask a Librarian. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact Adam Williams, Research Instruction Coordinator at awilliams@bentley.edu.

On Display: Inventions & Innovators

Kimberly

Inventions & Innovators is a collection of books highlighting innovation as a means of business transformation. Highlighted in this collection are some of the inventions, inventors and innovative companies that have altered the way we live and the way business is done.

 “Fancy being remembered around the world for the invention of a mouse!”

– Walt Disney

Come by the library to check out the display or take a look at the Pinterest board. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, please inquire at the Reference Desk.

Database of the Month: Value Line Investment Survey

Kimberly

VLLogo

Value Line has been a reliable authority in unbiased financial information since 1931. The mission of Value Line is… “to provide investors with the most accurate and independently created research information available, in any format they choose, and teach them how to use it effectively to help meet their financial objectives.”

Value Line’s showcase publication is The Value Line Investment Survey®  which is a highly regarded and widely used independent investment research resource. Published weekly, it tracks approximately 1,700 stocks in over 90 industries and ranks those stocks on Timeliness™ and Safety™.

To access the Value Line Investment Survey:

  • Start at the Library’s Databases A to Z listing.
  • Select ValueLine Research Center.
  • Hover over Research Hub in the bar at the top middle of the page.
  • Click on Investment Survey which is listed under Stocks.
  • In the left column, under Investment Survey, [see screenshot]

LookupVL

  • choose Lookup Company and search for a company by ticker symbol or name,

– OR –

  • choose Lookup Industry and browse an alphabetical listing of the industries Value Line provides information for.
  • Access the reports in either PDF or HTML format.

 

Learn More and Get Help

This excellent “Getting Started” handout,  as well as other helpful literature, is available in the Investment Education section of this database.

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Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please Ask a Librarian. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.