Database of the Month: New Search Interface for Plunkett Research

Plunkett Research has recently reorganized its web site to make analyst reports and historical data easier to find and compile.

Plunkett Research offers business intelligence information including industry/market treDB of the Month Plunkettnds and statistics, company profiles, professional organizations, and career research. It is ideal for industry trend tracking, identification of professional and trade associations, market research, business plan development, and investment research.

Plunkett analysts profile approximately 8,000 companies in 35 industries, with approximately 1,000 new companies added to the list yearly. All types of companies are included; for example, about 20% of the companies are privately held and about 30% are headquartered outside of the United States. Each industry receives a complete update once per year. An Archives button on the main page enables access to historical data almanacs by industry, presented in PDF format. Depending on the industry, 7-10 years of archived data is available.

Industry/Company/Market Research

The home page provides buttons to Research an Industry and/or Research a Company. A third Browse option allows users to select from a list of 35 industries on which Plunkett Research analysts focus their research activities.

Search by Industry or Company, or Browse industries
Search and browse functions in Plunkett Research

Plunkett presents research on companies by geographic location, revenue size, and company type. The information is cross-searchable by keyword and can also be searched using advanced options. Selection criteria include type of company, annual sales, employee count, specific industry sector by NAICS code, city, state or country of headquarters location and more. Directory information includes corporate contact information, revenues, company rank within the industry by several indicators, number of employees, and names and titles of company executives.

The Browse list includes unique industry groupings, including E-Commerce and Internet, Green Technology, International Companies, Outsourcing & Offshoring, Transportation, Supply Chain & Logistics, and many more. “Industry Research Centers” display on the page after the user chooses an industry. The Centers offer detailed information about:

  • Industry market research and trends
  • Industry statistics
  • Company profiles
  • Definitions of terms used in particular industries and for business in general
  • Industry associations, trade organizations and professional societies

Reporting Tools

Plunkett enables users to export company contacts and/or lists of professional organizations and societies, in Excel or plain text format.

Using the Build-a-Report feature, the user can create industry reports in PDF format for printing, emailing and/or saving. Select a company or industry from the browse list on the main page, or click either “Research an Industry” or “Research a Company” on the main page to access this feature.

My Research Account

Sign up for a free research account and receive the following benefits:

  • Set up your own personal research profile and create a history of your searches
  • Save your searches and save comments about the search results
  • Set up alerts for new data posted to Plunkett Research

Database Assistance

Video introductions to popular searches and functions are prominently displayed on the main page below the search options.

Connect to this Database

Please visit http://ezp.bentley.edu/login?url=http://plunkettresearchonline.com to start your research. Begin with the video tutorials on that page, or explore what the database has to offer on your own.

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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.

On Display: Instant Expert

Instant Expert name tag, roundedPerhaps you’re at a gathering of people of the sort that requires a name tag, and you need to make some small talk. Possibly you need to get up to speed quickly on a topic that you don’t know much about, or maybe you just enjoy learning about new things. Whatever your motivation for picking up a print or audio book to learn about something new, this month’s display aims to transform you into an Instant Expert. I’ve chosen books and audio books of varying lengths and on a variety of subjects from all parts of the library’s collection. You can reacquaint yourself with the Guinness Book of Records (a personal favorite of mine from childhood), find and implement a business model that makes sense for your company, read about how swampy Boston marshland became today’s Back Bay, brush up on your language skills, learn How to Measure Anything, and a lot more!

If you’d prefer to watch streaming videos, take a look at our Films on Demand collection, where you can watch episodes from the History Channel’s Modern Marvels series, view some TED Talks, or find other videos of interest.

To start the process of becoming an expert on your new favorite topic, come to the Library to browse the display, look at the entire list in the catalog (if you’d like, click the “Request it” link we’ve provided to place an item on hold), or visit the Reference Desk to see titles that are on the list but that aren’t currently featured on our display shelves.

I hope you’ll enjoy adding to your areas of expertise!

Database of the Month: U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets (U.S. State Dept.)

DeptofState

U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets, compiled by the U.S. Department of State, is a free, rich source of information about bilateral (i.e., involving two parties) relations between the United States and other countries of the world.

Each U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet focuses on background information and current U.S. relations with a particular country, U.S. assistance to and economic relations with the country, the country’s membership in international organizations, and information about U.S. ambassadors, embassies, and/or consulates in the country.

Each country’s Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet page also includes reports from relevant U.S. government agencies on the following topics:

  • History of recognition, diplomatic, and consular relations
  • Country Facts
  • Human Rights
  • Religious Freedom
  • Trafficking in Persons
  • Narcotics Control
  • Investment Climate
  • Energy
  • Trade
  • Exports/Imports
  • Business and Travel

U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets (U.S. State Dept.) is accessible via the library’s Databases A-Z page, and the Country Reports, Data, & Statistics section of the International Business subject page.  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 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: What’s Cooking?

whatscooking
Photo courtesy of Flickr user General Mills

Did you know that the library has cookbooks? With winter and the holidays approaching, my colleague Erica and I have decided to share the Bentley Library cookbook collection with you for culinary inspiration.

We’ve chosen books about cuisines of specific countries and regions, dietary choices, and food items, to name a few ways the display can be sliced and diced (pun intended, of course!). We’ve also selected a few chef memoirs, biographies, kitchen helps and food science titles, and some recent films on DVD.

To feast your eyes on what we’re offering, come to the Library to browse the display, look at the entire list in the catalog (if you’d like, click the “Request” link to place an item on hold) or view selected display titles on Pinterest. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, please ask at the Reference Desk.

Bon appetit!

Database of the Month: MLA Directory of Periodicals

Ah, summer … sun, fun, time to think about writing and publishing!

The MLA Directory of Periodicals, published by the Modern Language Association, is a great source for finding potential publishing opportunities in language and literature disMLAciplines. The Directory covers 5500+ journals and book series, 4400+ of which are indexed in the companion MLA International Bibliography, providing a mix of citations and full-text.

Searching the Directory

Using the EBSCOHost search platform, you can search using keywords or choose a particular field from the dropdown index menu. Using the Advanced Search, you can choose from a variety of search limiters, such as whether a journal is peer-reviewed, or accepts book reviews, abstracts and/or notes.

Detail of search screen
Search Options on the Advanced Search page

Each entry gives information such as publication start date, contact information, restrictions placed on contributors, languages in which the periodical’s contents are published, editorial personnel, peer-review status, sponsoring organizations, and subjects covered. Also included are statistics on how many articles and book reviews are submitted and published each year. Below is part of the entry for the Journal of European Studies.

Submission Guidelines for the Journal of European Studies
Submission Guidelines for the Journal of European Studies

The database can also be searched by browsing its indexes. Use the Indexes option at the top of the search page and choose an index to view an alphabetical list of all of the elements in that index (for example, Publication Name or Subject). As with all EBSCOHost databases, you can register for a free account in order to save your search results and search history.

Connect to this Database/More Information

MLA Directory of Periodicals can be accessed via the library’s Databases A-Z and Arts, Media, and Literature subject pages. For additional publishing resources, see the library’s Publishing Resources for Faculty research guide.

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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 the Reference Desk.

On Display: The Future: Nonfiction, Novels and Film

In September 1956, Modern Mechanix magazine ran an article titled “Your Telephone of Tomorrow.” In a summary of the article, it was predicted that people would eventually have “a tiny, touchtone, color videophone” (pictured at right).

Your Phone of Tomorrow Modern Mechanix, September 1956
Your Phone of Tomorrow
Modern Mechanix, September 1956

The science (and art) of prediction is known as forecasting. For this display, I’ve pulled a small sampling of books from our collection that deal with forecasting. Multiple industries and settings are represented, including finance, economics, population demography, management, tourism, energy, food supply, environment, politics, science, marketing, academia, and others. (Predictive analysis, a related process, is out of the scope of this display, but I’ve included Nate Silver’s book The Signal and the Noise here as a gateway.)

I’ve also included novels and films that are set in a future time. Both science fiction and mainstream fiction are here, and dystopia titles such as The Hunger Games are also on the display.

Browse the Pinterest page to see the entire selection of books, and if you see something of interest that is not on display, come to the Reference Desk and we can get it for you.

Today, we use our tiny, color videophones for FaceTime to keep in touch with people, and for many other things not envisioned back in 1956. I hope you’ll be interested in taking a little time away from your “phone of tomorrow” to read and/or watch some of these great titles from our collection.

Database of the Month: Books & Authors

booksandauthorssmaller

Back in January of this year, I set a goal to read 50 books by December 31. I’m currently reading book #42, and the end of the year is looming (guess I shouldn’t have taken on an 800-page book last month!). Though I’m a librarian who works with books every day, it has sometimes been challenging to find the next interesting book to spend time with. If you find yourself wondering what your next book will be, I invite you to check out the discovery database Books & Authors, a great source for fiction and nonfiction titles and author information.

Search and Browse for Books

Search the database for books by title, keyword, author and/or series by using the search box near the top right side of the page. Use the Advanced Search to add in genre type.

menu

If you prefer a different approach, click the links for browsing titles or authors to get alphabetical lists of books, or browse genres to look at books by types including romance, Westerns, science fiction, and more. If you like to consult ready-made lists, Books and Authors offers links to lists of Expert Picks (themed lists chosen by subject experts and librarians), and Award Winners.

Once you find a title you like, click its link to find out more about the book, the author, a list of “readalike” books similar to the one you chose, and book reviews from major publications. Clicking on an author name brings up biographical information, a bibliography of the author’s writings, and other resources such as book reviews and Web sites.

Who, What, Where, When search result
Who, What, Where, When search result

Who? What? Where? When?

Use the Who? What? Where? When? graphical visualization function to select Character, Subject, Location, or Time Period (choose up to three) to show your search results as a Venn diagram. The more that your selections intersect, the better they match the inquiry. (One of the 54 titles that contains all three elements of the search to the right is Code Name Verity, #10 on my reading list.)

Read-a-Like Wizard

The Read-a-Like Wizard enables you to search for books similar to ones you’ve read. Enter the title of a book you’ve enjoyed, and the wizard will find similar books.

My Reading Room

My Reading Room allows you to save lists of titles and/or authors for later reference. Register for a free account and log in to create lists of books you’d like to read, books in an author’s series, or any combination you can think of. You can also rate and write reviews of books you’ve already read.

Learn More and Get Help

Visit the Help page for assistance with search tips, discovery tools, and My Reading Room. Books & Authors is also available on the library’s Databases A-Z and Arts, Media and Literature pages.

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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.

Database of the Month: Gartner Group Resources

Gartner Group Resources provides proprietary expert analysis and opinion on IT-related topics at the intersection of business and technology. Gartner helps users to research, gartner1analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual roles in various markets and industries.

Reference librarians have recommended Gartner for researching such topics as:

  • IT outsourcing in particular countries
  • Reviews and comparisons of PCs, laptops and handheld devices
  • Forecasting, market trends, vendor strategies and product life cycles

Searching Gartner
There are several ways to find content in this database. Type keywords into the Search Research box in the upper right corner, and a list of results appears in a separate window. Filter your search by using the context-based tags provided on the left side of the page.

Or, click the Other Options link under the single search box to tailor your search. You may refine your search by date, topic, region, industry, content type, and more.

You may also use the Research Fast Finder to search by Markets, Topics and Industries. Topics gather Gartner research on a specific subject. If you are looking for the most recent research on a given topic, browse the content on these pages.

Topics
A sample of Gartner research topics.

In addition to PDF reports that you can download and print, Gartner offers blogs, podcasts and webinars, all accessible by dedicated sections on the home page as well as by using the search methods described above.

Search Alerts
With Gartner, you can track the latest research on topics of interest to you by creating search alerts. Specify keywords or topics of interest, and results will be delivered to your email.

Support and Assistance
To learn more about using Gartner, you can view the Online Training document and a Site Index, along with other support documents.

Connect to Gartner
To begin your research, visit Gartner Group Resources and enter your full Bentley email address and network password. You can also access the database from the Databases A-Z page, or the Databases by Subject page for IT & CIS.

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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.