Category: databases & e-resources

Database of the Month: New Search Interface for Plunkett Research

Macee

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.

Database of the Month: New Search Interface for Euromonitor Passport

Lisa

passport-database-logoEarlier this month Euromonitor launched a new search interface for the Passport database, making it easier to build targeted searches for consumer, industry, company, and economic data and analysis. The most significant changes are to the search tree. Users that prefer keyword searching will find that the keyword search box is still available at the top of the screen, and that the main navigation bar options are largely unchanged.

Highlighted below are the key enhancements. If you have questions or need help using Euromonitor Passport, please contact the Reference Desk.

1. Search Tree

To access the new and improved search tree, click on [SEARCH] in the top navigation bar. The first step in using the search tree is to choose what type of information you are looking for. Your options include:

  • Categories and Topics – In most cases, this will be the best place to start. Select [Categories and Topics] to search the full content of Passport to find market size, brand share, industry analysis, consumer information, and economic/country statistics.
  • Companies – Select [Companies] to search for company data.
  • Brands –  Use the [Brands] search option to find brand share data .
  • Packaging – Select [Packaging] to search for statistics about packaging types.
  • Closures – Select [Closures] to search for statistics about package closure types.

Experienced Passport users will notice that the search tree has been redesigned from a vertical to horizontal layout, in which users are prompted to select one category at a time to build a search. You will be able to drill-down into subcategories to further refine your search. Alternatively, use the search box to filter within the categories.

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As you make selections, a breadcrumb trail will appear, which you can use to navigate back into the search tree.

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2. Results List

The search results page now displays the most popular statistics alongside a list of the most relevant analysis, making it easier to scan results and choose the best place to begin exploring. Analysis can be filtered by category, geography, type of analysis and date.

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Notice that at the top of your results screen you will see all the selections you have made in building your search:

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3. Reorganization of the “Countries & Consumers” Menu Option

One change has been made to the top navigation menu options. The quick link formerly labeled [Countries & Consumers] has been split into two separate categories – [Economies] and [Consumers] – to distinguish the type of content available. The Consumers page provides access to consumer trends and lifestyles analysis, income and expenditure data, and household and population statistics. The Economies page provides access to economic data, industrial production and infrastructure information, and business environment analysis.

Have fun exploring the new Passport.  Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or need help.

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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.

Database of the Month: Worldwide Political Science Abstracts

Nicholas

 

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts image

Looking for an article comparing and contrasting 2 countries for that Global Studies course?  Having trouble finding scholarly material for GLS102? Worldwide Political Science Abstracts from ProQuest is the database you need. Worldwide Political Science Abstracts provides indexing and abstracts to over 2,500 journals from 1975-present in the fields of political science, international relations, law, and public administration and policy. A large number of these journals are available in full-text.

This database is the result of a merger of two databases in the year 2000, Political Science Abstracts from IFI/Plenum and ABC POL SCI published by ABC/CLIO.  Since that merger, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts has greatly expanded its international coverage, with around 60% of its journals published outside the U.S.

Some notable subject areas covered in this database are:

  • Comparative politics
  • Electoral systems
  • History and theory of political science
  • Politics and religion
  • Politics and society
  • Politics and communication
  • Politics and law
  • Government/political systems
  • Security and defense
  • Political economy

In addition to scholarly journals, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts provides access to books, reports, and dissertations and theses. The Advanced Search page in this database will allow you to limit your search to one of these source types.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts is accessible via the library’s Databases A-Z page and the Politics & Government 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 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.

Database of the Month: Thomson ONE

Hope Houston

Thomson ONE logo image
Please note: Thomson ONE is optimized for Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 7. It also works with Internet Explorer versions 8 or 9. It does not work in Firefox or Chrome, or on Macs. Thomson ONE uses pop-ups. Set Internet Explorer to accept pop-ups from *thomsonone.com before entering the database to avoid having to re-do steps. You can test your computer for compatibility through Thomson ONE Diagnostic.

Searching Analyst Reports and SEC filings in Thomson ONE

Thomson ONE provides company overviews, lists of executives (current only), earnings estimates (+/- 5 years from today), stock price charts, side-by-side comparison of competitors, debt overview, company deals, customizable stock price charts, real-time market news, current and past SEC filings (some dating back to the 1960s!), and analysts’ reports.

Bentley Library subscribes to the following types of information via Thomson ONE:

  • Research – analyst reports from investment bank, brokerage house, and research firms from 1982 to present with one week embargo (sometimes called Investext)
  • Company Filings – 10-K, 8-K, 10-Q, Proxies, and Prospectuses filed with the SEC
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Deals – data is available for over 400,000 M&A deals, including global transactions since 1977
  • Equity Deals – data is available for over 80,000 equity deals, including global transactions since 1970
  • Bonds Deals – data lists company-specific bond transactions since 1998
  • Loans Deals – data is available for over 92,000 syndicated loans, including global transactions since 1982

Locating an Analyst Report in Thomson ONE:

To locate an analyst report for Apple Inc., for example, enter the company name or ticker symbol into the search box on the left and click GO. Find the RESEARCH tab along the navigation bar and click on Company Research.

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On the Company Research page, under Search Options, change the date range by clicking on the drop down menu and select Last 30 Days.

Enter the keyword “watch” next to Title to search for relevant analysts’ reports on the new Apple watch. Click SEARCH.

Reports are ranked by date, but you can change the list criteria by report title, contributor, or analyst. Analysts who receive a star ranking are those whose previous reports have been most accurate in predicting company performance.

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Click on APPLE INC. above the title you wish to read. Let’s look at the report by Piper Jaffray entitled, APPLE INC. – PJC Teen Survey: Watch Interest Remains Muted, iPhone Remains Dominant.

Click to view screenshot of Piper Jaffray analyst report for Apple, Inc.
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A new screen will load. Check Select All Reports and then click View. Reports generally include:

  • price performance over one year
  • analyst’s conclusion about the saleability of a product and consumer intent with regards to the product
  • rating and price target history
  • company’s 5-year income sheet

Here is a snippet from PiperJaffray’s report on teen interest in Apple watches dated April 14, 2015.

Click to view screenshot of a snippet of a Piper Jaffray report for Apple, Inc.
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Locating a 10-K Report in Thomson ONE:

You can find a 10-K, 8-K, 10-Q, Proxy Statements, and Prospectus filings for many companies in Thomson ONE dating back to the 1960s in some instances. To locate a 10-K or 10-Q report for Apple Inc., enter the company name or ticker symbol into the search box on the Company Views page and click GO. Find the FILINGS tab along the navigation bar and then click on Company Filings (the library does not have a subscription to the Delta Reports).

The most recent filings are linked across the top of the page.

Click to view screenshot of Thomson ONE latest filings for Apple, Inc.
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Under Search Company Filings, use the dropdown menu beside Filing Date to change the date range to Last 12 Months. Type 10-K; 10-Q in the Filing Category/Type search box and click Search.

The results are returned by the most recent filing date. Choose the format for viewing or downloading the report.

Click to view the screenshot of Thomson ONE download options for filings.
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Below is a partial analysis of company risk as described by Apple Inc. under Item 1A. Risk Factors in its 2014 annual report or 10-K.

The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on global and regional economic conditions. Uncertainty about global and regional economic conditions poses a risk as consumers and businesses may postpone spending in response to tighter credit, higher unemployment, financial market volatility, government austerity programs, negative financial news, declines in income or asset values and/or other factors. These worldwide and regional economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on demand for the Company’s products and services.

Thomson ONE is available through the Bentley Library’s Databases A to Z listing. For further assistance using Thomson ONE, please contact the Reference Desk.

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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.

Earth Day Is Almost Here! Database of the Month: GreenFILE

Adam

sunflower

Earth Hour has come and gone and Earth Day is almost here.

GreenFILE brings together resources spanning a broad range of disciplines that cover the human impact on the environment. GreenFILE is a great source for both scientific studies and general interest reading, from physics to marketing. Full-text articles will be available through the database or through interlibrary loan.

The database really shines when you tap into the formal tags or Subjects to help you search the database. For instance, if you search for “CLIMATIC changes” as a subject, only the articles with this tag will appear in your results.sourcesbysubject

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After you’ve conducted your initial search you can choose between the specific kinds of sources available. If you are looking for current trends or professional publications you might select Magazines. For the more in depth studies and scientific experiments you can focus your search by selecting Academic Journals.

GreenFILE is also available through a free version online, but you will only have access to the full-text articles through Bentley’s subscription or if you use your local library.

Download the article to your laptop or email a digital copy to yourself and save a tree!

Enjoy Earth Day and happy reading!

Database of the Month: Global Issues in Context

Dominique

Gale Cengage has a great product with Global Issues in Context (GIC).  It is especially relevant to expository writing and classes discussing cultures, current events, and politics.

GIC serves up information on a broad variety of topics including:

  • Conflict diplomacy, society, and world politics (true to its namesake of ‘global’ there are 80+ issues)
  • Science and epidemics, such as ebola and vaccination
  • Technology, i.e., medical breakthroughs and space exploration triumphs
  • Human interest stories, such as literacy, ethics in cell genome research
  • Environmental topics, i.e., oil spills, Kyoto Protocol, fracking

They publish their material in two formats, both with inviting graphics and clickable links: the Portal page and the Results page. Presentation type depends on the timeliness, volume or persistence of the topic.

Global Issues In Context portal page
Note on this Portal page for ebola, the video option on the upper left and the “related portals” on the lower left. [Click to view larger]

Be wowed by Global Issues in Context and search it!

  1. Savor the depth of topic treatment and the varying degrees of scholarliness in the content. For example, go to Browse Topics > Conflict and Diplomacy  from the front page and activate “Iran: International Relations”.
  2. Slice it the Google way by entering keywords in the search box. Try  “Pollution” for an example of a good Results page with rich returns; don’t rush through it.
  3. Chase your topic by geography as an alternative. From the main page choose the path Browse Issues and Topics > Browse Regions > Asia. Choose “China” and then pick from an array of Portal pages.
  4. Sample the world map from the main horizontal menu. Focus on a country of interest and then activate the pin icon displayed visually in your target.

One last thing, the great navigation.  GIC’s main menu at the top persists on every page to make for predictable, easy wayfinding.

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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.

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.

New Electronic Resource: Statista

Stephen

Statista is an internet-based statistics portal.  The Statista platform covers over 60,000 topics from over 18,000 sources world-wide.  Statista categorizes data into 21 market sectors — including, E-Commerce, Consumer Goods, Media & Advertising, and Technology& Communications.

Users can export content in widely used formats such ass PNG, XLS and PPT for use in presentations, websites or blogs.  Statistics can be displayed in bar chart, line graph and table formats — based on the users needs.  Statista also provides reading support to explain statistics published on the portal.  Detailed source citation is also included so that users can trace back directly to the original source.

Each statistic indexed in Statista is dealt with on an individual basis and linked to corresponding topics and subject areas within the portal.  Uses can use Statista’s rankings to arrange tables in sortable formats.