Category: databases & e-resources

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

Macee

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.

Database of the Month: Mintel Reports

Lisa

click to go to Mintel ReportsMintel Reports is one of the Bentley Library’s premier databases for consumer market, product and brand research. Mintel’s coverage is domestic and international, providing reports for the US, UK, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain.

Database Features

Using primary and secondary data sources, Mintel publishes more than 600 market research and consumer lifestyle reports in the Beauty & Personal Care; Food & Drink; Financial Services; Health & Wellbeing; Household Goods; Lifestyles; Retail & Apparel; Technology & Media; and Travel sectors.

Mintel helps researchers understand customers, markets and product usage by providing:

  • market sizes, shares and forecasts
  • market drivers and performance
  • consumer demographics, attitudes and behaviors
  • consumer trends and their business implications
  • competitive context
  • leading companies, brand profiles and brand share
  • advertising, promotion and marketing strategies
  • product innovations
  • retail channels
  • social media overviews

Researchers can download Mintel’s infographics, data, charts and graphs to use in reports and presentations. In addition to market research reports, the Mintel database contains current product and brand news and analyst insights.

Create a Mintel Reports Account

To use the Mintel Reports database you must register for an account using a Bentley email address. At the Mintel Reports log-in page, first-time users should click on [Create a Personal Profile]. Complete the registration form using your Bentley email address.

Access the Mintel Reports Database

Visit the Marketing Databases page to access Mintel Reports and other consumer and market research resources.

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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.

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.

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: Academic Search Complete

Nicholas

Academic Search Complete image

Described by its publisher EBSCO as “the world’s most comprehensive, scholarly full-text database for multidisciplinary research”, Academic Search Complete is a database suitable for many different kinds of research here at Bentley. It provides access to a broad variety of information, both scholarly and popular, in a wide range of academic fields and disciplines.  This is a great database to use for any number of classes, from English and Expository Writing  to History, Psychology, and Sociology courses.

Some of its key strengths are:

  • Indexes and abstracts over 13,780 journals
  • Provides full-text access to over 9,000 journals, 7,850 of which are peer-reviewed journals
  • PDFs of articles dating back to 1887

Subjects covered in Academic Search Complete include:

  • Astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and zoology
  • Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Ethnic & multicultural studies
  • Women’s studies
  • Psychology
  • Religion & Philosophy
  • Law
  • Mathematics

Searching

  • Use the Advanced Search screen to limit your search results to articles in scholarly journals, articles from a particular publication, or full text articles only
  • Use the Subject: Thesaurus Term function on the results page to narrow your search results by subject
  • Narrow your search results to articles published within a certain date range

ASC search screen

Other Functions

  • Print, email, and export the article to EndNote or RefWorks using the Tools functions
  • Use the Cite function to create the citation for an article in 7 different citation formats, including MLA and APA
  • The Folder function allows you to save relevant search results for later viewing
  • Use the Search for a Full Text Copy of the Article function to see if an article is available through another Bentley database

Academic Search Complete is accessible via the library’s Databases A-Z and Databases by Subject pages.  Please contact the Reference Desk if you have questions or would like assistance using Academic Search Complete.

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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.

Database of the Month: Business Source Complete

Hope Houston

Business Source Complete logoBusiness Source Complete adds much more content to the Ebsco family of business databases. Not only does it include over 2,000 peer-reviewed journals, but it indexes and provides abstracts to the most important scholarly journals in business, dating back to 1886 in some instances. Some of these are the top ranking journals used in business school research, such as the Academy of Management Review,  Accounting Review, Econometrica, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Political Economy, MIS Quarterly, MIT Sloan Management Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and Review of Financial Studies, along with many others.

Business Source Complete journals

Business Source Complete includes:

  • More than 1,150,000 company profiles written by independent analysts from MarketLine, a leading business information company, and Medtrack, a biopharmaceutical corporate intelligence company. Business Monitor Reports make available information on 24 industries in 200 global markets.
  • There are 1,440 Country Reports  included in this database. These comprehensive reports provide past and current information on the business, economic, legal, employment, tax and political climate and risk of a country. Analysis and forecasts come from IHS Global Insight, Business Monitor International, Going Global Career Guides, and Country Watch information sources.
  • There are 28 Working Papers published by Yale School of Management, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, University of Michigan Business School, Columbia University and Harvard Business School. Neither Yale nor Harvard include the full text of the papers.
  •  7,648 Industry Profiles are from U.S. Industry & Market Outlook and World Industry & Market Outlook. These 250-page, up-to-date reports provide trends (reported and estimated) in industry sales, number of establishments, and number of employees for major global industries. Here is an example of information offered from a recent Services Industry Report.
Business Source Complete Services Industry Report
Click to view larger image of the Services Industry Report.

In addition to all this, Business Source Complete includes more than 10,270 case studies, over 8,800 executive interviews, and 57 videos from the Harvard Business School faculty seminar series from leading business scholars including Michael D. Watkins, Tarun Khanna, and Amy Edmonson, to name a few.BSC-browse-menu

To access the videos, click on the Business Videos link under the Browse column, enter the search terms in the Find field and click Search.  To view all available Business Videos, search using the term Business.

You have the option of viewing the lecture in full or reading it in a PDF. Topics range from Brand Positioning to Business Leadership. The videos are between 30 and 60 minutes long, but may be viewed in 2-3 minute segments by subtopic.

Business Source Complete is located in the library’s Databases A to Z listing and may be accessed anytime, anywhere through the library’s webpage.

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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.

New Database! eMarketer

Lisa

eMarkerter logoThe Bentley Library is pleased to announce a new database acquisition – eMarketer. Focusing on digital marketing, advertising, media and ecommerce, eMarketer aggregates information from over 4,000 sources. Data is gathered from research firms, media and marketing agencies, magazines and newspapers, academic institutions, governments and industry experts.

The eMarketer database provides…

…a compilation of key data, research and analysis from multiple sources

…expert distillation of industry, market and consumer intelligence

…visual presentation of data in charts, tables and graphs

…an easy and intuitive search interface

Although eMarketer does not conduct primary research, eMarketer analysts and writers develop industry benchmarks, make forecasts and publish 200+ comprehensive topical reports per year. eMarketer content can be easily downloaded and inserted into reports and presentations.

eMarketer search page
Click to view larger image.

The eMarketer database is accessible via the library’s Databases A-Z and Marketing Databases pages. Please contact the Reference Desk if you have questions or would like assistance using eMarketer.

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.