Making sense of business reference : A Guide for Librarians and Research Professionals

Title:

Author:

Ross, Celia, 1971- author

ISBN:

9780838919262

Edition:

Second edition.

Publication:

Chicago : ALA Editions, 2020.

Physical Description:

xi, 164 pages ; 23 cm

Contents:

The BizRef Question -- The BizRef Resource (a.k.a. the BizRef Database) -- Company and Nonprofits Research -- Industry Research -- Investment Research -- Small Business and Venture Capital Research -- Consumer Marketing and Advertising Research -- Business (and Other) Statistics -- International Business -- Collection Development, Business Information Literacy, and Other Professional BizRef Resources -- Business Reference Wrap-Up.

Abstract:

"A primer for anyone interested in business reference resources and strategies"-- Provided by publisher.

Subject Term:

Business libraries -- Reference services.

Business -- Bibliography -- Methodology.

Business literature -- Bibliography -- Methodology.

Business libraries -- Reference services. (OCoLC)fst01200462

Local Subject:

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE COLLECTION

Other Format:

Online version: Ross, Celia, Making sense of business reference Second. Chicago : American Library Association - ALA Editions, 2019. 9780838919415 (DLC) 2019026649

Available:

Library	Call Number	Material Type	Status
Searching... State Library of Oregon	025.527665 Ross, 2nd ed.	4-Week Loan	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

"It reads as if you have an expert coach in business reference helping you each step of the way." That's how Academic BRASS summarized the first edition of this unique, unparalleled resource authored by Ross, a past winner of the Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship. Now she's revised and updated it to tackle even more "bizref" headscratchers related to investment and finance, consumer behavior and statistics, company, and industry research. In addition to general reference strategies in each chapter that give you the lay of the land, inside you'll find

overviews of more than fifty databases for articles, company and industry, directories, consumer, international, or raw data; 33 real-life "Stumper" questions, all new for this edition, drawn from librarians in the field; why asking "who cares about this kind of question" reveals potential sources; techniques for applying reference interview techniques to business questions; advice on where to find the numbers for answering finance questions; expanded coverage of venture capital research and business information literacy; "Start Making Sense" suggestions for further skill-building; and questions to consider when building a bizref collection.

This is the guide to keep at your side when serving business students, job-seekers, investors, or entrepreneurs in your library.

Summary:

"A primer for anyone interested in business reference resources and strategies"--

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

General reference questions can often be answered with a few clicks of the mouse and a call number, but business reference requires in-depth research and time-sensitive data. Labeling herself an accidental business librarian, the author covers the full range of business topics, including how to learn more about an industry, investment research, and statistics. Chapters include The Business Reference Question, Company Research, Consumer Research and Marketing/Advertising, and Small Business. Information covers both paid and free databases available for the business researcher and analyzes their strengths and weaknesses. This volume has an easy-to-follow format and can be used for developing comprehensive business research skills or scanned quickly to complete a reference question. Making Sense of Business Reference: A Guide for Librarians and Research Professionals is an excellent addition to any public or academic librarian's professional collection.--Webb, Paula Copyright 2010 Booklist

Choice Review

Many business reference questions are not easy to answer. Ross (Univ. of Michigan) advises researchers to search for puzzle pieces rather than trying to find specific answers. She explains how to analyze a question in four core categories to guide a search. The core categories are company information, industry information, investing/financial information, and consumer information and business statistics. Each of these topics has a chapter that explains available resources and includes discussions of business databases. Making Sense addresses resources for international business research and for small business research, along with other handy sources. Researchers are urged to think about who would need the kind of information necessary to answer a particular question, whether those people might have gathered the information, and whether they will share it. Throughout the book, Ross advises researchers to think outside the box, use alternative strategies, and contact organizations that use a particular kind of information. She reminds searchers that not all of the answers are readily available. In some cases researchers will have to gather the necessary pieces of information and interpret them. This is an excellent manual for senior undergraduates, graduate students, librarians, and research professionals. It will be valuable for business researchers in any field and librarians in every type of library. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners. L. Hickey Austin College