Business: Global Information Systems

Selected Sources

Prepared by Marcy Carrel (mcarrel@nelson.usf.edu)

January 2008

Finding Articles (Suggested Databases):

If you are off campus, login through Blackboard and click through to the USF Libraries homepage. Under the tab “Resources,” click on “Databases by Title/Subject,” to search for databases of interest – for example, “Business and Economics” or “Computer Science”.  If you have any questions, please contact the Nelson Poynter Library Reference Desk at 727-873-4124.

Selected Databases: General business and management

ABI/INFORM Global

This is a premier business database which provides access to a wide variety of business literature, covering nearly 1800 business periodicals and scholarly journals, as well as the Wall Street Journal.  Much of the database is full-text and international resources are included.

Selected Databases: Information Technology

Computer and Information Systems Abstracts

Provides indexing to more than 2800 journals relating to theoretical and practical computer applications.  Relevant conference proceedings are also indexed.

IEEE Xplore

Provides full-text coverage of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) transactions, journals, and proceedings dating back to 1998.

Inspec (Science Direct)

A major resource for locating information relating to physics, engineering, computers, and information technology.  Provides indexing to scholarly journals and conference proceedings.  Coverage goes back to 1969.

Selected Databases: International business

EIU ViewsWire and Executive Briefing

International perspective on business from The Economist and the Harvard School of Business.  Includes Executive Briefings on key management issues; international business news; industry forecast reports for 60 countries; and sponsored research published by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Marketline Business Information Centre (Datamonitor)

Primarily a marketing resource, this database provides company, industry, and country profiles.  Full-text reports with an international perspective (developed world).  Some company profiles include SWOT analyses.

Mergent Online

Mergent Online provides U.S. and international company data.  Search by company name or ticker symbol, or screen by specific criteria across a universe of data.  Also includes brief country statistical profiles.

STAT-USA / Internet

This service from the U.S. Department of Commerce provides access to both “STON”/State of the Nation for U.S. economic and financial data and “GLOBUS & NTDB” for international market research, trade opportunities, country analysis, and the NTDB/National Trade Data Bank library.  Includes Country Background Notes and the Country Commercial Guides.

Selected Databases: International news

Access World News (NewsBank)

A collection of over 600 U.S. and 500 international newspapers and newswire services.  Interactive map allows you to select individual newspapers or groups of newspapers by country to search. 

LatinNews

Latinnews is a “leading independent source of political, strategic, economic, and business intelligence on Latin America.”  Our subscription includes access to 6 of the 7 services, including the Latin America Weekly Report and Latin American Economy & Business, but NOT the Latinnews Daily.  Searchable within or across the resources.

LexisNexis Academic  NEW SEARCH INTERFACE

LexisNexis is a premier database for business and legal research.  Under the top level “Search” tab, select the “business” sub-tab to search by and for company information.  Sources include Hoover’s directories, Disclosure (financials), and Investext reports.  To search business publications, select the top level “Sources” tab, then browse “by news & business topics” or by “industry”.  Publications can be filtered by country/region and selected individually or as a group.

Selected Databases:  Country data

Country profiles or brief reports are also available in the Marketline Business Information Centre database, EIU ViewsWire, Mergent Online, and STAT-USA databases.

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Countries and their Cultures

This reference resource “focuses on cultures and countries around the world, specifically what is and is not shared culturally by the people who live in a particular country.” Each 5-20 page entry on an individual country contains general demographic, historical, cultural, economic, religious, and political information.

World Factbook (CIA)  (also a print version in Reference G122.U56a)

From the CIA/Central Intelligence Agency, this reference resource provides country profiles with background information in the following areas:  geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues.

Finding Books (USF Online Catalog):

Books on international business and management are not classified together in one single area but rather within and across various business categories.  Some key areas include international business etiquette (HF5389); multinationals and “international business enterprises” (HD2755); international management (HD62.4) and international finance (HF3810-4000). 

When searching the catalog by subject keywords/phrases, or browsing by call number ranges, please note that there are also many e-books available for reading online.  Reference books are on the first floor of the Poynter Library; books in the circulating collection (A-HN) are on the second floor; HQ-Z on the third floor.

Selected Reference Books:  (Poynter Library, first floor)

Directory of American firms operating in foreign countries (REF HG4538.D57 2007)

Annual multi-volume reference publication since 1955.  Volume 1 alphabetically lists U.S. firms with branches, subsidiaries, or affiliates abroad.  Remaining volumes contain listings by country of the U.S. firms’ foreign operations.  Includes NAICS codes and contact information.

Encyclopedia of Japanese Business and Management (REF HF1001.E468 2002)

Each authored entry in this 500 page reference book provides references for further reading.  Sample entries include: kaizen, dango, postal savings, and Banking Act of 1982.

International directory of company histories  (REF HD2721.I63)

This multi-volume directory set includes several-page historical profiles of the world’s largest companies and non-profit organizations. (Also available in “Business and Company Resource Center” database.).  A new volume is issued each year.

International encyclopedia of business & management (REF HF 1001.I53 1996)

Published in six volumes, this encyclopedia includes authored entries with references for further reading.  Sample entries include “Accounting in Germany,” “Banking, Islamic,” “Management in Switzerland,” and “Privatization and regulation.”

Key concepts in international business (Palgrave) (REF HF 2755.5 .S88 2004)

Small handbook with definitions of key concepts in international business such as nonconvertible currency, standby arrangement, and j curve.

World Development Indicators (REF HC 59.15.W656 2007)

Annual publication from the World Bank and partner organizations provides statistical data by country in the areas of economic growth, health, education, demographics, the environment, and states and markets.  Includes a brief narrative for each section.

World Economic Outlook (REF HC 10.W7979 2006)

Annual report from the IMF/International Monetary Fund is also available at www.imf.org.  Coverage of current global economic trends and issues such as “Oil prices and global imbalances” and “How has globalization affected inflation?”.  Includes an extensive statistical appendix.

Selected Web sites:

There are many international business and related Web sites, of varying quality and covering a variety of related topics and categories.  International organizations and associations offer a wealth of information – see especially IMF/International Monetary Fund, World Bank, OECD/Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and any of the many United Nations programs and agencies.  These organizations are particularly useful if you need comparable data for multiple countries.  Also, don’t forget to look at the official government Web sites for individual countries.

Some of the sites I have bookmarked can be located at http://del.icio.us/marcylibrarian/business:international.  (This list changes often!)  A few selected sites are noted below:

BuyUSA.gov (U.S. Commercial Service) http://www.buyusa.gov/home/worldwide_us.html

This Web site is maintained by the U.S. Department of Commerce as a source of information for exporters of U.S. goods and services.  Select a country from the main page to locate information on doing business in that country.

globalEDGE (http://globaledge.msu.edu/)

From the International Business Center at Michigan State University, this site compiles data, resources, and links from a variety of cited sources.  Sections include: News & Views, Resource Desk, Country Insights, Industry Profiles, and Academy (videos).

IMF/International Monetary Fund (http://www.imf.org/external/)

“The IMF is an organization of 185 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty.”  The IMF publishes “World Economic Outlook”, a great resource for comparing financial and economic data across countries.

NationMaster (http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php)

This resource was created as an educational tool to graphically compare country data and statistics.  Data is compiled from sources such as the CIA World Factbook, UN, OECD, and government agencies.  A sister service “StateMaster” is available for comparing state data.

OECD/Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (http://www.oecd.org)

The OECD has 30 member countries and cooperative agreements with 70 other countries.  OECD also collects economic and social data, monitors trends, analyses and forecasts economic developments and researches social changes.  Publishes economic surveys and other print publications and databases, including SourceOECD.

World Bank Doing Business database (http://www.doingbusiness.org/)

The World Bank Doing Business database includes country-specific reports as well as “objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement” and indicators that are comparable across 175 economies.

Remember, you may contact a Reference Librarian in person, by phone (727/873-4124), or via chat (from the Ask a Librarian link on the USF Libraries web site).

Marcy Carrel (mcarrel@nelson.usf.edu)

Updated: 2008 January