The amount of information available about a company will vary considerably. If the company is large or a manufacturer, there is a better chance of finding information than for small companies or service companies. Publicly traded companies must file reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); basic data can be easily located. Private or closely held companies are not required to file such reports; it may be difficult to find information about these companies. Information may be scant about subsidiaries of larger companies, because the parent company must report only consolidated information. For additional guidance, see the RIS guide “Industry Information Sources." Newspaper articles may also be good sources, especially for local/private companies.
RESEARCH GUIDES provide descriptions of information sources and guidance in using them effectively.
| Business information: how to find it, how to use it Business information desk reference Business information sources Business library and how to use it Directory of business information resources Encyclopedia of business information sources Free business and industry information on the Web
International business information | International business information on the web Skeptical business searcher: the information advisor's guide to evaluating Web data, sites, and sources Strauss's handbook of business information: a guide for librarians, students, and researchers World business resources.com: a directory of 8,000+ business resources on the Internet |
DIRECTORIES verify basic information and can provide clues about other areas to search. Directories vary by purpose, scope, organization, and content. For additional titles, consult the online catalog by "Keyword (and, or, not)" for a given subject or geographic area combined with “directories;” e.g., architecture and directories [or] law and directories.
NATIONAL DIRECTORIES
| Advertising red books: agencies American manufacturers directory Companies and their brands Corporate resourceNet D&B reference book of corporate managements LexisNexis corporate affiliations Hoover's company records Hoover's guide to private companies Hoover's masterlist of major U.S. companies
LexisNexis Academic | Mergent Online ReferenceUSA Standard & Poor's register of corporations, directors and executives Thomas register of American manufacturers Ward's private company profiles Who owns whom. North & South America |
SPECIALIZED DIRECTORIES
| Bond's minority franchise guide Broadcasting & cable yearbook Consultants & consulting organizations directory Credit union directory CorpTech database of high-tech companies CorpTech directory of technology companies Directory of American firms operating in foreign countries Directory of United States exporters Directory of United States importers Fairchild's retail stores financial directory Hoover's guide to computer companies | Information, finance & services USA Infrastructure industries USA Manufacturing & distribution U.S.A. Market share reporter Shopping center directory Thomson bank directory 220 best franchises to buy U.S.A. oil industry directory World chamber of commerce directory |
PUBLIC COMPANIES file disclosure reports with the SEC; information is more readily located. Parent companies, not subsidiaries, file the reports. These select guides offer a variety of formats and detail.
| LexisNexis Academic Market guide Mergent bank and finance manual Mergent Online
Mergent's handbook of common stocks | Standard & Poor's corporation records Standard & Poor's stock reports Value line investment survey Value line investment survey (expanded) |
FOREIGN COMPANIES
| Asian company handbook Business guide to the Philippines D&B principal international businesses Directory of foreign firms operating in the United States Directory of foreign manufacturers in the United States Globe and Mail report on business, Canada company handbook Hoover's masterlist of major European companies Hoover's masterlist of major Latin American companies International directory of company histories
Kelly's industrial directory {Great Britain} | LexisNexis Academic Manufacturing worldwide Mergent international manual Who owns whom. Australia, Asia, Middle East & Africa Who owns whom. Continental Europe Who owns whom. United Kingdom & Ireland World market share reporter |
WISCONSIN COMPANIES should be searched as any other company, with the addition of some local guides. Data on a state company may not be any easier just because it is a local company. The Milwaukee Public Library has newspaper clipping files on Milwaukee companies and Wisconsin State incorporation records. The UWM Libraries' Archives, has files of state records on local companies and state companies of local subject interest (http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/arch/busag.htm).
| All Wisconsin media directory Business journal book of lists Directory of Wisconsin biotechnology companies and related firms Financial briefs of Wisconsin corporations Wisconsin black pages Wisconsin business directory | Wisconsin business service directory Wisconsin exporters' directory Wisconsin manufacturers directory Wisconsin manufacturers register Wisconsin minority-owned business directory |
PERIODICAL INDEXES AND ABSTRACTS provide citations to articles in journals and newspapers that may contain information about a company. Articles may be about an industry or specific company and provide valuable information. In particular, the F & S Index focused on materials dealing with individual companies and the industries to which they belong.
| ABI INFORM
Academic search Business full text Business newsbank Business source elite {includes Datamonitor company profiles} F & S Index United States LexisNexis academic | Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel index Proquest newspapers Regional business news Wall Street Journal index (including Barron's) Wisconsin newsstand |
INTERNET resources include general guides as well as specific sites. Many companies have homepages that describe their products, services, and company history. This SELECT list contains suggestions for initial exploration, not comprehensive searching. For additional indexes and business links, check the UWM Libraries home page, Articles: Databases by Subject/Major - Business and Economics: http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/subjects/busecon.html.
| Business journal serving greater Milwaukee Corporate information Edgar database of corporate filings (SEC) Forbes largest private companies Fortune 500 | Hoover's online 10K Wizard Yahoo! Business and economy/ |
OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION may be found by searching PantherCat, the online catalog, using keywords such as “corporations” or “international business enterprises.” Resources on a specific company will be listed by that company name as subject. The company’s local public library may provide data from local sources. ASK THE COMPANY! The company being researched may be willing to supply resource information, but prepare specific questions in advance.
KBM/lb: 16 April 2008
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