1.  Find identifying information about the company.

• Locate the ticker symbol
Yahoo! Finance Ticker Symbol Lookup

• Locate profiles, address info, CEO name, website, SIC codes, etc.

Reference Books

• Ward's Business Directory
• Hoover's Handbook of American Business
• Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies

Electronic Indexes

• Business Source Elite
• Lexis-Nexis

2.  Locate financial information.

• SEC filings, annual reports, stock information, financial profile

  Reference Books

• Walker's Manual of Penny Stocks

Electronic Indexes

• Lexis-Nexis
    Choose "Business" and "Company Financial" or "SEC Filings and Reports"
• Business Source Elite

Websites

• SEC Edgar
• Yahoo! Finance
• Public Register's Annual Reports Service (PRARS)
• Corporate Information

3.  Review periodical articles.

• Locate articles in newspapers, magazines, trade journals, scholarly journals about your business/industry

Electronic Indexes

• Business Source Elite
• General Business File International
• Lexis Nexis

Websites

• bizjournals.com Requires free registration to access some areas
• Bloomberg Financial
• Business Week Online

4.  Research your company's industry.

• Look for industry trends, areas of growth, products and services, issues

Reference Books

• Survey of Current Business
• U. S. Industry & Trade Outlook

Electronic Indexes

• Lexis-Nexis  Look under "Industry and Market"

Websites

• North American Industry Classification System
• Industry Research Desk

5.  Locate professional organizations/conferences.

Reference Books

• Encyclopedia of Associations

Electronic Indexes

• Business Source Elite
• Lexis-Nexis
      See "Eventline" and "International Trade Show" in the Directory portion of the Business section. 

Websites

• Associations on the Net
• ASAE Gateway to Associations
  

 

For more information on researching companies & industries, see these websites:

• How To Learn About an Industry or a Specific Company
• Researching Companies Online

   - Quick Index - Home Circulation Citation Guide Course Reserves Database Guides Ebooks Electronic Resources Events For Faculty Frequently Asked Questions Government Documents HAL Catalog Help Hours Instructional Services Interlibrary Loan Journal Finder Obituary and Local History Research Off Campus Access Other Library Catalogs Reference Services Research Guides Search Engines Staff