1. Library databases can be easier to search
Many of the articles in the library's business databases have been indexed with specific terms related to business, including North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes, which make it much easier to target your search.
2. Library databases consistently have more reliable information
It is not impossible to find good information online, but you have to take the time to analyze any source you find on the Internet before using it in a college paper. Even more importantly, you don;t want to base a business decision on bad information. Here is a guide to evaluating resources you might find on the Internet. If you apply these criteria to articles you find in Library databases, you will see that most of the results will be pretty reliable. With a general web search, the results will vary.
3. Some high quality information is not available for free on the web.
While you can find some good information online if you are willing to spend the time looking for it, often the best sources of business information will cost money. sometimes a lot of money. before making a business decision, it is good to understand the types of information that can be available. Depending on your business, sometimes paying money for good information will pay off many times over in the long run. As one example of the type of in depth information that is available for businesses, you can look at some of Langsdale's marketing research reports available through several of our databases, such as IBISWorld, Business Source Premier and Mintel
The Census Bureau has tons of demographic and industry data all available for free. Because there is so much available, it is often hard to sift through all of it. Here are some tutorials that can help find certain types of information. There often is more than one path to get there, so if you have found another way that works for you, don't fret if these tutorials show you something different.
We've created a video guide for a few of the useful business resources. Each video is about 3-4 minutes and will give you a brief overview of the website or database. (Note, some of these require Flash Player.)
