Note: See Scholarly Journals, Trade Publications, and Popular Magazines (ProQuest)
for a discussion of these commonly used types of resources in business research.


Suggest Readings
- Fortune Magazine
- Wall Street Journal, Eastern Edition (1984 - present)
- New York Times (1980-present)
/ PRINT available at the Library circulation desk.
- Boston Globe
(Registration using your Emmanuel email address as your login id is required to access.) /PRINT available at the Library circulation desk.
Databases
Visit the Reference Desk, phone 617-735-9927, or use the form below for reference assistance (see availability).
Diane Zydlewski, Associate Librarian for Reference, Instruction, and Outreach
zydlewsd@emmanuel.edu
Schedule an appointment.
Dominique Barrault, Reference / Instructional Librarian
barraultd@emmanuel.edu
Schedule an appointment.
Diane Zydlewski, Associate Librarian for Reference, Instruction, and Outreach
zydlewsd@emmanuel.edu
Schedule an appointment.
Dominique Barrault, Reference / Instructional Librarian
barraultd@emmanuel.edu
Schedule an appointment.
Database Resources
Web Sites
- Lexis-Nexis Academic
- Select Company Info from the "What you are interested in" options or chose Business from the "Discover topics."
- Select Company Info from the "What you are interested in" options or chose Business from the "Discover topics."
- Morningstar Investment Research Center
Enter the Company Ticker or Name in search box and click on Get Report. Under the Quote tab, which is the default, Competitors is located on the right side of the page. Also, select Industry Peers in the menu bar directly under the Quote tab.
- Mergent Online
Search by Primary SIC or NAICS code in the Classification search option to search for public companies.
Web Sites
- U.S. Small Business Association: Human Resources
Explore the Sizeup option. Enter industry and location and click Submit. Then, click on Competition. (Note: Basic information available without signing in.) - Google Maps
Reference Books
Search Tip: Include, as a subject or keyword term, "market share" or ranking along with the industry descriptors; "company name" or ticker; or other features to be compared.
- Boston Business Journal
Click on View Book of Lists.
Search Tip: Include, as a subject or keyword term, "market share" or ranking along with the industry descriptors; "company name" or ticker; or other features to be compared.
There are two major systems used to classify the industries of a company, the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). These are useful for identifying companies within a given industry and for researching specific industries.
Databases
- Business Source Premier
- Example search: restaurant and industry and (trends or outlook or forecast)
- The search results may be limited by Source Types > Industry Profiles.
- ProQuest Central
- Select Advanced for more search features.
- Select Advanced for more search features.
- Value Line Investment Survey - Standard Edition
- To access an industry profile, in the Browse Research tab (default), enter a public company within your industry in the top right box. In the resulting page, scroll down and click on the PDF icon under the heading Industry Analysis.
- If you do not know a company within your industry, select your industry from the Industry Screens drop-down options below the heading Value Line Featured Lists. After clicking on a company name from the resulting list, follow the above instructions.
- Note: Three concurrent users only.
- See also the Research Guide: Industry Information
Article Databases
Sample search: (Customer or Consumer) and pizza
Web Sites
Sample search: (Customer or Consumer) and pizza
- Business Source Premier
- ProQuest Central
- SocINDEX with Full Text
- RDS Business Reference Suite
Includes the following databases: TableBase, Business and Industry, and Business & Management Practices.

- Journal of Consumer Behaviour
- Journal of Consumer Culture
- The Journal of Consumer Research
- Journal of Research for Consumers
Web Sites
- American Fact Finder (U.S. Census Bureau)
- Consumer Expenditure Survey
- Explore the menu options on the left, including Publications and Geography.
- Explore the menu options on the left, including Publications and Geography.
- Consumer Price Index
"The Consumer Price Indexes (CPI) program produces monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services." United States Department of Labor.
- County Business Patterns, US Census Bureau
Select Data from the tab options in the middle of the page.
- FFIEC Geocoding System
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council
- US Census - State and County Quickfacts
Article Databases
Sample search: "public opinion" and pizza
Web Sites
Sample search: "public opinion" and pizza
Web Sites
- Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues. Click on Data to view statistics and download data sets; links to specific research projects are listed at the bottom of the page.
- The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research (University of Connecticut)
- Explore the Topics at a Glance.
- Explore the Topics at a Glance.
- See also the following Research Guides: (Note: Not all content is open access.)
Salaries and wages
Employee benefits
Rent
Utilities
Insurance
Advertising
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
Use the search option at the top right to search by industry. Once you have selected an occupation from the results list, the Median Salary is displayed on the summary page.
Department of Labor.
Employee benefits
- U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Use Search BLA.org in the top right to find "benefit costs".
- Explore the Employer Cost for Employee Compensation, Employment Cost Trends and New England Information Office.
Rent
- Cushman & Wakefield - Commercial Real Estate Brokers and Consultants
- Loopnet
Find property lease or rent rates.
- Newmark Grubb Knight Frank: US Market Reports
Provides average rates per square foot for Industrial and Office space.
Utilities
- Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
Use the search option to search for Utilities and explore BOMA Press Room for releases.
Note: Content, such as the reports, is not open access.
Insurance
- How Much Does Small Business Insurance Cost? (Insureon)
Advertising
- Advertising Age
- See also the Datacenter
Note: Some content available free.
- See also the Datacenter
- Vistaprint.com
- Business Planning & Financial Statements Template Gallery
SCORE Association
- Income Statement (Profit and Loss) Worksheet
BizFilings Toolkit
Writing Business Plans
Sample Business Plans
- Session 2: The Business Plan
Includes a business plan template. Santa Clara University - Business Plan Overview
FindLaw - How to Write a Business Plan (U.S. Small Business Association)
Sample Business Plans
- Business Plans Handbook (Advameg, Inc.)
- Sample Business Plans (Palo Alto Software)
- Business Plans (MoreBusiness.com)
- Sample Business Plans
Business Resource Software, Inc.
Writing Marketing Plans
Sample Marketing plans
- Small Business Association
- How to Write a Marketing Plan Tutorial
KnowThis.com
Sample Marketing plans
- Free Sample Marketing Plans (Mplans)
- Sample Marketing Plan (MoreBusiness.com)
Article Databases
Trade journals on Marketing
Associations
Trade journals on Marketing
- Advertising Age
- See also the Datacenter Note: Some content available free.
- Adweek
- Marketing News (American Marketing Association)
Associations
- Clover Food Truck 101
Note: Please use this sources when calculating first-year revenue
- Survey Results: What is the Average Income for a Food Truck Vendor?
- Fresh Food Generation Wants to Make the Food Truck Farm-to-Plate
- Food trucks set to return as deal satisfies new and existing vendors (Boston Globe)
- Food Truck 101 Advice from Experts: Mei Mei Street Kitchen
- The Complete Breakdown of Food Truck Operation Costs
- Rose Kennedy Greenway 2015 Food Truck Schedule
- Food Truck Economics
- How Much Does a Food Truck Cost?
- Salaries for Food Truck Managers in Boston
- Reality Bites – The Economics of Running a Food Truck
- Boston is the most challenging city for food trucks, according to a new report (Boston.com)
Small Business Requirements (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission):
How to Start a Food Business (U.S. Food & Drug Administration)
- Explore resources under the heading Starting & Managing.
- Explore Small Business Data Resources: U.S. Federal Government.
- Staying Legally Compliant
Export.gov - Welcome Boston USEAC
Organic Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
City of Boston
Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA)
"The BRA is the urban planning and economic development agency for the City of Boston."
Information for Small Businesses in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Law about Corporations
"The BRA is the urban planning and economic development agency for the City of Boston."
Information for Small Businesses in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Law about Corporations
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) REFERENCE DESK BF 76.7 .P83 2010
- American Psychological Association (APA): APA Style
- Explore the Quick Answers - References and Quick Answers - Formatting.
- Also search the APA Style Blog for APA questions including "How to Cite Something You Found on a Website in APA Style."
- RefWorks Registration: Sign up for an Account by creating a Login Name and Password from a computer on campus. You will receive an email confirming your new account with instructions for accessing your RefWorks account off campus.Using RefWorks: