MBAS906 Business Analytics Research Consultancy workshop

Summary

This video tutorial guides MBA students through the process of conducting research for their assignments by identifying relevant sources and data. It covers how to locate company, industry, and commentary information using university databases, advanced Google searches, and other resources. The tutorial emphasizes the importance of exploring company annual reports, leveraging databases like ProQuest Central and Business Source Complete, and utilizing Google Scholar for academic articles. It also advises on refining search strategies with keywords and alternative terms to access a wealth of data for analysis.

Takeaways

• 🔍 The course focuses on finding company, industry, and commentary information to support analysis from data sets.
• 📚 Key sources for information include academic journals, company reports, industry reports, consultancy reports, country reports, government publications, and newspaper articles.
• 🏛️ University databases like ProQuest Central, Business Source Complete, and Scopus are recommended for finding company and industry information.
• 🔎 Advanced Google searches, including using Google Scholar and Google News, are suggested for locating industry and consultancy reports.
• 🏢 To find company reports, start with a Google search using the company name and 'annual report', then explore the company's website for additional resources.
• 📊 Look for the letter from the chairman, financial statements, and information about the company's societal impact in the annual report.
• 📑 Use the refining tools in databases to narrow down search results by subject terms, names, and other criteria.
• 🌐 For industry information, especially regarding charities, use databases like ProQuest Central and focus on relevant subject terms and industry profiles.
• 🔑 Develop a keyword strategy based on the problem statement, including main keywords, alternative keywords, and focus words related to the topic.
• 📈 Explore freely available resources on the internet using Google and advanced search techniques to find the most recent and relevant reports and articles.
• 📘 For academic journal articles, use university databases and Google Scholar, experimenting with different keyword combinations to find supporting evidence.

Q & A

What are the different types of sources recommended for supporting analysis in MBA assignments?

The recommended sources include academic journal articles, company reports, industry reports, consultancy reports, country reports, government publications, and newspaper articles.

Which databases are suggested for finding company, industry, and product information?

The suggested databases are ProQuest Central, Business Source Complete, and Scopus.

How can one locate company reports for an American company?

For an American company, one can search on Google by typing the company name followed by 'annual report'. The annual reports and other relevant information can be found on the company's official website.

What additional tabs on a company's website might contain useful information for research?

Additional tabs such as 'About Us', 'Our Impact', 'Integrity', 'News', 'Magazines', and 'Resources' can contain useful information for research.

Why is Business Source Complete the first choice for researching an American company?

Business Source Complete is recommended as the first choice for researching an American company because it provides extensive coverage of scholarly business and management journals, company profiles, and industry reports.

How can one refine search results in the Business Source Complete database?

One can refine search results in Business Source Complete by using the refining tools on the left-hand side, such as narrowing down by subject terms, sorting by relevance, and using alphabetical order for names.

What are some useful free resources available on the internet for researching charities and fundraising?

Some useful free resources include the Urban Institute of Giving Dashboard, the National Philanthropic Trust, Fundraise Global Trends, Giving USA reports, Statistica on nonprofit organizations in the US, and the National Council for Nonprofit reports.

How can one find industry reports on charity within Google?

One can find industry reports on charity within Google by using advanced search options, limiting the search to PDF files, and using keywords such as 'industry report', 'charity', 'United States', and setting a date range for the most recent reports.

What is the significance of creating a keyword strategy for research?

Creating a keyword strategy is significant as it streamlines the process of finding relevant information within databases and Google Scholar by focusing the search on specific terms and synonyms related to the problem statement.

How can one ensure the most up-to-date information is accessed in Google Scholar for academic journal articles?

To ensure the most up-to-date information, one can limit search results in Google Scholar using the refining tool on the side, focusing on recent years, and using specific keywords and phrases from the problem statement.