International Business
From Bentley Library Research Help
Contents |
[edit] 1 About This Guide
This guide is to help users begin researching topics related to business in foreign countries. Not comprehensive, it directs you to pertinent databases, reference books, circulating books, and foreign language periodicals available in paper at Bentley. It also includes selected Internet resources.
Different types of resources and access levels:
- Print Resources
are located in the Library`s Reference Collection or behind the Reference Desk. These materials are for in library use only.
- Electronic Resources
are subscription databases. These resources are available to members of the Bentley Community on-campus. Off-campus access is available by using your Bentley e-mail address and network password.
- Websites
are Internet resources that are free.
[edit] 2 BUSINESS
[edit] 2.1 Library Databases
Each database differs in countries included and subjects, statistics, and time ranges covered.
- Select the tab <International Tax>
- Under <Indexes & Finding Aids> click <Foreign Income Portfolios>.
- For information about the country you are researching, look under the alphabetical listing of all index items.
- Click the "+" preceding the name of the country to open its own index.
- Select <World Data> on left sidebar
- Select a Country in the top search box to access the County Snapshot
- Use Country Comparisons links to create current and chronological tables and charts for multiple data points
- Use Ranked Statistics links to see ranking (highest, lowest, rates, percentages) of data points
- Select <Business Searching Interface>.
- Click on <Country Reports> link on right sidebar.
- Enter country name in the <Browse for> box and click on <Browse>.
- Locate your country and click on the name of the country
- Find reports from the OECD, EIU, Business Monitor International, Political Risk Yearbook; 6 month delay on some reports
- For additional information also use <Advanced search> within both Business Source Premierand Academic Search Premier.
- Select the country from the listing on the home screen (over seventy are included).
- Click on news articles, etc.
- For text in Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, or Chinese, a translation button leads to the English.
- Use tabs to access additional information.
- Try using the <Advanced search> on the left side of the home page.
Euromonitor Global Market Information
- For country reports about lifestyles and future demographics, select the <Consumers> tab near the top of the screen.
- On the new screen go to the upper right side under either Lifestyles or Future Demographics and select a country.
Factiva (6 simultaneous user limit)
- Using the drop down menu in the upper left corner under <Factiva Pages>, users can change the main page (defaults to <Bentley Default>) to top world news, top business news, news for selected countries, or news for selected industries.
- To search, click on <Search > in green at the top of the page.
- When the search window opens, choose a date from the drop-down menu.
- Click on <Source>.
- From the <Select Source Category> drop-down menu select <Source Lists>.
- <Publications by Type> is an example of a listing which can be further opened to list specific resources.
- Open up the list of titles and click once to redden those you want to search simultaneously. Clicking twice lines out a particular title and eliminates it from the search.
- One can also click on a region and specify a subdivision within it, e.g. narrow North America to Massachusetts.
- Search terms go in the <free text> box.
- This provides timely, in-depth information for business, marketing and IT professionals. Many charts, graphs and tables are included and worldwide coverage is increasing.
- There is a login/logout button in upper right of the Forrester Web pages.
- Students wishing to access Forrester Research should contact the Bentley Library Reference Desk at 781.891.2300.
- Faculty and staff should send an email to library@bentley.edu requesting an account with Forrester.
- Open the <Country Reports> dropdown box menu on the left sidebar and select a country
- Use links on left sidebar to access various Country Reports
- For economic statistics,click on <Economic>; and open <Interim Forecast Analysis> to access <Country Tables>
- Several databases can be searched simultaneously.
- Especially consider searching Business and Company Resource Center, Expanded Academic ASAP, General Business File ASAP, General Reference Center, and Predicast PROMPT.
- Click on <Business> from the red tabs on the top and then select <Country Profiles> (located on the right side of the page under "Business Searches")
- additional country and region reports can be found by clicking on the tan colored <Sources> tab from the top of the page and then selecting the <Country & Region Reports> folder on the resulting screen.
- This has many databases that can be searched separately or simultaneously.
- Be sure to include ABI/INFORM Global.
- The ReferenceUSA database contains detailed information on more than 3 million international businesses.
- The International Business portion (referred to as OneSource) includes 3 million global company profiles; 5 million executives with links to biographies, colleagues and firms; 5 years historical financials for 34,000 global public companies; comprehensive corporate family structures; and one-click currency conversion between dollars, euros or pounds.
Social Science Citation Index from Web of Science (1956-2004)
- Multidisciplinary database which indexes thousands of scholarly journals
- Use the topic button to search for articles about doing business internationally
- To find the full text of pertinent articles, use the Journal Finderon the Bentley Library homepage
[edit] 2.2 Internet Resources
- Be sure to check the International Business section.
- This is the U.S. Government's export portal on the Web.
- One section is Market Research which includes subsections such as Country and Industry Market Reports, Trade Agreements & Statistics, and Broad Country Information.
- To access certain information one must register as a student/researcher or a U.S. company.
International Trade Web Resources
- This is from the Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA)
- This site indexes and annotates more than 8,000 links related to international trade
U.S. Department of State: Business Center
- This site includes sections such as Highlights, U.S. Business Opportunities Overseas and many other subsections, e.g. Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.
[edit] 3 ECONOMICS AND FINANCE
[edit] 3.1 Books
Europa World Yearbook
REF-DESK JN 1 .E85.
- Each country is covered in detail, with information about almost every aspect of economic, political, and business life.
- Also provides information on international organizations
Global Development Finance, v. 2 Country Tables REF HJ 8899 .W672
- Prepared by the World Bank, this includes statistical tables on the external debt of the 137 countries that report under the Debtor Reporting System (DRS).
- Also included are tables of selected debt and resource flow statistics for countries and summary tables for regions and income groups.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History REF HC 15 .O94 2003
- This includes "summaries of the economic history of virtually every 'nation' and society, as well as many other geographical concepts, such as cities." -- Preface
World Development Report REF HC 59.7 .W659 World Development Reports
- "Each year the WDR provides in depth analysis of a specific aspect of development," e.g. investment climate, transition economies, labor, infrastructure, health, the environment, and poverty. -- Website
World Economic and Social Survey REF HC 59 .A169
- Published annually by the United Nations, it analyses major trends and policies in the global economy.
- It includes statistical tables and is supplemented by World Economic Situation and Prospects. Ref HC 59 .A169.
World Economic Outlook REF HC 59 .W645 World Economic Outlook
- This is published annually by the International Monetary Fund.
[edit] 3.2 Internet Resources
- Provides country & sector risk information (ratings and assessment) free of charge for 154 countries
- Description from the Coface website: "Country ratings issued by the Coface Group measure the average default risk on corporate payments in a given country and indicate to what extent a company's financial commitments are affected by the local business, financial and political outlook. Coface continuously monitors 154 countries using a spectrum of indicators incorporating political factors; risk of currency shortage and devaluation; ability to meet financial commitments abroad; risk of a systemic crisis in the banking sector; cyclical risk; and payment behavior for short term transactions."
Economic Policy Institute
"Contains discussion, analysis, and sometimes clarifications on issues relating to economics that are of current interest. There are also links to statistical sources that relate to economics, such as labor, income, and demographics." -- Librarians'
Internet Index
- This Web site Includes statistics, surveys and reports, staff studies, and working papers.
- Some are about international economic issues.
- this is published monthly.
- Bentley Library's print version is shelved in the periodicals stacks.
The United States International Trade Commission
- The USITC Interactive Tariff and Trade DataWeb provides international trade statistics and U.S. tariff data.
Virtual International Business & Economic Sources
- VIBES provides global, regional, and national listings of over 3,000 links to Internet sources of international business and economic information available in English.
- Includes links to full-text files of recent articles and research reports, statistical tables and graphs, and portals. Website
- The site map (linked at the bottom of the page) is a helpful overview of resources available.
- Within its <Knowledge Navigator> are these subdivisions: themes (e.g. business and management), regions, industries, events, and contributors.
[edit] 4 POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
[edit] 4.1 Books
Europa World Yearbook REF-DESK JN 1 .E85
- Each country is covered in detail, with information about almost every aspect of economic, political, and business life.
- It also provides information on international organizations
Government Information on the Internet REF ZA 5075 .N68
- This includes government information resources at all levels of U.S. government
- It also covers 250 international governmental organizations and sites for foreign countries.
Governments of the World REF JF 127 .P56 3 vols.
- Arranged alphabetically.
- This compendium provides information about political leaders, systems of government, political theories and movements, and international organizations.
The International Year Book and Statesmen's Who's Who REF JA 51. I57
- Published in the United Kingdom.
- This annual publication covers "international and national organisations, countries of the world and 6,000 biographies of leading personalities in public life." -- Website
Political Handbook of the World REF JF 37 .P6
- This provides descriptions of the political situation in every country of the world.
The Statesman's Yearbook: the Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World REF JA 51 .S7 2004
- An of this annual publication.
- Earlier editions are in the regular stacks.
The World Factbook REF G 123 .W6 The World Factbook
- Prepared by the CIA.
- It is the U.S. government's popular handbook which includes demographical, political, geographical, and economic data as well as color maps and flags.
[edit] 4.2 Internet Resources
- This site provides a "comprehensive set of population data and related statistics." *It includes information about the current population of countries, their administrative divisions, cities and towns as well as images of the current national flags.
- These are extensive annual reports.
- They are issued by the U.S. Department of State and organized by regions and countries.
- TI is a global coalition against corruption.
- The annual Global Corruption Report ranks governments and "links to numerous reports, examples, and assessment instruments present analyses and methods for fighting corruption." -- Librarians' Internet Index
- This is a directory to many excellent sites.
- An encyclopedia of leaders.
- Often includes brief historical outlines, flags, and links to national anthems and constitutions.
- "There are lists of leaders of international organizations, war and colonial indexes, information on titles of nobility (in Introduction), a bibliography, and links to related resources." -- Librarians' Internet Index
[edit] 5 WORLD SITUATION
World News Digest from Facts on File. REF DESK D410 .F3 World News Digest
- 2007 and 2008 print titles are at the Reference Desk with previous issues in Reference
- Both the online and print editions include statistics, background boxes & chronologies.
- ICG is a Brussels-based private, multinational organization.
- It has a number of useful publications.
State of the World; a Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society REF DESK HC 59 .S734
- The 2008 edition is at the Reference Desk.
- Earlier editions are in the stacks HC 59 .S734.
- Published annually, it includes chapters on resources, population, governance, security, and environmental issues.
[edit] 6 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- The Bentley Library owns and has access to additional resources not listed above.
- The following wikis should be particularly helpful: Country Studies, Current News Resources, and Statistical Resources.
- If you are having a problem finding the information you need, you can ask a Librarian for help.
