Selected Resources
Marketing 360/Management 311
Fall Semester, 2000

Books
There are two resources that will assist in locating items in the Lehigh University libraries and in other libraries. They are:

    1. ASA, The Library’s Online Catalog. This lists all the items in the library and their location. This resource is available via the Network Server and the WWW.
    2. WorldCat. This is a catalog that lists over 38 million items including books, journals, audio-visual, CD-ROMs and software. These resources may be obtained via Lehigh’s Interlibrary Loan.
ASA should be the first place to look for items with information on your and/or related topics. An example is the need to look for statistics on population in a geographic area. There are resources listed in ASA that can answer that question. Remember: Use ASA to locate books, journals, A-V materials, and CD-ROMs. Journal articles are NOT indexed in ASA or WorldCat.

Industry Information
These resources can be used to locate information on industries. This may be important for the client to know because this can either heighten and/or lower expectations. These expectations can be for a membership campaign, an advertising blitz, etc, for that particular organization. They are:

    1. Investext. Provides reports on companies and industries from analysts at over 450 stock brokerage firms and investment banks. This is available by following the directions for the Journal Index section, then click on Infotrac, and then the "Start searching this collection" under the Investext line.
    2. Standard and Poor’s Industry Surveys. 338/S781I/FM-1-Ref (On Reserve). Analyzes specific industries on quarterly basis. Trends, financial information, and industry data are available. Earlier volumes are available in the stacks.
    3. Value Line. 332.6/V215/FM-1-Ref (On Reserve). Includes quantitative and qualitative information for industry and company. It rates the companies’ stock as a buy, sell or hold. Back issues are available on fiche from 1980 at Fairchild Library.
    4. Journal indexes list articles on industries. See the Journal Index section for a listing of indexes.
Industry Ratios
    1. Almanac of Business and Financial Ratios. 338.973/T864/FM-1-Ref. Annual with earlier editions in the stacks.
    2. RMA Annual Statement Studies. 338/R642/FM-1-Ref. Annual with earlier editions in the stacks. Produced by Robert Morris Associates.
    3. DJ Interactive. Company Information Center on DJI has this information.
    4. Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios. 338.5/I42/FM-1-Ref. Latest on Reserve with earlier editions in the stacks. Produced by Dun and Bradstreet.
Statistical Indexes
These items list sources where statistics can be located. They are:
    1. American Statistics Index. 310.016/C749a/Ref. Covers statistics printed by the Federal Government. The library has many of these publications and some are listed in ASA.
    2. Index to International Statistics. Washington, Congressional Information Service. 310.016/I38/FM-1-Ref. Covers international statistics. Available on fiche since 1987 at the Fairchild Library.
    3. Statistical Reference Index. 317.3016/S797/Ref. Covers statistics printed by non-Federal Government agencies, i.e., associations, commercial publishers, states, etc. Available on fiche since 1980 at Fairchild Library.
General Statistical Resources
The listed resources will give statistics on industries, general economy and population. These are:
    1. Business Statistics of the United States. 338.09/B976a/FM-1-Ref. Biennial publication with the cumulation of statistical data for series appearing the Survey of current business from 1947 to year prior to publication.
    2. Demographics USA (ZIP ed.). 658.8/D383/FM-1-Ref. This provides statistics on population (including age and sex), effective buying income, employment by industry and retail sales. This is by Zip code.
    3. Sales & Marketing Management. Back issues are on microfilm and current issues are in print and shelved in Fairchild Library. This publication has special issues on various topics, i.e., buying power and media markets. Good source for the population and buying power of the states and their counties. Its URL is http://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/cgi-bin/pubid?Pub=28583.
    4. Statistical Abstract of the United States. 317.2/U58s/FM-1-RRef. Latest edition is in Ready Reference with earlier editions in the stacks. Its URL is http://www.census.gov/statab/www/
    5. STAT-USA. See World Wide Web for a description.
    6. Survey of Current Business. C59.109/1. This is received monthly and is shelved at Fairchild Library. Its URLs are http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/pubs.htm or http://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/cgi-bin/pubid?Pub=28352
    7. World Almanac. 317.3/W927/FM-1-R-Ref. Quick source of information which will give the answer and/or provides information on where to find the answer.
Company and Stock Information
These resources can be use for information about the company's profitability, information on its charitable foundation's name and address, etc. These include:
    1. Annual Reports and 10-K Reports. Reports are for the Fortune 500 going back to 1979 for the annual reports. The 10-K reports are available for the past few years through 1997.
    2. DJ Interactive. (Available on the Web) The Company and Industry Center has the information from the annual reports and the 10-K's.
    3. Lexis Nexis. See World Wide Web for description.
    4. Handbook of common stocks (Formerly Moody's Handbook of Common Stocks) 332.6/M817si/FM-1-Ref). Reports on over 2000 stocks.
    5. Mergent Manuals (Formerly Moody's) 332.6/M817a/FM-1-Ref. Financial data on companies including income statements balance sheets and company history. There are six (6) parts: Bank and Finance, Industrials, Municipals and Government, Over the Counter, Public Utilities and Transportation. Earlier editions located in the stacks.
    6. SEC Edgar Database. This has the 10-K reports from publicly traded companies. Available via the Dow Jones Interactive and Securities and Exchange Commission. Its URL is http://www.sec.gov/.
    7. Standard & Poor's stock reports: New York Stock Exchange. 332.6/S785sta/FM-1-Ref. Covers on companies on the NYSE.
    8. Value Line. See Industry Information section for description.
Journal Indexes
Locating articles with quantitative and qualitative information on companies and industries may be found using these indexes. Also, the articles may have information on companies, local governments, local organizations, and past campaigns. To access them, click on the Libraries' button (located on the upper right of the homepage), then click on Electronic Resources, then click on Databases. (URL is http://www.lehigh.edu/~inref/databases/index.html). They are:
    1. ABI-Inform. Indexes over 1400 journals in management and business. Coverage is from 1987 for most journals. About 45% of the articles are available in full text.
    2. Accounting and Tax Index. Available only in print and is shelved in Index Section, Reference, Fairchild Library. Formerly called the Accountant's Index, Supplement
    3. Dow Jones Publications Library. Available on the DJInteractive via the Web. Covers over 6000 publications (full text) back to early 1980's.
    4. Econlit. A good index for the research journals that cover company information from a research perspective.
    5. InfoTrac (a.k.a. Expanded Academic Index). Covers over 1400 journal going back to 1980. Some articles are available in full text.
    6. Lexis Nexis. Provides full text of journals, newspapers, and wire services relating to business information. It also has full text legal materials such court decisions, legislation and regulations. The service is available via the Web. (See the WWW for more information).
    7. Periodical Abstracts. Covers over 1800 journals in a variety of subject areas with some available in full text.
World Wide Web
Using a search engine, i.e., AltaVista, Infoseek, etc., you will find information that may be useful. There are (but not limited to) government, associations, companies and individuals that have home pages. They provide facts, figures, and reports that may be important to your research. When searching on the Web, be sure to use a number of search engines. There are multi-search engines that search other search engines. Dogpile.com is an example of these multi-search engines. Its URL is http://www.dogpile.com. These will make searching the Web more efficient as it will search AltaVista, Magellan, etc., to locate needed resources. An example would be a search for company home pages listing information on the company and/or product. Remember: anyone can put up a web page with information. Is the information on the web page reliable?

Statistical Resources on the Web are:

    1. Lexis Nexis. This database has sections entitled Industry & Market News and Company Financial Information.
    2. STAT-USA. This is a compendium of government statistical information on the Web. It is available through the Article Abstracts and Databases on the Virtual Library. It gives information on general economic conditions in the United States, i.e., Consumer Price Index and Leading Economic Indicators. This compendium contains on the National Trade Data Bank. This gives information on foreign trade statistics of the U.S., trade opportunities and information on a foreign country’s rules and regulations.
These are additional sites for statistics on the economy, population, etc., from the Federal Government. They are:
    1. Bureau of Economic Analysis http://www.bea.doc.gov/
    2. Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/
    3. Federal Statistics site http://www.fedstats.gov/
    4. Securities and Exchange Commission. http://www.sec.gov/
    5. U.S. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/
There are other resources available on the Web and in print. (Note some web resources have print versions while others are only available in print).
    1. Acxiom Phone Directory (businesses)
    2. Acxiom Phone Directory (homes)
    3. American Demographics/Marketing Tools. This is a source for demographic information. Its URL is http://www.marketingtools.com/.
    4. American Express. A good source of information for small business including a business plan section. Its URL is http://home3.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness/resources.
    5. Associations Unlimited. This is also available in print and its title is Encyclopedia of Associations. Its call number is 061.3/G152e/FM-1-R-REF.
    6. Local Business Journals. Use the following to locate articles from 41 local business journals. Its URL is http://www.bizjournals.com.
    7. FinanceHub: Venture capital on the Web. Its URL is http://FincanceHub.com/vc.html.
    8. GPO Monthly Catalog (U.S. government publications) Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Documents (print version).
    9. Grocery Manufacturers of America. This is an example of the many industrial organizations, associations and other groups. Many can be located in Associations Unlimited (see #3). Its URL Is http://www.gmabrands.com/.
    10. Salary.com. This site is a good site for locating salaries of occupations and geographic areas. It does not have employment figures. Use this in conjunction with the Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates which is put out by the Federal Government (See the Government Resources section, #6). Its URL is http://www.salary.com/home/layoutscripts/sall_home.asp.
    11. Small Business Administration. Its URL is http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/.
    12. Zack's Earnings Estimates. Gives information on earnings estimate, buy, sell, or hold recommendations on a particular stock, and stock prices. URL is http://www.zacks.com/.
    13. Resource pages from Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.) concerning business and economics. The URL is http://www.lib.neu.edu/nulis/subjects/business.htm or http://www.lib.neu.edu/nulis/subjects/economics.htm.  There are more resource pages from various entities, example: universities and societies that can assist in locating information.
Government Resources
The Federal Government and Pennsylvania publish a variety of statistics that can help with your projects. Listed below are resources that may have useful statistics. NOTE: There are more resources listed in the WWW Section. The Federal Government publishes the items, numbered 1-6, and Pennsylvania publishes the ones, numbered 7-11. They are:
    1. Area Trends in Employment and Unemployment. 331.112/U581a/FM-2-DOC-R. Excellent source for employment figures.
    2. County Business Patterns C 3.204/4: 995-96/FM-2-DOC-R. Available on CD-ROM and in print. Gives business and employment information by county and business category. It is also available on the web. Its URL is http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html.
    3. National Compensation Survey. (Also known as Area wage surveys). L2.121/38: /FM-2-DOC. Surveys the local salary and wage base for various occupations. Available at this URL http://stats.bls.gov/ and in print.
    4. REIS (computer file): Regional Economic Information System. C59.24:969-96/CD. Contains valuable information on local area. Remember: Information may be dated.
    5. SPI: State Personal Income, 1929-1997. C59.25:929-97. Available on CD-ROM.
    6. Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dept. of Labor. It gives information on local employment and wage scales on a national, state and metropolitan area. A good source for wage cost estimates. Its URL is http://stats.bls.gov/oes/oes_data.htm.
    7. Local Government Financial Statistics. PCA 1.138/4:1997. Provides financial information on local governments including taxation, indebtedness, and expenditures. This item is located in the state area of the Government Documents section, Fairchild Martindale Library. Available only in print.
    8. Pennsylvania Abstract. 317.48/P415a/FM-1-Ref. A compendium of statistics concerning Pennsylvania. Includes population, economic, and social statistics.
    9. (Pennsylvania) Employment & Wages by County and Industry, 1997. PL67.20/8/6/:269. This item is located in the state area of the Government Documents section, Fairchild Martindale Library. Available only in print.
    10. PLF Pennsylvania Labor Force. PL 194.17/3: This item is located in the state area of the Government Documents section, Fairchild Martindale Library. Available only in print.
    11. Wages and Income. PL67.17/4/6/P415. Provides information on earnings, per capita, and CPI information. This item is located in the state area of the Government Documents section, Fairchild Martindale Library. Available only in print.
The Library has created a web page for government information including Federal, state, local and international materials. It is called Government Information at Lehigh University Library. Its URL is: http://www.Lehigh.EDU/~inlib/govdocs/. This is an excellent starting point for locating statistical and other relevant material for research on a topic.

Local Resources for Information

There are a variety of resources that can information as you do the research for the client. These include (but not limited to):

    1. Alumni Directories and Associations
    2. Bus Companies, i.e., Local Tour Companies
    3. Chambers of Commerce Bethlehem Area Chamber of Commerce.
    4. County and local governments: Lehigh County, Northampton County, City of Bethlehem (Its URL is http://www.cityofbethlehem.org/)
    5. Financial Resources. A resource to locate funding in the Lehigh Valley. Its URL is http://www.lehighvalleyfinancing.org.
    6. Lehigh Valley Business Network. This is a local web site providing professional, customized web presence for small businesses. Its URL is http://www.lvbiznet.com/
    7. Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) is a private, non-profit corporation created in 1995 by the Lehigh Valley Partnership (LVP), a consortium of regional business owners and executives with county and municipal government leaders as ex officio members. Its URL is http://www.lehighvalley.org/marquee.cfm.
    8. Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (Formerly the Joint Planning Commission). Its URL is http://www.lvpc.org/
    9. LVIP, Inc., (Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, Inc.). Its URL is http://lvip.org/.
    10. Local Arts Organizations
    11. Local public libraries: Allentown Public Library, Bethlehem Area Public Library, Easton Area Public Library
    12. Local statistics: Web and print http://www.lehighvalley.org/marquee.cfm
    13. NASIRE represents information resource executives and managers from the 50 states, six U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. State members are senior officials from any of the three branches of state government who have statewide, executive-level responsibility for information resource management. NASIRE associate members are any other state officials and federal, local and international government officials who are involved in information resource management. Private-sector firms and non-profit organizations may join as corporate members. http://www.nasire.org
    14. Pennsylvania's home page: http://www.state.pa.us/
    15. Private Industry Council
    16. Redevelopment (or Economic) Authorities of states, counties, cities, boroughs, etc.: Northampton County Development Corporation; Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (its URL is http://www.bethlehempa.org/bedco/)
    17. RegionOnline Lehigh Valley Web site URL is http://www.lehighvalleyNOW.com/rol/default.asp
    18. Small business development centers of the state, counties and cities: Lehigh University's Small Business Development Center (URL is http://www.lehigh.edu/~insbdc/)
    19. Tourism Bureaus: Bethlehem Tourism Authority Its URL is http://www.bethtour.org/, Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. Its URL is http://www.lehighvalleypa.org/
A Final Thought
THINK beyond this campus. This means contacting local governments, economic development authorities, and chambers of commerce. Where do you fine these? In the LOCAL Telephone Book! You may have to leave campus to meet with these groups.

Created on 9/18/00 by W. Fincke, Business Librarian