BUSINESS INFORMATION SOURCES FOREWORD. MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS INFORMATION EnIL International School on „Business Information Literacy”, 13-17 October 2008, Rome, Italy Dr. Sabina Cisek Associate Professor Institute of Information and Library Science, Jagiellonian University Krakow, Poland

FOREWORD: THE COURSE OBJECTIVES, STRUCTURE, CONTENT AND TRAINING METHODS

Business Information Sources: the course objectives Familiarize participants with the concept and domain of business information Give an overall presentation of the business information industry, services, sources and uses Introduce selected business information resources – focusing on free-of-charge and Open Access Web-based services and sources Show how to use business information sources (mainly – international in scope, in English) and provide opportunity for hands-on training

Familiarize participants with the concept and domain of business information

Give an overall presentation of the business information industry, services, sources and uses

Introduce selected business information resources – focusing on free-of-charge and Open Access Web-based services and sources

Show how to use business information sources (mainly – international in scope, in English) and provide opportunity for hands-on training

Business Information Sources: the course structure and content Module 1 : Introduction to business information Module 2 : Seeking for business information – selected Web-based information resources Module 3 : Web 2.0 for business information

Module 1 : Introduction to business information

Module 2 : Seeking for business information – selected Web-based information resources

Module 3 : Web 2.0 for business information

Business Information Sources: the course teaching-learning approach and training methods Demonstration, discussion, elements of lecture , group-work , hands-on practice

Demonstration, discussion, elements of lecture , group-work , hands-on practice

Business Information Sources: very selected additional readings Research guides and tutorials BERA: Business and Economics Research Advisor. A Series of Guides to Business and Economics Topics by Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/index.html Intute: Virtual Training Suite http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/ Journals and weblogs „ Business Information Review”. Quarterly by Sage [paid] ResourceShelf http://www.resourceshelf.com/ [free]

Research guides and tutorials

BERA: Business and Economics Research Advisor. A Series of Guides to Business and Economics Topics by Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/index.html

Intute: Virtual Training Suite http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/

Journals and weblogs

„ Business Information Review”. Quarterly by Sage [paid]

ResourceShelf http://www.resourceshelf.com/ [free]

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS INFORMATION (BI)

The Module 1 structure and content Meaning, definitions, terminology, characteristics and importance of business information Business information needs and users The business information industry: producers and providers of BI General description and categorization of BI resources

Meaning, definitions, terminology, characteristics and importance of business information

Business information needs and users

The business information industry: producers and providers of BI

General description and categorization of BI resources

Meanings of the term „business information” Business Information is a domain of activity that: involves – preparing/producing information sources; collecting, managing and giving access to them; finding, evaluating and using information, etc.; includes – products (i.e. business information resources), services, systems, professionals, organizations, needs, users and uses, etc. Business information is a type of information

Business Information is a domain of activity that:

involves – preparing/producing information sources; collecting, managing and giving access to them; finding, evaluating and using information, etc.;

includes – products (i.e. business information resources), services, systems, professionals, organizations, needs, users and uses, etc.

Business information is a type of information

Definitions of business information (1) Information FOR (doing) business to make informed decisions – short-term, long-term, strategic to enhance business, products, technology with current information to gain profit, recognition and success (2) Information ABOUT business (and economics, and related issues)

(1) Information FOR (doing) business

to make informed decisions – short-term, long-term, strategic

to enhance business, products, technology with current information

to gain profit, recognition and success

(2) Information ABOUT business (and economics, and related issues)

Terminology Business information Business and economics information Business intelligence Competitive intelligence n early synonyms

Business information

Business and economics information

Business intelligence

Competitive intelligence

n early synonyms

Business information features Business information should be reliable, trustworthy, authenticated , current, up-to-date; but – historical data and controversial issues may also be needed Business information is based on resources that are already published and made available Note a : that does not mean – these sources are always easily available Note b : of course there are exceptions 

Business information should be reliable, trustworthy, authenticated , current, up-to-date; but – historical data and controversial issues may also be needed

Business information is based on resources that are already published and made available

Note a : that does not mean – these sources are always easily available

Note b : of course there are exceptions 

Business i nformation area s General business information resources = „starting points” Company information Financial information = investment information Product and service information Markets, marketing and trade information Other

General business information resources = „starting points”

Company information

Financial information = investment information

Product and service information

Markets, marketing and trade information

Other

Business information needs, users and uses Who needs business information? What for? Why business information makes a difference? Why business information literacy is an advantage – for organizations and for everybody? Discussion with the course participants

Who needs business information? What for? Why business information makes a difference? Why business information literacy is an advantage – for organizations and for everybody?

Discussion with the course participants

Business information needs, users and uses – who needs business information? In professional life business enterprises associations, not-for-profit organizations, NGOs central and local governments, authorities journalists, writers researchers, scientists, students advisers, brokers, lawyers In private life: everybody anybody who wants to set up a business buyers credit takers complaining clients investors job seekers tax payers

In professional life

business enterprises

associations, not-for-profit organizations, NGOs

central and local governments, authorities

journalists, writers

researchers, scientists, students

advisers, brokers, lawyers

In private life: everybody

anybody who wants to set up a business

buyers

credit takers

complaining clients

investors

job seekers

tax payers

The Business Information Industry: producers and providers of BI (I) Non-commercial: International organizations, like European Union, OECD, United Nations, for example Your Europe – Business ( by EU European Commission ) http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/business/index.html Enterprise Europe Network (by EU European Commission) http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm Governments’ bodies, administration, local authorities

Non-commercial:

International organizations, like European Union, OECD, United Nations, for example

Your Europe – Business ( by EU European Commission ) http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/business/index.html

Enterprise Europe Network (by EU European Commission) http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

Governments’ bodies, administration, local authorities

The Business Information Industry: producers and providers of BI (I I ) Libraries (academic, government, public), librarians, for example Buffalo & Erie County Public Library – Reference Desk – Business and Finance http://www.buffalolib.org/refdesk/index.asp Harvard Business School Baker Library http://www.library.hbs.edu/guides/ NGOs Professional associations, chambers o f commerce Universities, other educational/research institutions, scholars, students Volunteers, enthusiasts

Libraries (academic, government, public), librarians, for example

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library – Reference Desk – Business and Finance http://www.buffalolib.org/refdesk/index.asp

Harvard Business School Baker Library http://www.library.hbs.edu/guides/

NGOs

Professional associations, chambers o f commerce

Universities, other educational/research institutions, scholars, students

Volunteers, enthusiasts

The Business Information Industry: Producers and Providers of BI (III) Commercial: Commercial publishers and providers of BI resources, for example – Dun & Bradstreet http://www.dnb.com/us/ Internet Securities, Inc. (trading as ISI Emerging Markets), http://www.securities.com/ Corporate intelligence centers see The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) http://www.scip.org / Information brokers = independent information professionals see the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) http://www.aiip.org/ Journals, for example „ The Economist” http://www4.economist.com/countries/

Commercial:

Commercial publishers and providers of BI resources, for example –

Dun & Bradstreet http://www.dnb.com/us/

Internet Securities, Inc. (trading as ISI Emerging Markets), http://www.securities.com/

Corporate intelligence centers

see The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) http://www.scip.org /

Information brokers = independent information professionals

see the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) http://www.aiip.org/

Journals, for example

„ The Economist” http://www4.economist.com/countries/

The business information sources There exists a great amount of business information sources Where and how to find them? How to read and understand them? How to evaluate them? How to use them?

There exists a great amount of business information sources

Where and how to find them?

How to read and understand them?

How to evaluate them?

How to use them?

The business information sources: categorization (I) By financial barriers / availability of information Free information, for example: CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html Intute: social sciences: business http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/business/ Commercial information – sold to the public, for example: Business Source Complete (EBSCOhost) Proprietary information – not available, trade secrets

By financial barriers / availability of information

Free information, for example:

CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

Intute: social sciences: business http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/business/

Commercial information – sold to the public, for example: Business Source Complete (EBSCOhost)

Proprietary information – not available, trade secrets

The business information sources: categorization (II) Note There are numerous commercial sources – databases, directories, etc. that are available online: partly free – basic information partly free – but you have to register or subscribe partly as paid services, for fee Examples: http://www.corporateinformation.com/ http://www.kompass.com/en/

Note

There are numerous commercial sources – databases, directories, etc. that are available online:

partly free – basic information

partly free – but you have to register or subscribe

partly as paid services, for fee

Examples:

http://www.corporateinformation.com/

http://www.kompass.com/en/

The business information sources: categorization (III) By producer/provider status (formality) official (by government) non-official (by commercial provider) By format electronic (online and offline), print, people By level of processing primary sources secondary sources tertiary sources

By producer/provider status (formality)

official (by government)

non-official (by commercial provider)

By format

electronic (online and offline), print, people

By level of processing

primary sources

secondary sources

tertiary sources

The business information sources: categorization (IV) Online electronic sources – by type of website General-purpose (global and local) search engines, meta-search services, catalogs, portals Specialized search tools (for example – „harvesting” services, Deep Web directories) Quality-controlled subject/information gateways, vertical portals Full-text resources – archives, e-journals, digital libraries, repositories Web 2.0 forms – blogs, wikis, etc. Databases online Institutions’ and organizations’ Websites …

Online electronic sources – by type of website

General-purpose (global and local) search engines, meta-search services, catalogs, portals

Specialized search tools (for example – „harvesting” services, Deep Web directories)

Quality-controlled subject/information gateways, vertical portals

Full-text resources – archives, e-journals, digital libraries, repositories

Web 2.0 forms – blogs, wikis, etc.

Databases online

Institutions’ and organizations’ Websites

…