This document provides guidance on conducting secondary research for competitive effectiveness. It discusses the importance of using a variety of high-quality source materials, including industry reports, company profiles, consumer surveys, and news sources. Good research demonstrates source variety, source quality, and proper attribution using APA style citations and references. The document offers tips for starting research, including looking at industry reports, trade associations, competitor analysis using company profiles and websites, and customer analysis using market research and demographic data. It also provides examples of citing industry surveys, news articles, and instructional materials in APA style. Students are encouraged to schedule research consultations or email the librarian for additional help.

1. Research for Competitive
Effectiveness: Vanguard
Linda Hauck, Spring 2015

2. Objectives
 Nature of sound secondary research
 Familiarity with industry reports, company profiles,
consumer surveys, trade associations and news
 Providing attribution for sources using APA Style

3. Indicators Good Research
 Source Variety : Different kinds of source materials are
used. There is not excessive reliance on only one or two
types of resources. Types of resources include market
or industry research reports, trade news, general &
business news, trade associations, company web sites,
company profiles, academic studies, & data sets.
 Source Quality: The sources used are written by
qualified authors, are timely, are relevant, employ
rigerous methods, and are appropriate to the task.
Business Sources How to Evaluate Them
 References: The reference list conforms to the APA style
in organization and form, attribution is provided as
needed and parenthetical or in-text citations conform to
APA style.

4. Getting Started
 Industry or market research reports: Operations,
competitive forces (economic, demographic regulatory,
technological), trends, prospects, competitors
 Update by trade and business news and associations. (ABI
Inform, WSJ, Business Source Premier)
 Use what you learn from industry report for competitor and
customer analysis.
 Competitor analysis: Company profile (MarketLine,
ReferenceUSA, Morningstar), company web site, SEC filings,
news beyond the press release.
 Customer analysis: Market research report on target
demographic, objective social science research (PEW or
ICI), consumer surveys, demographics and segmentation
schemes (MRI+ or ESRI Business Analyst Online), social
science on buyer behavior/attitudes (PsycInfo)

6. APA Citations
 How do you make your reference list?
 Easybib, bibme, citationmachinge, noodletools, refworks,
zotero, Word Reference tab, database utilities
 What you still need to know: APA style and what you
are trying to cite
 Research and Documentation Online or APA Style Guide
to Electronic References or APA Style

7. APA Basics
Reference:
Author, A. (publication date). Title. Place of publication.
In Text: authors (date, page)
Parenthetical: (authors, date, page)

8. Examples
Leon, K. (2014, October). Industry surveys: Investment
services. Retrieved from S&P Capital IQ Netadvantage
Zoll, A. (2015, January 15). Is my target date fund layer on
extra fees? The Short Answer. Retrieved from
http://library.morningstar.com/Article/article?id=68037

9. Getting Help
 BookMe scheduler
https://vubusinesslibrarian.youcanbook.me/
 Virtual meetings available outside scheduled times too
 Email linda.hauck@villanova.edu
 Drop in, Falvey 222