Samuel E. Bodily  |  S. Venkataraman  

Article and News Databases:

Once you have identified appropriate concepts and key words to pursue, article and news databases can be a good place to start. Many of you may already be familiar with using such databases like ABI-Inform, Dow Jones Interactive, and Lexis-Nexis. The link for accessing these databases through the Darden intranet is included below:

Intranet link to access ABI-Inform, Dow Jones Interactive, and Lexis-Nexis: https://intranet.darden.virginia.edu/library/articles_periodicals.asp

Access:

• Access to these services should be automatic and hassle-free when you are using these services on campus – your IP address will already have been registered with the above services.

• When you are off-campus, a proxy server can be created so that ou can gain access.  For further questions and possible problems with access, please contact the Library (804) 924-7321.

Notes:

• These services cover a wide range of publications. For a full list of publication titles, click on "Titles" after you've reached the linked page above (this link is under each service's name). You'll find these services carry many of the relevant journals on strategic thinking (e.g., Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, etc.).
• 
  Click on "Search Guide" underneath each service for more help and instructions on using the services
  
• Important note: searches will typically not automatically comb all sources - you may need to specify individual journals if they are not in the default source list (e.g., Dow Jones does not automatically search through California Management Review - this publication needs to be added to the publication list, such as through the "Change Publication" option within its search menu). The Harvard Business Review is available full-text through Lexis-Nexis.
  
• Calling or seeing the friendly people that work in the library can also help you in making your searches more accurate and efficient.

Reports:

Forrester is an excellent source for industry and strategy research. Reports often cover broad themes that can contain information or insight relevant to your research question.

Investext can also be a useful source. While reports are more financially oriented, Investext research can be useful for industry overviews, forecasts, and company-specific financial data.

Follow this link for the intranet link to Forrester and Investext Plus:
http://www.darden.virginia.edu/library/lib_databases.htm

For a broader listing of sources for company and industry data, follow this link:
https://intranet.darden.virginia.edu/library/companies.asp

Internet Web Sites and Magazines:

While database searches and reports will get you far, they will not be comprehensive in their searches. Online magazines and web sites can be useful since:

• Database services often do not carry and search good online publications and articles that focus on New Economy issues (e.g., from the TheStandard.com)
  
• Reports from Forrester may not be published frequently enough to reflect the most current thinking on a specific topic
  
• Online web sites and magazines often aggregate other relevant online magazine articles on their search engines, saving you the trouble of having to scour the web for online articles and links.

For these reasons, running searches on the following online sites and magazines can be useful in providing additional research and fresh perspectives.

Business2.0
http://www.business2.com
Useful for New Economy issues, but looks at business news as a whole -
online and offline - in its stories and articles.

Fast Company
http://www.fastcompany.com/homepage/
Useful for information on new business practices. Perspective of the magazine is generally taken from the entrepreneur's point of view and the issues an entrepreneur would face.

The Standard
http://www.thestandard.com
Good source for New Economy issues. Specifically, the site is also good for strategy related issues - they have a section of articles on "Ideas and Strategies."

Red Herring
http://www.redherring.com
Another good source for Internet related issues. Red Herring tends to approach stories from more of a technology-perspective.

ClickZ
http://www.clickz.com
Very useful, but primarily for marketing related issues. That said, "marketing issues" can cover plenty of relevant ground regarding your final topics, such as "online community" and the effective use of and monetizing of "online content."

ZDNet AnchorDesk
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/
Finally, for the most recent breaking Internet news (and for a few, more in-depth, interesting articles), ZDNet AnchorDesk works well.

We hope this guide has been useful. Best of luck in your paper topics.