I’d like your help in teaching 160 business students this Friday
This Friday I am giving the sophomore business clusters and orientation to business research and resources, as I do at the beginning of every quarter. Some of the research topics are easier than others for a librarian to teach. In general, the larger the industry (automobile, airlines, retail, music) the easier it is to use business databases to find the necessary information. Likewise, it’s generally easier to teach the students how to use the necessary databases if they have topics that will actually work with them.
This quarter, the first project is the social networking industry. Needless to say, you can’t exactly find company financials for Facebook in Hoover’s since it is a private company, and the most appropriate NAICS classification for the industry is “Internet Content Providers.” I’ve got a few ideas of places to go for articles, but I thought I would ask other experts in social networking (my fellow librarians) where they might look for information. The project description is below, and I would love to show my students how librarians used a social software (this blog) to do research on the social networking industry. Please leave a comment below if you’d like to help out. This will also be cross-posted on my Business Blog.
Your team is to conduct extensive research on the history, current condition, and future of the social networking industry. You are expected to make extensive use of library as well as internet resources for this study. PLEASE REMEMBER: It is always our expectation that you back up your findings with the data found in your research, and that you make EXPLICIT REFERENCE to numbers where necessary.
In particular, you will answer the following questions:
1. How do social networking firms make money?
2. Two of the main competitors in this field are facebook.com and myspace.com. Which one stands the best chance of winning this competitive battle?
3. Other than the threat they pose to each other, what is the biggest threat these two organizations face?Each observation or recommendation you make must be substantiated by the research you conduct, with clear justifications provided in all cases.
I'm Chad Boeninger and I write this blog for the students and faculty of Ohio University. I cover business research issues, databases and other resources, current business trends and topics, and much more.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:06 pm
The first place I would go would be databases like LexisNexis and ABI/Inform (first place after Google, of course
. I know I’ve heard several stories on NPR and the television news about the rivalries, acquisitions, and the different types of users they attract.
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Amy is right, LexisNexis is a great place to start and really every search should include a search on LN.
FindingDulcinea, Librarian of the Internet and a site that always uses LexisNexis as its first step in the search process, reviews and highlights the best sites the Internet has to offer.
We have produced a social networking Web guide http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Technology/Internet/Social-Networking.html?xa=1 that covers the basics of social networking (how social networking sites work & common social networking terms), choosing a social network (popular, video & photo sharing, professional networking sites, create your own network), social networking safety tips, and the latest social networking news.
I hope that your students will find this guide useful.
For any other academic-based research papers, we have also produced a Web guide on How to Search the Internet http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Technology/Internet/Dulcineas-Guide-to-Searching-on-the-Web.html?xa=1 that covers Scholarly Resources Online http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides.html?topic=guide-to-web-search&pg=06#06. This section of the guide covers Web sites that show students credible and comprehensive sites to find articles, books, statistics and even legal reference.
We created findingDulcinea to ensure that every search becomes a find and are excited in particular about helping students with finding quality Web sites.
Please feel free to contact me at my email address, as we are always happy to help teachers and students find their Internet utopia.
Best,
Kate Davey
Outreach Development
http://www.findingdulcinea.com