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Tables of Contents for An Introduction to Online Company Research
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Preface
vi
Chapter 1 Introduction to Company Research Strategies, Search Techniques, and Data Resources
1
50
Defining the Research Problem: What is the Question?
2
8
Defining the Depth of the Project: How Will the Information Be Used?
3
1
Identifying the Ultimate Consumer of the Information: Who Wants to Know?
4
1
Defining the Project Scope: What Does the Client Know Already?
5
1
Constraints: How Does the Availability of Time and Money Affect the Project Scope and Depth?
6
1
Answering the Right Question: What If Neither You nor Your Client Is an Expert?
7
2
Deciphering the Question: What Is the Client Really Saying?
9
1
Developing Research Strategies: Who Knows the Answer?
10
7
Proprietary vs. Public Information
10
2
Primary vs. Secondary Research
12
1
Identifying Sources: Who Cares about the Question?
12
2
Free vs. Paid Services
14
3
Developing Effective Search Statements: Commanding the Web and the Databases
17
17
Determining the Company Name
17
5
The Syntax of Searching
22
8
The Joy of Indexing: Using the Advanced Search Functions of Online Database Services
30
2
Verifying Content
32
2
Primary Portals: Which Services Do You Really Need?
34
9
Access Options
34
6
Interface Choices
40
2
Making the Choice
42
1
Organizing and Reporting Research Results
43
8
Summaries and Analyses
46
1
Formatting the Results
47
1
The Importance of Packaging
48
3
Chapter 2 Research Case Study on Company Information
51
70
The Scenario
51
2
Background on Rohm and Haas
53
3
Current Position of Rohm and Haas in the Powder Coatings Industry
54
1
Past Acquisition Activity
54
1
Past Year's Revenues
54
1
Specifying the Client's Information Requirements
55
1
Research Strategy
56
65
Initial Overview of Rohm and Haas
56
1
Background on the Powder Coatings Industry
57
1
Rohm and Haas and the Powder Coatings Market
57
1
Biographies of Key Individuals
58
1
Investigating Subsidiaries
58
1
Focusing on Morton International
59
1
Filling in the Details
60
1
Compiling the Report
61
3
Determining the Level of Analysis
61
1
Report Elements
62
1
Time and Costs
63
1
Profile of Rohm and Haas: Executive Summary
64
57
Chapter 3 Company Research Problems and Solutions
121
54
An Advertising Agency Researches a Potential Client
124
3
A Law Firm Researches a Potential Client
127
3
A Real Estate Company Investigates a Potential New Lessor
130
4
Generating a Company List by Size and Industry
134
3
Generating a Qualified New Client Call List
137
3
Tracking Down a New Cost-Efficient Product
140
3
Generating a List of Qualified Auditing Firms
143
8
Background on a Private Company Competitor
151
3
Research on Company Ownership
154
2
Pre-Employment Research on a Prospective Employer
156
4
Researching a Potential Business Partner
160
3
Researching Competitors' Webmarketing Activities
163
5
Benchmarking Company Financial Data
168
3
Benchmarking Best Employee-Retention Practices
171
4
Chapter 4 Company Research Data Source Evaluations And Reviews
175
138
Data Source Ratings
175
15
Development of the Reviews
190
1
Arrangement of the Reviews
191
5
The Big Three Database Aggregators
191
3
Dun & Bradstreet Databases
194
1
Gale Group Databases
194
1
General Company Information Databases
195
1
Specialized Company Information Services
196
1
Company Profile Content Comparisons
196
10
Factiva
196
2
Gale Business & Company Resource Center
198
1
Hoover's Online
199
1
LexisNexis Company Dossier
200
1
Mergent Online
201
2
Standard & Poor s NetAdvantage
203
1
Comparison Summary
204
2
Dialog
206
11
Factiva
217
9
LexisNexis
226
12
Dun & Bradstreet Databases
238
5
Hoover's Online
243
5
Gale Group Business A.R.T.S.
248
2
Gale Group Newsletter Database
250
2
Gale Group Trade & Industry Database
252
3
PROMT
255
4
ABI/Inform
259
3
Business & Industry
262
4
Business Dateline
266
4
Corporate Affiliations
270
4
Disclosure Database
274
4
Experian Business Credit Profiles
278
2
Financial Times
280
2
News on LexisNexis
282
3
Thomas Register
285
4
Mergent Online
289
2
OneSource
291
6
Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage
297
3
The Wall Street Transcript
300
5
Thomson Research
305
8
Appendix
313
60
A. Directory of Online Business Data Sources
314
14
B. Directory of Online Business Data Publishers
328
10
C. Business Data Source Rating Survey
338
16
D. Contributor Biographies
354
19
Index
373