Choosing a topic

When choosing a topic for your research paper, think about the following:

• Unless your instructor assigns a topic, try to select a topic that interests you.
• Make sure your topic is not too broad, or too narrow. You will find too much information when searching for a broad topic; and not enough information when searching for a narrow topic.
• If you already have a general topic, try searching the library's catalog or the library's databases for ideas on how to narrow that topic down.
• Visit the library's Reference Desk and request to view the following book: 10,000 ideas for term papers, projects, reports and speeches: Intriguing, original research topics for every student's need.
• For current events and issues in the news, try searching the library's database: CQ Researcher.
• For debatable or controversial issues, ask one of the librarians about the Opposing Viewpoints Series, the Taking Sides Series, Issues in Focus Series and/or the Current Controversies Series.
• Visit the Social Issues Research Guide. There you will find a list of current social issues to choose from.

Book Collections

Books will provide an excellent starting point for your research in the field of International Business. Reference books often give you background information and a general overview on your topic so that you can proceed with greater understanding to a more detailed treatment of your subject in other books and periodicals. Reference books may include specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, atlases and/or statistical reports. The librarian at the Reference Desk can help in locating an appropriate source. Listed below are the titles and call numbers of some of the International Business books in the library's reference collection. The reference collection is located on the main level of the library. Books with a location of Reference cannot be checked out of the library. The Circulating Collection is on the second floor of the library. Books with a location of Circulating may be checked out.

Library Catalog

The library catalog is used to locate books both at RVCC, as well as from other libraries in the Somerset County Library System. Books will provide in-depth information not found in reference sources.

Quick Tips:

• Start with a Keyword search. Once you find one or two books about your topic, check the book's record to see what Subjects are being used. Once you find the appropriate Subject Heading, repeat your search using those headings. Generally, the results from a Subject search will always be more accurate than the results from a Keyword search.
• If you know the title of the book you are looking for, do a Title search.
• If you are looking for a book with a specific author, do an Author search (last name first).

Suggested Subject Headings for International Business:

Click a subject heading below to use it as the search term for a Subject Search in the catalog.

Consult with the reference librarian to find the term best suited to your needs.

Browse the Collection:

Most of the books can be found in the following areas:

• HA -- Statistics
• HC -- Economic history and conditions
• HD -- Industries. Land Use. Labor
• HF3000-4055 -- Commerce, By region or country
• HG3810-4000 -- Foreign Exchange. International Finance
• HG4538 -- Foreign Investments

All of the library's circulating books are located on the upper level of the library.

For additional library catalogs, including libraries in Hunterdon and Middlesex counties, consult the Additional Library Catalogs page. If you find a book in one of these catalogs that the library does not own, request the book using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

Research Databases - Finding Articles

The Evelyn S. Field Library has access to thousands of periodicals. (Periodicals can be magazines, scholarly journals, or newspapers.) Some periodicals are in the library's print (or hard copy) collection. However, the majority of periodicals are available in the Research Databases. These databases provide access to articles. This information is generally more current than material found in books.

Search for periodical articles on International Business using the databases listed below. They can be accessed from the Library Database Page. (If you are using these databases from an off-campus location, you will be asked to identify yourself by logging in with your Username and Password. This is the same login you use on campus. The Research Databases are available only to registered RVCC students.)

• ABI/Inform Complete
  

  "Search 1000 premier worldwide business periodicals for information on advertising, marketing,economics, human resources, finance, taxation, computers, and more. Also, information on 60,000+ companies." Drawn from the vendor's website.

• JSTOR
  

  A reliable and comprehensive archive of important scholarly journal literature. JSTOR is important if you are doing a research project that needs older information in the arts and sciences. Due to its very nature as a retrospective journal archive, JSTOR does not contain current journal articles. The JSTOR database is unique because the complete back files of core scholarly journals have been digitized, starting with the very first issues, many of which date from the 1800's. Over 4 million pages are available.

• LexisNexis Academic
  

  LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic Universe provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information, including news from over 18,000 newspapers, magazines and news wires and company financial information.

After finding an article on your research topic, the database will either provide a citation and summary of the article, or it will provide the full-text (the complete article). If you are only given a citation and summary of the article, you can check the Periodical Locator to determine if the periodical you are looking for is available in another database. (The Periodical Locator is an alphabetical list of all the journals the library has access to. Feel free to talk with a librarian for assistance.) If the article is not available in any of the library's research databases, request the article using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

If, for your assignment, you are required to have sources from scholarly journals, use the Identifying Scholarly Articles guide to help you determine if your source is a magazine article or a scholarly article.

Professional Organizations

• All Africa
  http://allafrica.com
  Source: AllAfrica Global Media -- AllAfrica.com describes itself as "the largest electronic distributor of African news and information worldwide." It aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, and there is a searchable archive.
• Arab.net
  http://www.arab.net
  Source: ArabNet Technology (ANT) -- This site provides history, geography, business and cultural information for Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Background Notes
  http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
  Source: US Department of State -- These publications include facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty.
• Country Profiles
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/country_profiles/default.stm
  Source: BBC News -- Guides to history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions. Many sites also include audio or video clips from BBC archives.
• Country Studies
  http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html
  Source: Library of Congress -- On-line versions of books previously published in hard copy by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Army. Because the original intent of the Series' sponsor was to focus primarily on lesser known areas of the world or regions in which U.S. forces might be deployed, the series is not all-inclusive. At present, 101 countries and regions are covered.
• Documents Online
  http://docsonline.wto.org/gen_home.asp
  Source: World Trade Organization -- Provides access to over 100,000 official documents of the World Trade Organization.
• Export.gov
  http://www.export.gov
  Source: US Government -- Online trade resources and assistance, with country specific market research reports.
• FDI.net
  http://www.fdi.net
  Source: Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, World Bank Group -- FDI.net is a unique web portal that offers free, on-demand country analysis and information on all things related to foreign direct investment in 175 countries.
• Global Edge
  http://globaledge.msu.edu/index.asp
  Source: Michigan State University -- A knowledge web-portal that connects international business professionals worldwide to a wealth of information, insights, and learning resources on global business activities.
• International Monetary Fund
  http://www.imf.org
  Source: IMF -- The IMF is an organization of 184 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty.
• The World Factbook
  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
  Source: Central Intelligence Agency -- One of the definitive sources of country specific information published by the federal government.
• World Bank
  http://www.worldbank.org
  Source: The World Bank -- The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.

Internet Resources

• Asahi Shimbun
  http://www.asahi.com/english/english.html
  For news about Japan and Southeast Asia
• BBC World Service
  http://news.bbc.co.uk
  Excellent source for European news
• Bloomberg
  http://www.bloomberg.com
  Contains a variety of financial news including market data and investment information
• CNN.com
  http://www.cnn.com
  One of the best sources for news of all kinds, including background information and links. It covers virtually every news story in great depth.
• International Herald-Tribune
  http://www.iht.com
• Nerdworld
  http://www.nerdworld.com/nw2233.html
  Links to a variety of papers from around the world.
• NewsLink
  http://newslink.org
  Well-designed, easy to use links to English language papers world-wide.
• One World
  http://www.oneworld.net
  Articles from all over the world, accessed via their search engine.
• Philadelphia Inquirer
  http://www.philly.com/philly/news
• Reuters
  http://www.reuters.com/news
  U.S. News and Business and Finance information
• St. Petersburg Times & The Moscow Times
  http://www.times.spb.ru
  Both sources are accessible from this link for news about Russia. (This page is sometimes slow loading.)
• The Age
  http://www.theage.com.au
  For news about Australia and the South Pacific
• The Hindu
  http://www.hinduonnet.com
  A great source for information from South Asia.
• The Jerusalem Post
  http://www.jpost.com
  Recognized as one of the best Middle Eastern news sites on the Net
• The New York Times
  http://www.nyt.com
  Current news is readily available. Some archives are searchable but may require subscription service. For back issues of The New York Times, use the New York Times Database, available from the databases list on the library homepage.
• The Paperboy
  http://www.thepaperboy.com
  Links to papers from around the world on-line.
• The Washington Post
  http://www.washingtonpost.com
  Back issues of the Washington Post are full-text in the National Newspapers database, available from the databases list on the library homepage.
• Wall Street Journal
  http://www.wsj.com
  Back issues of the Wall Street Journal are full-text in the National Newspapers database, available from the databases list on the library homepage.

Additional Help

• Call or visit the Reference Desk to speak to one of the librarians. The Reference Desk is located on the main floor of the library. The phone number is 908-526-1200 x8350.
• Email your question to one of the librarians using the Ask-A-Librarian Service.
• For further information about this guide, please contact Megan Dempsey

Last Updated - 01 March 2008