Library Contact
Owen Graduate School of Management
401 21st. Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
Welcome to Owen!
The purpose of this Guide is help you save time using the Vanderbilt library. Work smarter and not harder.
There are more Business Research Guides which will also be helpful. In particular, see these:
Business Concepts
Often you will hear a new idea or word that you aren't familiar with. These links can help you learn more quickly:
Business Dictionaries
Business Plans / Business Terms - scroll down for the alphabetical list
Dictionary of Financial, Business and Economic Terms (The Conference Board of Canada)
Investopedia - simply click on this symbol to search: 
Nashville Public Library (Davidson County residents): Lynda.com has video tutorials for software, creative, and business skills.
Business Books
The Ten-Day MBAIncludes topics taught at America's top business schools, from corporate ethics and compliance to financial planning and real estate to leadership and negotiation. Walker Management Library HF5351 .S577 2005
Finance for Nonfinancial ManagersHow to understand financial statements, how businesses measure profitability, how to stay on top of the budgeting process, and how to track cash flow.
American Culture
Keeping Up with News Events
Top International News
Local News
Streaming Movies & Television
Top 10 Places to Download or Stream Movies for Free, Legally
Subscription Fees:
Streaming Music
Travel Sites
Country Background
- CultureGrams (Owen users only) This link opens in a new window
Reports on countries and territories, including every United Nations-member state. Focused on culture: language, personal appearance, greetings, family structure and more. Local experts document details of customs, traditions and daily life.
- Doing Business In...The World BankYou can either look at country reports (such as the US) or under Economy Data to compare countries for details on the ease of doing business.
Where to Start - Library Research Databases
These are just SOME of the Walker Management Library databases. These are a good starting point but ASK if you aren't finding what you need in 15 minutes. Each database has its own style and mechanics, so look for the HELP option to use its special features.
- Business Source CompleteFind magazine & journal articles here about companies, business news and ideas that you want to learn more about.
- First Research (Intellect)Best place to start to learn more about an industry. Search by either a MAJOR company name, by product/service name or use the Browse Industry Profiles section. Special note to get into the database: Click on the Continue button twice and Submit button once.
- IBIS WorldIn-depth and detailed industry reports on large and small industries. Compliments the First Research database. Note: Select the PDF to see the entire report.
- HooversIdeal database for in-depth company and industry research. Locate the PARENT company record to find the most data and then scan down the left side to see what the report contains.
- eMarketerMarket research reports focused on e-commerce and the Interne, data on customers and the businesses they use with industry data and forecasts.
- Mintel AcademicAll about the customer, demographics, behavior and more for U.S., U.K., European, and some Asian markets. Market drivers, size & trends and segmentation, supply structure, advertising & promotion, retail distribution, consumer characteristics & forecasts.
Fact or Fiction?
How do you know if information is true? Where can you find out if something you have read or heard is true or not? For news items look at this chart on Bias as well as these websites::
For business information, check more than one source if you aren't sure. Consider the following:
- Is the Source Credible (biased? who funds them?)
- Check the Author's Background & Education
- Check the Date (autodate or actual date?)
- Look for Supporting Information (other sources)
- Research what Business & Industry Experts Say
Vanderbilt University - Owen Graduate School of Management
Why Does Information Ownership Matter?
- The Vanderbilt Library subscribes to 800+ databases on different topics. We've created customized Business Research Guides to help you find specific databases and websites.
- Vanderbilt pays for library database subscriptions which include access licenses that outline appropriate usage such as not sharing full reports or articles with anyone outside of Vanderbilt.
- Most reports, articles and other data are the intellectual property of the entity/vendor that created them. You should always CITE information from another source to avoid plagiarism and violating the VU Student Honor Code. See this link for more information on Citing Your Sources.
