Investment Research

New to using library resources?

Here are some basic terms that will hopefully help as you get started!

• Library Catalog - The online search tool for books, ebooks, and other materials the library owns.
  • I like to think of the catalog like Google, but just for the library’s collection. It searches nearly everything the library has access to.
    • Example: DELCAT
• Database -  An online collection of information you can search.
  • I like to think of databases as a massive Google Drive with many folders and files.
    • Example: Business Source Premier, where you can find articles, reports, and case studies about companies and industries.
• Journal - A publication that comes out regularly, like a magazine, but for research or professional news.
  • I like to think of it like one folder in Google Drive with many files inside.
    • Examples: Harvard Business Review (professional/trade), Journal of Marketing (scholarly).
• Article - A single piece of writing published in a journal, magazine, or newspaper.
  • I like to think of it like a single Google Doc or Sheet in a folder.
    • Example: An article in Harvard Business Review about business strategies.
• Keyword - The main word or phrase you use when searching.
  • It kind of reminds me of a hashtag or trending topic link that helps find what you’re looking for.
    • Examples: “Starbucks” (one word keyword), “fast food industry” (keyword phrase).
    • If you are searching for a phrase, put it in quotation marks, otherwise the platform you are using might break up the phrase into single words
• Citation - The details that tell you where an article, report, or other material came from (so it will share the author, title, journal name, date, etc.).
  • It is like an academic version of a credit line or byline, or like when you hit the share button online and it shows the original source/creator.
    • Guide to citing sources