The Core Business Web:

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The Core Business Web:
A Guide to Key
InforDlation Resources

Gary W. White
Editor

The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

has been co-published simultaneously as Journal of Business &
Finance Librarianship, Volume 8, Number 22002 and Volume 8,
Numbers 3/4 2003.

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The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

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 The Core Business Web:
A Guide to Key Information Resources

CONTENTS

Introduction
Galy W. White
Core Accounting Web Resources 3
David A. Flynn
Best of the Web in Banking 15
James A. Galbraith
Business Ethics on the World Wide Web 25
Joseph A. LaRose
Best of Law for Business 35
Kevin R. Harwell
Business Research Platforms: Selected Academic Business
Library Web Sites 55
Glenn S. McGuigan
A Brief Primer for Business Statistics Web Sites 63
Steven Greechie
Career Infonp.ation and Salary Surveys 71
Matthew J. Wayman
Company Information on the Web 81
Stacey Marien
Consumer Information on the Web 95
Ken Johnson
A Guide to the Best Demography Web Sources 103
Peter Linberger
Best of the Web in Economics 117
Kristi Jensen
Best of the Web: E-Commerce 133
Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani
Finance and Investments 153
Hal P. Kirkwood, Jr.

The Best of the Web: Hospitality and Tourism Web Sites 167
Diane Zabel
Web Sites for Human Resource Development
and Organizational Behavior 181
Kaiping Zhang
Best of the Industry Information on the Web 187
Jen Venable
Insurance 205
Joseph Straw
Knowledge Management on the Web 213
Meg Tulloch
Brent Mai

Labor and Collective Bargaining Web Sites 223

James E. Nalen

Best Management Web Sites 237

Bill Kinyon
Marketing and Advertising 245
Blake Carver
Operations Management/Operations Research Web Sites 253
Emily Missner
Leslie J. Reynolds
Real Estate 265
Joseph Straw
Small Business and Entrepreneurship 271
Glenda S. Neely
Taxation 281
Deborah L. Harrington

Index 291
 ABOUT THE EDITOR

Gary W. White, MLS, MBA, is Head of the Schreyer Business Li-

brary at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park. He will
serve as chair of the Business Reference and Services Section of the
Reference and User Services Association of the American Library As-
sociation in 2003-04. Mr. White is the editor of the Web review column
in the Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship and is co-author of
Using Microsoft Power Point: A How-To-Do-It Manualfor Librarians.
His work has appeared in numerous publications, including College &
Research Libraries, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Reference &
User Services Quarterly, The Reference Librarian, Collection Building,
and the Journal of Marketing Management.
 Introduction

This volume contains a guide to the "best" business Web sites in

twenty-five areas of business. The idea for these issues arose from the
"Best of the Best Business Web Sites" (http://www.ala.org/rusa/brass/
besthome.html), a Web site created and maintained by members of the
Education Committee of BRASS (Business Reference and Services Sec-
tion), a section of the Reference and User Services Association of the
American Library Association. Authors, all of whom are active in busi-
ness librarianship, were asked to explore Web sites in their subject areas
and to select what they considered to be the very best. All URLs were
working as of the time of publication. Hopefully this guide will aid librar-
ians of all types to pinpoint useful and authoritative resources.
My sincere thanks to the authors, all of whom worked extremely hard
on their sections for this volume, and to Christopher D. Greiner for pro-
viding excellent editorial assistance.
Gary W. White

[Haworth co-indexing entry note): "Introduction." White, Gary W. Co-published simultaneously in Journal
C!f Business & Finance Librariansirip (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press. Inc.)
Vol. 8, No.2, 2002, p. 1; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Informatioll Resources (ed: Gary W.
White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc" 2003, p. I. Single or multiple
copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [l-800-HA WORTH,
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]).

http://www.haworthpress.com!store/product.asp?sku=J I 09
© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
10.1300/J 109v08n02_0 1 I
 Core Accounting Web Resources
David A. Flynn

SUMMARY. This chapter outlines key Web resources for the accounting
field, including sites of professional organizations and associations. [Arti-
cle copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service:
1-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address:<[email protected]> Website:
<http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights re-
served.]

KEYWORDS. Accounting, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

From the earliest known writings, found near ancient Uruk and etched
on 5,OOO-year-old clay tablets, to MyAccountingPortal.com, accessible
from all points around the globe, accounting continues to serve individuals,
organizations, and nations as "the language of business." Arguably among
the most critical of business functions, this systematic representation of an
entity's transactions and financial position is our universal instrument for
internal and external scrutiny and decision-making. Because it is the under-
pinning of our economic dealings and permeates all facets of a business en-
terprise, the importance of convenient and accurate accounting information
cannot be understated.

David A. Flynn is Social ScienceslBusiness Librarian, University of Hawaii at

Manoa (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note): "Core Accounting Web Resources." Flynn, David A. Co-published si-
multaneously in Journal of Business & Finallce Librarianship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of
The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No.2. 2002. pp. 3-13; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Informa-
tion Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.,
2003, pp. 3- 13. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document De-
livery Service [1-800-342-9678,9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]].

http://www.haworthpress.com!store/product.asp?sku=Jl09
© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
to.l300/Jl 09v08n02_02 3
4 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Businesspersons, students, librarians, and other interested community

members constantly seek timely, exact, and easily accessible information
concerning the standards and principles set forth by official boards and rec-
ognized professional associations. Additionally, aspiring and veteran bean
counters, and others with an interest in unbiased and verifiable beans, de-
sire electronic access to the regulations of related government agencies,
current industry news from trade publications and business wires, and ca-
reer information. The Web sites reviewed below provide the best Internet
resources for accounting intelligence known to date. Included are gateway
sites, headquarters for organizations and "standards setters," auditing and
fraud information, educational resources, industry news, commercial out-
fits, and more.
It should be noted that, unlike the clay tablets mentioned previously,
unearthed and still accurate after five millennia, a number of ambitious
accounting Web projects have quickly disappeared after only a brief
public engagement. Some projects, infused with loads of cash and a se-
ries of facelifts, are still far from my idea of the perfect Web resource.
Still, there is already a wealth of information we can employ to help our
patrons better understand this "financial information system" called ac-
counting. As described by Strauss (1988), this system "begins with de-
termining the raw data to be collected, proceeds to gathering, recording,
analyzing, and verifying them, and culminates in communicating the
data to interested parties."! Some of those interested parties, perhaps an
Enron casualty or two, are inquiring at your reference desk right now.
Let's survey the core sites that might help to serve their needs.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

AND INTERPRETATIONS

Accounting standards govern the preparation of financial reports.

Understanding what these standards are and how they are used is criti-
cal for most research endeavors. In describing the standards-setting pro-
cess and the common set of practices that leads to "generally accepting
accounting principles," also known as GAAP, Klopper (1999) explains,
"an established and accepted set of accounting standards exists to mini-
mize bias, misinterpretation, inexactness, and ambiguity in financial
statements."2 Much of the background, recent issues, and forthcoming
ideas surrounding the standards can be found at the following sites.
 David A. Flynn 5

Financial Accounting Standards Board

(http://wwwJasb.org)
For nearly thirty years, the Financial Accounting Standards Board
(FASB) has been the officially designated body for establishing private
sector financial reporting standards, recognized as authoritative by the
u.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants. As such, this Web site is a leading
choice for tracking recently released and forthcoming F ASB pro-
nouncements and Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) activities. In-
cluded are summaries of all FASB Statements, as well as status
information for each statement and interpretations of potential impacts
on financial reporting. Although FASB is still in the business of selling
most of their products, this easily navigated site offers a large amount of
full-text and downloadable reports about the Board's decisions, state-
ments, interpretations, and emerging issues.
Governmental Accounting Standards Board
(http://www.gasb.org)
Very similar to the FASB site described previously, in both design
and offerings, this online home for the Governmental Accounting Stan-
dards Board (GASB) provides summaries of standards for guiding the
preparation of external financial reports by state and local government
entities. Note: For all U.S.federal government standards, including ac-
cess to exposure drafts, newsletters, minutes, and the 1, 173-page codifi-
cation of original pronouncements, visit the Federal Accounting
Standards Advisory Board (http://www.fasab.gov).
International Accounting Standards Board
(http://www.iasc.org.uk)
Although the International Accounting Standards Board (lASB) has
no authority to enforce compliance, many countries require publicly
traded enterprises to prepare reports in accordance with IASB Interna-
tional Financial Reporting Standards. This independent standards setter
was formerly known as the International Accounting Standards Com-
mittee (IASC) from 1973 to April 2001. All earlier IASC standards
were adopted by the Board and are available in summary format on the
Web. Also available are IASB Decision Summaries, press releases, ex-
posure drafts, and extensive information on projects in progress.
6 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

The Independence Standards Board (ISB), which was the private sector
standards-setting body governing the independence of auditors from their
public company clients, was dissolved in July 2001. However, ISB stan-
dards and interpretations that continue to represent authoritative guidance
can be accessed at the old ISB Web site (http://www.cpaindependence.org).

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

(http://www .aicpa.org)

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AlCPA) is

North America's largest professional association for CPAs with over
328,000 members. As one might expect, their online headquarters is quite
suitable for meeting member needs and sharing information with other stu-
dents, educators, and job seekers. This site is among the most robust, but
uses a clean approach for providing access to industry news, educational
programs, legal developments, links ranging from international to local in-
terest, and full-text online versions on Institute publications such as the
Journal ofAccountancy. Also of interest are links to AlCPA-affiliated proj-
ects like the WebTrust (http://www.webtrust.org) and CPA Vision (http://
www.cpavision.org) projects. Of strong interest since the collapse of Enron
are the offerings of the Professional Ethics Division (http://www.aicpa.org/
members/div/ethics/index.htm) and the A/CPA Code of Professional
Conduct (http://www.aicpa.org/aboutlcode/index.htm).

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy

(http://www.nasba.org)

Serving as a forum for the fifty-four U.S. boards of accountancy, the Na-
tional Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) provides free
access to detailed information for uniform CPA examinations in each state,
induding deadlines, educational requirements, fees and downloadable ap-
plication fonns. This site also offers links for all state boards of accoun-
tancy and state CPA societies. Other sections for continuing professional
education and NASBA publications offer large, full-text documents and
Microsoft PowerPoint presentations on current topics.
 David A. Flynn 7

American Accounting Association

(http://accounting.rutgers.edulraw!aaalindex.html)
The American Accounting Association (AAA) promotes excellence
in accounting research, instruction and practice. In addition to provid-
ing organizational information, the AAA site offers title and abstract
searching for recent issues of its three quarterly journals and the news-
letters and journals of the organization's fourteen topical sections.
Although these additional association sites primarily serve their mem-
bership, basic organizational information, as well as current news and
identification of their recent publications, can be found at the home pages
of the Institute of Management Accountants (http://www.imanet.org)
and the Association of Government Accountants (http://www.agacgfm.
org). For information on international associations, please see the Inter-
national section following later in this article.

GATEWAYS AND PORTALS

Tax and Accounting Sites Directory

(http://www.taxsites.com)
The Tax and Accounting Sites Directory is a simple but comprehen-
sive approach for identifying selected Web sites by topic. Maintained
since 1995 by Dennis Schmidt, Professor of Accounting from the Uni-
versity of Northern Iowa, this directory offers hierarchical access to nine-
teen main groupings in the accounting section. Here you will find
hundreds of links for managerial accounting, financial reporting, career
information, regulatory bodies, and certification information for more
than twenty designations, such as CPA, CFE, CMA, etc. For similar sites
with additional categories, visit CPArunner (http:www.cparunner.com).
CPAnet (http://www.cpanet.com), and GASB Links (http://www.gasb.
orglrlinks/gasblinks.html).
AccountingWEB
(http://www.accountingweb.com)
AccountingWEB is a well-designed online community for account-
ing professionals. However, most of the current and archived news, as
well as the career and educational resources, are accessible simply as a
guest visitor or following a free registration. Among the strongest areas
for this site is the community section, where one can find practice ideas,
a Q&A forum, and archived transcripts of weekly workshops on a vari-
ety of accounting topics.
8 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key lnf01mation Resources

For additional portals, see My Accounting Portal (http://www.my

accountingportal.com), AccountantsWorld.com (http://www.accountants
world.com) and Rutgers Accounting Web (http://raw.rutgers.edu). Although
Rutgers Accounting Web is considered the grandfather of accounting gate-
ways, it is not featured here because there are several other reliable resources
today with fewer technical errors and additional proprietary content.

u.s. GOVERNMENT
Information for Accountants
(http://www.sec.gov!info!accountants.shtml)
Available from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, In-
formation for Accountants is a very rich full-text resource for account-
ing interpretation and disclosure issues. Included are complete Staff
Accounting Bulletins back to early 1995, FAQs for corporate financial
accounting, and international reporting and concept releases.
u.s. General Accounting Office
(http://www.gao.gov)
Considered the investigative arm of Congress, the General Account-
ing Office (GAO) prescribes accounting principles for the executive
branch and issues standards for auditing of government programs. The
GAO publishes thousands of reports each year, including best practices,
executive guides, audit manuals, reform guidelines, and accounting
principles and standards. Full-text access to the reports is usually avail-
able within twenty-four hours of release, with full-text archiving back
to 1996. Unfortunately, the search functions and limited online help for
the "Find GAO Reports" section leave a lot to be desired. For publica-
tions after 1994, one might also consider searching the GAO reports via
GPO Access (http://www.access.gpo.gov!su_docs!aces!acesI60.shtml).
A report of particular interest is The Accounting Profession: Major Is-
sues: Progress and Concerns (report number "aimd-96-9S").

INTERNATIONAL
lAS Plus
(http://www.iasplus.com)
Produced by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, lAS Plus provides easy ac-
cess to summaries and interpretations ofInternational Accounting Stan-
 David A. Flynn 9

dards. Also available are country summaries and updates for over thirty
nations, archives of the lAS Plus Newsletter back to late 2000, well-or-
ganized links for international accounting, and chronological access to
"reference materials" from a number of in-house and external sources.
International Forum on Accountancy Development
(http://www.ifad.net)
The International Forum on Accountancy Development (IFAD) pro-
motes the value of transparent financial accounting and global financial
stability. Of particular interest on this site is the "GAAP 2001 Report."
Prepared and backed by the large accounting firms, this report is a sur-
vey of national accounting standards for 62 countries benchmarked
against International Accounting Standards. For additional information
on international standards, please see the entry above for the Interna-
tional Accounting Standards Board (http://www.iasc.org.uk).
International Federation of Accountants
(http://www.ifac.org)
The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) comprises over
150 national accounting organizations representing two million ac-
countants. Seeking to harmonize standards worldwide, the IFAC pub-
lishes a number of handbooks, standards, and studies available for free
download.

AUDITING AND FRAUD

Audit and Attest Standards
(http://www.aicpa.org/members/div/auditstdlindex.htm)
This no-frills site provides full-text access to the publications of the
Audit and Attest Standards Team of the AICPA. Included are emerging
issues, exposure drafts, summaries and interpretations of recently is-
sued standards, meeting highlights, and online issues of the Team's In
Our Opinion Newsletter back to 1996.

AuditNet
(http://www.auditnet.com)

Jim Kaplan, author of The Auditor's Guide to Internet Resources,

published by the Institute of Internal Auditors (http://www.theiia.org),
10 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

maintains this massive site offree auditing resources. While it is not the
most attractive site, hundreds of useful links are available through his
"AuditNet Resource List" and the "AuditNet Virtual Library."
Also of interest are the home pages for the Association of Certified
Fraud Examiners (http://www.cfenet.com) and the Government Auditing
Standards "Yellow Book" (http://www.gao.gov/govaudlybkOl.htm).

EDUCATION AND EXAMINATIONS

AICPA Student Affiliate Members Home Page

(http://www.aicpa.org/nolimits/index.htm)

Also known as "Accounting: A Career Without Limits," this stu-

dent-oriented site offers several useful sections for the CPA wanna-be.
Of particular interest is detailed information about becoming a CPA, in-
cluding overview and FAQ sections regarding the CPA uniform exami-
nation, as well as sections on the accounting profession and landing a
job. For additional information regarding the examination, including
recent changes, exam dates, and study courses, visit the Accounting In-
stitute Seminars (http://www.ais-cpa.com).
Additional academic and continuing professional education sites include
cpemarket.com (http://www.cpemarket.com), SmartPros (http://www.smart
pros.com), Accounting Education (http://www.accountingeducation.com).
and the Emanuel Saxe Distinguished Lectures in Accounting (http://newman.
baruch.cuny.eduidigitaVsaxe/default.htm), providing twenty-five years of
full-text transcripts.

NEWS FEEDS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS

Several of the sites mentioned in other sections feature current or re-
cent news stories. For example, the portals, standards setters, profes-
sional organizations, and "big five" firms provide original content or
blurbs siphoned off of the newswires and online trade publications. Se-
lected news providers and discussion groups are listed below.
NewsFlash! AICPA
(http://www.aicpa.org/news/index.htm)
Updated each weekday, NewsFlash! offers recent press releases
from the AICPA and summarized news alerts from major publications
 David A. FIYIlIl 11

and wires such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Dow
Jones News Service, and The Associated Press.
Electronic AccoUiltant
(http://www.electronicaccountant.com)
A very strong free site from the Accountants Media Group of
Thomson Corporation, the Electronic Accountant provides several
brief articles each weekday from their own Newswire staff, including
complete archives back to 1996. From a well-designed main menu, visi-
tors can also access the full-text of several other Thomson publications,
including Accounting Today, Practical Accountant, Accounting Tech-
nology, and several special "top 100" supplement issues that feature
products, firms, and professional issues. Also of interest are the ac-
tive-based discussion groups divided into logical categories, with each
moderated by senior editors of Thomson publications or other experts
in the field. Both the forums and the publications are easily searchable.

CAREERS, FIRMS, AND DIRECTORIES

"The Big 5" accounting firms produce powerful Web sites that are
much more than excellent marketing tools. The following sites provide
original content covering areas such as industries and professional top-
ics, current news, risk and tax guides, and more:
Andersen (http://www.andersen.com)
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (http://www.deloitte.com)
Ernst & Young (http://www.ey.com)
KPMG (http://www.kpmg.com)
PricewaterhouseCoopers (http://www.pwcglobal.com )
For basic career information, see the entry for "Accountants & Audi-
tors" in the online version of the Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://
www.bls.gov/oco). For additional career resources and current job list-
ings, visit Careers In Accounting (http://www.careers-in-accounting.com)
or the "Career Center" section of SmartPros (http://www.smartpros.com).
CPA Directory
(http://www.cpadirectory.com )
CPA Directory claims to be the largest searchable Web directory of cer-
tified public accountants. In addition to state, city, zip code and name
12 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

searches, CPA Directory offers advice on selecting and hiring a certified

public accountant and comments on what kinds of services they may offer
for financial planning, tax preparation, and consulting. Other directories in-
clude EZ Directory's Accountant Directory (http://cpafinder.com), the List
of CPA Firms (http://www.cpafIrms.com/Firmlist).andEmerson·sDirec-
tory of Leading US Accounting Firms (http://www.emersoncompany.com/
directories/acccsearch.asp).

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH

Journal of Accountancy Online

(http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofaljoahome.htm )

This online version of the century-old standard from the AICPA in-
cludes many of the same feature articles and columns; however, AICPA
Official Releases and Exposure Drafts Outstanding are omitted. Com-
plete archives are accessible back to January 1997.

CPA Journal
(http://www.cpajournal.com)

Although an embargo period of a couple of months causes a bit of de-

lay with access to the full-text articles, this site eventually offers html
versions of selected feature stories and columns. Archives go back to
1989, but some of the older files have problems with images not load-
ing. Also, the earlier years have articles listed alphabetically for the en-
tire year rather than providing a table of contents for each monthly
issue.

Accounting Research Network

(http://www.ssrn.comlarnlindex.html )

Thousands of full-text working papers and abstracts of already ac-

cepted papers are part of the Social Science Research Network's
eLibrary, designed to facilitate early dissemination of important research.
Papers are primarily theoretical and represent the earliest versions of ex-
perts in the field and work from professors at leading universities from
around the world. Although browsing oftitles is available, recommended
access is through the title and abstract keyword search feature.
 David A. Flynn 13

MISCELLANEOUS

AICPA States
(http://www.aicpa.org/states/stmap.htm)

For quick access to current accounting-related resources for each

state, use the AICPA's image map of the United States. A quick click on
your favorite state will retrieve a listing of boards and societies, related
government offices, tax resources, and student information, including
colleges and universities offering accounting degree programs.

Accounting Hall of Fame

(http://fisher.osu.edu/acctmis/hall/index.htm)

Since 1950, The Ohio State University's Accounting Hall of Fame

has honored nearly seventy modern accountants who have made signif-
icant contributions to the advancement of the field. Biographies and
photographs are available for each inductee at this entertaining and edu-
cational site. Just a quick read of the biographies helps one build a stron-
ger understanding of the major breakthroughs and seminal publications
that impacted accounting practices during the twentieth century.

Accounting Tutor
(http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/cmlbusiness/tutors/acctutor.htm)

The "Accounting Tutor: Ten Steps to Accounting Research" outlines

basic steps for tackling topics in the highly technical field of account-
ing. One of six tutorials offered by the Smathers Libraries of the Uni-
versity of Florida, the Accounting Tutor also provides quick access to
an online guide of accounting resources and two interesting case studies
about the "Enron debacle" and the impacts ofFASB Statement No. 142,
"Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets."

NOTES
1. Strauss, D. W. (1988). Handbook of Business Information: A Guide for Librar-
ians, Students, and Researchers. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
2. Klapper, S. M. (1999, June/July). "Sailing on the accountanSea: Accounting re-
search sources." Database, 22, 65-72.
 Best of the Web in Banking
James A. Galbraith

SUMMARY. The "Best of the Web in Banking" chapter includes sites

for banking regulations, professional organizations, and international
banking. {Article copies available for afee from The Haworth Document Deliv-
ery Service: l-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address:<[email protected]>
Website: <http://wv.w.HaworthPress.com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press, lllC. All
rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Banking, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

In 1992 Herbert Baer and Larry R. Mote wrote, "The U.S. Financial
System is easily the largest in the world ... and in many respects, the
most advanced." Then, they added, "It is also one of the most idiosyn-
cratic financial systems in the world, characterized by an oddly paro-
chial set oflaws and regulations that both impair competition and shield
inefficiency." I
The U.S. banking system is a dual banking system composed of na-
tional banks, chartered by the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, and
state banks, chartered by state banking agencies. National banks are regu-

James A. Galbraith is Electronic Services & Reference Librarian, Watson Library

of Business and Economics, Columbia University (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Best of the Web in Banking." Galbraith, James A. Co-published si-
multaneously in Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of
The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No.2, 2002. pp. 15-24; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Infor-
mation Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press,
Inc., 2003, pp. 15-24. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Docu-
ment Delivery Service [1-800-342-9678, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: docdelivery@haworth
press.com].

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product. asp ?sku=J 109

© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
10. 1300/J 109v08n02_03 15
16 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

lated by one or more of the following Federal agencies: the Federal Re-
serve; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); the Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); and the Office of Thrift Supervi-
sion (OTS). State banks are regulated by state banking agencies, often in
conjunction with one or more Federal agencies. There are numerous
types of banks in the U.S. including bank holding companies, savings and
loan associations, savings banks, thrift holding companies, and invest-
ment banks. Due to the multiple layers of regulation, the different types
of institutions, and the extent to which banking overlaps with economics
and finance, banking research can be considerably confusing.
In choosing the best banking resources on the Web, an emphasis was
placed on resources concerning commercial banking in the United
States. Some key resources on international banking have also been in-
cluded. A number of criteria were used in selecting these sites: the site's
contents; reliability and currency; ease of navigation; and, most impor-
tantly, the authority of the publisher.

REGULATORS/SUPERVISORS
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
(http://www.federalreserve.govl)
The Board of Governors is the guiding authority of the Federal Re-
serve System. Founded in 1913, the Federal Reserve conducts the na-
tion's monetary policy, supervises and regulates banking institutions to
ensure their stability, and provides financial services to the Govern-
ment, banks, and individuals.
The Board of Governors Web site contains a wealth of information:
(1) popular data sets and surveys, including foreign exchange rates, in-
terest rates on commercial and governmental instruments, and con-
sumer credit surveys; (2) an overview of the Federal Reserve's history
and organization, testimony, and press releases; (3) the text and inter-
pretations of Federal banking laws and regulations; (4) consumer infor-
mation on topics ranging from credit cards to vehicle leasing to identity
theft; (5) working papers dating back to 1996; (6) major publications
such as the Federal Reserve Bulletin and the Beige Book, a report on
current economic conditions published eight times per year.
Navigating this key banking resource can be tricky. Some of its best
features are buried. Nevertheless, the content makes the effort worthwhile.
 James A. Galbraith 17

Feds on the Web

(http://minneapolisfed.org/info/sitesl)
One of the best ways to navigate the twelve Reserve Banks is via the
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis' Feds on the Web. Feds on the
Web has links to each Reserve Bank's home page, a clickable map of
the twelve reserve districts, and a selection of resources drawn from the
Reserves' pages. The site links to gems that are otherwise hidden:

• The Nationallllformation Center (http://www.ffiec.gov/nic/)

The National Information Center contains profiles of the banks the
Federal Reserve supervises or regulates. Each profile contains in-
formation on the bank's history, organizational structure, and fi-
nances.
• FED 101 (http://www.kc.frb.org/fedlOlIindexflash.cfm)
The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City'S FED 101 tutorial is
one of the best overviews of the Federal Reserve's history, organi-
zation, and monetary activities on the Internet.
• Fed In Print (http://www.frbsf.org/publicationS/fedinprintlindex.html)
Maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Fed in
Print is an index of the various Federal Reserves' research. Links to
the full text of the publications are provided when available.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

(http://www.fdic.gov)
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was founded in
1933 in order to "maintain stability and public confidence in the na-
tion's financial system." The public's faith was understandably low at
the time. To this end, the FDIC supervises and insures deposits in most
banks and savings institutions.
In the course of its supervisory activities, the FDIC collects a great
deal of data. Information on individual banks culled from Call Reports
(filed by all federally insured banks) and Thrift Financial Reports
(filed by insured thrift institutions) is available online from 1998 on-
wards. The FDIC's widely known statistical/analytical publications,
Statistics on Banking, The Quarterly Banking Profile, and The Histor-
ical Statistics on Banking are also online, as are a variety of working
papers and reports.
One of the appeals of the FDIC Web site is that it is not simply for re-
searchers and bankers. Curious consumers will find information on the his-
18 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

tory and activities of the FDIC, deposit insurance guidelines, insurance

calculators, and consumer rights. One of the fun sections is the "Learning
Bank," an FDIC tutorial hosted by "Carmen Cents," an animated piggy
bank designed for students, teachers, and parents. The FDIC's Web site is
an essential bookmark for anyone interested in banking.
Office of Thrift Supervision
(http://www.ots.treas.gov/)
Founded in 1989, the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) is the pri-
mary regulator of all federal and many state-chartered thrift institutions
(including savings banks and savings and loan associations).
The OTS site is the place to go when looking for information on
thrifts. The Fact Book, an annual profile of the industry, is an excellent
starting point. More current and comprehensive information is provided
by four quarterly publications: Thrift Industry Highlights; Thrift Indus-
try Press Releases; Thrift Industry Charts; and Thrift Industry Selected
Indicators. Coverage of thrift laws and regulations is also strong. The
site contains links to the current texts, compliance handbooks, and filing
forms and instructions. N.B.-The FDIC, not the OTS, maintains statis-
tics for individual thrift institutions; the FDIC assumed this responsibil-
ity in the wake of the S&L Crisis.
The OTS' Web designers have incorporated a site map in the
left-hand navigation bar, graciously rendering the search screen (of
which the less said the better) unnecessary.
National Credit Union Administration
(http://www.ncua.gov/)
The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) was created in
1970 to charter and supervise federal credit unions throughout the
United States. The NCUA oversees the financial well being of credit
unions, which, like banks, are required to file call reports. The NCUA
site is a nice mixture of statistical and analytical information.
Both the annual and mid-year issues of Statistics/or Federally Insured
Credit Unions are available in PDF format going back to 1996. The
NCUA's online "Find a Credit Union" database contains call report data
from 1990 onwards. The database has two search screens. The "basic
search" enables users to search for individual credit unions or screen for
multiple credit unions using a variety of criteria (city, state, charter type
and so on). The "custom report" interface adds Boolean search capabili-
ties, additional search criteria (zip code, assets, total investment, number
 James A. Galbraith /9

of members, etc.), and customized reporting; up to ten data items can be

downloaded for each result. More ambitious researchers may also down-
load entire call report data files in a spreadsheet-friendly format.
The analytical content of the page includes interesting introductory
pieces such as the History of Credit Unions and the NCUA. On a sepa-
rate "Reference" page, the NCUA has compiled a reference library of
publications ranging from the Credit Union Directory, to the NCUA
Annual Reports, to suspicious activity report forms.

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
American Bankers Association
(http://www.aba.com )
The mission of the American Banker's Association (ABA) is "to
serve its member banks and enhance their role as pre-eminent providers
of financial services." The ABA offers professional and educational
services to its members and represents the banking industry's interests
in Washington.
The ABA Web site is primarily intended for members of the ABA,
but has much to offer non-members. The ABA appears to specialize in
position papers. The "Industry Issues" section, for example, offers the
ABA's official position on hot topics such as ATM banking fees, de-
posit insurance reform, and mergers and acquisitions. The "Press
Room" contains ABA press releases and quick facts about banking.
Users artful in retrieving information will also find value in the propri-
etary materials. Studies in the "Survey/Statistics Marketplace," such as
the ABA's Bank Card Industry Survey Report, can run in the $500 to
$1,000 range to purchase. Fortunately, the reports' findings are usually
included in the highlights of the report.
The layout of the ABA site can be annoying. The non-member site
map's subject headings, for example, are not the same as those on the
navigation bar. Quirks aside, for members of the ABA, this site is a
trove of information, while nonmembers will find enough free informa-
tion to make the page worth bookmarking.
Conference of State Bank Supervisors
(http://www.csbs.org/)
State banks are often overshadowed by their national counterparts,
despite being more numerous. As of 2000, there were approximately
6,086 state banks in the United States versus 2,230 national banks. 2 The
Conference of State Bank Supervisors was formed in 1902 to promote
20 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

cooperation among state bank regulators and to protect the interests of

state banking in the United States.
The CSBS Web site is not terribly robust. Many ofthe CSBS's publi-
cations (the biennial Profile of State Chartered Banking for example)
are in the "members only" section. Nor is quantitative data this Web
page's strength. The "Info and Statistics" section has only has a few sta-
tistical tables. The CSBS page's main strengths are its public relations,
government regulations, and links pages. The "Public Relations" page
contains an archive of "The Examiner," the official newsletter of the
CSBS, as well as news releases, speeches, and presentations. The "Gov-
ernment Relations" page examines issues such as the Electronic Signa-
tures Act, the FDIC Reform Act of 2002, and predatory lending; each
issue is documented with CSBS policy statements, governmental docu-
ments, and news reports. The CSBS also provides links to state banking
departments (very handy) as well as links to financial organizations at
the national, industry, and state level. The Conference of State Bank Su-
pervisors site may not offer endless reams of information and data, but
it does effectively offer the state perspective on the banking industry.

PORTALS, META-SITES,
AND MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES
BankersOnline.com
(http://www.bankersonline.com)
The BankersOnline.com banking portal is a joint product of the Gila
Group, the principals of which created the bankinfo.com portal, now
known as TheBankingChannel.com (see following site), and the Bankers
Information Network, publishers of "Compliance Action" and "Bankers
Hotline." Despite being a relatively new Web site, BankersOnline is al-
ready among the best of the Web.
BankersOnline offers a fresh approach to banking information; the
presentation is colloquial and user friendly. Resources include: the
"Launch Pad," a comprehensive list of sites related to banking; the "In-
formation Vault," links to information on topics ranging from bomb
threats to wire transfers; "Alphabet Soup," federal banking regulations
from A-Z; "Web Site Road Maps," a guide to navigating regulators' Web
sites; and "BOL Gurus," expert commentary and advice. The best com-
pliment one can give this site is to say that it is both comprehensive and
fun to browse. In-depth and user friendly, BankersOnline is an extremely
useful banking portal that should continue to improve with time.
 James A. Galbraith 21

TheBankingChannel
(http://www.thebankingchannel.comJ)

Maintained by Thomson Financial's Banking, Insurance, & E-Com-

merce Group, TheBankingChannel portal is intended to "bring together
news and data resources to provide banking professionals with a single
source for essential industry information."
Thomson Financial owns much of the financial information industry
and uses its resources in putting together this portal. TheBankingChannel
contains news articles drawn from authoritative sources such as Dow
Jones New Service and the Washington Post, offers full-text access to
American Banker, Bank Technology News, and Financial Services Mar-
keting (all published by Thomson subsidiaries), and compiles bank rank-
ings using Thomson's extensive data bank. Extras include a helpful
"Bankers Glossary" and a very comprehensive set of banking links.
TheBankingChannel research vault contains a collection of reports
on various aspects of the banking and finance industry. The majority of
the reports are proprietary and fairly expensive, but some are free of
charge. The site is admittedly an advertisement for Thomson's prod-
ucts. Still, it is hard to begrudge Thomson their advertising when they
have provided good, free information on a page that is well crafted and
easy to navigate.
Bankrate.com
(http://www.bankrate.coml)
Bankrate.com makes its money by bringing together consumers and
financial service providers. First, Bankrate.com collects deposits and
loans market data from its client institutions (American Express, Chase
Manhattan Bank, Citibank, Wells Fargo, etc.). Then, Bankrate provides
portals where consumers can search for competitive rates on financial
services. Bankrate's "partner sites" (all of which have portals) include
USAToday.com, Yahoo, and The Motley Fool.
Bankrate.com provides current and practical information including in-
terest rates on various types ofloans (auto loans, credit cards, mortgages)
and deposits (savings, checking, money market rates). Bankrate.com is
ideal for looking up Wells Fargo's current interest rate on a $500,000,
20-year fixed, home mortgage loan in California or for comparing your
local banks' auto loan rates. In addition to the commercial coverage,
Bankrate.com also offers numerous financial calculators, tutorials, and
22 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

newsletters. The end result is a Web page that is practical, user-friendly,

and free.
Visa ATM Locator
(http://www.visa.com/atms/)
ATM locators represent an interesting and ongoing collaboration be-
tween mapping and financial companies. There are several good ATM
locators on the Web; Visa's system only narrowly edged-out worthy en-
tries from Mastercard and NYCE.
Most ATM locators have similar features. A user enters a street ad-
dress, city, and state, and the underlying geographical information sys-
tem locates nearby ATMs and maps their locations. Visa's system adds
a couple of features to the industry standard. First, the search is very
flexible (city is the only required search field). Visa's locator also al-
lows users to search for ATMs that are handicap-accessible, open
twenty-four hours, in airport locations, and have braille instructions.
ESRI provides the underlying software. This is an interesting and prac-
tical application of mapping technology.

INTERNATIONAL BANKING LINKS

Central Banks
Many countries have central banks that regulate and supervise their
financial systems. Central banks are usually the best starting point when
exploring banking in other countries. Links to central banks can be
found on a number of different pages. The following are comprehensive
and current:
• Central Bank Websites (http://www.bis.org/cbanks.htm)
Maintained by the Bank for International Settlements, this regu-
larly updated page has links to most central banks.
• Central Banking (http://www.centralbanking.co.ukl)
A page dedicated to central banking, Central Banking provides a
comprehensive set of links to central banks (over 120 are listed).
Bank/or International Settlements
(http://www.bis.org)
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) promotes cooperation
amongst central banks by acting as a forum in which its constituents can
coordinate monetary policy. The BIS also offers banking services to its
 James A. Galbraith 23

members, facilitates the implementation of international agreements,

and is a center for financial research.
The BIS Web site contains press statements, speeches, working pa-
pers and reports written by the BIS analysts and committees. Moreover,
most of the BIS' s key reports on international banking from 1996 on-
wards are available online. These include the Annual Report, Quarterly
Review: International Banking and Financial Market Developments,
and The BIS Consolidated International Banking Statistics. The BIS
also publishes a variety of international banking, securities, and deriva-
tives statistics and collaborates with the IMF, OECD, and World Bank
in releasing the Joint BIS-IMF-OECD-World Bank Statistics on Exter-
nal Debt. These statistics are available online in both PDF format and in
CSV format. The BIS site is an excellent starting point when doing re-
search on international banking. It contains a wealth of information and
is easy to navigate.
World Bank
(http://www .worldbank.org)
The World Bank is the world's foremost development bank; as such,
many of its activities fall outside of this article's commercial banking
scope. In 2001 the World Bank provided over seventeen billion dollars
in loans to developing nations to help nations develop health care and
educational systems, build infrastructure, and alleviate poverty. To sup-
port its efforts, the World Bank issues bonds and other debt instruments.
Last year's issues totaled over seventeen billion dollars in bonds in nine
different currencies.
Elegantly arranged, the World Bank's site contains a vast amount of
world development information, economics statistics, working papers,
and reports. For information about the World Bank's loan programs
specifically, consult the World Bank's "Financial Products and Ser-
vices Page" (http://www.worldbank.org/fps/). For information about its
securities issues, consult the "Debt Securities Page" (http://www.world
bank.org/debtsecuri ties).
Global Banking Law Database
(http://www.gbld.org/)
A joint project of the World Bank and the International Monetary
Fund, the Global Banking Law Database is a collection ofthe commer-
cial banking, central banking, and deposit insurance laws of various
countries, economic alliances, and financial centers. Although in the
24 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Info17nation Resources

early stages of development, the database already contains laws for

thirty-seven jurisdictions in both PDF and WORD format.
The Global Banking Law Database allows users to view/download
banking laws by jurisdiction or topic and to search by keyword. The ju-
risdiction search is straightforward. Indicate a jurisdiction (i.e., Swit-
zerland, Kuwait, or the European Union), and the system retrieves the
relevant laws. The topical search is similar, but adds a neat twist: users
can choose to view laws on a chosen topic for two different jurisdictions
at once, displayed side-by-side in separate windows. This function
makes it easy to compare banking laws in different jurisdictions. The
keyword search is useful, but not very broad. Users have to specify both
a country and document prior to searching. It will be interesting to see if
multi-jurisdictional searching becomes available in the future. The
Global Banking Law Database is an impressive resource that will only
become more impressive over time.

NOTES
1. Kaufman, G. G. (Ed.) (1992). Banking Structures in Modem Countries. Boston:
Kluwer Academic Publishers.
2. Conference of State Bank Supervisors. (2002). Commercial Banks By Charter.
[Online]. Available at: http://www.csbs.org/info_statslbanks_by_charter.htm Febru-
ary 18,2002.
 Business Ethics on the World Wide Web
Joseph A. LaRose

SUMMARY. This timely chapter on business ethics includes Web sites of

portals, professional associations, and resources on the social responsibility
of business. [Article copies available for afee from The Haworth Document Deliv-
ery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address: <[email protected]>
Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All
rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Business ethics, social responsibility, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

Ethics may be defined as "a set of rules to guide the actions of an indi-
vidual human being that are consistent with his or her values."l In a
more general sense, ethics is the study of what is good and right for hu-
man beings. It asks what is right and wrong behavior and how it is to be
evaluated. 2
Business ethics is a branch of applied ethics. It examines the moral
relationships that exist in the world of business and work. These rela-
tionships may be between managers and employees, executives and
stockholders, or a corporation and the community (local and global) in

Joseph A. LaRose is Associate Professor of Bibliography and Reference Librar-

ianlBibliographer, The University of Akron (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Business Ethics on the World Wide Web." LaRose, Joseph A.
Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information
Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No.2, 2002. pp. 25-34; and: The Core Business Web: A
Guide to Key Information Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp. 25-34. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The
Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-8oo-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:
[email protected]].

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/product.asp?sku=J I 09
© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.1300/JI 09v08n02_04 25
26 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

which it resides. Indeed, it is an outdated notion that business can be

evaluated only on the success of its delivery of goods and services and
the making of profits. Most people now believe that every aspect of the
business world involves situations that bear examination and evaluation
in terms of right and wrong behavior.
The growth of professional literature in the field of business ethics,
and the large number of courses and centers at educational institutions
dedicated to its study and teaching, testify to a high current interest in
this field. Unsurprisingly, information on many aspects of business eth-
ics is currently available freely on the Web. The purpose ofthis article is
to summarize and evaluate the best sites on the subject. I have looked
for and selected sites that provide information about business ethics or
are gateways to helpful resources, sites that enable users to learn about
its important principles, questions, and practices. I have excluded the
sites of some major organizations, research centers, and industry ser-
vices dealing with business ethics because the sites themselves are not
intended to disseminate knowledge. I have included a few metasites on
the more general subjects of ethics and applied ethics, as these sites are
excellent jumping-off points for broadening one's understanding of the
ethics of everyday life as well as that of the business world. Other in-
cluded sites provide case studies, definitions, professional codes of con-
duct, and general information about business ethics. A final section
includes sites that deal with the social responsibility of business.

META SITES

Applied Ethics Resources on WWW-CentreforApplied Ethics

(http://www.ethics.ubc.calresources/)

Maintained by the University of British Columbia's Centre for Ap-

plied Ethics, this site provides a hierarchical arrangement of extensive
Web links to all matter of applied ethics information. Uncluttered and
easy to navigate, the main page features twelve categories relating to in-
dustry sectors (e.g., "Health Care Ethics" and "Computer and Info-Tech
Ethics") or broader topics (e.g., "Business Ethics" and "Professional
Ethics"). Each main category is subdivided more specifically on subse-
quent pages. The subdivisions typically include "Publications" (online
newsletters and journals); "Courses" (links to course information and
syllabi from various institutions); "Institutes & Organizations" (links to
Web sites of organizations); "Topics" (links to resources on a variety of
 Joseph A. LaRose 27

specific topics within the category); and ''On-Line Discussion" (news groups
and listservs). The category "Business Ethics" also includes a subdivi-
sion, "Codes of Ethics," with links to company and industry official
ethical statements. A brief starting-point bibliography of books and jour-
nals in business ethics is provided through a link at the bottom of each
page.
This site is a fine starting point for discovering Web information in
business ethics, not only for its visual simplicity and ease-of-use, but for
the broader view made possible by bringing together many areas of ap-
plied ethics.

Ethics on the Internet, Ethics-Related Sites

(http://carbon.cudenver .edu/%7Ejjuhaszlethiclinks.html#Professional)

Like the Centre for Applied Ethics, this site, hosted by the University
of Colorado at Denver, is a basic starting point for finding a broad range
of applied and professional ethics sites. Although it uses a primitive
Web design (the approximately 100 un annotated links are presented in
one long list on a single page), Ethics on the Internet helpfully orga-
nizes its sites in four major categories: "Metalinks"; "Centers & Insti-
tutes"; "Nongovernmental Organizations & Associations" (subdivided
into topics such as "Ethical," "Social Justice," "Political," "Human
Rights," and "Media Ethics"); and "Professional Codes of Ethics &
Conduct." Links to each category are given at the beginning of the list;
by clicking on a category, one is taken to the section of the page where
the sites in that category begin. While not focused strictly on anyone
branch of applied ethics (e.g., business ethics), this site affords the user
the opportunity to explore the broadest context of moral decision-mak-
ing, and is especially strong in the areas of human rights and civilliber-
ties. Last updated on June 7, 200 I, the site is adequately current as of
February 2002.

The EthicalEdge
(http://www.ethicaledge.com/)

In contrast to the simple listing and categorization of the two sites

discussed above, The EthicalEdge, with a focus on organizational eth-
ics, is a site rich in text and philosophical discussion. Largely a service
of ethics consultant Kenneth W. Johnson, The EthicalEdge is not easily
apprehended at once; rather, it is designed for serendipitous browsing.
By following different paths, one can begin to absorb the substantial
28 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

amounts of information. "The Questions," seven fundamental applied

ethics questions such as "What is the role of leadership in organization
integrity?" are the heart of the site. Each question is given an essay an-
swer, with links to print and Web resources. The author entreats us to
"Begin with whatever question intrigues you most, and see how it opens
your vistas."
More structured browsing is possible by perusing the topics at the
bottom of the home page: "Principles of Corporate Self-governance";
"Essential Social Responsibility of Business"; "Essentiai Social Re-
sponsibility of Government"; "Global Ethics Resources"; "Organiza-
tional Ethics"; "Environmental Ethics"; "Applied Ethics Resources";
and the listed Web sites, each of which is given a brief evaluative anno-
tation. A valuable feature, "Glossary of Ethics and Policy," has lengthy
definitions with hyperlinks to key concepts elsewhere in the site or in
other sites.
Some topics given space here seem to have a marginal connection to
organizational ethics (e.g., Native American Resources Online; UNESCO
World Culture Report), but overall, the holistic, interdisciplinary ap-
proach makes this site uniquely valuable. You will find things here you
will not find at other applied ethics sites.

Center for Ethical Business Cultures

(hup://www.cebcglobal.org/)

Affiliated with the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of

Management, "the Center strives to be a leading global resource shap-
ing solutions in ethics and corporate citizenship that add value to busi-
ness" [statement on home page]. While much of the Center's online
services to business leaders are under development as of this writing,
the site is valuable for its links to business ethics sites at the enterprise,
community, and global levels. The links are found under three major
categories: "Ethics" (broadly-based) which is particularly good for
links to codes of conduct, associations, corporate ethics statements, and
business ethics institutes and programs housed at academic institutions;
"WorklLife" (work & family issues); and "Corporate Citizenship" (the
belief that corporations can make a profound, positive contribution to
their communities). The site is clearly organized and easy to navigate.
Links to resources under the main categories are found under seven
standard subcategories, "Products," "Services," "Research," "Getting
Started," "Sample Policies," "Publications," and [Web] "Resources."
 Joseph A. LaRose 29

GENERAL
Net Impact: New Leaders for Better Business
(http://www.srb.org/default.asp)
Fonnerly known as Students for Responsible Business, New Leaders
for Better Business is an organization of MBAs and new business leaders
interested in responsible business practices. The organization focuses on
social entrepreneurship, corporate responsibility, and sustainable business.
The emphasis of this site is on educational opportunities for its members,
with information on programs, chapters, and conferences dealing with this
organization. For non-members, much general information on responsible
business is to be found in the section entitled "Resources." Included here
are links to Web sites of organizations, online newsletters, and articles
dealing with socially responsible business practices. A heading, "Curricu-
lum," includes descriptively annotated links to syllabi and course descrip-
tions for business ethics courses taught at academic institutions; many of
these are available in full-text as PDF files. Another section provides links
to sites where case studies related to business ethics may be purchased. A
helpful added value of this site is a standard content coding added to most
resources that are listed: CD (Community Development); CR (Corporate
Responsibility); ENT (Entrepreneurship); EM (Environmental Manage-
ment); and OTH (Other). This coding makes it easy for the user to find a
broad range of materials that fit his or her research interests.
Carol and Lawrence Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research
(http://www .zicklincenter.org/)

This center, housed at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania,

sponsors and disseminates research on business ethics. This site has a
unique place on the Web for announcing and disseminating scholarly re-
search in this area. Abstracts for current research projects and an archive of
past projects, reprints, and working papers are provided, with links to a
small number of the papers online in full-text. Contact information is fur-
nished for requesting full-text copies of all research from the Center. The re-
search found here focuses on topics such as global business ethics, corporate
governance, social contracts, deception, disclosure, bribery and corruption.
The site is clearly laid-out and easy to navigate. At the top of each
screen are four buttons labeled "Research" (research sponsored by the
Center), "Events" (seminars and conferences sponsored by the Center),
"Links" (Web links), and "About" (information about the Center). The
Web links are further divided into two categories: "Research Links" in-
30 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

clude links to business ethics organizations, research centers, and

metasites; "Academic Journal Links" provide a list (with only a few ac-
tuallinks) of journals that specialize or feature articles in business ethics.
The Free Management Library, Index of Topics
(hup:llwww.mapnp.org/library/topics.htm)
The Free Management Library is a free online collection of re-
sources, created in part by contributions submitted by users and readers.
Edited and written by Carter McNamera, MBA, PhD, and hosted by
The Management Assistance Program for Non-Profits in St. Paul, Min-
nesota, this site exists to provide leaders and managers of for-profit and
non-profit organizations basic and practical information.
One large general category, "Business Ethics and Social Responsi-
bility," provides extensive links to business and applied ethics organi-
zations, essays, articles, and information resources on the Web. A
uniquely valuable part of this site is the "Complete Guide to Ethics
Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers," an extensive resource
in itself which includes fully discussed and annotated lists devoted to
many topics. The Toolkit itself is in the form of one very long, but rela-
tively easy-to-navigate document; subject links at the top of the page
link the user to the section of the text dealing with the desired subject.
The lists deal with thirteen topics, including" I 0 Myths About Business
Ethics"; "10 Benefits of Managing Ethics in the Workplace"; "Ethics
Tools: Codes of Ethics"; "8 Guidelines for Managing Ethics in the
Workplace"; "Policies and Procedures"; and "Resolving Ethical Di-
lemmas." Within the lists, full discussions include references to pub-
lished articles in journals and other periodicals as well as links to other
Web resources. All in all, this is an extensive collection of information
that, while making only minimal use of Web design for easy navigation,
rewards a user's patient browsing with much practical information on a
broad range of business ethics issues.
The Ethics Corner, Inc. Online
(http://mothra.inc.com!extralcolumns/ethicsl)
This site, provided by the magazine Inc., links to the full-text of arti-
cles from past issues of the magazine which deal with business ethics is-
sues and situations. Article titles are listed and the subjects are
encapsulated on the main page, making it easy for the user to choose ar-
ticles of interest to read in full-text. Examples of article topics include
the ethical considerations in helping a troubled employee, the limits of
 Joseph A. LaRose 31

embellishment to sell a company, the business disaster behind Ben &

Jerry's Rainforest Crunch ice cream, and the ethics of walking away
from debt after one's company goes bankrupt. Unfortunately, the most
recent article included is dated in 1999, suggesting that this site is not
being updated. A section entitled "Management Dilemmas," which in-
vites readers to choose the best solution to briefly posed business situa-
tions, rounds out the site. They can then immediately check their
responses against the percentages chosen by others.
Center for Ethics and Business
(http://www.ethicsandbusiness.org/links/)
The Center for Ethics and Business, housed at Loyola Marymount
University, "aims to provide an environment for discussing issues re-
lated to the necessity, difficulty, costs and rewards of conducting busi-
ness ethically" [statement on home page]. The site allows users to view
it with or without Flash graphics. Either way, it is clearly laid out and
easy to navigate, with all main categories present in a left-hand menu
bar on every screen.
This site provides a variety of information and interactivity for students
and others interested in ethical business issues. A selection of case studies
includes both actual business cases (e.g., case of Oracle Corporation spy-
ing on Microsoft) and hypothetical scenarios (e.g., the case of an em-
ployee who steals ideas from another). Users can post their own answers
and read the accumulated answers of others. A section entitled ''Tool
Box" provides a variety of resources: an ethics self-quiz, with a link to a
description of basic ethical styles; essays on steps in resolving ethical diffi-
culties; and philosophical frameworks for applied ethics. The site also
provides a forum where users can post ethical queries and start threads.
The forum is current and active, with letters and replies to such topics as
"Selling short in the wake of tragedy" and "Ethical advertising." Rounding
out the site is an alphabetical list of links to about 100 Web sites of pro-
grams and organizations in the areas of business and applied ethics.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
(http://www.bsr.org/)
This organization includes 1,400 member and affiliated companies
worldwide. Its Web site provides data and sources that help businesses
32 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

"achieve commercial success in ways that respect ethical values, peo-

ple, communities and the environment" [statement on Web site]. While
members receive some resources that are not available to general visi-
tors to the site, much information is freely available. For example, the
site provides news summaries of stories from its BSR Monitor, a publi-
cation available to members. The news stories typically detail instances .
of businesses participating in ventures that fill a social need. Editorials
and columns fill out the news section of the site.
The heart of the site lies in its "Topic Overviews." Overviews are
provided for the general areas: "Corporate Social Responsibility";
"Business Ethics"; "Community Investment"; "The Environment";
"Governance and Accountability"; "Human Rights"; "Marketplace";
"Mission, Vision, & Values"; and "Workplace." Under each of the cate-
gories are specific topics. For example, under "Workplace," one finds
"Work-life," "Religion in the Workplace," and "Flexible Scheduling."
Each of these topics is broken into a standard set of subcategories: "In-
troduction" (about 200 words); "Business Importance"; "Recent Devel-
opments"; "External Standards"; "Implementation Steps"; "Leadership
Examples"; "Sample Policies"; "Awards"; and "Links to Helping Re-
sources." These informative summaries of the topics include statistics,
recent legislation and government regulation, results of research studies
and surveys, identification of socially responsible companies, and other
relevant information. They are substantial, well written, and informa-
tive. Under "Links to Helping Resources," one finds fully annotated
links to sites specifically chosen to apply to that topic.
A bonus of this site is a decent search engine that allows the user to
focus their search on the entire site or a specific section. Searching both
of the site's two main sections at once, the engine provides a way to find
both topic summaries and news reports on one's topic. The search en-
gine works with individual keywords or accepts simple Boolean ex-
pressions. Rounding out the site is a helpful site map.
All in all, the site is reasonably well organized and has simple, un-
cluttered screens. Occasional slow loading of pages detracts from what
otherwise is a major Web resource for business social responsibility.
Corp Watch
(http://www .corpwatch.org/)
Subtitled Holding Corporations Accountable, this is the official site
of a San Francisco-based organization that backs the movement against
"corporate-led globalization." The site features signed cautionary arti-
 Joseph A. LaRose 33

cles written about current issues and news events dealing with corporate
responsibility in the areas of environment, civil liberties, worker rights,
and globalization. Example recent articles review how software compa-
nies stand to profit on homeland security, examine corporate abuses in
the Enron collapse, and cite un-enforced environmental laws in the
wake of the Bhopal disaster.
Two additional features round out the site. The "Issue Library" pro-
vides information on twenty-three topics such as money and politics;
oil, gas and coal; and pesticides. Each topic is given a 500-800 word
summary of issues from the organization's point of view, with links to
signed articles from sources such as The Observer, Prison News, and
political action groups. Several topics were updated one month previ-
ous to this writing, which indicates that the site is kept current. A second
feature is the "Research Guide," which leads users through a helpful va-
riety of Web-based sources of information on companies. The Guide is
subdivided into sections such as "Business & Financial Resources,"
"Non-U.S. or Private Companies," and "U.S. Government Sources."
There are similar sections for doing research on industries and corpo-
rate influence on politics. These g~ides are better than simply lists of
links, as they mention which types of information one should expect to
find and where to find it. Each source is annotated, and the lists are well
organized. A qualm is that the resources are limited to those available
freely on the Web, with no mention made of the valuable company and
industry resources that can be found in one's local libraries. In sum-
mary, this is a worthwhile site for information and opinions from a point
of view that favors activism for corporate social responsibility.
CERES
(http://www.ceres.org/)
This is the organizational home page for CERES (Coalition for Envi-
ronmentally Responsible Economies). CERES is a coalition of organi-
zations and businesses that adopt the CERES Principles, a ten-point
code of environmental conduct. The Principles include such values as
protection of the biosphere, sustainable use of natural resources, and en-
ergy conservation. The site provides a statement of these principles and
information about CERES events and conferences. Of perhaps wider
interest is a list of the more than fifty CERES member companies. The
listing includes each company's statement on its commitment to the
Principles in addition to basic information about the company. The visi-
tor might be surprised to find as members venerable corporations such
34 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

as Coca Cola USA and General Motors, as well as companies like Ben
& Jerry's and Timberland, which are more readily identified with social
responsi bili ty.
The site is simply but attractively presented and very easy to navi-
gate, with all major links available on the first page and taking up only a
single screen (including full contact information for the organization).
Co-op America
(http://www.coopamerica.org/)
Co-op America is a gateway to various pages of sponsored programs,
including Social Investment Forum, Responsible Shopper, and Green
Pages. This site makes available a range of information for the person
who wishes to consume or invest responsibly, and for businesses that
wish to be socially responsible. Green Pages is a guide to to,OOO so-
cially or environmentally responsible products and businesses. This
guide provides basic information about each company, including con-
tact and products/services information. It can be searched by keyword,
a pull-down menu of business categories, or Zip Code. Responsible
Shopper provides company ratings and report cards on such topics as
products, ethics, privacy, and environment. These reports are substan-
tial and detailed. For example, the report on Toys 'R' Us provides infor-
mation on class action suits and trade law rulings pertaining to the
company, sweatshop labor allegations, and labor law violations. Re-
ports can be searched by keyword (company, product, or subject [e.g.,
"toys"]). Social Investment Forum has extensive information on so-
cially screened stocks, shareholder activism, community investment,
and socially responsible mutual funds.

NOTES
1. The EthicalEdge.com Glossary. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ethicaledge.
com/glossary.html February 4, 2002.
2. Hoffman, W., & Moore, J. (1990). Business Ethics: Readings and Cases in Cor-
porate Morality. New York: McGraw-Hill.
 Best of Law for Business
Kevin R. Harwell

SUMMARY. The business law chapter includes comprehensive Web

sites, resources for statues, regulations, and agency decisions, and informa-
tion on corporate, labor, international and tax law. [Article copies available
for a fee from The Haworth Document Delive1Y Service: 1-800-HAWORTH.
E-mail address: <[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.
com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Business law, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
All general legal research is ultimately a pursuit of appropriate legal
authority on which to base decisions. Authority in this context consists
of statutes, regulations, agency adjudications, and judicial opinions.
Business questions about law are no different. The answers rest on ap-
propriate authority. Most business law questions can be answered by
using general legal resources. However, a substantial portion of law ad-
dresses issues raised by people and organizations doing business with
each other. Researchers usually find that more focused resources pro-
vide much greater efficiency.
Business law is composed of a broad array of subjects. The Web sites
listed here are hosted by a variety of law schools, government agencies,

Kevin R. Harwell is Business Librarian, The Pennsylvania State University

(E-mail: krh@psu\ias.psu.edu).
[Haworth co·indexing entry note]: "Best of J.aw for Business." Harwell, Kevin R. Co-published simulta-
neously in Journal of Business & Finance Librariamhip (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press, [nc.) Vol. 8, No.2, 2002, pp. 35-53; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information
Resources (ed: Gary w. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003,
pp. 35-53. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery
Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: [email protected].

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp ?sku=l 109

© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
) 0.130011 109v08n02_05 35
36 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key In/ormation Resources

publishers, law firms and commercial entities. They were chosen for their
relevancy to both business and law generally or to specific subject areas
within business law. They provide authorities, interpretation, news or
varying combinations of the three. This bibliography is somewhat selec-
tive in presenting only seven: antitrust; corporations; international busi-
ness transactions; labor and employment law; tax and taxation; entrepreneur-
ship; and the Uniform Commercial Code. However, these seven are very
broad. Plus, the comprehensive Web sites listed in the first section cover
much of what remains.
Readers should be aware that a complete collection of legal authori-
ties cannot be compiled from Internet resources alone. Several states
and many municipalities have only begun to place their legal resources
on the Web. Materials that are seldom used due to age or ephemeral
quality are often unavailable. Some authorities and many interpretive
resources are only published commercially and are therefore not avail-
able either. Readers should also exercise caution in evaluating legal
sources and applying such information to situations involving real
world rights and responsibilities, and seek the assistance of a qualified
legal professional if legal advice is needed.

COMPREHENSIVE WEB SITES

With the bewildering array of legal information available on the
Internet, many Web sites offer good help in sorting it all out. In fact,
CataLaw lists about 100 sites that each attempt to organize a sizable
number of legal Web sites into directories or indexes. More than sixty
of these are hosted in the United States. Each takes a different approach,
of course, so the user would benefit by comparing several, first hand, to
determine how well they address the current information need.
CataLaw
(http://www.catalaw.com/)
CataLaw (catalog of catalogs of worldwide law on the Internet) is a
"metaindex," a searchable index of indexes of legal information on the
Internet, attempting to cover all legal and government indexes on the
Internet with one search interface. Web site links in CataLaw are orga-
nized under three main categories: "Legal Topics"; "Regional Law";
and "Extra Info." Forty-eight legal topics include anti-trust and compe-
tition law; contract and remedy law; information technology law; prop-
 Kevin R. Hal1l'ell 37

erty law; and many others. For added convenience, CataLaw provides
keyword searching of the entire Web site and a site map.
"Topical Law" pages use a standard template that presents "see also"
references directing users to related pages on CataLaw; "Focused
Sites," which are topical sites listed by regions of the world; and "Usual
Suspects," which are selected representatives from the 100 Web sites
identified by CataLaw as being major Web presences in the area of law.
In those instances where several dozen Web sites are listed under a sin-
gle heading, CataLaw further subdivides the listing into first, second,
and third class sites denoting an assessment of the relative quality of the
sites with regard to scope, detail, and structure.
"Regional Law" lists twelve nations, six multinational regions, inter-
national law, and "legal resources by country." The United States is one
of the twelve, but is treated differently in that it receives four listings.
Legal resources by country does not list country-by-country, but rather,
it lists resources that have their own country lists. "Extra Inforn1ation"
guides the user to non-topical, non-regional resources for continuing le-
gal education, expert directories, law associations, lawschools, pre-law
resources, libraries, publishers and the like.

FindLaw
(http://www.findlaw.com!)

FindLaw claimes to be the highest-trafficked legal Web site, provid-

ing the most comprehensive set of legal resources, which include Web
search utilities, cases and codes, legal news, an online career center, and
community-oriented tools, such as a secure document management util-
ity, mailing lists, message boards and free e-mail. FindLaw consists of
thousands of site listings with editorial descriptions in dozens of prac-
tice areas and jurisdictional authorities-state, Federal and international
materials. In addition to online codes and case law, it links to sites for le-
gal forms, legal publishers, legal associations, law schools and law re-
views, legal experts and continuing legal education courses. Searchers
who are familiar with Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com) will recognize a
similar hierarchical directory approach.
Hieros Gamos
(http://www.hg.org/index.html)
Hieros Gamos (HG) hosts a phenomenal quantity of content and
links to legal resources around the world. In addition to extensive links
38 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

to U.S. law and policy resources, HG provides content and links to laws
of 230 countries, the United Nations, the North American Free Trade
Agreement, the European Union, and other international governmental
organizations. The country-by-country listings present mUltiple re-
sources for each country, including direct links to government Web
sites, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Factbook entries, entries from
the Library of Congress's Global Legal Information Network, Internet
Legal Resource Guide, country-specific news sources, and occasional
pathfinders from law firms that conduct business in particular countries.
HG also hosts seventy primary practice guides, with an additional 130
supplemental guides covering a wide array of subjects. Researchers
needing to identify law firms, consultants, or employment opportunities
will find helpful directories, as well.

Legal Information Institute-Cornell Law School

(http://www.law.comell.edu/)

One of the first law schools to embrace the Internet for delivery of le-
gal information to the public was Cornell School of Law. Peter W. Mar-
tin and Thomas R. Bruce began the Legal Information Institute (LIl) in
1992 on a Gopher server as an attempt to use digital technology to es-
tablish a law school publishing center. The Institute does not charge for
online delivery of information, nor does it accept advertising. Grants,
gifts and consulting work provide funds. More than just a clearinghouse
for legal materials, the LII formats all of the material for functionality
and creates tools for indexing and sorting documents.
LII receives millions of data requests each week and sends summaries
of U.S. Supreme Court opinions to thousands of e-mail subscribers. Its
versions of the U.S. Code, Code of Federal Regulations, and Uniform
Commercial Code are among the few complete versions available with-
out charge and quite easy to use. LlI's Big Ear current awareness service
monitors a number of legal discussion lists for information about new
Internet resources. Among the most useful features of LII for business
law are topical information guides covering over 120 areas, including
many business subjects, such as antitrust, commercial law, partnership,
and unfair competitions. The guides provide a text overview of the topic
and links to specific sections of Federal statutes and regulations, recent
court cases on the topic, state law materials, and other references, which
may include print, Internet, and fee-based online materials.
 Kevin R. Harwell 39

MegaLaw.Com
(http://www.megalaw.com)

MegaLaw's main attraction for this survey is another series of guides

to finding Internet resources on various legal topics. They tend to offer a
wider selection of external links than Cornell's Legal Information Insti-
tute. MegaLaw's guides lack a text overview and references to print re-
sources like those found in LII, but they offer far more external links to
Internet resources and are more likely to include law firms and other
commercial Web sites. Free membership registration provides a means
for a user to personalize the Web site to suit his or her interests and
needs. Some additional specialized information is available only to reg-
istered members.

STATUTES, REGS, AGENCY DECISIONS

United States Code on the Web (Cornell)
(hup://www.law.comell.edu/uscode/)
Although this service is a part of Cornell's Legal Information Insti-
tute, previously described, it is noteworthy enough to mention sepa-
rately because it is one of the easiest to use sources of the U.S. Code on
the Web. Users can search by Code title and section, keyword, or a table
of acts by popular name, such as the "Library Services and Construction
Act." This service is generated from the latest information available
from the U.S. House of Representatives and is limited to one recent ver-
sion of the U.S. Code. Unfortunately, LII does not also offer a public
laws service to complement this one.
GPO Access: U.S. Code (1994 and 2000 Editions,
plus Annual Supplements)
(http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong013.html)
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) hosts this service ofthe
Office of Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, which
is the official agency for codifying all U.S. public laws currently in
force. The service can be searched by U.S. Code citation (title and sec-
tion numbers), Public Law number, keyword or phrase, or by U.S. Stat-
utes at Large citation. Users can select which version to search, from the
1994 edition to the 2000 edition, or any annual supplement in between
these editions. The GPO also offers an associated service for public
40 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

laws. These are the individual laws in the original language as passed by
Congress and before codification, covering 1995 to present.
Federal Regulations
Code of Federal Regulations
(http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html)
Federal Register
(http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html)
Regulations consist of law established by government agencies, as
empowered, in order to carry out their respective mandates. Proposed
regulations are published in the Federal Register, as are final regula-
tions. Final regulations currently in force are also published in topical
order, in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Like the United States
Code, consisting of statutes, the CFR and the Federal Register are pub-
lished electronically by the GPO. This is an invaluable resource for
finding current regulations for banking, environment, securities, em-
ployment and other business matters.
BusinessLaw.gov-Smali Business Administration
(http://www.businesslaw.gov)
This government managed Web site covers legal and regulatory in-
formation for small businesses. It offers plain English guides for start-
ing and operating a business, extensive links to state and local business
law information sources, Federal regulatory information, sources of le-
gal assistance, news, tools for research, and direct links for research
Federal and state laws and regulations.
FirstGov
(http://www.firstgov.gov/)
As the official U.S. Government portal to millions of pages of gov-
ernment information and services, FirstGov is a very busy place on the
Internet. It offers multiple avenues for finding one's way to needed in-
formation. Users can search among Federal, state and international
sources by keyword. They can also browse by branch and agency of the
Federal government. The home page also sports quick links to popular
government destinations organized under three broad categories: online
services for citizens; online services for business; and online services
for governments. The services for business include business opportuni-
ties, business law and regulations, Federal auctions and sales, tax infor-
mation, government contracts, and patents and trademarks.
 Kevin R. Harwell 41

ANTITRUST
A company that monopolizes the market for certain goods or services
minimizes competition and undesirably suppresses normal economic
functioning. Antitrust laws prevent or reduce the negative impact on the
economy of monopolies or trusts, while maintaining economic freedom
and minimizing restraints on trade and competition. Activities governed
by antitrust law include monopoly, pricing limitations, predatory prac-
tices, merger control, and certain aspects of advertising.
American Antitrust Institute (AAI)
(http://www.antitrustinstitute.org)
The American Antitrust Institute is an independent non-profit educa-
tion, research, and advocacy organization. Taking a centrist position, its
mission is to increase the role of competition, assure that competition is
fair, and challenge unduly concentrated power in the American and
world economy. The Web site is used to electronically publish frequent
antitrust news articles authored by AAI, and includes an archive of arti-
cles from 1998 to present. It also provides a very good annotated guide
to antitrust links on the Web. The "AAI primer on criminal antitrust" is
an excellent introduction to the topic. AAI also provides data about the
budget, staff and workload of the Federal Trade Commission and the
Justice Department. "Who's Who in Antitrust" is a compilation of di-
rectories of state and Federal agency officials, congressional contacts,
media contacts, and organizations involved in antitrust.
Antitrust Policy
(http://www.antitrust.orgl)
This Web site is maintained at the Owen Graduate School of Man-
agement at Vanderbilt University, and is designed to resolve the alien-
ation of antitrust academics from practitioners and the difficulty that
researchers have in keeping up with recent developments. The site pro-
vides news, common-sense guidelines, information about mergers-in-
cluding news, economics, cases, policy, and research-and information
about vertical restraints and price fixing.
Federal Trade Commission
(http://www.ftc.govlindex.html)
The FTC is responsible for enforcing some forty-six Federal laws
dealing with competition and consumer protection. The FfC's antitrust
42 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

arm, the Bureau of Competition, seeks to prevent business practices that

restrain competition. Of particular note, the "Antitrust/Competition"
page of the FTC Web site offers numerouse public records-opinions,
documents, complaints, decisions and orders, final orders, speeches and
testimony-reflecting the agency's work in this area. Most record types
are on hand from 1995 to present. The Web site also offers a number of
guidelines and plain-language resources for researchers who need basic
information about this area of law and business.
u.s. Department of Justice-Antitrust Division
(http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/index.html)
Antitrust is one of the few legal issues addressed by more than one
agency of the Federal government. In addition to the FTC, the U.S. De-
partment of Justice also has a role. Unlike the FTC, the Justice Depart-
ment brings criminal actions against violators. The Web site provides
guidelines, policy statements, international documents, appellate briefs,
business reviews, statistics and budget information.

CORPORATIONS
Forms of Incorporation
Companies can be formed in any of several forms: partnership; lim-
ited partnership; joint venture; incorporation; and others. Each form has
advantages and disadvantages. Incorporation requires that the company
be established in specific ways with appropriate documentation accord-
ing to state law. It also provides liability protection for the owners and
shareholders. A partnership can be as simple to establish as two individ-
uals agreeing to conduct business together, but it offers no liability pro-
tection.
Delaware Corporate Law Clearinghouse-Widener University
School of Law
(http://corporate-Iaw .widener .edu/)
More businesses incorporate in Delaware than in any other state in
the U.S. This site, created and maintained with the cooperation of the
Delaware Court of Chancery, offers access to selected filings and opin-
ions in corporate and other business litigation in the nation's premier
trial court for corporate law.
 Kevin R. Harwell 43

Securities Law
Securities laws address an investor's need to have accurate informa-
tion about the securities he or she is purchasing and the value of the se-
curities. A company that wants to issue publicly traded securities must
be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and dis-
close specific information about the company's securities and finances.
This information is made publicly accessible so that investors can make
informed decisions before purchasing or selling the securities.
The Securities Lawyer's Deskbook-The Center for Corporate Law,
University of Cincinnati College of Law
(http://www.law.uc.edu/CCLlsldtoc.html)
The Securities Lawyer's Deskbook contains the full text of the basic
Federal securities laws and regulations, as well as the principal Securities
and Exchange Commission forms under those laws and regulations. The
Securities Lawyer's Deskbook is designed primarily for use by legal
practitioners, scholars, securities professionals, and corporate officers.
State Securities Regulators
(http://www.nasdr.coml3220.htm)
Maintained by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
(NASD), this Web site provides direct links to state securities agencies.
Agency Web sites provide information about state securities law, news,
forms, guidelines, recommendations for small businesses and other ma-
terials.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(http://www.sec.gov/)
The primary mission of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commis-
sion (SEC) is to protect investors and maintain the integrity ofthe secu-
rities markets. The SEC administers filing requirements for public
companies. The Web site provides summaries of Federal securities
laws, the EDGAR database of company filings, regulations and inter-
pretations, investor information, news and litigation documents.
Edgar Database
(http://www.sec.gov/edgarhp.htm)
EDGAR is an SEC database that provides access to public company
filings. Users can access registration statements, periodic financial re-
ports, annual reports to shareholders, and other electronic documents.
This information is available for free download.
44 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key lriformation Resources

Stanford Securities Class Action Clearinghouse-

Stanford Law School
(http://securities.stanford.edu/)
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 addressed the
problem of frivolous and abusive suits against companies for unsub-
stantiated allegations of securities fraud. The Securities Class Action
Clearinghouse is a repository of information relating to the prosecution,
defense, and settlement of Federal class action securities fraud litigation
and maintains copies of complaints, briefs, filings, and other litiga-
tion-related materials filed in these cases.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS

International business transactions are governed by a combination of

national laws and international conventions. Sometimes firms from dif-
ferent countries will form joint ventures in order to accomplish trade. In
such situations, one firm may bring new technologies and business ap-
proaches to the venture while the other provides access to existing rela-
tionships and knowledge of local laws and regulations. Nonetheless,
both parties may have to negotiate through cultural and language differ-
ences to get to the point of doing business. Treaties to which the two
countries are a party may establish protocols for conducting trade and
invol ve specific provisions for the exchange of money and goods, trans-
porting goods, documenting various transactions, financing ventures
internationally, transferring technology, recognizing and protecting in-
tellectual property. In some situations, trading partners might not be
from countries that have established such agreements. Hieros Gamos, a
comprehensive legal Web site previously described, is particularly well
suited for research in this legal arena. The resources listed here should
also be informative.

Lex Mercatoria
(http://www.lexmercatoria.org/)

Lex Mercatoria claims to be one of the very first law sites on the
Web, having begun in 1993. It is a collaborative endeavor among the
Law Faculty of the University of Tromsfll and the Law Faculty of the
University of Oslo, both of Norway, the Institute ofinternational Com-
mercial Law of Pace University School of Law, and by the Australasian
 Kevin R. Hanvell 45

Legal Information Institute. Lex Mercatoria monitors developments in

international trade and commercial law and provides extensive interna-
tionallaw links and other materials free of charge. The top layers of the
Web site lead the user to broad subject areas in international law, such
as international economic law, international, finance regulation, and in-
tellectual property. Each of these subsequent pages lists links to more
specific resource guides covering subjects such as GATT and the World
Trade Organization, alternative dispute resolution, and electronic com-
merce; or links to external sources, such as the International Monetary
Fund and sources for full-text of specific treaties.
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)-U.S. Department
of Commerce
(http://www.bis.doc.gov/)
BIS, formerly Bureau of Export Administration (BXA), seeks to ad-
vance U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic interests by
regulating exports of critical goods and technologies that could be used
to damage those interests (while furthering the growth of legitimate
U.S. exports to maintain our economic leadership); by enforcing com-
pliance with those regulations; by cooperating with like-minded nations
to obtain global support for this effort; by assisting nations that are key
exporters or transit points for sensitive goods and technologies to
strengthen their own transit and export controls; and by monitoring the
U.S. defense industrial base to ensure it remains strong.
Export Administration Regulations
(http://w3.access.gpo.gov/bis/index.html)
Exporters must be licensed and adhere to regulations established by
the Bureau of Industry and Security (formerly Bureau of Export Ad-
ministration). Some commodities are carefully regulated due to na-
tional security concerns. They are listed in the Commerce Control List
found in Part 744 of the Export Administration Regulations.
International Trade Administration-U.S. Department of Commerce
(http://www.ita.doc.gov!)
International Trade Administration (IT A) coordinates all issues con-
cerning trade promotion, international commercial policy, market ac-
cess, and trade law enforcement. The Administration is responsible for
nonagricultural trade operations of the U.S. government and supports
the trade policy negotiation efforts of the U.S. Trade Representative.
46 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

U.S. Customs Service

(http://www .customs.ustreas.gov/)
U.S. Customs Service is responsible for collecting revenue from im-
ports; enforcing the customs laws; processing persons, mail, goods and
carriers into and out of the U.S.; investigating fraudulent practices de-
signed to circumvent customs laws; and interdicting contraband, in-
cluding narcotics, along the land and sea borders of the United States.
The Web site provides notices, laws and regulations, guidelines, tariff
schedules, statistics and other information for travelers, importers and
exporters.
U.S. International Trade Commission
(http://www.usitc.gov/)
The USITC is an independent Federal agency that compiles trade in-
formation relating to its mission and expertise to both the legislative and
executive branches of government. It projects the impact of imports on
U.S. industries, and directs actions against certain unfair trade prac-
tices, such as patent, trademark, and copyright infringement. USITC
analysts and economists investigate and publish reports on U.S. indus-
tries and the global trends that affect them. The agency also updates and
publishes the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (http://
www.usitc.gov/taffairs.htm). which provides the applicable tariff rates and
statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the United States.

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LA W

Labor and employment law deals with individual employee rights,
employment discrimination and labor relations. A host of Federal and
state statutes, supported by regulations and case law, address issues
which include fair labor standards, safety and health, retirement, leave,
social security, other benefits, equal opportunity, affirmative action,
and specific working environments, such as mines and railways. Impor-
tant issues include contracts, right to organize, protection from discrim-
ination, wages and hours, safety and health, retirement, and benefits.
Labor Research Portal
(http://www.iir.berkeley .edu/libraryIlaborportal.html)
The Labor Research Portal is a service of the Institute for Industrial
Relations Library, a collaborative effort of The Institute for Labor and
 Kevin R. Harwell 47

Employment, University of California; The Institute ofIndustrial Rela-

tions, University of California, Berkeley; and The Institute ofIndustrial
Relations, University of California, Los Angeles. The Portal provides
original content in the form of Internet guides about government agen-
cies, labor education opportunities, libraries, labor unions, career infor-
mation, labor culture, union organizing, and many others. It also
provides external links to California labor resources, other institutions'
finding aids, sources of labor news, and many other items.

National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation

(http://www.nrtw.org/)

The Foundation is a non-profit organization advocating a worker's

right not to be compelled to belong to a union. It provides free legal aid to
employees whose human and civil rights have been violated by compul-
sory unionism abuses. The Web site provides information about workers'
rights, issue briefs, news, legal notices, and electronic newsletters.
Workplace Rights-American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
(http://www.ac1u.org/issues/worker/hmwr.html)
The ACLU is a non-profit organization dedicated to defend and pre-
serve individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this
country by the Constitution and laws of the United States. The Work-
place Rights Web site provides news, legislative updates, hot topics, re-
sources, and tools.
Federal Agencies
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(http://www.eeoc.gov/)
With its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and through the opera-
tions of fifty field offices nationwide, the EEOC coordinates all Federal
equal employment opportunity regulations, practices, and policies. Its
Web site is designed with the interests of employees and employers in
mind, highlighting issues and policy frequently requested by them.
Users will find announcements of recent developments, information
pieces in Q&A format, how-to information on filing charges, and other
similar items. Full-text of major EEOC related laws, statistics, and or-
der forms for EEOC publications are also available.
48 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Info17nation Resources

National Labor Relations Board

(http://www.nlrb.gov/)

The National Labor Relations Board administers the National Labor

Relations Act (NLRA) which addresses the relationship between em-
ployers, unions and employees. In particular, it deals with the rights of
employees to form, join or assist a labor organization and to bargain
collectively through representatives of their own choosing, or to refrain
from such activities. The NLRB' s primary objectives are to prevent and
remedy unfair labor practices by employers or unions, and hold elec-
tions at which employees decide if they wish to be represented by un-
ions. The Web site provides decisions, rules and regulations, manuals,
press releases, and other information.

U.S. Department of Labor

Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses-

U.S. Department of Labor
(http://www .dol.gov/elawsl)

This customer-focused service consists of interactive tools that pro-

vide information about Federal employment laws. Each interaction
simulates a discussion between the user and an employment law expert.
It asks questions and provides answers based on the user's responses.

Employment Standards Administration

(http://www.dol.gov/esalwelcome.html)

The Employment Standards Administration (ESA) enforces and ad-

ministers a large number of laws governing legally-mandated wages
and working conditions. The Web site provides full-text to those laws
and access to state laws addressing employment standards. Additional
information includes minimum wage and overtime pay requirements,
Family Medial Leave Act guidelines, press releases, and special re-
ports. Much of the Web site is organized by agency offices, which in-
clude the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office
of Labor-Management Standards, the Office of Workers' Compensa-
tion Programs and the Wage and Hour Division.
 Kevin R. Harwell 49

Major Laws and Regulations Enforced by the Department

of Labor-U.S. Department of Labor
(http://www.dol.gov/dol/compJiance/compliance-majorlaw.htm)
The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the welfare of job seek-
ers' wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their
working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employ-
ment, protecting their benefits, helping employers find workers, strength-
ening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment,
prices, and other national economic measurements. In carrying out this
mission, the Department administers a variety of Federal labor laws in-
cluding those that guarantee workers' rights to safe and healthful working
conditions; a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay; freedom from
employment discrimination; unemployment insurance; and other income
support. In addition to the summaries and full-text of the laws them-
selves, helpful links from this page include "Compliance Tools" to help
prevent employment law violations; a "Small Business Handbook," de-
signed to help employers determine which requirements apply to their
employees; and "Rulemaking," which links to information about pending
regulations proposed by the Department of Labor.

TAX AND TAXATION

Taxes are administered by Federal, state, and local governments, and
vary considerably from one jurisdiction to another. Federal tax laws
change a bit from year to year and consist of statutes, court cases, regu-
lations and agency adjudications. Interpretive materials include con-
gressional committee reports, revenue rulings, and commercial information
services.
Internal Revenue Service
(http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/)
The Internal Revenue Service is the nation's tax collection agency
and administers the Internal Revenue Code enacted by Congress. It is
responsible for administering and enforcing the internal revenue laws,
except those relating to alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives. The
IRS deals directly with every taxpayer. Despite complaints to the con-
trary, it also claims to be one of the world's most efficient tax agencies.
In 2000, the IRS collected more than $2 trillion in revenue and pro-
cessed 226 million tax returns.
50 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

One look will show that the IRS Web site is organized to deliver in-
formation most quickly to individual taxpayers who are not tax profes-
sionals. The home page has a trendy, almost commercial look and feel
to it. Highlighted links take the user to consumer oriented information
such as ways to avoid tax scams and methods for reducing the amount
owed for personal income tax. The site also provides a wealth of sub-
stantive information on tax issues for individuals, businesses, tax-ex-
empt organizations, government entities, and tax professionals. Nearly
every IRS form and publication is available for download. Statistics of
Income (SOl) and other data products are available as well. Curiously,
the site does not provide the text of the Internal Revenue Code, Fed-
eral tax regulations, and other authoritative legal documents. Using
this site does not replace the advice of a qualified, experienced tax pro-
fessional.
Tax.org, Tax Information Worldwide-The Tax Analysts
(http://www.tax.org)

For more than thirty years, The Tax Analysts have published informa-
tion to stimulate public discussion of tax issues. They are one of the lead-
ing publishers of electronic tax information. Much of their output is
available only by subscription to print publications, CD-ROM products,
WestLaw and Lexis-Nexis. However, their tax.org Web site provides
several services without charge. The "Basic World Tax Code" is an at-
tempt by tax experts to provide a framework on which developing and
transitional countries can begin formulating a modern tax system for
themselves. The Tax Analysts regularly sponsor policy forums featuring
panels of recognized experts to discuss various topics like electronic tax
filing and European Union company tax issues. The "Tax History Pro-
ject" presents insightful articles about events and individuals of impor-
tance to the history of American taxation. Users can subscribe to several
free e-mail bulletins covering various aspects of taxation. The Web site
displays a few news stories of the day. It also provides information for
subscribing to other Tax Analysts publications.
TaxLinks, Your Online Source for IRS Revenue Rulings
(http://www.taxlinks.com)
IRS Revenue Rulings are pronouncements of the agency that apply
law to particular factual situations. Since they address issues of general
interest, they differ from letter rulings, which address more private is-
sues. Revenue rulings do not carry the legal authority of Federal tax reg-
 Kevin R. HafWell 51

ulations, but a taxpayer whose situation is similar to that of the ruling

can rely upon them. TaxLinks provides a simple service: to provide ac-
cess to all revenue rulings issued by the IRS since 1954. The rulings are
searchable by keyword and by ruling number.

LA WAND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Entrepreneurs' Help Page
(http://www.tannedfeet.coml)
This Web site is a moonlighting effort by attorneys of the Chicago
law firm of Malven, Powers, and Pasucci, LLC, who recognized that
new business owners need legal information most at the beginning,
when they can least afford it. The result is nearly 300 pages of original
content written to inform entrepreneurs. Major subjects include general
business, business strategy, humor, business space, legal issues, fi-
nance, and marketing. Legal topics include choice of entity, intellectual
property, taxation, and contracts.
Intellectual Property Mall-Franklin Pierce Law Center
(http://www.ipmall.fpIc.eduJ)
Franklin Pierce Law Center is one of the top intellectual property law
schools in the United States. This Web site links to a very broad and
unique collection of intellectual property resources offered by the Law
Center and others on the Internet. It is intended to offer "one stop shop-
ping" for patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and related profes-
sionals in academia, business and science, as well as for inventors and
entrepreneurs. The Web site provides links to hundreds of external Web
sites, organized by topic, such as laws, search resources, practitioner as-
sociations, news sources, U.S. and foreign government agencies, inter-
national governmental organizations, articles, and other discussion
pieces. Original content is extensive and includes compilations of laws,
regulations, and cases; invited articles by renowned experts; legislative
histories; information guides and many more.

The Upstart Small Business Legal Guide-2nd ed. by Robert

Friendmanfor Business Week Online
(http://businessweek.findlaw .comlsblg/)

Designed for the small business owner, or someone who wants to

start a small business, this guide consists of twenty chapters covering at-
52 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

torneys, form of incorporation, franchises, record keeping, employees,

and other topics. This electronic book includes forms, worksheets, tips,
warnings, and references to additional sources of information.

UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE

The Uniform Commercial Code is a comprehensive work that ad-

dresses most aspects of commercial law. It is not law, per se, until at
least one state enacts it as law, but nearly every state has enacted the
UCC with local variations. The UCC was written by experts in commer-
ciallaw and submitted to the National Conference of Commissioners on
Uniform State Laws.

Uniform Commercial Code

(http://www.law.comell.edulucc/ucc.table.html)

The UCC is available on a couple of Web sites. The Cornell site offers
the text of current proposals and enacted proposals only. This is coupled
with the Unifonn Commercial Code Locator (http://www.1aw.comell.edul
uniform/ucc.html), which links to state statutes that correspond to articles
of the Uniform Commercial Code.

National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws

(http://www.nccusl.org/)

The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws

(NCCUSL), also referred to as the Uniform Law Commissioners, has
been in operation for more than a century. Membership is made up of
lawyers, judges, and law professors, appointed by the states as well as
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The
task is to draft proposals for uniform and model laws on subjects where
a difference in law between states creates difficult tangles. Where uni-
formity is desirable and practical, they develop recommendations and
work toward their enactment in legislatures. The Web site provides the
text of drafts and proposed acts as well as state-by-state status informa-
tion for each proposal. Users will also find links to alternative and
working drafts. Press releases, other news, and contact information are
also provided.
 Kevin R. Hanvell 53

National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws,

Drafts of Uniform and Model Acts-Official Site
(http://www.law.upenn.edulbll/ulc/ulc_frame.htm)

The Uniform Law Commissioners are committed to making draft

and final recommended acts available to the public. To this end, they
work with the University of Pennsylvania Law School to place these
texts on the Web. The site is not limited to UCC draft and final recom-
mendations, but includes all uniform and model acts developed by or
for the Uniform Law Commissioners.
 Business Research Platforms:
Selected Academic Business
Library Web Sites
Glenn S. McGuigan

SUMMARY. The "Business Research Platforms" chapter describes the Web

sites of business libraries at ten top business schools, ranked on research out-
put by faculty. Highlights of each site are included. [Article copies available
for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HA WORTH.
E-nUli/ address: <[email protected]> Website: <http://wwwHaworthPress.
com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved I

KEYWORDS. Business libraries, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
Academic business libraries and business collections possess Web
pages that are used in various ways to promote or provide library ser-
vices. The variety of business library Web pages reflects the diversity of
Web development within these institutions and the evolution of these
sites from simple promotional tools, posting information about library
hours or location, to resources that deliver access to a wide range of infor-
mation, such as information about library collections and services, links
to proprietary databases and listings of selected Web resources. The fol-

Glenn S. McGuigan is Business Reference Librarian, Penn State Harrisburg

(E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Business Research Platforms: Selected Academic Business Library
Web Sites." McGuigan, Glenn S. Co-published simultaneously in Jal/mal afBusiness & Finance Librarian·
ship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No.2. 2002, pp. 55-62;
and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Infor-
mation Press. an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp. 55-62. Single or multiple copies of this article
are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00
p.m. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]].

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp ?sku=1 109

© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
] 0.1300/1 I 09v08n02_06 55
56 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

lowing annotations provide a sampling of the high quality and diverse li-
brary Web pages that promote and support academic business research.
Houghton declares that there are essentially two kinds of Web page
users: hunters and gatherers. "Hunters are users who need information
quickly and rely on easy to follow links; gatherers are users who need
material to read on screen and digest slowly."l Taking into account
these two approaches, these annotations derive more from the hunter
than the gatherer perspective. My aim is to comment on features of the
Web pages that may be apparent to someone scanning a site quickly
looking for information. In observing electronic resources and applica-
tions, it is useful t6 address the factors of task support, usability, and
pleasant aesthetics. 2 The following annotations are made with that fact
in mind and arise from my experience as a business librarian. Features
of the business library Web pages that are observed include such items
as access to commercial electronic resources, listing of Web sites, re-
search guidance, and information about library services.

SELECTION OF BUSINESS LIBRARY PAGES

The selection of business library Web pages arises from a recent

study published in the Academy of Management Journal that offers a
novel approach to examining the rankings of business schools within
the United States. Rather than basing the rank of business schools upon
forms of criteria relating to various factors within the business school
experience (including job placement, facilities, alumni relations, etc.),
the study produced a ranking based on the research productivity offac-
ulty members within business schools. 3 Based on an overall research
rank of per/page production by faculty within the business schools from
1986-1998, the authors rank the top ten business schools as: Pennsylva-
nia, Michigan, Stanford, New York, Chicago, Columbia, Minnesota,
Texas, Harvard, and Northwestern. Considering the nature of this rank-
ing based on research activity, it appears appropriate to use this as a ba-
sis for this brief selection of academic business library Web sites.
This descriptive list of Web sites does not intend to rank or rate the
quality of these sites, although in general the quality is extremely high.
Rather, this brief overview aims to provide a glimpse into some of the
features and functionalities of selected business academic library Web
sites that support the most active business schools in the country based
on faculty research production.
 Glenn S. McGuigan 57

University of Pennsylvania Lippincott Library

(http://www.library.upenn.edullippincottJ)
An impressive Web site, the University of Pennsylvania Lippincott
Library provides a wealth of information regarding resources and services
to the Wharton School. A video "tour" of the building and services of the
Lippincott Library includes a reference encounter between a business stu-
dent and a librarian. A unique and extremely useful feature of the library is
''The Business Database Wizard." This simple electronic form enables a
user to select a particular topic within business, such as company financials,
industry information or economics journals, and then submit the query that
results in a list of the relevant links to Penn's SUbscription databases.
Highlight. The selection of business Web sites contains thirty-two cat-
egories. The outstanding link of Finance & Investment is two-tiered in its
categorization, providing links within sub-topics to such categories as
corporate financials, stock exchanges, and mergers and acquisitions.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Kresge
Business Administration Library
(http://eres .bus. umich.edu/)
On the top banner of the page, authorized users may link to the
M-Track Intranet system of the School of Business Administration.
This "virtual community" system is a communications tool for the stu-
dents and faculty as well as a job recruitment tool, which enables stu-
dents to post their resumes for corporate recruiters.
The research guide feature of the site provides access to eight individ-
ual pages that indicate appropriate electronic resources and print library
resources for the various subject areas. An especially strong selection of
guides focus upon international business research strategies including
various documents that one may print out in MS Word format.
Highlight. An impressive feature of the site includes a link to full-text
working papers of faculty within the University of Michigan Business
School, the Department of Economics, and research institutes within
the university, including the Center for International Business Educa-
tion and the National Quality Research Center and those of other insti-
tutions. The working papers are available in PDP format.
Stanford University-Jackson Library
of the Stanford Business School
(http://wesley.stanford.edullibraryl)
A site designed with simplicity and ease of navigation in mind, the
Jackson Library pages provide access to the essentials of an academic
58 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

business library page: the catalog, databases, selected business Web

pages, and research guides.
The research guides are avai1able in the PDP format, and this contrib-
utes to a visually appealing handout that one may print out. Subjects of
research guides include business history, company information, indus-
try information, and international information.
Highlight. Within the research guide page is a link to a description of
the Jackson Library's "Trader's Pit," which is a part of the library where
patrons may access stand-alone machines that provide access to finan-
cial services data delivered through Bloomberg, DataStream, Reuters
3000, and other business information services.

New York University Bobst Library

(http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/)

While New York University does not have a separate business li-
brary apart from the main Bobst Library, the Business, Social Science
and Documents Collection within the main library supports the Stern
School of business. There is a separate library of real estate, The Jack
Brause Library supporting NYU's Real Estate Institute. The real estate
library has a useful in-house index of real estate periodicals searchable
from the Web.
Highlight. The undisputable highlight of the Bobst Library's Web
pages concerning business topics is the NYU Virtual Business Library
collection of pages. A template arranges links to business databases by
subject, such as industry, company, country or marketing information.
Many of the subject pages contain links to selected Web sites dealing
with that particular topic. The Web based research guides linked here
are particularly strong and provide access to and information about
electronic resources as well as paper business resources within the
Bobst Library.

University of Chicago Library

(www.1ib.uchicago.edu/e/)

The Business & Economics Resource Center of the Regenstein Li-

brary of the University of Chicago provides the platform for business
research within these pages. The subject guides are quite detai1ed and
provide links to subscription databases and bibliographic information
regarding resources held within the library. The links to working papers
are particularly valuable.
 Glenn S. McGuigan 59

The main page also links to the Kenneth G. Fisher Library of the
Graduate School of Business. The primary purpose of this library is to
provide services to alumni and part-time MBA students and serves as
the "center for career and job related research at the University of Chi-
cago Graduate School of Business." The library provides access to ca-
reer electronic career guides within many fields, but requires a user ID
and password to retrieve these documents.
Highlight. Extensive industry guides list relevant databases, indexes,
periodicals and Web sites for particular industries.

Columbia University Thomas J. Watson Library

of Business and Economics
(www .columbia.edulcullweb/indi v/business/)

The Web page communicates the fact that the scope of the library's
collection is quite broad. "Special focus is placed on the topics of ac-
counting, business economics, business history, management of organi-
zations, management science, operations management, corporate and
international finance, international economics, corporate relations, se-
curity analysis, marketing, money and financial markets and labor."
With that much to address, the Watson Library's page does an admira-
ble job of delivering access to a wide range of resources.
Regarding databases, a link to each database description includes a tem-
plate that describes the scope of the resource (subject description, date of
coverage, content type), the publishing information (such as the databases
provider and access restrictions), and search methods (such as by com-
pany, keyword, industry, etc.). The Business & Economics Library page
also provides access to Prometheus, a Web-based courseware application
that allows students to access course-related information online.
Highlight. Research guides are divided into fifteen subject areas.
This includes an extensive listing of entertainment industry directories
and resources, international company information sources and non-
profit organization resources. A separate section of Internet resources
provides links to Web sites and an e-resources link connects users to a
well-constructed page of Internet search engines and directories.

University of Minnesota Libraries-Business Reference

(http://busref.lib.umn.edu/aboutlabout.html)

Serving the Carlson School of Management, the Business Reference

pages include links to various topics on the opening page, including se-
60 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

curity analyst report resources, company information and corporate re-

ports, and sources for marketing information. The Minnesota pages
deliver extensive research assistance in the form of a university-wide
tool called "Research Quick Start." This electronic form enables one to
select a subject area, such as business finance, and produce a vast list of
databases, Web sites, and print resources.
Highlight. The "Biz Quick Links" of selected Internet resources are
divided into more than forty categories. The page also includes very
useful links to guides from the University of Minnesota Law Library
concerning tax research. Convenient links in the left hand frame pro-
vide access to tax forms and tax help links.
University of Texas, Austin-Business Reference
(http://www.lib.utexas.edu/)
Resources within the Perry-Castaneda Library support the under-
graduate and graduate programs of the McComb's School of Business.
Two main pages compose the business platform: business reference and
business resource pages. The Business Reference page is divided into
two main sections: a list of databases available in the subject area and a
collection of subject links divided into categories. The Business Re-
search page delivers access to information concerning the search pro-
cess, such as particular course guides, searching tips, and a useful link
to full-text career resource books delivered via Net Library.
Highlight. The site provides access to an extremely useful informa-
tion literacy tutorial entitled TILT (Texas Information Literacy Tuto-
rial). This tutorial enables a user to engage in an interactive experience
and to customize a tutorial session to a particular research area, such as
Internet business.
Harvard Business School Baker Library
(http://www .library .hbs.edu/)
The home page of the Baker Library of the Harvard Business School
is an extremely content-rich site that delivers access to the resources
and services of this venerable institution. An excellent feature of the
Baker School Library collection of resources is that proprietary data-
bases are combined with Web pages by subject to provide access to
business resources based upon research need rather than format or sub-
scription restrictions.
The main page is categorized into various subject areas including
company information, economics and statistics, and career resources.
 Glenn S. McGuigall 6/

The template for the career resources subject area provides annotations
of each Web site, instead of just providing a link without any explana-
tion. Selected database links include descriptions as well, which facili-
tate selection of the appropriate resource.
Highlight. The links to the historical collections of the Baker Library,
Baker publications and the Baker Books list all combine to make this a
unique site on the Web. The new Web-based study guides are attractive
and user-friendly resources that enable access to the Business Manu-
scripts collection of the library. Links within the various topics include
an introduction to the collection, indexes, bibliographies, and notes on
the collections. Beautiful scanned images of documents are selectively
available at this site.
Northwestern University
(http://www .library .northwestern.edu/)

The Northwestern University Library houses the collections that sup-

port the Kellogg School of Management. Selecting a collections icon
leads the searcher to a page of subject links that includes the categories of
"management" and "economics." The subject pages deliver access to
lists of databases and selected Internet resources. A link to "Electronic
Handouts" provides access to PDP files that concern various areas of
business research, such as locating company information (both U.S. and
international), industry information, and marketing information. Certain
guides contain an initial section entitled "Questions to Answer Before
Beginning." In addition, beside the usual list of types of sources, such as
electronic, statistical, or consumer, there is a listing of "Other Leads" that
includes access to citations or links of sources that a researcher may often
turn to in order to find relevant information or as a last resort. These
sources include items such as the Encyclopedia of Associations, the En-
cyclopedia of Business Information Sources, and selected Internet sites.
Highlight. Each subject area contains a collection development pol-
icy statement that communicates the collection development scope of
each area. This is particularly useful if one is interested in the breadth
and depth of the library collection.
List of Academic Business Library Links
http://www .I ib. washington.edu/business/abl.html
http://web.bryant.edu/-canderso/buslib.html
http://dir.yahoo.comlReferencelLibraries/Business_Librarie sl
62 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

NOTES

1. Houghton, D. (2000). "Building an Academic Library Website: Experiences at

De Montfort University." Program, 34 (3), 271.
2. Battleson, B., Booth, A and Weintrop, J. (2001). "Usability Testing of an Aca-
demic Library Web Site: A Case Study." The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 27
(3), 188.
3. Trieschmann, J.S.; Dennis, A.R.; Northcraft, G.B.; and Niemi Jr, AW. (2000).
"Serving multiple constituencies in business schools: M.B.A program versus research
performance." Academy of Management Journal, 43 (6), 1130-1141.
 A Brief Primer
for Business Statistics Web Sites
Steven Greechie

SUMMARY. This chapter outlines key sources for business statistics, in-
cluding governmental sites and resources from private companies. [Al1icle
copies available for a fee from The Hawol1h Document Delivery Service: i-800-
HA WORTH. E-mail address: <[email protected]> Website: <http://www.
HawOIthPress.com> © 2002 by The Hawol1h Press, inc. All rights reserved.}

KEYWORDS. Business statistics, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
We need to define what is being'referred to as a business statistic. A
statistic is a measurement-quantitative information. For the purpose of
this study, a business statistic is defined as any measurement that is use-
ful in business. But is there any measurement that would notbe useful to
the businessperson under the proper circumstances? The reach of the
business world is so broad, and its research so probing, that no area of
knowledge can be categorically excluded.
In defining the parameters of our examination, we will limit this study
to resources that offer quantitative information. But not necessarily ex-
clusively quantitative; it is often necessary to examine a text document to

Steven Greechie is Research Associate, McGraw-Hill Companies (E-mail: steven_

[email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "A Brief Primer for Business Statistics Web Sites." Greechie, Steven.
Co-published simultaneously in lOl/nUlI ofBusilless & Fillance Librarianship (The Haworth Information Press,
an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No.2, 2002, pp. 63-70; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to
Key Information Resources (ed: Gary W, White) The Haworth Information Press. an imprint of The Haworth
Press, Inc .. 2003, pp. 63-70. Single or multiple copics of this article arc available for a fee from TIle Haworth Docu-
ment Delivery Service [I-SOO-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: docdelivery@
haworthpress.com ].

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp ?sku=1 109

© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
10.130011109v08n02_07 63
64 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

find the needed measurement. Further, we will limit the scope of the ex-
amination to those Web sites that are not restricted to a specific industry.
It is important to remember that not all areas of a Web site are equally
useful. We might be impressed with a site's data on u.s. finance, while
its coverage of international data may be scant or even unreliable. We
do not feel obliged to comment on every area of a Web site, or even on a
Web site as a whole.
While the primary concern in examining a Web site is its content, an-
other major consideration must be the interface. The development of
search engine technology has not kept pace with the accumulation of
material on the World Wide Web. It is common for a Web site to con-
tain an abundance of useful information that is inaccessible to any re-
searcher who has not learned its idiosyncrasies. In many cases, we do
not use the resource often enough to maintain the specific search skills it
demands and we need to relearn with each use. We do not reject a re-
source, however arcane its search technology may be, but it is not possi-
ble to assess a Web site thoroughly without considering the interface.
We note there is a vast difference between free information and in-
formation that has a price. We cannot expect free data to have the depth
or the reliability of priced data. This does not imply that free data is use-
less; indeed, we often could not do without it.

PRIVATE WEB SITES

Dialog Web
(http://www.dialogweb.com )
DialogWeb (fee-based) is the most straightforward of the compre-
hensive options for accessing the more than 600 Dialog databases. This
Dialog aggregator offers data in an enormous range of areas, including
industry, market, and product information. There is company informa-
tion available for u.s. and international firms that are both public and
private. DialogWeb is one of the resources most likely to help in re-
search for private company data. More technical data is available in the
various areas ofreference, such as science and technology.
Happily, the "Guided Search" option does not demand the infamous,
esoteric Dialog search language.
One of the relevant databases, TableBase, contains tabular informa-
tion regarding industries, markets, and products. With the Dialog data-
bases, indexing is an invaluable tool. The various output options in
DialogWeb allow you to identify the characteristics ofthe search results
 Steven Greechie 65

before purchasing the entire documents. Dialog's content has always

been of primary importance to the researcher; now the interface is up-
dated, and the enhancement is invaluable.
DRI-WEFA
(http://www.dri-wefa.com)
The V.S. Macro database (fee-based) on the DRI-WEFA site gives a
ten-year forecast of the V.S. economy, updated monthly. It also offers a
twenty-five year forecast, updated semi-annually. The data items here
would satisfy the most specialized economist. They include a long list of
financial indicators, such as GNP, GOP, imports and exports, CPI, etc. It
looks at consumer markets, housing and construction, investment, gov-
ernment, inflation, and labor. It offers projections, as well, of GOP for
global regions. The researcher can retrieve packages of data or the entire
forecast. It takes specialized training, and patience, to utilize this re-
source, but this is the definitive source for dependable projections.
Dun & Bradstreet
(http://www.dnb.com!)
There are few resources available for the researcher looking for in-
formation on private companies. It is here that Dun & Bradstreet
(fee-based) is uniquely useful. The Business Information Reports give
the financial information on private companies that is not usually avail-
able elsewhere. The various areas of the report are updated on different
schedules. It is not comprehensive because it only has figures that pri-
vate companies choose to give them. Still, we could not do without it for
basic data and the interface cannot be faulted.
Hoover's
(http://www.hoovers.com!)
The free material on this site is impressive, with basic company
financials, corporate affiliations, and number of employees on each
company page. American and foreign public companies are covered,
and even some private companies. It is not in-depth material but it is de-
signed to quickly meet common needs. There is also an area for IPO's.
The fee-based material goes into considerably more detail for public
companies, with financial ratios, company history, key personnel, lead-
ing brands, competitor comparisons, and other information. This is very
processed data, a thorough introduction to a company. For free or for a
fee, searching is easy.
66 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

LIVEDGAR
(http://www.gsionline.com/info.htm)
The "Company Filings" area of this fee-based database offers mate-
rial that the SEC offers for free. So why pay? Because the material has
been reformatted, so it is more palatable for the user. The nasty tags on
Edgar documents are gone, and you can link to the various areas of the
document. The functionality is also improved so the financial informa-
tion may be viewed in Excel.
This Web site makes electronic filings available as soon as the SEC re-
ceives them. Many paper filings are also available, and the database
reaches back farther than the Edgar database on the SEC site. It is also easy
to search. In this fee structure, the user accumulates charges by the minute;
many researchers will find this preferable to paying by the document.
S&P NetAdvantage
(http://www.netadvantage.standardandpoors.comlnetacgi/netadv)
The eleven (fee-based) Standard & Poor's databases that form this re-
source contain data on a range of business topics focusing on investment.
Company information covers stocks, bonds, directors and officers, divi-
dends and the various financials figures; the well-known S&P tear-sheets
are available. In addition, there is material covering mutual funds and se-
curity dealers, as well as information from the S&P Industry Reports.
The interface is clear, and the information is designed so that links ap-
pear for data related to whatever is on the screen. The supple search mecha-
nisms allow you to search by parameters such as measures of size and loca-
tion. This is an indispensable resource for company or investment research.
TradStat
(http://www.tradstatweb.coml)
TradStat, one of the specialized (fee-based) products from Thomson Dia-
log, uses data from the governments of twenty-six countries to produce trade
information. It often identifies trading partners. The report options are de-
signed to present various types of data for products, countries, or aggregate
data for the EU as a whole. There is a specialized report identifying trends.
This search tool is supple, and there are various personalization op-
tions, including options for currency and formatting. Some yearly data
goes back twenty years, and it is possible to create alerts. TradStat claims
to record ninety percent of world trade, but then it also claims to be "the
only way to obtain trade statistics online." For those who need informa-
tion regarding international trade, this site should not be overlooked.
 Steven Greechie 67

u.s. GOVERNMENT
FedStats
(http://www.fedstats.govl)
The site is the portal to statistics, largely free, from over 100 federal
agencies. The straightforward home page immediately gives a choice of
access tools. "Topic Links," the index, is perhaps the most direct way to
maneuver. There are a couple of ways to access statistics by geography.
Data for a range of disciplines may be found by state, county, political
division, or by other geographic entities. The data may be from FedStats
itself or from other agencies. V sers can link to a small collection of fed-
eral statistics publications available online, and there is an amazing
search engine that can search across all federal agencies.
It is noteworthy that we find here a list of federal agencies with statis-
tical programs, their coverage, and even key statistics. The site, on
whole, is a terrific tool for researchers exploring the federal statistical
terrain. It makes locating government data surprisingly straightforward.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
(http://www.bea.gov/)
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is the agency of the V.S. Depart-
ment of Commerce that profiles the economy through a wide span of
data (largely free) on income, output, wealth, flow of products, etc. It
measures personal income as well as the Gross Domestic Product. This
is all broken down by industry, state and region. It also offers, "on a re-
imbursable basis," the regional economic multipliers that calculate the
effect of change in one industry to another.
International figures are included as well. It is here that you will find
the definitive information regarding V.S. direct investment abroad and
foreign direct investment in the V. S. as well as the international balance
of payments. Material regarding international accounts is detailed by its
various elements. The data also covers U.S. affiliates of foreign compa-
nies and U.S. multinationals. The site is not difficult to use and for a de-
tailed economic assessment it cannot be faulted.
u.s. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(http://www.bls.gov/)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the agency of the V.S. Department
of Labor that compiles data on the myriad facets of the economy. Its
68 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

most widely known product, the Consumer Price Index, from which the
inflation rate is calculated, is published online monthly; the Web site of-
fers a handy inflation calculator that does the computation. There are a
host of other free stats available here in areas from productivity and
wages to unemployment and industry data, often by state or metropoli-
tan area. It is not only U.S. data on the site; a surprising amount of for-
eign data is online here, including international comparisons of such
data as the Consumer Price Index, Gross Domestic Product, and pro-
ductivity. Data may be selected to create a customized report and ac-
cessing the information is .straightforward. This data could answer
many researchers' needs directly or by inference.
u. S. Census Bureau
(http://www.census.gov/)
The U.S. Census is an agency of the Department of Commerce and
an enormously important resource for free and fee-based information.
The home page along with its family of linked pages has enormous
value. There is a lengthy and useful "Subjects Index," as well as a page
with several tools for searching the site. A page labeled "Data Access
Tools" offers "Interactive Internet Tools" (which refers to sub-areas of
the site) and downloadable software for specialized use.
Labeled links on the page lead to the enormous wealth of census data,
notably those links labeled "People," "Business" and "Geography." Even
a relatively minor area such as that labeled "State and County Quick
Facts" can be enormously useful when needed. "American Fact Finder"
is a portal for population, housing, economic and geographic data. It is a
universe of information.
u.s. Census: 1997 Economic Census Data
(http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/econ97.html)
The 1997 Economic Census is the heart of census data for many re-
searchers. There is an astounding amount of information available and
the organization of the data is complex to the point of being arcane, but
we could not do without it.
It includes industry data for all sectors including summary statistics by
industry, and industry statistics by state and zip code, as well as data for
businesses without paid employees, and a section for "Minority- and
Women-Owned Businesses." There are nineteen sector-specific reports,
each of which is actually composed of digital documents. The heart of
 Steven Greechie 69

these is the set of documents comprising the "Subject Series," where the
pithy information regarding receipts and companies is to be found.
There is an important page called "Consolidated List of PDF's" that
disentangles the documents by categorizing them into series: "Core
Business Statistics Series"; "Subject Series"; "Industry Series" (a na-
scent area); and "Geographical Area Series." To use a single example of
the valuable material here: a document called "Company Summary"
has aggregate information with U.S. businesses categorized by many
characteristics such as form of organization, industry sector, race, etc.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(http://www.sec.gov/)
The Securities and Exchange Commission, of course, is the regula-
tory organization for the securities market. All American public compa-
nies with assets of ten million dollars or more and with 500 or more
shareholders are required to file statements electronically. These docu-
ments include many of the common financials: annual reports, quarterly
statements, proxy statements, etc.
Companies began filing electronically between 1993 and 1996.
Users can retrieve all these filings directly and easily from this Web
site. The required filings of foreign companies traded in the U.S. are
also available. Users can also search mutual fund filings and prospec-
tuses. All of the material is free.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Eurostat
(http://europa.eu.intlcommleurostatl)
It is not clear from the site's confusing home page (in English) that it
is the statistics page of Europa, "The European Union Online." Beneath
its over-designed interface there is a wealth of economic indicators re-
garding the E.U. Users get an impression of its overall depth through the
labels of the up-front data tabs: "General Statistics"; "Economy and Fi-
nance"; "Population & Social Conditions"; "Industry Trade & Ser-
vices"; "Agriculture & Fisheries"; "External Trade"; "Transport";
"Environment & Energy"; and "Science & Technology."
Much data regarding trade, economics, and demographics is avail-
able for free; other data is priced. It is not the easiest site to use, but the
information is valuable and highly specific. Researchers focusing on
European information would do well to master its intricacies.
70 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

(http://www.oecd.org)
The OECD functions over a huge range of concerns (economic, trade,
social, scientific, etc.). The topics are arranged in the index on the home
page. The researcher may start with the statistics link at the top of the page
and choose an area of study. Or users may select the "Search" option,
which will allow for the screening of results by theme. Either way, it is a
unique system, providing the researcher with a means of retrieving the data.
Note that economic and social indicators are available by country and
region. Much free data is imbedded in the OECD reports, but for a direct
avenue to the data, users are recommended to choose the statistics link
whenever one is available. It is possible to personalize the Web site and to
receive e-mail alerts. The researcher may not find this data anywhere else.
World Bank
(http://www.worldbank.org)
The World Bank is concerned with development assistance. In its
work, it produces databanks of free indicators resulting in an enormous
trove of information. This site offers development indicators for over
200 countries. These fall into the more familiar business areas of labor,
economic growth, and debt and trade, but they extend to a great many
other fields, such as health, education, environment and gender issues.
There is hardly a global issue that is not represented here. General and
specialist researchers alike will find the World Bank databases useful. In
fact, they may well find unexpected aggregate data. For example, topic
indicators of the site's various subjects are designed to provide such fig-
ures as aggregate GOP for chosen regions. As global economic research
engages more attention, this site will become increasingly popular.
World Trade Organization
(http://www.wto.org/)
The business of the WTO is the analysis of global trade, and it natu-
rally produces the definitive data in this area. Its latest publication, Inter-
national Trade Statistics 2001, is in itself an invaluable free resource. In
assessing world trade, it gives detailed analyses by region and sector,
identifying key trends. Much of the data is specified at the country level.
The site's historical series presents aggregate data back to 1980 and
specifies the goods and services information by country, region, and eco-
nomic sector. All of this information can be downloaded into Excel format.
It may take time to find your data, but it would be difficult to research im-
port-export business comprehensively without the help of the WTO.
 Career Information and Salary Surveys
Matthew 1. Wayman

SUMMARY. The "Career Infonnation and Salary Surveys" chapter pro-

vides an overview of important resources for locating career and salary
information. Also included are comprehensive career Web sites. [Article
copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-
HA WORTH. E-mail address:<[email protected]> Website: </utp:I/lw./W.
HaworthPres~:com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press, 1m'. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Careers, salaries, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

There are many Web sites that provide information on careers and
salaries. As with any popular topic, both good and bad sites exist. My
intent, of course, is to filter out the "bad" and retain only the "good."
Hopefully, I have made the lives of those seeking high-quality ca-
reer/salary Web sites a little easier.
This article is divided into four separate sections. The first lists
metasites, or sites that simply provide links to other sites, but do not neces-
sarily provide a great amount of career-oriented information themselves.
The second section lists sites that contain information on both careers and

Matthew J. Wayman is Reference Librarian, Penn State Abington (E-mail: mjw13@

psu.edu).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Career Information and Salary Surveys." Wayman, Matthew J.
Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information
Press. an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc,) Vol. 8. No.2, 2002, pp. 71-79; and: The Core Business Web: A
Guide to Key lnjCirmalion Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp. 71-79. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The
Haworth Document Delivery Service [l-SOO-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:
docde Ii [email protected].

hUp://www.haworthpress.comlstore/product.asp ?sku=J I 09
© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
I 0.1300/Jl 09v08n02_08 71
72 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

salaries. The third and fourth sections list sites that provide only career in-
formation and only salary surveys, respectively.
Some sites provide general information on careers and/or salaries in
a large number of fields of employment, and still many others focus on
one specific field (or a very small number of focused and related fields).
Some sites contain information that is not specific to one geographic re-
gion of the United States, and many others are location-specific. This
article focuses on only those sites that both contain information on
many fields and are not location-specific. There is one exception to
these rules: Web sites containing information on military careers have
been included, and are listed in the appropriate section depending on
whether they include information about military careers, salaries, or
both. Military careers are often not included in other career and/or sal-
ary Web sites. Further, only sites that have information on careers in all
branches of the military are listed here; sites providing information on
careers in only some branches have not been included.
A few sites I have included are those of college/university career cen-
ters and placement offices. These sites can prove extremely useful, es-
pecially for recent graduates or those planning to graduate soon, and are
often the most creative and innovative. Although each college or uni-
versity, by design, tends to help its own students most, much of the in-
formation provided should prove useful to any job seeker. Information
typically provided includes average starting salaries, often listing the
minimum, maximum, and average, and often divided by major. Some
excellent examples are available from the placement offices at Texas
A&M University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Many Web sites containing information on careers and salaries pro-
vide a very small amount of information up front, then require purchase
or the payment of subscription or membership fees for more detailed in-
formation. These sites, for the most part, have not been included in this
article. A small number of sites listed do contain some documents that
may be purchased, but every site present should have a decent amount
of information available free.
A recurring problem with metasites is that they tend to contain many
dead links. I have made an attempt to limit the inclusion of metasites to
only those that have very few dead links. It seems that it is nearly impos-
sible to find any metasites with no dead links whatsoever.
Anyone interested in finding career-specific Web sites may find
them listed in some of the metasites included below. Those searching
for location-specific information should try looking at the Web sites of
local newspapers, and will often find useful information in the Web
 Matthew J. Wayman 73

sites of local (and sometimes state) government agencies that deal with
labor and employment.

ME TA SITES
Career Adviser
(http://www.careeradvisor.com)
Either enter an occupation in the search box or select the appropriate
field from the bottom of the page. Resulting pages will provide links to
a variety of Web sites for associations and organizations associated
with that profession which provide relevant information. Look specifi-
cally at sites listed under the "Perspective" section, with the subset of
"Job Outlook and Salaries."
Exploring Occupations, Student Counselling
and Career Centre, University of Manitoba
(http://www.umanitoba.ca/counselling/careers.html)
This site provides a long list of occupations. Clicking on any occupa-
tion brings up a page with links to relevant Web sites providing further
information. Sites listed for each occupation generally include those of
professional organizations and other career-based sites with entries for
each occupation.

CAREERS AND SALARIES

America's Career InfoNet
(http://www.acinet.org)
There are a number of valuable resources available on this Web site. The
user can search for jobs by employability and required level of education
from the home page, select ajob family and then an individual occupation
and state from the "Wages & Trends" tab, find further resources from the
"Career Exploration" link, or go directly to the "Resource Library." A
unique feature is the presence of brief, narrated, one-minute, twenty-sec-
ond videos displaying each occupation in practice (RealPlayer required).
Armed Forces Careers. com
(http://www.armedforcescareers.com)
A great source for information on military careers, click on either
"Enlisted Careers Options" or "Officer Careers Options" for lists of ca-
74 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

reer tracks. Cliclcing on any career will provide a table with brief de-
scriptions of those careers and information on which branches employ
people in those fields. The "Plan Your Military Career Today!" link
also provides relevant information, such as benefits, pay, and rank in-
signias (necessary in order to understand the pay chart).

Bureau of Labor Statistics

(http://www.bls.gov)

The two portions of this site that are most relevant to the topic at hand
are "Career Guides" and "How Much People Earn." The former con-
tains the current, online editions of the Occupational Outlook Hand-
book and Career Guide to Industries. Both are searchable by career or
industry, and are appropriately cross-referenced. The "How Much Peo-
ple Earn" section provides a wide variety of data through several
sub-sections, including salary by occupation and by geographic area,
hourly wage earnings, and employee benefits, to name a few. The "Oc-
cupational Employment Statistics" home page provides useful national,
state, and metropolitan area wage information by occupation (available
at http://www.bls.gov/oes/).

Career Chase
(http://www.careerchase.net)

The most relevant section is the "Career Center." Under "Interviews"

is a list of fields; clicking on a field generates a list of available "Infor-
mational Interviews." Each interview provides a profile of that profes-
sion, and has answers to several questions, such as why that person
entered the profession, what the application requirements were, what
his or her daily tasks are, what the salary range is, etc. Each interview
also lists the age and gender of the interviewee.

Career10urnaLcom
(http://www.careerjournal.com)

From the Wall Street Journal, this site provides career-related articles
and information. Click on the "Salary & Hiring Info" tab and select a
career to view relevant articles and salary tables, or select one of the
other options from that tab's drop-down box. The salary calculator is a
great feature which shows the relative cost of living between two cities
selected by the user. Most other information on this site provides ca-
 Matthew J. Wayman 75

reer-related advice, such as tips for interviewing and "Career Killers" to

watch out for in planning a strategy.

CareerPlanit: Resource Mining

(http://www.careerplanit.comlresource/profile.asp )

Either select a field of study under "To search by major ... " or select
a specific job under "To search by job title ... " Searching by major pro-
vides a list of potential jobs, linked to any available profiles, for people
pursuing study in that subject. Similarly, selecting a career provides a
list of majors that people working in that career are likely to have stud-
ied. One interesting feature in each profile is the "Types of employers"
section, which lists types of companies and business sectors likely to
employ people in that profession.

College Grad. Job Hunter

(http://www.collegegrad.com)

"Career Info" can be selected from the navigation menu on the left
side of the page. Users may do a keyword search, browse by category,
or view all listings. Each entry provides a rather lengthy description of
that occupation, along with sections on working conditions, chances for
employment, training and/or qualifications required, and earnings, to
name a few. The included salary calculator links to that on Salary.com.

CollegeBoard.com: Career Browser

(http://www.collegeboard.comlapps/careers/index)

After selecting one of the available occupation groups, a list of spe-

cific careers will be available. Select a career, and a lengthy description
will appear. Each section of every job description is thorough, with de-
tailed information on required education, earnings, and job outlook. Re-
lated occupations are appropriately cross-referenced. Worthy of note
are the "Sources of Additional Information" sections found at the end of
each profile.

JobProfiles.org
(http://www.jobprofiles.org)

Select ajob category on the left side of the page, then select a specific
career from the resulting list. The amount of information about the job
76 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

provided in a profile depends upon the individual contributor, but all

profiles have some standard elements. Those elements include type of
college degree(s) required, size of organization, salary, andjob descrip-
tion. Other interesting inclusions are the stresses and rewards of each
listed profession. Note that less than 1% of profiles are unsolicited, and
only favorable profiles are posted.
jobStar
(http://jobstar.org)
The two sections most relevant are "Career Guides" and "Salary
Info." Each section simply provides links to other Web sites providing
information on each topic. Many of the resources are very general, and
some are included in this bibliography, but others are extremely loca-
tion- or career-specific.
The Princeton Review: Career Assessment
(http://www.review.comlcareer/index.cfm)
The "Investigate Careers" section allows the user to select a career,
then see a page-long profile of that career. Other sections of particular
interest are "Tools," which provides a "Career Assessment Quiz" and
information about college majors and what career options are available
for graduates with those degrees, and "Advice," which has a "Myth vs.
Reality" test for a number of careers and "Professional Profiles" of sev-
eral figures (both current and historical) with interesting careers.
Quintessential Careers
(http://www.quintcareers.com)
The most useful portion of this site is the "Career Resources Toolkit,"
available from the "Open Our Career Toolkit" 1ink. Some items con-
tained within are career- and job-related articles, quizzes, and assessment
tools. It's interesting to note that articles are divided into three different
sections-for teens, for college/graduate students, and for experienced job
seekers and career changers.
SaiaryExpert.com
(http://www.salaryexpert.com)
From the home page, select a career and geographic location (U.S. or
Canada), then click on "Get Free Report." The resulting page will dis-
play salary information for the selected career in that location, plus a
 Matthew J. Wayman 77

brief description of what someone in that profession would normally

do. Links to position descriptions for related jobs are provided, but
viewing them often requires the input of personal information and/or
the payment of a fee.
WetFeet.com: Career Profiles
(http://www.wetfeet.comlasp/careerlist.asp )
Select a career from the list of profiles. Each profile provides the stan-
dard information for that career, such as general description, require-
ments, job outlook, and compensation. To the right of each profile is a list
of "Recommended Resources," which has hyperlinked Web sites of or-
ganizations and associations that can provide further information.

CAREERS ONLY
The Career Key
(http://www.careerkey.org/english)
The most relevant section is "You," available from the top right side of
the page. After entering some personal information, the site provides a
list of options. If the user starts with "take the Career Key measure," the
site will help the user to determine hislher personality type and personal
interests, then provide advice on potential careers and suggest relevant
majors in college. All job profiles provided link to the online version of
the Occupational Outlook Handbook, available through the Bureau of
Labor Statistics Web site, listed elsewhere in this bibliography.
CareerZone
(http://www.nycareerzone.org/)
Select one of six different fields, then select a specific career. Note that
lists of careers are very long, and there are several sorting options. Each
career has a rather lengthy entry including a description, required skills,
abilities, knowledge, and education, and a job outlook. The "Similar
Jobs" section cross-references to other available entries. Many jobs listed
also have a RealPlayer video of someone at work in that profession.
Military Career Guide Online
(http://www.militarycareers.com)
There are many ways to get started from this site's home page. The
user can select "Intro to the Armed Forces," "Search the Guide," "How
78 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

to Get Started," or scroll down in the page to select more information on

"enlisted occupations" or "officer occupations." Each occupation con-
tains a summary, lists of "Civilian Counterparts," "Helpful Attributes"
for those interested in that occupation, "Physical Demands," and "Spe-
cial Requirements," to name just some of the information provided.
Icons at the top of each page denote which branches of the Armed
Forces employ people in those occupations.
Monster.com: Career Center
(http://content.monster.com )
Under "Resources" in the right-hand navigation bar are links to sec-
tions for "Career Changers" and "Salary Center." "Career Changers"
contains a variety of resources providing information on non-profit ca-
reers and making the transition from military to civilian life, and the
"Job Q&As" section provides interviews with people holding a number
of different jobs. The "Salary Center" simply links to other Web sites.

SALARIES ONLY

BestlobsUSA.com
(http://www.bestjobsusa.com)

For salary information, click on the "Salary Survey 2001 Exclusive"

link in the navigation bar on the right. There is a brief article about sala-
ries and a list of professions. Each profession has a separate PDF docu-
ment (requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader) which lists average salaries for
each level within that profession. Under "Best Jobs University," there is
further salary information from the "Starting salary ranges for college
grads" link, which lists average salary by major. The rest ofthe Web site
deals mostly with resume writing and has databases for job fairs and job
postings.

Defense Finance and Accounting Service: Military Pay

(http://www.dfas.miUmoney/milpay)

This site provides current and past pay information on military ca-
reers and other financial and benefits information for military person-
nel. Note that in order to understand the salary tables, the user must
know the E-, W-, and O-systems that designate military ranks (see the
 Matthew J. Wayman 79

Armed Forces Careers site at http://www.armedforcescareers.com for

excellent tables displaying ranks and insignias). Users interested in mil-
itary careers should also be sure to look at the Basic Allowance for Sub-
sistence (BAS) and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), which often
supplement military incomes.

Economic Research Institute: Career Planning

(http://www.erieri.comlfreedata/careecplanning/index.cfm)

ERI provides salary information with a twist. Select a career, and

ERI provides you with a free report indicating estimated annual salary
for the year 2015. Further information is available to paid subscribers or
in the form of actual survey results which may be purchased.

Salary. com
(http://www.salary.com)

The most useful resource on this site is the "Salary Wizard," which
many other career and salary sites link to or incorporate in their own
pages. It allows the user to select a career and geographic location, then
determine what the average salaries and salary ranges are for the vari-
ous ranks within that profession. "Salary News," "Salary Advice," and
"Salary Talk" are also useful salary resources on this site, but the "Ca-
reer Resources" section is actually a job posting board, and does not
contain any information about working in various careers.

Wage Web
(http://www.wageweb.com)

Wage Web simply provides national average salary data for a number
of professions (170) within eight different business fields. Also listed
are the average minimum and average maximum, average bonus, and
the numbers of companies responding with the number of employees in
each position. More information on geography and industry is available
to subscribing members.
 Company Information on the Web
Stacey Marien

SUMMARY. Company information is a fundamental area of business re-

search. This chapter covers Web sites for company research tutorials, an-
nual reports, company directories, and SEC filings. [Article copies available
for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Selvice: l-800-HA WORTH. E-mail
address: <[email protected]> Website: <hJtp://wW'fI'.Hawort/zPress.com>
© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All righJs reserved]

KEYWORDS. Company information, annual reports, company research,

Web sites

INTRODUCTION
The Web sites reviewed for this section were chosen from a variety of
sources. The Education Committee of the Business Reference and Services
Section (BRASS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)
of the American Library Association (ALA) maintains a "Best of the Best
Business Web Sites" (http://www.a1a.org/rusa/brass/besthome.html). Sites
were selected from their "American Corporations" section. Some sites
were selected from browsing through the Business and Economy section
of Yahoo!
Most of the sites were chosen from the author's personal business
Web page. Over the years, the author has maintained an extensive list of

Stacey Marien is Business Librarian, American University (E-mail: smarien@

american.edu).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Company Infonnation on the Web." Marien, Stacey. Co-published si-
multaneously in Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Infonnation Press, an imprint of
The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No.2, 2002. pp. 81·94; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Informa-
tion Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.,
2003, pp. 81-94. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document De-
livery Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: docdelivery@haworth
press.com].

http://www.haworthpress.com!store/product.asp ?sku=] 109

© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.13OO/Jl 09v08n02_09 81
82 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

business Web pages, many of them gathered from the Internet Scout
Report's Business and Economics Newsletter. Sadly, the Scout Report
for Business and Economics was discontinued due to lack of funding.
The following reviews are arranged by types of company informa-
tion. The first section is on Web sites that offer tutorials on how to do
company research using the Internet. The second section lists sites
where annual reports may be obtained; the third section lists company
directory sites. The fourth section contains links to sites that offer SEC
filings, and the last section is company research sites.

COMPANY RESEARCH TUTORIALS

Many students do not know where to begin when researching a com-
pany or industry. The following three Web sites provide information on
how to get started with the research.
Company Research
(http://iws.ohiolink.edu/companies/)
This Web site was put together as a collaborative project between
Youngstown State University, Bowling Green State University and
Kent State University librarians. It details a step-by-step approach to re-
searching companies and industries. Print and electronic resources are
recommended throughout the guide. The "Company Research" section
begins with suggestions on how to determine a company's ownership
status. Once the ownership is established, the user can choose the ap-
propriate category such as "Public," "Private," "International" or "Sub-
sidiaries" to explore for information. The "Industry Research" section
is divided into four segments: structure (SICINAICS); industry pro-
files; current development; and statistics. The authors have also in-
cluded sample business course syllabi, library assignments and class
assignments to further help students with their research.
Researching Companies Online
(http://home.sprintmail.coml-debflanaganlindex.html)
Debbie Flanagan, a Training and Development Manager for a medical
equipment manufacturer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has put together this
site on using free Internet sites for business research. Some of the topics
covered are "High-Level Company Information," "Sales Prospects,"
"Telephone and Addresses," "Financial Information," "Professional As-
 Stacey Marien 83

sociations," "Industry Information" and "Non-Profit Organizations."

While the site does not go into great depth on how to do the research like
the previous site, one nice feature is the tutorial that accompanies the user
when an Internet resource is selected. When an Internet resource is cho-
sen, two frames are opened. One frame contains the actual site, while the
second frame has instructions on how to search the site and suggestions
as to terms to use to do the search.
Stock Naked: Uncovering a Company History
(http://www.sls.lib.il.us/reference/por/features/99/comphist.html)
Stock Answers: Finding Historical Stock Prices
(http://www.sls.lib.il.us/reference/por/features/99/stock.html)
Nell Ingalls, a research librarian for the Illinois Suburban Library Sys-
tem Reference Service, has written two articles on using old stock certifi-
cates to research a company and how to find historical stock prices. In
Stock Naked, she gives a step-by-step approach on how to proceed in re-
searching a company's history when presented with an old stock certifi-
cate. The site provides information on print resources, fee-based services
and scripophily (collecting old commercial paper) sources. In Stock An-
swers, Ingalls outlines the steps to take to find historical stock prices for a
company and provides print and electronic resource suggestions.

ANNUAL REPORTS
Most annual reports can be found on the company's home page. It is
usually located under the "Investor's Information" area. There are sev-
eral Web sites that provide access to annual reports.
PRARS
(http://www.prars.com )
The Public Register Annual Report Service (PRARS) provides com-
pany financials, including annual reports, prospectuses or 10k filings on
over 3,600 public companies. The annual reports are free but need to be
ordered through the site. One can search by company name, ticker sym-
bol, industry or state. There is a guide available that gives an introduction
to reading annual reports. The Online Annual Report Service (http://www.
annualreportservice.com!) is PRARS' s online access to annual reports
and provides reports for over 2,000 companies. The reports are provided
84 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

in PDF format while some selected companies have had their reports con-
verted to HTML file format.
Annual Reports Service
(http://wsjie.ar.wilink.com/)
This is a free service provided by World Investor Link and Wall
Street Journal Interactive. Reports can be accessed by company name or
industry. Hard copies of the reports can be requested and are mailed
within twenty-four hours. Some reports are available in PDF format.

CAROL-Company Annual Reports Online

(http://www.carol.co.ukl)

Annual reports for Asian, European and U.S. companies can be

found through this free site. Companies are listed by region, then in al-
phabetical order by name. Searching can also be done by choosing a
sector such as "Banks," "Entertainment," "Insurance" and "Pharmaceu-
ticals." The financial information is organized by area: "Profit & Loss";
"Cash Flow"; "Balance Sheet"; "Chairman"; "Shareholder"; "Five
Year Review" and "Highlights"; as well as the actual annual report. The
level of financial information available for each company varies. The
"IR Links" area provides a list of Web sites for foreign stock exchanges,
investment sites, professional bodies, vendors and media. The "News
Source" section (which requires registration) provides merger, acquisi-
tion and takeover news. It is often difficult to find financial information
for foreign companies and CAROL provides a useful service.

AReport.com, Annual Reports of the World's Biggest Companies

(http://www.areport.com/)

The only information available about the authors of this site is a con-
tact link that shows photographs and e-mail for three people. There is no
information on who they are or what is their background. This site of-
fers free annual reports although there are fee-based compilation pack-
ages that provide reports on a CD or can be downloaded from the site.
Reports may be searched by company name or ticker symbol and there
is an index to the company names. Advanced searching allows reports
to be chosen by industry, geographical area (foreign companies are in-
cluded), revenues, and stock exchange or ranking index. There are four
indexes available to search: "Rank 1000 USA"; "World 500"; "E 50";
 Stacey Marien 85

and "Eurostoxx 50." The "Rank I 000" is the top I 000 companies in the
U.S. by revenue, the "World 500" is the top 500 companies in the world
by revenue, the "E 50" consists of fifty representative U.S. companies
of the new economy, and there is no definition gi ven for the "Eurostoxx
50" index. There is a link on the home page to a list of companies that
fell off the Rank 1000 list and the reason for the disappearance. The re-
sults list may be displayed by revenue (largest to smallest and vice
versa), company name or industry.
Once a company is selected, a table appears with the company's
name, industry type, ticker symbol and stock exchange, a link to the an-
nual report on the company's home page, country of origin, revenues,
and their ranking in the four indexes. Even though there is no author or
currency information on the site, it has user-friendly searching capabili-
ties, links to current reports, results sorting options and the various
ranking lists to choose.

COMPANY DIRECTORIES
Businesses in numerous categories may be searched by using Yahoo!' s
Commerical Directory (http://dir.yahoo.comlBusiness_and_EconomylBusiness_
to_Business/). The following sites provide information on businesses in
specialized categories.
Nonprofits
GuideStar-The National Database of Nonprofit Organizations
(http://www.guidestar.org/)

Guidestar, a project of Philanthropic Research, Inc., contains infor-

mation on over 850,000 nonprofit organizations based in the United
States. If you know the name of the organization, you can use the quick
search option. If you want to browse organizations, then the advanced
search must be used. You can search by organization name, keyword,
city, state, zip, category, nonprofit type, income range, EIN (Employer
Identification Number) and NTEE (National Taxonomy of Exempt En-
tities) Code. The information supplied for each company includes mis-
sions and programs, goals and results, financial filings (if required by
the IRS), leaders and a Web site if available. Supplemental information
such as an analyst report is available for subscribers. A list of Web sites
of interest to nonprofits is listed. GuideStar is an excellent site for other-
wise hard to find nonprofit information.
86 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Idealist.org
(http://www.idealist.orgl)

Idealist.org provides information on over 24,000 nonprofit and com-

munity organizations in 153 countries. Searching can be done by name,
mission, location and area of focus. There is an index of organizations
by country. Information on each organization includes mission state-
ment, contact person, phone number, e-mail contact and Web site ad-
dress if available. While the company information on this site is not as
extensive as Guidestar, Idealist.org does provide job and volunteer list-
ings for opportunities around the world. There is an extensive list of ma-
terials and resources for topic areas. The strength of this site is its global
coverage of nonprofit organizations.
Manufacturing
Thomas Register
(http://www.thomasregister.com )
This is the free online version of the well-known Thomas Register of
American Manufacturers. The user must register in order to access the in-
formation. There are over 168,000 companies included in the site with
68,000 product and service categories. Searching is done by keyword
within the chosen categories of products and services, company name or
brand name. A sample search for food equipment yielded a results list of
forty-nine companies. A company profile is given and depending on the
availability, an online company catalog, a Web site address, an online or-
der form, a CAD drawing and an e-mail contact. Once the initial keyword
search is done, the results may be limited by state. There is an online form
for those companies who wish to be listed at the site.
General
Corporate Information
(http://www.corporateinformation.coml)
Corporate Information seems to be test driving a new site that re-
quires registration. When the URL is chosen, a pop up menu advises us-
ers to register at the new site in order to continue to have access to the
information. Once registered, an easy to use search menu is available.
Drop down menus allow searching to be done by company name, indus-
try and country. The "Company Research" section contains company
profiles from a variety of sources, research reports and sales, and price
 Stacey Marien 87

and earnings information. The "Country Research" section contains a

list of companies by country and a list of general links to other Web sites
related to that country. The "Industry" section lists companies by the se-
lected industry category, sorted by country, and includes links to other
relevant industry Web sites. There is a "Research Exchange Rates"
search menu and an option to search for the Top 100 companies in a va-
riety of categories. There is no help screen to give any hints on how the
searching capabilities work. Quotations are required for phrase search-
ing but that was found out by trial and error. There is a wealth of infor-
mation available on this site and it remains to be seen how the new
registration requirement will differ from the old site.
Kompass
(http://www.kompass.com )
This is a subscription site but some information is offered for free.
When searching on a product, you get a company list. A directory list-
ing for some companies is available, otherwise you must subscribe to
access the information. A search is done by geographic region, then by
product category. For example, contact information for gas production
companies in Africa is available. Kompass provides a business-to-busi-
ness search engine with over 1.6 million companies and twenty-three
million product and service references listed.

SEC FILINGS
Sites that previously provided free access to SEC filings such as 10K
Wizard (http://www.tenkwizard.com/) and Free Edgar (http://www.freeed
gar. com! or http://www.edgaronline.com) have now become subscription-
based services. The following sites offer SEC filings for free.
Security and Exchange Commission's Edgar database
(http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml)
According to their site, "the SEC requires all public companies (except
foreign companies and companies with less than $10 million in assets and
500 shareholders) to file registration statements, periodic reports, and
other forms electronically through EDGAR." The dates for filings cov-
ered in this site are from 1993 to the present and the information is free to
access and download. A tutorial for newcomers is offered along with a
description of the various SEC forms. A separate search menu is avail-
able to find the more common filings such as the 10K, 10Q and 8K. There
88 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

is a search help section. Searches for special purpose filings such as mu-
tual funds and prospectuses can also be done. Interestingly, there is a link
on the home page to other sites that provide free real-time access to
EDGAR filings and the one listed is http://sec.freeedgar.coml.This is a
section of the previous mentioned Free Edgar site. There are documents
available for free here but only for the current day's filings.
SEC Info
(http://www.secinfo.com )
Finnegan O'Malley, a software development company, created the
SEC Info database. It searches both the SEC's Edgar database and the
Canadian equivalent, SEDAR, and only lists electronic filings. The in-
formation on the site is free although registration is required to access
the full range of documents available. The simple keyword searching
may be done by company name, industry, business, SIC code, area
code, topic, zip code, CIK (Central Index Key), accession number, file
number or date. The search terms are then scanned through five areas:
"Registrants"; "Group Members" (non-registrant filers such as subsid-
iaries); "Names" (directors, officers, accountants, etc.); "Industries"
(2-4 digit SIC codes); and "Businesses" (5-6 digit SIC codes). A sixth
area, "Topics," is not automatically searched. All of the areas may be
searched indi viduall y .
A sample search was done for the company Amgen. Four records un-
der "Registrants" were produced. For each company, the first and last
filing dates are given along with the company name, ticker symbol and
the regulator (such as the u.S. SEC or Canada CSA). Four group mem-
bers were listed, all subsidiaries of the parent company, Amgen. No
other categories produced results. A separate search under "Topics"
produced fifty-three records. Each of these records represented filings
where the word "Amgen" appeared. Once the company name is chosen
from the "Registrants" results list, the full range of filings is listed. For
Amgen, filings from 1994 to February 2002 were available. An e-mail
notification option for all future filings of the company is on this page as
well as a keyword text box that allows searching over the filing pages.
Alternative categories for documents are available from the home
page such as "Today's Filings," "IPO Filings," "M&A Deals," "Insider
Trading," "Proxies," "Late Filing Notices" and "SEC Deleted Filings."
There is a help screen that contains information on how to contact the
SEC, CSA or individual companies as well as a FAQ about the SEC Info
 Stacey Marien 89

database. SEC Info is an easy database to use and is an excellent way to

search both U.S. and Canadian company filings.

EdgarScan
(http://edgarscan.pwcglobal.comlservlets/edgarscan/)

Developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Centre, EDGAR

SCAN reads and analyzes SEC EDGAR documents, primarily 10K (an-
nual) and lOQ (quarterly) filings. Data may be searched by company
name or ticker symbol although the day this reviewer looked at the site,
this function was not working properly. A list of company names was
obtained but when a company was selected, the search screen reap-
peared. Companies were found more successfully through the "Initial
Public Offering" link and the "Standard Industrial Classification" link.
When SIC is chosen, a list of companies per SIC code is listed. A com-
pany name is selected and then a list of financial tables from its filings is
available in an Excel friendly format.

COMPANY RESEARCH

There are too many company research sites to come close to review-
ing them all. Some of the sites provide up to date financial news stories
such as Corporate Financials Online (http://www.cfonews.com/). Some
of the sites focus on regional companies such as SiliconValley.com
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/) or industry specific companies such as
Tech Investor (http://contenUechweb.comlinvestor/). There are many
sites that focus on Internet companies such as Dotcomscoop (http://www.
dotcomscoop.com). The Web sites that follow are just a sample of what
is available on the Internet to do company research.

AmericanCompanies.com
(http://www.americancompanies.coml)

For a change from the usual company research resources, visit

www.americancompanies.com.ltis the brainchild of John Newbegin
who decided to take a cross-country trip and photograph the office
buildings of the Fortune 500 companies. He took two months to finish
the trip and photographed 350 companies. There are a total of 525 com-
panies listed on the site, including previous company photos Newbegin
had taken in New York City. Newbegin is also the author of New York
90 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

City Skyscrapers (www.nycskyscrapers.com) that "takes a look at all

those tall buildings in New York City."
The site is arranged by location and industry. For location, the sites
are divided by region: West; Midwest; South; East; and New York City.
Under "Industry," the companies are arranged in the broad categories of
"Manufacturing," "Service," "Financial" and "Information Technol-
ogy." Each of these areas is further divided into individual industries
such as "Automotive," "Clothing," "Drug Stores," "Hotels," "Banks"
and "Internet."
The information for each company includes their address, Web site,
year 2000 sales and earnings, a description of their business and a pho-
tograph of their headquarters. The featured company when this site was
reviewed was Enron and it included a stunning photograph of their
headquarters in Houston. This is a fun site to visit to see where all those
Fortune 500 companies conduct their business.

Business.com, The Business Search Engine

(http://www .business .COlnl)

This Web directory and search engine was "developed by a team of

industry experts and library scientists and contains more than 400,000
listings within 25,000 industry, product and service subcategories." The
twenty-five categories range from accounting to transportation and lo-
gistics. Searching may be done by keyword; the search function auto-
matically "ands" the terms and allows for stemming. The search results
produce a list of sites within the subject categories. Each of these sites is
briefly annotated and at the end of the list are other suggested categories
to try for information.
Searching may also be down by company name or ticker symbol.
There are a wide variety of information sources available for each com-
pany when the Google search option is used. A search for "K Mart" pro-
duced a link to their home page, news articles, an encyclopedia entry
and their Team Kmart NASCAR site.
The searching capabilities were tested by using "Kmart." When
searched as one word, the business.com categories came up. At the end
of the category list, there is an option to search for Web sites using
Kmart. When searching by company name and using Kmart as one
word, a company profile is available as well as brief financial informa-
tion. When either search option is used with K Mart as two words, the
results list is produced by Google and doesn't include any of the site's
 Stacey Marien 91

categories. One needs to use all variations of a name in order to get a

more complete list of resources.
This is an excellent resource for business searching. The site is easy
to navigate and loads quickly. The site has strict editorial criteria as all
potential1istings must be business oriented and are reviewed by the edi-
torial staff.

Business 2.0
(http://www.business2.comJ)

Business 2.0 was started by Imagine Media in 1998 as a business

magazine that covered the people and companies involved in the "New
Economy." The magazine and corresponding Web site was acquired in
June 2001 by the FORTUNE Group and merged with its eCompany
Now publication. A new Web site was introduced a month later and
combined the information from the former Business 2.0 site and the
eCompany Now site. The content of the site includes over 11,000 busi-
ness and technology topics, editorial archives, a searchable database of
articles from Business 2.0, eCompany, Fortune, Money, FSB and
C/Net, and a networking area for people to expand their contacts. The
site is updated daily.
One may search the site by keyword and resource (Business 2.0,
eCompany, Fortune, CNET, Money and FSB). A search was done for
the company JDS Uniphase and the results list contains two information
areas. The first area is the "Web Guide Search Results" and the second
area is "Article Search Results." When the company name is selected
from the "Web Guide" area, a list of Web sites is produced which in-
clude links to the company's home page, a company capsule by Hoo-
ver's, SEC filings, and articles from other sources such as the Motley
Fool and The New York Times. Other links under the "Web Guide" in-
clude a list of players in the telecommunication industry, players in the
optical network industry, company career pages for the telecommunica-
tion industry and business listings for networking and devices. There
were 252 articles listed under the "Article Search Results" area that
came from the original six resources searched. There is an option to for-
mat the articles for printing or e-mailing them.
There are other subject listings available for browsing on the home
page. These listings include "Magazine," "Archives," "Newsletters,"
"E-Business," "Marketing," "Technology" and "Talent Pool." There is
a "Web Guide" that is described as an "annotated directory of the best
e-business links selected by research experts." The directory topics in-
92 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

clude "Acronyms," "Building an E-Business," "Careers," "Internet

Economy" and "Security." Registration is required in order to be a part
of the "Talent Pool" networking feature and to receive e-mail notifica-
tion for future articles. Business 2.0 is an easily searched site that pro-
vides an extensive amount of free information.

Hoover's Online
(http://www.hoovers.com)

Hoover's is well known for its business directories and their online site
provides some business information for free. There are over 17,000 com-
panies in Hoover's proprietary database (they provide premium access to
over twelve million public and private companies). Company capsules
include address, Web site, a brief snapshot, subsidiary locations, corpo-
rate hierarchy, competitors and links to news stories. Company financials
are provided when available. The industry snapshots provide information
for twenty-eight sectors. When a sector is chosen, a list of companies
within that industry is listed, an industry profile is given, and links to re-
sources about the industry as well as associations and organizations are
provided. Hoover's makes available on their home page different busi-
ness lists such as the S&P 500 and the Fortune 500.
A nice feature is "IPO Central," which provides links to IPO filings,
pricings, news and a directory of all companies that have filed for an ini-
tial public offering of common stock since May 6, 1996. There is an IPO
scorecard that gives statistical data on offerings, a list of the best/worst
returns, a list of biggest first day jumps and drops and a list of CEOs
who profited nicely from their IPOs. There is a beginner's guide to IPOs
and an SEC document primer. Under the "News Center," "Company
News" is divided into several categories including "Mergers & Acqui-
sitions" and "Internet News." The "News Center" also includes "IPO
News," "Market News" and "Industry News." There is a wealth of free
information available on this site.
Three other sites where IPO information may be found are Investquest
(http://www.investquest.com!), IPO.com (http://www.ipo.coml) and IPO
Maven (http://www.123jump.com/ipomaven.htm/).
Investquest is a subscription service; however, they do offer a section
that lists recently filed IPOs. A search may be done for recently filed
S-1 and S-ll registration statements for companies with public offer-
ings. Companies are searched by clicking on the corresponding letter of
the alphabet. The results list for the companies lists the document name
and filing date. The document link goes directly to the SEC's Edgar da-
 Stacey Marien 93

tabase. Investquest provides an option to request e-mail notification for

recent filings.
IPQ.com's mission is that "all investors should have access to quality
news and analysis surrounding the IPQ market." Some of the resources
covered on their site include news analysis, IPQ calendar, pricings and
filings, company profiles, after market performance, and withdrawals.
Much of the information is free although analysis reports may be pur-
chased for a fee. A drop down menu allows searching to be in a number
of areas such as "IPQs," "Secondaries," "Underwriters," "Law Firms,"
"Executives" and "Quotes." A search for Pay Pal produces a company
profile that includes a link to the home page, company vitals, execu-
tives, a business description and a list of competitors. Qther information
available on PayPal is SEC filings, final price of the offering, total
shares, underwriters, shareholders, news stories and current status of
stock.
There are several resource guides on the home page to help users
such as an "IPQ Glossary," "IPQ Guide" and "Venture Capital Guide."
A sidebar offers quick statistics on IPQs and includes IPQs filed in
2002, IPQs postponed or withdrawn in 2002, and IPQs priced in 2002
using Arthur Andersen as their consultant.
IPQ Maven offers similar information as IPQ.com and is a section of
123jump.com. Under the "IPQ Center" area are links to "This Week's
IPQs," "IPQ Calendar," "Recently Priced," "IPQ Reports" and "Sector
Watch." Searching may be done by ticker symbol, company name or
state. Free registration is required to access some information such as
the archives and to receive a selection of IPQ related newsletters. The
"IPQ Reports" cover financials, competitors, business environment,
company strategy, and product/services portfolio.

Wall Street View

(http://www.wallstreetview.com)

This site is a "financial portal that provides access to a wide range of

news and information on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures, options
and personal finance." The directory topics include "Today's Market"
(e.g. "IPQ" and "Market Qverview"), "Mutual Funds," "Research,'"
"Reference" and "Editorial." The categories may be browsed or com-
pany information may be searched by ticker symbol. Qnce a company
has been searched, a tool bar appears with the possible information
available such as profile, news, opinions, performance, ownership and
sec filings. Subscription is required to access some of the real-time data.
94 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Wall Street Research Net

(http://www.wsrn.com)

WSRN is an extensive research site that provides information on over

29,000 companies, mutual funds and indexes. There are eleven sections
such as "Company Research," "Market Data," "Historical Download,"
and "IPOs" under the "Stocks" heading and four sections ("Sector Stats,"
"Internet stocks," "Industry News," and "Economic Calendar") under the
"Industries" heading. Companies may be searched by name or ticker
symbol (there is a ticker symbol lookup feature). Once a company is se-
lected, the results list is presented in several sections. The "Key Links"
includes the company's horne page, SEC filings, earnings estimates, bro-
ker recommendations, competitors and partners. All of this information is
free. The next several sections provide fee-based information (denoted
by a $) such as annual financial statements, stock price and volume his-
tory and company profiles. WSRN also provides a data center for its sub-
scribers. Other free information includes stock graphs and charts, news
stories and links to what WSRN calls value added sites. A search was
done for Amgen Inc. and its value added links included Clinical Labora-
tory News, FDA horne page, World Health Organization and National
Center for Health Statistics.
A nice feature under the Company Research is the inclusion of Cana-
dian stocks that are traded on the Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Al-
berta exchanges. There are several other sections under the "Features"
heading. "Economics" provides links to resources such as the U.S. De-
partment of Commerce, National Bureau of Economic Research, Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics, and Resources for Economists on the Internet.
"Resources" provide links to "Equity Publications," "Market Re-
sources" and "Trade Associations." Although premium data is only
available through subscription, there is plenty of free information pro-
vided by this site to satisfy researchers.
 Consumer Information on the Web
Ken Johnson

SUMMARY. The consumer information chapter covers important Web

sites for consumer protection, advocacy, and awareness as well as sites re-
viewing specific products and services. [Article copies availableforafeefrom
The Haworth Document Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address:
<[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2002
by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Consumer information, consumer protection, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
Power to the people! Well, maybe. The information purporting to rep-
resent consumer interests has never been more readily available on the
Web than now. However, the amount of consumer information pales in
comparison to the staggering amount of commerce related Web sites that
want consumers to spend their hard earned dollars. Proponents of com-
merce argue convincingly that consumers have never before had such
"perfect" information on countless products and services available on the
market. Company Web sites and online retailers provide product descrip-
tions, photographs and performance data for their product lines, and in-
creasingly, the consumer is one click away from a live customer service
representative available to answer any lingering questions. While "per-

Ken Johnson is Reference & Instruction Librarian, Business Specialty, Appala-

chian State University (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Consumer Information on the Web." Johnson. Ken. Co-published si-
multaneously in Journal of Busi'less & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of
The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No.2, 2002, pp. 95-101; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Informa-
tion Resources (ed: Gary w. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.,
2003, pp. 95-1O\. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document
Delivery Service [1-8oo-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: docdelivery@haworth
press.com).

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp?sku=J 109
© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
lO.l3oo/Jl 09v08n02_lO 95
96 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

fect" information may be available (assuming you take it with a grain of

"perfect" salt) consumers are still left with the decision of how best to
spend their money. Which product is most reliable? Where can I find re-
call information on this manufacturer? To whom do I complain when
things go awry? Even with perfect information, consumers must still
make a decision that could impact their health, safety and finances.
A larger issue related to consumer information regards consumer advo-
cacy, protection and awareness. Numerous sites, many government
authored, address the privacy and safety concerns of the consumer. These
sites do not compete with product review Web sites, which evaluate a
product or service; instead, they seek to inform consumers on issues. Con-
sumer advocacy sites answer questions such as, "Where can I find informa-
tion on Internet privacy rights in the workplace?" Is a business in my town
acting legally? At the charity to which I contribute, how much money
goes to administrative costs? Who do I contact in my state on consumer
issues? Consumer advocacy sites can answer each of these questions and
more. Sometimes, one will be surprised as to which site holds the answer.
Bearing in mind the above statements, the following reviews relate to
these two aspects of consumer information available on the Web. The
first section covers protection, advocacy and awareness of consumer is-
sues. The second section regards evaluation of products and services.
To varying degrees, each site acts as a meta-site that will link a user to
other possibly valuable sources of information.

PROTECTION, ADVOCACY, AND AWARENESS

Consumer.gov
(http://www.consumer.gov)
Consumer.gov functions as a meta-site with links to other government
agencies, and departments on specific issues of consumer importance
like food, health, product safety, technology and transportation. An im-
age-based menu bar at the top of the site takes a user to the desired sec-
tions of the site. In addition, the site provides links to issues of current
importance to consumers. Part of the FirstGov collection of Web sites.
Consumerworld.org
(http://www.consumerworld.org)
This meta-site, founded by consumer advocate/attorney Edgar Dwor-
sky, combines information on consumer advocacy and protection
 Kenlohnson 97

with links to product and service reviews. As a non-governmental Web

site, Dworsky addresses the issue of objectivity and authority by stat-
ing, "Consumer World contains no banner advertising, and in over 99%
of the cases, receives no compensation directly or indirectly from the
sites listed." The site is arranged by topic and is easily navigable.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
(http://www.cpsc.gov)
As an Independent Federal Regulatory Agency, the CPSC conducts
research, collects statistics, recommends and enforces standards, issues
product recalls, and informs the public on problems with consumer
goods sold in the U.S. The site provides links to current and archived re-
call information and has an online ful1-text library of nearly 400 CPSC
publications on product safety and warnings and approximately fifty
current and historical statistical reports on injuries. In addition, the site
includes a current pressroom and a section for individuals, doctors and
businesses to report unsafe products. Also the CPSC provides links and
other information for the businessperson seeking product safety com-
pliance.
Better Business Bureau
(http://www.bbb.org)
The BBB has been around since 1912. Before the Web, one could
call the local BBB and check out complaints against a business or dis-
cover past complaints, then the BBB would help resolve the dispute be-
tween customer and business. With the current Web site, one may
research complaints on a business nationally, file a complaint and enter
into the dispute resolution process all with a few clicks. The site offers
full-text online publications that seek to educate consumers on issues
ranging from making wise purchase decisions to recognizing scams to
dealing with natural disasters. Another valuable service provided by the
Web site is the ability to research the giving patterns of a charity.
Give.org
(http://www.give.org)
A BBB companion site, Give.org provides detailed reports on the
charitable giving and organization of over 300 national and interna-
tional charities with a pie chart that shows the percent of giving for each
charity compared with administrative costs. The site also includes tips
on giving, a service to inquire or forward complaints to a charity, and a
98 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

detailed explanation ofthe Standards of Charitable Solicitations devel-

oped by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
COllsumer Illformatioll Cellter
(http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov)
Home of the famous Consumer Information Catalog, this Web site
provides the full-text of the publications included in the catalog as well
as a way to order, for a minimal fee, the printed version of the docu-
ment. For those unfamiliar, the publications usually are brief guides on
consumer issues. Broad categories include cars, computers, children,
education, federal programs, food, health, housing, money, small busi-
ness, travel, and more. The site also includes an online version of the
Consumer Action Handbook, a 148-page guide that provides leads to di-
rect assistance with consumer problems.
Federal Trade Commissioll
(http://www.ftc.gov)
The FTC enforces a broad spectrum of consumer protection laws to
ensure fair competition in the marketplace. This site provides links to
useful information for consumers, but mainly offers information on a
larger scale than the individual consumer may need. However, one may
register a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint form. One
unique feature of the FTC site is the Registered Identification Number
(RN) lookup. From the site, a registered identification number is a num-
ber issued by the Federal Trade Commission, upon request, to a busi-
ness residing in the U.S. that is engaged in the manufacture, importing,
distribution, or sale of textile, wool, or fur products. Such businesses are
not required to have RNs. They may, however, use the RN in place of a
name on the label or tag that is required to be affixed to these products.
Take a look on the tag of your favorite shirt and you are likely to see the
RN number listed. Search the RN database and find out who manufac-
tured that garment.
Filld It! COllsumer (Washillgtoll State)
(http://finditconsumer.wa.gov)
Find It! Consumer is a search engine of more than 100 consumer re-
lated Web sites. A searcher can limit to Washington State or search sites of
national interest. One may also browse by topic and see a list of top searches.
Search results are ranked by relevancy. This site is ajoint project with se-
lect government agencies of Washington State and the State Library.
 Ken Johnson 99

Public Citizen
(http://www.citizen.org)

Ralph Nader founded the Public Citizen in 1971 as a consumer advo-

cacy organization dedicated to represent consumer interests in Con-
gress, the executive and legislative branches of government. This site
allows one to track legislation important to consumers, contact elected
representatives and take action on issues considered important to the or-
ganization. The national divisions of Public Citizen provide links and
advocacy information in their areas of concern. These divisions include
auto safety, Congress watch, critical mass energy and environment pro-
gram, global trade watch, and the litigation group. As a political group,
users may not agree with positions taken by the Public Citizen.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

(http://www.privacyrights.org)

The PRC is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in

1992 at the University of San Diego Center for Public Interest Law. The
site includes over thirty "Fact Sheets" that provide sensible tips on pro-
tecting personal privacy and Web links to deal with specific problems.
Areas covered include Internet privacy, identity theft, workplace pri-
vacy, email security, telemarketing, junk mail, and financial privacy.

Direct Marketing Association

(http://www .the-dma.org)

While not a consumer advocacy site, the DMA site provides an ex-
ample of useful consumer information in a site dedicated to increasing
commerce. Members of the Direct Marketing Association are responsi-
ble for sending most of the junk mail, national telemarketing calls and
national email solicitations. Knowing that many consumers do not wish
to receive these mass mailings and telephone calls, the DMA provides a
method to have a name removed from the mass marketing lists of its
member organizations and businesses. The page at the following ad-
dress (http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/consumerassistance.html) pro-
vides step-by-step instructions on how to remove a name from mailing,
telemarketing, and e-mail lists. This site also provides an interesting
perspective on the scope of direct marketing in the U.S.
100 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

PRODUCT/SERVICE EVALUATION AND OPINION

Consumer Reports
(http://www.consumerreports.org)

CR, the most well known source of consumer product and service re-
views, also includes articles on consumer advocacy and issues. The
Consumers Union started the magazine in 1936 with the stated mission
to test products, inform the public and protect consumers. The Con-
sumer's Union accepts no outside advertising and supports itself on
print and online subscriptions to Consumer Reports and related publica-
tions, and through noncommercial donations, grants and fees. The on-
line Consumer Reports costs $4.95 monthly or $26 annually. A price
break is given for print subscribers. Although not free, the reputation of
Consumer Reports magazine warrants inclusion in any list of consumer
information Web sites. The site is well organized and searchable by
broad topic or keyword. Reports are included for about the last four
years.
Consumer Guide
(http://www.consumerguide.com)
Consumer Guide magazine has been published for thirty years and its
"Best Buy" and "Recommended" designations are well known to con-
sumers. The site is searchable by broad subject, brand name and key-
word. The product reviews are understandable, but often times the
editor's review criteria are not explained which questions the authority
of the reviews. This site does accept outside advertising.
Epinions.com
(http://www.epinions.com)
Here is a site where the consumer rules. Epinions.com collects actual
owner reviews of over two million products, claims the Web site. The
site maintains about one million reviews, which means that almost one
half of the available products are not reviewed. Anyone can contribute a
review either positive or negative, and the Epinions.com editors pro-
vides as much information as possible about the reviewer in order to as-
sure a level of authority. Users then rate the reviews for helpfulness,
which allows Epinions.com to place the most helpful reviews at the top
of a results list. Epinions.com blurs the lines between product reviews
and commerce by providing a best prices list of online retailers, but the
 Kenlohnson 101

practice of ranking actual owner reviews works well. This site does ac-
cept outside advertising.
Consumersearch.com
(http://www.consumersearch.com)
This site takes a different approach than most product review sites, and
the results are top notch. Instead of reviewing products, Consumersearch.
com ranks and reviews the reviewers. For a given product, a user will
likely find an analysis of the reviews by Consumer Reports, Consumer
Guide and other online or print publications. The site covers the full spec-
trum of consumer products, and includes fast facts, where to buy infor-
mation and the full story on the reviews. The site.does accept outside
advertising.
What's TheBest.net
(http://www.whatsthebest.net)
Started in 1998 by a group of management consultants from Straight
Path Management, What's The Best began with one product review on
lawn mowers. They have since expanded to forty-nine different prod-
ucts. Each product review provides advice on how to shop for the prod-
uct, reviews of specific items, and a reader's forum where consumers
can ask for advice from other product owners and share their own expe-
riences. The site c1aims to be unaffiliated with any commercial interests
and their reviews are based on their own experience and research.
What's The Best contains hard to find buying guides like mattresses,
motorcycles, hot tubs, and hair loss remedies in addition to more stan-
dard products like kitchen appliances and home electronics. This site
does accept outside advertising.

ConsumerReview.com
(http://www.consumerreview.com)

This site primarily reviews sporting goods and consumer electronics.

The executives of ConsumerReview.com have designed "product com-
munities" which provide user submitted reviews and comments with
links to experts. The review content from ConsumerReview.com has
been sold to other sites inc1uding eBay and iWon.com. Product commu-
nities include audio, auto, videogames, mountain and road biking, out-
door products, and others. The site does accept advertising.
 A Guide to the Best Demography
Web Sources
Peter Linberger

SUMMARY. This chapter on Web sites for demographic data covers

sources from the government, international organizations, and universities
and research centers. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Docu-
ment Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address: <docdelivery@haworth
press. com> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2002 by The Haworth Press,
Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Demography, demographics, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

Demography can be defined as the study of human populations. De-

mographic information includes data on births, deaths, age, race, in-
come, education, occupation, and distribution. According to Pol,
demography and demographics are terms used interchangeably; al-
though they do not really mean the same thing. He goes on to say "de-
mographics is translated as static characteristics of a population such as
average or median family income. These data are used to describe mar-
kets or settings and have intuitive appeal because it is known that buy-

Peter Linberger is Business Librarian, The University of Akron (E-mail: pl@uakron.

edu).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note j: "A Guide to the Best Demography Web Sources." Linberger, Peter.
Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information
Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8. No.2, 2002, pp. 103-116; and: The Core Business Web: A
Guide to Key Information Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press. Inc .. 2003, pp. 103-116. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from
The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:
[email protected].

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/product.asp?sku=J 109
© 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.1300/J109v08n02_11 103
104 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

ing patterns, for example, vary from one demographically defined

group to another. The demographic perspective, however, emphasizes a
more in-depth understanding of the connection between demographic
characteristics and behavior. That is, demographic perspective connects
ongoing demographic changes such as increase in population size with
continued alterations in the business environment. Demography, or
population study, provides understanding of the popUlation processes,
for example, why birth rates fluctuate or why people move:'l
The use of demographic data and methods in business planning has a
relatively long history. As business strategy in general, marketing in
particular, began to move away from a mass-market approach to new
systems of segmenting and targeting populations during the 1960s, de-
mographic data proved useful in the identification of distinct market
segments. 2 Demographic methods, data, and theory have been used pri-
marily in marketing for site analysis, market area assessment, sales
forecasting, target marketing, advertising, strategic planning, as well as
new product introduction.
Traditionally, demographic information is gathered by various govern-
ment agencies, or from market research surveys and reports. Today, so-
cial scientists, managers, and marketers are turning to the Internet to ac-
cess demographic data. In addition to official government Web sites,
other institutions, organizations, and individuals are providing Web access
to various data. Having this data available and easily accessible can lead to
better decision-making, an advantage in the competitive business world.
This article lists and describes Web sites that contain demographic
data, along with sources of information to assist in demographic re-
search. Criteria for inclusion included the authority of the author; the
quantity of information and data; organization of information; ease of
use; and currency. In addition to the Web sites given here, it should be
noted that commercial sites are available for demographic information.
Some sites provide free data, and all provide products or generation of
specific reports for users for a fee (www.esribis.com; www.connect.
claritas.com; www.easidemographics.com).
Census and Demographics, Mansfield University
(http://www.mnsfld.edu/depts/lib/census.html)
This is probably one of the best Web resources for demographic re-
search and a good place to start when searching for information due to the
large number of links made available. Most of the listed sites are anno-
tated and are arranged in alphabetical order in the following categories:
 Peter Lillberger 105

"Census 2000"; "Databases and Data"; "Demographic Miscellany"

(non-data reference sources); "Economic Data"; "International Statis-
tics"; "Local Data"; "Pennsylvania Data"; and "Statistical Resources
Pathfinder." The site begins with a "Starting Points" section which pro-
vides links to mega-sites such as American Factfinder, Government In-
formation Sharing Project, University of Michigan's Statistical Resources
on the Web and the U.S. Bureau of the Census Homepage. The concise,
well-written, and evaluative annotations can help users in determining
which Web sources to consult and may help users narrow down their
search from the numerous sources available. Other links from this site in-
clude various Census Bureau pages, County and City Data Book, Statisti-
cal Abstract of the United States, economic census data, historical data,
international data, a glossary, and links to state data centers. The large
number of sites included, along with the annotations, makes this site one
of the best for finding demographic information.

CIESIN-Center for International Earth Science Infonnation Network

(http://www.ciesin.org)

CIESIN-U.S. Demography Home Page

(http://www.ciesin.columbia.eduldatasetslus-demoglus-demog-home.html)

CIESIN-Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center

(http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu)
CIESIN's mission is to "provide access to and enhance the use of in-
formation worldwide, advancing understanding of human interactions in
the environment and serving the needs of science and public and private
decision-making." Established in 1989 as an independent non-govern-
ment organization, CIESIN is currently a part of Columbia University's
Earth Institute and continues "to focus on applying state-of-the-art infor-
mation technology to pressing interdisciplinary data, information, and re-
search problems related to human interactions in the environment." From
the "Data & Information" section, users can browse, by subject, all data
and information products and resources developed by CIESIN and
CIESIN projects indexed by thematic area; access data conversion tools,
database query applications, and online mapping tools; download data
free of charge from FTP servers; access metadata catalogs numerous data
centers, government and international organizations.
The "U.S. Demography Home Page" contains a collection of appli-
cations and detailed descriptions of various data sources. It also identi-
106 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

fies and describes sources of demographic information and provides

links to national data resources, online supporting documentation, and
extraction tools for data access. These resources include Current Popu-
lation Survey, Economic Census data, County and City Data Book, Sta-
tistical Abstract of the United States, County Business Patterns, and
STF3A Census data.
The "SEDAC" (Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center) gate-
way provides links to various data resources such as the Global Popula-
tion Database and U.S. Census data. The "Demographic Data Viewer,"
a unique feature of this site, allows for interactive mapping of U.S. Cen-
sus data at various geographic levels. Users can also access the attribute
data once the map has been created online. Users can map and view
1990 census data at the regional, state, county, census tract; and block
level. Generated maps can be viewed and downloaded in a number of
formats including ASCII, Excel, dBase, and SPSS Portable. Hopefully,
the 2000 census data will soon be available from this site. This is a good
place to find what data is available, for accessing data, and for generat-
ing thematic maps.

Current Population Statistics

(http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm)

The Current Population Survey (CPS), conducted by the Bureau of

the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is a primary source of in-
formation for the U.S. labor force. The Bureau conducts monthly sur-
veys of approximately 50,000 households. Estimates obtained from the
samples include employment, unemployment, earnings, and hours of
work. These figures are available by demographic characteristics such
as age, sex, race, and by occupation, industry, and class of worker. From
the "Data" section users can choose from a number of publications in-
cluding Basic Monthly Survey, Annual Demographic Survey, and sup-
plemental reports such as Computer Ownership, Work Schedules, and
Employee Tenure. Searching by keyword is available across publica-
tions and documentation; however, data searching is done by using
FERRET (Federal Electronic Research and Review Extraction Tool).
Once data is chosen at the variable level, custom data tables are created
then sent via e-mail to users. Links to other labor and related surveys are
provided under the Related Surveys section. This is a good source for
those interested in examining characteristics of the U.S. labor force.
 Peter Lillberger 107

Data on the Net, University of California, San Diego

(http://odwin.ucsd.edu/idata/)

Over 800 Internet sites dealing with social science statistical data,
data catalogs, data libraries and social science gateways are available
from this site from the University of California, San Diego. Users can
conveniently browse through the extensive listing of Web sites in the
following categories: "Data," "Data Archives," "Searchable Catalogs
of Data," and "Distributors and Vendors of Data." The "Data" category
alone lists over 400 sites of numeric data. The Web sources within each
category are arranged in alphabetical order and most have detailed an-
notations. New and updated sources are available under a separate cate-
gory. Keyword searching across the database is available and that can
be a great advantage for users not knowing which category to choose.
For example, a search for "religion" will produce a list of Web re-
sources containing religion statistics. These include the American Reli-
gion Data Archive (Purdue University), and the International Data Base
from the U.S. Census Bureau International Programs Center. And fi-
nally, the "Social Science Gateways" category provides an extensive,
annotated list of sites covering both U.S. and international social sci-
ence related data. The extensive collection of Web links, the annota-
tions, and the keyword searching capability, make this site an excellent
research tool for accessing demographic data.

FedStats
(http://www.fedstats.gov)

This site, developed by the Federal Interagency Council on Statisti-

cal Policy, provides easy access to a full range of statistics produced by
over seventy U.S. government agencies. Federal agencies reporting ex-
penditures of at least $500,000 are included. Users can access statistical
data from various government Web sites by topic, program/subject
area, geographic area, keyword, and can also choose specific data listed
under each agency thereby saving time and bypassing the agency's
main page. Information and summaries of major statistical programs
and data available include the areas of agriculture, education, energy,
environment, health, income, labor, safety, and transportation. All of
the statistical information available through FedStats is maintained and
updated solely by Federal agencies on their own Web servers. The
agencies reporting demographic related data include the Bureau of the
Census, Agency for International Development, Office of Population
108 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the So-

cial Security Administration. From the "Statistical Reference Shelf'
section, users can access the full text of the Statistical Abstract of the
United States, State and Metropolitan Area Data Book, Health United
States, Digest of Education Statistics, and the Report on the American
Workforce. The MapStats section of this site allows users to access a
profile of a state, county, Federal judicial district, or congressional dis-
trict. This is a fairly comprehensive and easy-to-use site for accessing
demographic information.
GEOSTAT: Geospatial and Statistical Data Center,
University of Virginia Library
(http://fisher .lib. virginia.edu)
According to their home page, GEOST AT "supports a wide range of
academic and scholarly activities through access to extensive collec-
tions of numeric and geospatial data files; computing facilities and soft-
ware for data manipulation, research, and instruction; and a suite of
Internet-accessible data extraction tools." There is much information
available from this site; however, the most useful for researching demo-
graphics are the links to the U.S. Census page, ICPSR page, CIESIN's
page, County Business Patterns data, electronic versions of the County
and City Data Book, and links to some of the other sites covered in this
article. While not as comprehensive as some, this site is valuable for
providing access to the County and City Data Book data, and for anyone
needing to obtain geospatial information or data for mapping purposes.
Government Information Sharing Project, Oregon State University
(http://govinfo.kerr .orst.edu)
This Oregon State University site provides easy access to demo-
graphic, educational, and economic data from various U.S. federal gov-
ernment agencies. From the Demographic section of the site, users can
access statistics from USA Counties 1998, 1990 Census of Population
and Housing, Population Estimates by Age, Sex, and Race 1990-1998,
and Equal Employment Opportunity File, 1990. Users can also select
geographic regions from a map or scroll down menu; and then select
sets of data for display. Data can be provided at the national, state,
county, metropolitan area, city, town, or place level. The "Other Gov-
ernment Web Sites" section provides access to government resources
by subject and also gives a listing of major sites. A note of the home
page alerts users that "some data may not be available ... we are creat-
 Peter Lillberger 109

ing a new, more powerful version of this service, please bear with us."
Data from the most recent U.S. Census is not yet available, and the new
and more powerful version of the site will most likel y include year 2000
statistics. All of the information provided on this site can be found else-
where on the Web; however, the Government Information Sharing Proj-
ect is an example of a user-friendly site, and a good place to see some of
the types of demographic data that are available. Until this site is up-
dated, researchers will have to look elsewhere for recent demographic
data (Le., 2000 Census).
ICPSR-Inter-University Consortium/or Political
and Social Research
(http://www.icpsr.umich.edu)
The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
(ICPSR), based at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Re-
search, is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization serving col-
leges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. It is the largest repository
of machine-readable data in the world. ICPSR contains many resources
for researchers in the social and poHtical sciences, but is best known for
its large archive of data files. Users can browse the files by broad cate-
gories, or can search using a basic search engine. Results are generally
provided by tables with the study title and date, principal investigator,
and study number. Links are provided for users to read the abstract or to
retrieve the dataset. ICPSR is normally available to members of regis-
tered institutions, however non-affiliated individuals can contact
ICPSR for access information. The site is valuable for anyone trying to
find statistical information and also to determine what studies have
been done on a given topic.
Internet Crossroads in the Social Sciences
(http://dpls.dacc.wisc.edu/newcrossroads/index.asp)
The Data and Program Library Service (DPLS) of the University of
Wisconsin at Madison has developed a site that provides access to over
650 annotated links to data-related Internet resources. Categories are
listed in boxes, a nice user-friendly feature, and include these four cate-
gories: "U.S. Government Links"; "U.S. Non-Government Links"; "In-
ternational Government Links"; and "International Non-Governmental
Links." Information is subdivided further within each box into "Gen-
eral," "EconomiclLabor," "Education," "Geographic/Historical," "Po-
litical," and "SociologicallDemographic" categories. Direct links are
110 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

provided to widely used sites such as Census Bureau, FEDSTATS,

CIESIN, ICPSR, and Council for European Social Science Data Ar-
chives (CESSDA). Keyword searching is also available. Another nice
feature is the availability of dataset user guides such as the United Na-
tions Statistical Yearbook User Guide, and other resource guides to cen-
sus data, international data, and a FAQ section. This is another well
organized, and worthwhile site for finding demographic information.
Internet Resources for Demographers
(www.access4cheap.coml-tdgrynldemog.html)
Thomas Gryn of the Ohio State University's Department of Sociology
has assembled a site with pertinent links to resources in demography.
Links are assorted into six categories: "North American Delpography";
"International Demography"; "General Demography"; "Health"; "Geog-
raphy"; and "Other Link Collections." Links to popular Internet sites
such as the u.S. Census Bureau, CIESIN, Current Population Survey,
United Nations, and other demographic-related megasites are all avail-
able, some including brief annotations. A separate section lists Census
2000 sites as weB as a site describing 2000 data access and usage. Al-
though this site is not a comprehensive listing of demographic resources,
it does cover all the basic and most popular sites.
Penn State Population Research Institute, Population
and Demography Information
(http://www.pop.psu.edu/Demography/demography.htm)
According to the mission statement posted on the Penn State Popula-
tion Research Institute's site, "the institute encourages, organizes, and
supports innovative research and training in the population sciences."
This well organized site provides a large number of links dealing with
demography and begins with an alphabetical listing of Association of
Population Centers. These sites often provide links to other demo-
graphic resources. The categories continue with the "North American
Demographic, Population, and Social Science Data Servers" section,
which include links to CIESIN, and other academic population and data
centers. Other links are categorized and listed in the following catego-
ries: "U.S. Census and Government"; "Extractable Datasets on the
Web"; "International Data Sources"; "Country Studies"; "Professional
Associations"; and "Related Fields" such as anthropology, economics,
education, geography, health, and sociology. Users also have the option
of searching for data by using the search function. Although the links
 Peter Lillberger III

provided are not annotated, the arrangement and completeness makes

this site a valuable tool for accessing demographic information.
PopNet
(http://www.popnet.org)
PopNet is produced and maintained by the Population Reference Bu-
reau with funding and assistance from the U.S. Agency for International
Development. Founded in 1929, the Population Reference Bureau is the
leader in providing timely and objective information on U.S. and inter-
national population trends and their implications. "PopNet presents in-
formation on population topics such as demographic statistics, economics,
education, environment, gender, policy, and reproductive health. Its re-
sources include Web sites produced by government and international
organizations, non-governmental organizations, university centers, as-
sociations, and listservs." In addition to browsing by category, users can
also find relevant data and information by keyword searching, and list-
ings by topic, by region, and by type of information including graphs,
maps, datasheets, lesson plans, teacher guides, and newsletters. Links to
the various sites include annotations. From the "Datafinder" section of
the site, users can choose selected population and health variables by re-
gion, country, and data for the U.S. by state. Data for the U.S. comes
from the Population Reference Bureau's 2000 United States Population
Data Sheet. This is a good source for finding demographic information
by topic for U.S. and the world.
Population Studies Center, PSC, University of Michigan
(http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu)
Established in 1961, the Population Studies Center (PSC) at the Uni-
versity of Michigan is one of the oldest population centers in the United
States. ''The PSC is comprised of independent researchers who pursue
their own agendas with the support of the PSC cores." A large portfolio of
both domestic and international research is supported by the Center. Key
areas of demographic research are grouped into several major areas:
"Fertility, Family Planning, Health and Sexual Behavior"; "Marriage,
Family, Children, and Links Between Generations"; "Inequality, Social
Mobility, Race, and Ethnicity"; "Aging and Disability"; "Education and
Training." Users can access the Center's publications by keyword or au-
thor searching. From the "Data Archive and Data Support" section of this
site, users can choose "Data Home Pages Available on the Internet."
Links to various demographic data sites are accessible for both U.S. and
112 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Illformation Resources

international researchers. From the "Library" section, users can access

more demography sites by choosing "Demography Resources by Sub-
ject." Direct links to U.S. Census data, National Institute of Health data,
and popUlation centers are made available. Users can also search for re-
sources by format such as demographic agencies, population centers,
country statistics, journals/newspapers, or by subjects such as aging, de-
mography, fertility, immigration, ethnicity, health, and economics and
poverty. Links to Web sites are not annotated, but the quantity, arrange-
ment, and searching capabilities make this site a valuable resource for de-
mography and population research.
Statistical Resources on the Web, University
of Michigan Documents Center
(http://www.lib.umich.edulgovdocs/statsnew .html)
This site, developed and maintained by the University of Michigan's
Document Center, is a fairly comprehensive and very well organized re-
source for all sorts of data. Web resources are arranged into twenty-four
broad categories, which include demographics, health, labor, housing,
economics, cost of living, foreign trade, energy, environment, and sociol-
ogy. Each category has its own box and icon making this a very
user-friendly site. Within each category are links to statistical sites ar-
ranged alphabetically by title and most links are annotated which helps
users quickly evaluate content. Links found in the "Demographics" cate-
gory are arranged by "types" of data and include Census 2000 data, vari-
ous search engines and mega-sites for demographics, geography and
mapping, demographic profiles, access to and description of census sum-
mary tape files, 1990 census information and data, and historical census
data. The site also includes a sidebar with a main index; an alphabetical
list of over 100 subjects such as abortion, ancestry, census, population,
marital status, literacy, etc. A click on one of these subjects will take users
directly to links within one of the twenty-four categories. This is one of
the best places for finding demographic information due to its ease of use
and exhaustive list of data links. Users will understand why this site has
won a number of Web awards once they begin to access this site.
Statistics. com
(http://www.statistics.com)
The home page to this site has a similar look to the Yahoo! home
page, in that it gives a list of categories from which users can choose.
The categories, however, are all listings and links to statistical informa-
 Peter Linberger 113

tion. These categories include "Agriculture," "Business," "Crime,"

"Education," "Health," "Sports," and "Transportation." The category
for demographics is found under "Market Research & Demographics,"
and within this category users can choose from business, geography,
homes, language, population, and religions. Choosing the "population"
link gives users the choice of connecting to eighty-six Web sites relat-
ing to population information and statistics. Most of these sites are offi-
cial census Web sites for various regions and nations of the world. This
site also allows for keyword searching; a definite asset when searching
for any information. A link to a statistical terms and glossary dictionary
is also provided. A unique feature to this site is the free downloadable
software for statistical analysis, and the discussion board that is avail-
able to users of this site. This is a good site to consult for international
data, and for those interested in improving their knowledge and under-
standing of statistical methods and analysis.

Statistics and Statistical Graphics Resources

(http://www.math.yorku.ca/SCSIStatResource.html)

"This page provides an annotated, topic-based collection of available

resources for statistics, statistical graphics, and computation related to
research, data analysis and teaching, now containing over 580 links."
This site, created by Michael Friendly of the University of York, not
only includes access to statistical data, but also to journals, statistical
software packages, data visualization and statistical graphics resources,
online statistical courses, and other analysis tools. The "Data" section
provides links to Web sites such as ICPSR, Bureau of Justice, and other
social science data. The real value of this site is not the availability of
demographic data, although some is available, but the accessibility of
an extensive list of statistical analysis resource tools valuable to re-
searchers in a variety of disciplines.
United Nations Statistics Division
(http://www.un.org!Depts/unsdlstatdiv.htm)
The United Nations gathers and disseminates demographic data in a
number of categories. Data sources and links are provided under the fol-
lowing categories: "Demographic and Social Statistics"; "Statistical
Databases On-Line"; and "National Data Sources and Links." The most
useful section for researchers interested in finding international data is
114 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

the "National Data Sources and Links." Here, users can link to official
Web pages of national statistical agencies by country, and to Web pages
of international statistical organizations. Information from various UN
pUblications on statistics, statistical methods, international trade, de-
mography and population, social indicators, energy, environments, and
human settlements are given.

u.s. Census Bureau

(http://www .census.gov)

No guide to demographic Web sources would be complete without the

inclusion of the United States Bureau of the Census home page. The 2000
data can be accessed as soon as it is tabulated and users have a number of
search options available. To access data by geography, users can use
"American FactFinder" and obtain maps and tables of year 2000 data for
all geographies down to the block level. Keyword searching is also avail-
able for accessing data and census publications. Summaries of the most
requested data for individual states and counties are also available. In ad-
dition to the "American FactFinder" search engine, users have access to
the following interactive tools to find information: "CenStats"; "MapStats";
"QuickFacts"; ''TIGER Map Service"; "US Gazetteer"; "1990 Census
Lookup"; "Data Extraction System (DES)"; and "Ferret Data." Links to an
overview of the 2000 Census, summary files, news releases, data release
schedule, questionnaires, briefs and special reports, geographic and map-
ping products information, and historical census data are found under the
"Your new Gateway to Census 2000" section ofthe home page. This site
best serves researchers wanting the most recent Census data, projection
data, or information about the Census.

u.s. Census International Programs Center (IPC)

(http://www.census.gov/ftp/pub/ipc/www/)

This site, produced by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, provides ac-
cess to a wide variety of international demographic data. The most use-
ful section for demographic research and data is the "International Data
Base" or lOB. The lOB is a source of demographic and socio-economic
statistics for 227 countries and areas of the world. The lOB combines
data from country sources with the IPC's estimates and projections to
provide information from as far back as 1950 and as far ahead as 2050.
Amount of information by country varies. Major types of data available
include: population by age and sex; fertility; migration; ethnicity; reli-
 Peter Linberger JJ5

gion; language; literacy; labor force; income; and households. Sources

of the data come from the V.S. Bureau of the Census and from official
country and national statistics offices. Direct links to these offices is
available from an alphabetical list of nations.

World- Wide Web Virtual Library,

Demography and Population Studies
(http://demography.anu.edu.auNirtuaILibrary)

Provided by the Demography Program of the Australian National

V niversity, this site keeps track of leading information in the field of de-
mography, and provides an extensive, up-to-date list of Web resources.
The site is divided into six categories: "Associated Virtual Libraries";
"Census and Data Servers"; "Electronic Journals"; "Historical Demog-
raphy Resources"; "Demography and Population Conferences"; "Other
Demographic and Population Servers"; "Electronic Mailing Lists"; and
"Other WWW Servers of V se to Demographers." Links to data centers,
servers, population centers, research institutes, archives, journals, aca-
demic programs and departments, and government institutions are all
available from these categories. There is no keyword searching or anno-
tations to resources, but the most important links are listed. This site is
not only useful for finding data, but also valuable for population studies,
immigration, geography, sociology, and multicultural studies. Essential
for researchers who want to find a comprehensive look at demographic
information on the Web.

World Wide Web Virtual Library: Statistics

(http://www.stat.ufl.edu/vlib/statistics.html)

This site from the University of Florida's Department of Statistics in-

cludes an extensive list of links to numerous departments and schools of
statistics. While on the surface this would not seem useful for finding de-
mographic data, the home pages of these institutes often include a vast
collection of links to this type of information. The "Statistical Archive
and Resources" section to this site provides links to popular statistics sites
such as the V.S. Bureau of the Census, V.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
and Department of Commerce. Listed sources are international in scope.
The "Statistical Software Vendors and Software FAQs" section links us-
ers to a large number of vendors and information on statistical methods
and analysis. The large collection of links to statistics departments and
schools worldwide might seem to be overwhelming at first, but demo-
116 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

graphic researchers should consult this exhaustive list of resources for

both domestic and international demographic information.

White House Briefing Room

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/fsbr.html)

The White House Briefing Room is a good source for locating popu-
lar economic and demographic information from various federal gov-
ernment agencies. This site contains three major sections: "Economic
Statistics Briefing Room (ESBR)"; "Social Statistics Briefing Room
(SSBR)"; and "Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy"
(FEDSTATS). The "SSBR Demography" category is divided into four
sections: Crime; Demography; Education; and Health Statistics. Data
on income, poverty, housing characteristics, school dropout rates, and
college enrollment can be found. Even though the data tables provided
are general and not always available by geographic region, links to the
home pages of the issuing agency is available. The last section,
"FEDSTATS," is probably the most useful as this would put users di-
rectly in the FEDSTATS search page.

NOTES
1. Pol, L. G. (1987). Business Demography: A Guide and Reference for Business
Planners and Marketers. Westport, CT: Quorum Books.
2. Pol, L. G. & Thomas, R. K. (1997). Demographyfor Business Decision Making.
Westport, CT: Quorum Books.
 Best of the Web in Economics
Kristi Jensen

SUMMARY. The economics chapter covers key resources from govern-

ment, international, and working papers sites. There are also sections on ref-
erence sites and collections of economics links. [Article copies available for a
fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-I1Ulil ad-
dress: <[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com>
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Economics, Web sites

INTRODUCTION:
ECONOMICS INFORMATION AND THE INTERNET

Government Data and Reports

The Internet provides an ideal environment for the distribution of
economics information for several reasons. First, and perhaps most im-
portantly, government agencies produce much of the economics infor-
mation and have traditionally, at least in the United States, made it
freely available to the public. In the past, there was considerable delay
in the distribution of this information in print publications. With the ad-
vent of the Internet, government information can now be easily distrib-
uted as soon as agencies choose to make it available. Another advantage

Kristi Jensen is Earth Sciences Librarian, The Pennsylvania State University

(E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note): "Best of the Web in Economics." Jensen. Kristi. Co-published simulta-
neously in Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information Press. an imprint of The
Haworth Press. Inc.) Vol. 8. No. 3/4. 2003. pp. I I7 -131; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Informa-
tion Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.,
2003. pp. 117-131. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document
Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: docdelivery@haworth
press.com).

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/product.asp?sku=J 109
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.1300/J109v08n03_0l Il7
118 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

of the Web for the distribution of government information relates to the

dissemination of data and statistics. The Web environment allows agen-
cies to provide data in a downloadable digital format, thereby enabling
users to import and manipulate data in various software programs. Not
only can some of the most important economics information be pro-
vided in a more timely fashion; it can also be found in a more useful for-
mat than in the past.
Working Papers
A second reason for the prevalence of economics information on the
Web relates to one of the most popular means of distributing informa-
tion related to current research in economics, the working paper. Prior
to the advent of an extensive networked environment, information
about working papers was included in the same print, and later
CD-ROM, resources responsible for notifying researchers about recent
articles and papers in this field. After identifying papers of interest, re-
searchers next had to contact the writer or distributing organization in
order to access a copy. The networked environment of the Internet has
provided for the distribution of information about these papers via sev-
eral online databases and numerous organizational Web sites. Further-
more, the Internet environment allows researchers to directly download
many online economics papers.

Reference Resources

The Internet also provides a venue for the dissemination of econom-

ics information through traditional "reference resources;" including
economics glossaries, statistical abstracts, and biographical resources.
As with any topic, the Web is an excellent location to provide access to
historical information; a great deal of historical information is provided
on the Web for both important figures and schools of thought within the
field of economics.

Collections of Links

Finally, one of the most important functions of the Web is the ability
to link users to other resources by creating collections of links on a par-
ticular topic. Since this article is necessarily limited to only a handful of
resources, a selection of the best "collections" of economics links is also
provided. These "lists of lists" selectively gather the most interesting
 Kristi Jensen 119

and important resources together in one location and help users navi-
gate to important economics resources available online.
These four broad categories, Government Data and Reports,
Working Papers, Reference Resources, and Collections of Economics
Links, provide the framework for the "Best of the Web" resources de-
scribed in this article. Entries under each category are organized alpha-
betically by the title of the Web site rather than in order of importance.

Selection Measures: Identifying the "Best"

Due to the plethora of economics Web sites available, choosing only

a handful to represent the "best" proved challenging. After reviewing
hundreds of sites, nineteen were selected for inclusion. In' general, the
resources are meant for an acadeinic audience, but they may be of inter-
est to other parties as well. Furthermore, the focus of items selected is
on general economics resources rather than those providing information
about a specific sub-field or aspect, e.g., agricultural economics, envi-
ronmental economics, or Victorian economics. Numerous valuable
subject specific resources are available; however, those appealing to the
broadest possible audience were included here. Besides adhering to
these general guidelines, several evaluative measures were utilized to
determine the "best" online economics resources.

Substantial Content

First, the resources selected contain a substantial amount of important

information. The most important resources were identified not only by an
evaluation of the content provided but also by the frequency of referral
from various Web resources, especially referral from selective and highly
touted resources. Despite the fact that all sites selected include substantial
content, they do not necessarily contain the "most" content. Often the re-
sources that allowed users to most easily navigate to useful online eco-
nomics resources were selective rather than encyclopedic.

Organization

Second, another important measure utilized to evaluate economics Web

resources, especially those resources containing collections of links to other
resources, was organization. Organizational considerations evaluated in-
cluded descriptive categories chosen, consistent application of categories,
and inclusion of the major or important resources in each category.
120 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Free Content

Third, in most cases, the sites selected provide users access to informa-
tion freely available via the Web. Although many subscription resources
provide valuable economics data and reports, some of the most important
sites are freely available to everyone. Rather than describing or reviewing
sites some users may not be able to examine, only those resources avail-
able to everyone were chosen for this "Best of the Web" list.
Current Content
Fourth, a malaise associated with many Web resources is outdated
content or links. Most reputable sites include information about the
most recent update or the frequency of updates. Beyond examining sites
for this basic update information, link checking software was also uti-
lized in order to determine the percentage of active and functional links
for various sites. Only those sites with a small percentage of "bad links"
were included here.
Web Functionality-Design and Navigability
Finally, resources were selected that best utilize the functionality of
the Web to format and develop the content of their site or resources. Al-
though substantial, reliable content was an important factor, each re-
source also had to be well designed and easily navigable. Resources
consisting of a long list of barely legible items or data were not consid-
ered for inclusion. Rather, sites providing easy linking between similar
content or data displayed in formats allowing for the immediate inter-
pretation of data were selected. In other words, sites were evaluated not
just on the information they provided, but also on how well the online
resources functioned in providing access to the information.

BEST OF THE WEB-RESOURCES IN ECONOMICS

U.S. Government Data and Reports

Beige Book
(http://www.federalreserve.govIFOMClBeigeBookl20021)
The Beige Book is an anecdotal report on the state of the U.S. econ-
omy provided by the Federal Reserve Board eight times a year. The re-
port is generated based on feedback from "Bank and Branch directors
 Kristi Jensen 121

and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts,

and other sources." A summary for the entire U.S. for various sectors of
the economy is provided first; following the summary detailed reports
for each of the twelve regions of the Federal Reserve are given. An ar-
chive of the reports from 1970 to the present is available at the Federal
Reserve Bank of Minneapolis site (http://minneapolisfed.org/bb/index.
html).

United States Bureau of Economic Analysis

(http://www.bea.gov/)

The United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) provides

both gross domestic product (GDP) and economics account data related
to the U.S. economy. The BEA site provides access to a wealth of cur-
rent and historical online information.
First, National Income and Products Accounts Data (NIPA) can be
accessed from a number of entry points: an alphabetical keyword index
of products and industries; a list of all sections and tables included in the
National Accounts Data; a list of the most frequently requested tables;
or a list of selected NIPA tables. Once a section or product has been se-
lected, utilizing the enhanced data viewer provides data in a table for-
mat for a number of years for each variable. Users can choose particular
years of coverage, ranging from 1929 to the present, and refresh the ta-
ble to reflect their changes. Data can be displayed as annual or quarterly
summaries for most variables, although monthly summaries are pro-
vided in some instances. Researchers can also download comma sepa-
rated data for selected years or for all available years. Advanced
downloading options allow users to choose Excel formatted files or
comma separated values; either format can also be downloaded in a
zipped format if desired.
Another key resource on the BEA site is the Regional Accounts data
providing state and local area economic information. Data can be accessed,
viewed and downloaded in the same manner as the National Accounts
Data. If the interface at the BEA is not to your liking, feel free to access the
same data at the Regional Economic Information System available at the
University of Virginia (http://fisher.lib.virginia.edulreisl) or at Oregon State
University (http://govinfo.kerr.orst.edulreis-stateis.html).
Finally, other valuable resources can be accessed on the BEA site as
well. The U.S. International Transactions Accounts provide data related
to transactions between U.S. and foreign residents. Areas covered range
from import and export of goods to direct or portfolio investments. The
122 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

monthly publication, Survey of Current Business, is also published on-

line and contains recent updates of data, reports and analysis articles.

United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

(http://www.bls.gov!home.htm)

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Web site con-
tains an overwhelming amount of economic information. The site is di-
vided into major sections, including "Inflation and Consumer
Spending," "Employment and Unemployment," and "Wage, Earnings
and Benefits." Users can link to a description or overview of each area
or link directly to a sub-section of interest. For example, from the main
page, users can link to an overview of the "Inflation and Consumer
Spending" section, including a description of each of the areas con-
tained therein, or jump directly to the "Consumer Price Index" informa-
tion included in this section.
Data and infonnation is also summarized in specialized resources like
the "Economy at a Glance" tables. Current data is displayed for a number
of variables for a particular geographic location or industry. However, his-
torical data can also be displayed and refonnatted based on user prefer-
ences. Flat files containing the data can also be accessed and saved from
the BLS Data page.
In addition to these valuable data resources, the BLS site contains
other important infonnation sources. Subscribers to the print journals
produced by the BLS, including the Monthly Labor Review and Occupa-
tional Outlook, can access the online versions and archives of these re-
sources via the BLS site. A variety ofBLS research and discussion papers
can be easily browsed or searched directly from this resource. Finally,
links to recent BLS economic news releases are also provided.

United States Economic Census

(http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/econ97 .html)

The United States Economic Census provides a profile of the U.S.

economy every five years with well over 1000 reports on specific indus-
tries and areas. Despite the fact that reports are given for different geo-
graphic areas, including states, counties, and metropolitan areas, the
most detailed infonnation is provided for the U.S. as a whole.
The most recent Economic Census data from 1997 is available online
for various economic sectors, for example, mining or manufacturing, and
 Kristi Jensen 123

in some cases for all sectors combined. All reports for a particular state
can also be easily located from the census site utilizing a simple drop
down box. Among the most recent information released by the economic
census is a section allowing users to access information based on a partic-
ular zip code. Reports are downloadable in PDF format and, and therefore
can be viewed immediately from any location. One of the few disadvan-
tages of this site is the lack of downloadable data for use in various soft-
ware programs.

Economic Report of the President

(http://w3.access.gpo.gov/eop/)

Prepared on an annual basis, this report on the state of the economy is

prepared by the Executive Branch for the u.s. Congress. Details on the
current administration's economic programs and a review of the econ-
omy's past performance and outlook are provided. The annual report of the
Council of Economic Advisers is also included. Two-thirds of the Report is
narrative; the remaining third consists of 100 statistical tables covering the
major economic indicators, with some series going back to 1929.
Online access to this report allows users to view the entire report in PDF
format for any year since 1995. Files containing the statistics from Appen-
dix B of the report are also available from 1997 to the present. All tables
can be downloaded in a zipped file or individual tables can be downloaded
in a spreadsheet format; the spreadsheet format varies depending on the
year of the report. The full-text contents of the Report from 1996 forward
may also be searched for particular words and phrases.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Regional Economic Conditions (RECON)
(http://www2.fdic.gov/recon/)
Originally designed to assist the Federal Deposit Insurance Corpora-
tion in the analysis of financial risk for institutions in various geographic
locations, RECON now allows any user to depict economic conditions
for several different geographic levels, including state, county or metro-
politan statistical area (MSA). RECON provides access to data for over
twenty-four economic variables in three categories: "Industry Activity";
"Employment and Income"; and "Real Estate Activity." Data, however,
is not available for every variable at every geographic level.
RECON has utilized the Web to produce a simple interface providing
access to maps, charts, and tables. In some cases more than one output
124 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

format is provided for the same data. Navigation is based on geographic

areas. A drop down box allows users to choose a particular state leading
to a display of available statewide data; if statewide data is not of inter-
est, users can utilize one of two drop down boxes to move forward to
county overviews or particular MSA data. Viewing charts or tables for
one of twenty economic variables is as easy as clicking on the links pro-
vided within the list of available data. A "shopping cart" option allows
users to select data to view and print together at the end of their RECON
session. Users can also access a search interface to focus their search.

United States Congress-Economic Indicators

(http://www .access.gpo.gov/congress/ei browselbroecind.html)
Economic Indicators, a monthly publication bringing together a wide
array of economic data from various U.S. government agencies, is pro-
duced for the Joint Economic Committee of Congress by the Council of
Economic Advisors. Online reports are available from 1998 to the pres-
ent. The report includes tables of both current and historic data from nu-
merous government agencies and covers all aspects of the U.S.
economy. A report can be viewed in its entirety or one page at a time in
either PDF or text format.

INTERNATIONAL DATA
Penn World Table
(http://pwt.econ.upenn.edu/)
The Penn World Table provides access to twenty-nine economic data
variables for approximately fifty countries. Historic data is provided for
the time period of 1950-1992. It is important to note, however, that not
every variable is available for every country and year. One important
enhancement provided by the Penn World Table is expenditure entries
"denominated in a common set of prices in a common currency so that
real quantity comparisons can be made, both between countries and
over time."
The Penn World Table data can be accessed from multiple entry
points: an alphabetical list of countries; a geographical or regional list
of countries; or a list of all variables. Another access alternative, the
PWT Online Retrieval Service, allows users to generate more complex
queries. This more advanced request form allows users to choose multi-
ple countries and mUltiple variables, all at the same time. Once a user
 Kristi Jensen 125

has selected the variables, countries, and time period a table is gener-
ated displaying the requested data. Although manipulable data cannot
be downloaded directly, users can download a zipped version of the ta-
ble to install on a personal computer. Data can then be extracted and ex-
ported to various software programs.
Although it is difficult to find one resource to provide country level
economic data for the world in the online environment, the Penn World
Table provides a great place to get started.

WORKING PAPERS
Although numerous Web sites providing access to economics work-
ing papers exist, one of the most important free resources linking re-
searchers to economic papers is included here. The disadvantage of
using a working paper consolidator like the resource mentioned below
is that there may be a delay between the time the paper is actually avail-
able on the organization Web site and the time it appears in the consoli-
dated database. Keep this in mind when searching for working papers
and do not hesitate to visit an economics organization or institution's
Web site to view the content of their online resources for the most cur-
rent content.
RePEc (Research Papers in Economics)
(http://repec.org/)
RePEc is a cooperative effort of volunteers from around the world
working to "enhance the dissemination of research in economics." The
primary work of the volunteers is the creation and maintenance of a da-
tabase containing information on economics working papers, journal
articles and software components. RePEc has an extensive list of highly
regarded participating institutions and authors and is organized into
several different components allowing users to access all content or a
subset of the database.
The complete RePEc database can be accessed from two entry points.
IDEAS (http://ideas.uqam.ca/ideas/search.html) and EconPapers (http://
econpapers.hhs.se/) both allow users to search and browse the working
papers, journal articles, software components, and authors found in
the RePEc database. Lists of working papers series,journal titles, soft-
ware by language, registered authors and participating institutions
create a means for browsing, and in some cases downloading, contrib-
uted content.
126 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

In addition to browsing the RePEc content, users can also search for
content on a topic of interest. Both IDEAS and EconPapers provide a
search interface allowing users to search within one of the individual
sections (working papers, journal articles, software components, or au-
thors) contained within the RePEc database. An advanced search also
allows users to perform a search on all sections at the same time.
Additional resources can also be found on the RePEc Web site. NEP
(New Economics Working Papers) provides an e-mail alerting service
informing subscribers of new additions to the literature within specific
sub-fields. WoPEc provides access to only those papers and journal ar-
ticles available full-text online. BibEc provides information about pa-
pers and journal articles exclusively available in a print format. Author
contact information is provided to facilitate access to a print copy.
Finally WebEc provides information about online economics resources
and is described in another section of this article under the "Collection
of Links."

REFERENCE RESOURCES
Economics Glossary
(http://bized.ac.uklglossary/econglos.htm)
A basic economics glossary including over 1,200 entries is provided at
the Bizled Web site. Bizled, a United Kingdom based resource, works to
provide access to online business and economics information for students,
teachers and lecturers. Two search options allow users to search only the
glossary terms or both the terms and the definitions. A browse method for
accessing entries is also provided via an alphabetical list of entries.
As well as providing basic definitions of terms, supplemental material
is often supplied in the glossary. For example, referrals to related terms
and diagrams are provided for many entries. Due to the U.K. origin of this
resource, one important anomaly to bear in mind when using this glossary
is the fact that discrepancies in spelling may occur, for example, labor
may be spelled labour and organization may appear as organisation.
History of Economic Thought
(http://cepa.newschool.edu/hetlhome.htm)
According to the welcome message found at the History of Eco-
nomic Thought (HET) site, the primary purpose of this resource is to
serve "as a repository of collected links and information on the history
 Kristi Jensen 127

of economic thought." HET serves up many major and minor works of

historically important economists and also links to other archives con-
taining similar full-text content.
An alphabetical list of economists with their birth and death dates
links users to a bibliography of an author's major works and a set of
links to outside online resources containing additional information
about the person. The bibliography of works contains a link to any on-
line full-text materials and also employs links to allow users to easily
jump to entries for co-authors as well. In some cases, brief biographical
information is provided.
Several other interesting resources are also included on the HET site.
Brief essays providing descriptions or explanations of some of the impor-
tant schools of thought and traditions in the field of economics from an-
cient times to the present are found in the "Essays and Surveys" section.
One ofthe most important resources available is a collection of Web links
allowing users to gain direct access to online archives of economics liter-
ature. Finally, links to organizations, journals, and many more online re-
sources related to the history of economics are included on the HET site.
Index of Economic Freedom
(http://www.heritage.org/indexl)
The Index of Economic Freedom, provided by the Heritage Group
and the Wall Street Journal, provides an economic freedom ranking and
an overview of the economic situation in various countries throughout
the world. The site provides index data for numerous economics poli-
cies including banking, monetary or trade policy, and wages and prices
for the most recent year. In addition to the current data and reports for
each country, an overall index rating from previous years is provided
from 1995 to the present. Rather than viewing data online, users can
also download the data in a delimited format allowing easy importing
options for various data software programs.
The Index allows users to access data and information utilizing several
access tools. The "Simple Search" allows users to view all data sorted al-
phabetically or by rank. The "Advanced" search interface allows users to
access data by selecting countries of interest with a simple click on the al-
phabeticallist provided. Users interested in comparing all countries in a
particular region can use the regional list instead of or in addition to the
country list. The search results can be sorted alphabetically or numerically
based on the index listing for a particular economic policy issue. Search re-
sults provide an overall index score and world rank, as well as index data
128 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

for each policy issue. Clicking on the country name connects users with a
brief report supporting the index data. Downloadable PDF versions of the
reports allow for easy printing of the infonnation. Besides the advanced
search interface, a clickable map also allows users to produce a table of
current index data for an individual country or a predefined region.
Nobel e-Museum
(http://www.nobel.se/economics/index.html)
The Nobel e-Museum provides infonnation about the winners of the
Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel
from 1969 to the present. Infonnation on each Laureate might include a
transcript or video file of their acceptance speech, photographs from the
award ceremony, online videos of interviews, press releases relating to
the award, and autobiographical infonnation. The Web has provided a
unique opportunity to share infonnation about this historic event.
U.S. Department of State Bureau
of Public Affairs Background Notes
(http://www.state.gov/r/palbgnl)
The State Department's Background Notes provide a wide array of
brief information on various countries. The Notes typically contain
government, political and economic information, as well as foreign and
U.S. relations information for each country. Information is updated as it
is received from the regional bureaus ofthe State Department. The cur-
rency of the content on this site varies with the oldest material dating
from 1991. A majority of the notes, however, have been updated since
1999. Although the list of countries is extensive, Background Notes are
not provided for every country in the world.
One of the keys here is the brief economic infonnation for each locale.
While some of the economic descriptions are noticeably brief, for example,
only four paragraphs for Antigua and Barbuda, others provide more
lengthy infonnation related to numerous economic categories, including
economic history, foreign investment, monetary, trade, employment and
budget. The economic categories described vary depending on the country.
In addition to the textual description of a country's economic situa-
tion, don't miss the economic summary near the top of each Note. This
section includes numeric information, covering gross domestic product
(GDP), per capita income, and agriculture, industry and trade figures.
Specific agricultural products and industry types are listed as well as ex-
port and import information.
 Kristi Jensen 129

COLLECTIONS OF LINKS
EconData.Net
(http://econdata.netJ)
Econdata.Net, a site sponsored by the Economic Data Administra-
tion, provides a well-organized access point to 900 regional U.S. eco-
nomic data resources. Despite the fact that EconData provides access to
data freely available from many U.S. government sites, in addition to
private and commercial resources, it provides several advantages over
accessing the data directly. First, for the novice user, a list of resources
covering ten important economics topics, for example, income, em-
ployment, and prices, can be found in one concise listing. Resources
from various agencies, which cover the same subject area, are easily
identified and accessed from one location. Descriptions of the types of
data available via each link help searchers save time.
A second advantage provided by EconData is the opportunity to utilize
several enhanced resources. Listings of key resources are provided for
numerous government statistical gathering agencies. Rather than wading
through all of the information available on a particular agency site,
EconData provides a direct link to pertinent resources. Another enhanced
item, the Ten Best Sites resources list, is based on usage and surveys of
users and provides links to a wide selection of the most important and
easily accessed data. Overall, Econdata.Net gets high marks for its orga-
nization of resources, concise descriptions, and simple navigation to
valuable resources.

FreeLunch.com
(http://www.freelunch.com)

FreeLunch.com, part of the Economy.com network which includes

an array of fee-based and free services or products, claims to be the
Web's largest data library and provides access to over 1,000,000 free
economic and financial data series. Several mechanisms are provided to
access this large array of data including fourteen browseable categories
from Industry (production, orders, inventories) to Real Estate (starts,
completions and sales). A search interface allows users to access data
by searching for keywords found within the data descriptions. A simple
search interface is immediately available on the site and an advanced
search screen is only a click away.
130 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Despite the fact that the FreeLunch site has organized and reformat-
ted data freely available from many different government sources, for
example, the Bureau of Economic Administration and the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, there are several obvious advantages to using this re-
source. The strength of FreeLunch resides in the various output formats
readily available to users. Data can be viewed in either a chart or table
format. The charts can be manipulated to focus on a specific time period
with a variation in the data frequency as well. If the charts provided
don't give the user what slhe needs, the data can also be downloaded in
Excel format to be directly manipulated and analyzed. In order to utilize
the strengths of this site, users must first register. Registering allows us-
ers to place a particular data series in "my basket" so that it can be easily
downloaded.
Data and Program Library Service (DPLS)-
Internet Crossroads in the Social Sciences
(http://dpls.dacc.wisc.edu/internet.html)
DPLS' Internet Crossroads includes more than 650 annotated links to
online data-related resources. Economics and Labor links are provided
for four categories: U.S. Government links; U.S. Non-government links;
International Government links; International Non-government links.
Internet Crossroads not only links users to some of the most important
online economic resources, but it also provides extensive annotations de-
scribing the information available from each site. One of the strengths of
this resource is the information linking users to international economic
data from both government and private resources.
Resources/or Economists on the Internet (RFE)
(http://rfe.org/)
Sponsored by the American Economic Association, Resources for
Economists is one of the most highly regarded sites on the subject of
economics. RFE offers over 1,250 items separated into fifteen major
sections, including "Data," "Other Internet Guides," and "Software."
Each section is further broken down into numerous subsections in order
to refine browsing strategies. Brief annotations describing each re-
source are also provided and help users determine the relevance or util-
ity of each link. Finally, a search engine is provided allowing users to
search headings, subheadings, resource titles, as well as the full text of
each annotation. This highly selective resource is a great starting point
for any researcher seeking economic information on the Web.
 Kristi Jensen 131

WebEc WWW Resources in Economics

(http://netec.wustl.edulWebEclWebEc.html)

If needed information is not found at the RFE site described previ-

ously, do not hesitate to stop at the more comprehensive resource found
at WebEc. With over 1500 links, this resource is designed to connect ac-
ademics with free economic information on the Internet. WebEc is di-
vided into twenty-four categories and, as with RFE, each category also
contains further divisions to assist browsing. A brief description of each
site is provided to indicate the content and/or intended audience of each
resource. WebEc is updated regularly with updates typically occurring
in January, April and August. Although a search mechanism was pro-
vided at WebEc, it was not functioning when this site was reviewed.
Despite this downfall, WebEc easily links users to content via the
well-defined categories and sub-categories.
 Best of the Web:
E-Commerce
Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani

SUMMARY. E-commerce is one of the most popular current business top-

ics. This chapter includes core resources of general news, how-to sites,
e-commerce technology sites, business-to-business sites, statistics, and aca-
demic research centers. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth
Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address: <docdelivery@
haworthpress.com> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2003 by The Haworth
Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]

KEYWORDS. E-commerce, electronic commerce, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
E-commerce is the process of selling and buying goods and services on
the Internet. E-commerce can take many forms, depending on who is sell-
ing to whom: business-to-business (e.g., medical supply companies to hos-
pitals), business-to-consumer (e.g., Amazon.com), consumer-to-business
(e.g., Priceline.com), consumer-to-consumer (e.g., eBay), government-
to-consumer (e.g., United States Postal Service), and business-to-em-
ployee (e.g., business services divisions within large organizations). Every
traditional business subject has an e-commerce equivalent, including mar-

Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani is Library Assistant, Schreyer Business Li-

brary, The Pennsylvania State University (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note): "Best of the Web: E-Commerce." Movabedi-Lankarani, Stephanie
Jakie. Co-published simultaneously in Journal ofBusiness & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Informa-
tion Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 133-151; and: The Core Business
Web: A Guide to Key Informatioll Resources (cd: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint
of The Haworth Press. Inc., 2003, pp. 133-151. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee
from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HA WORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail ad-
dress: [email protected]).

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp ?sku=J 109

© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
I0.1300/J I 09v08n03_02 133
134 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

keting, advertising, finance, banking, company research, industry research,

business law, and business logistics.
Where do researchers who need current, up-to-the-minute information
on the e-commerce economy go to find that information? Currently some
of the best sources of e-commerce information are on the Internet itself.
Traditional print sources of business information do not have the cur-
rency that the Internet can provide and, additionally, have been hindered
by a lack of adequate industry codes under which to group e-commerce
information sets. Many of the leading business news sites on the Internet
have side-stepped this problem by creating their own e-commerce "stock
exchange" listings which cover e-commerce specific companies, and by
creating e-commerce industry groupings for their analyses. Additionally,
as is the case specifically with reports generated by companies specializ-
ing in e-marketing or e-business analysis, Internet business news sites are
able to gather news reports as they are released by companies, and are
able to analyze the information and post relevant articles on their sites in
very little time. The result is more up-to-the-minute and comprehensive
business news coverage than even the most frequent print publication.
The very lack of defined information parameters, which allows Web
sites the freedom to create their own information sets, does create some
difficulty when searching for e-commerce information. Few Web sites
use controlled vocabulary when indexing their articles, and this can
make searching for information on these sites frustrating if researchers
expect Web site search engines to act like commercial databases. Re-
searchers must be prepared to conduct multiple searches with multiple
subject terms in order to locate needed information. Moreover, not all
sites provide their information for free, although almost all sites provide
some useful information for free as an enticement to purchase more
in-depth information from the site.
There are e-commerce Web sites that specialize in particular aspects
of electronic commerce: how-to; e-business news; e-commerce tech-
nology; business-to-business e-commerce; and e-commerce statistics.
There are also e-commerce Web sites that provide information as a part
of their organizational mission: academic and research institutions;
governments; organizations; and associations. Some Web sites are op-
erated for profit and are heavily laden with advertising and product
placements; other Web sites are non-profit and offer extensive collec-
tions of white papers and policy reviews. Researchers looking for spe-
cific subject information may want to first search a subject-specific site,
but should not overlook the more general business news sites, as they
provide a wealth of information in any area of e-commerce.
 Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani 135

GENERAL E-COMMERCE NEWS AND INFORMATION SITES

Geared toward members of the e-commerce industry, these e-com-

merce news and information Web sites provide comprehensive and
timely coverage of the latest e-business news, industry trends, and tech-
nology news. Some of these Web sites are e-commerce portals and con-
tain a multitude of links to more focused, subject-specific areas of
e-commerce interest. While all these sites cover the basic needs of the
e-commerce information seeker, each site establishes its own presence
in the e-business news and information market, with variations in site
structure, presentation, and sub-genre focus.
allECommerce.com
(http://allec.com)
allECommerce.com is one of ten e-commerce sister sites on the
NewsFactor Network. All the NewsFactor sites focus exclusively on
e-business or e-technology and offer up-to-the-minute information and
original, syndicated news stories. Included in the network are NewsFactor.
com, allEC.com, E-Commerce Times, Linux Insider, CRMDaily.com,
TechNewsWorld.com, Wireless NewsFactor, OSOpinion, FreeNewsFeed.
com, TechExtreme,l and a variety of free newsletters. 2 The sites are up-
dated every five minutes, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, with only the
CRMDaily.com Web site and 'Market Watch' feature (found on most of
the sister sites) updated every fifteen minutes during trading hours.
These sister sites are a good place to go for an overview of the indus-
try, for e-commerce technology news, and for news and information on
e-companies. The NewsFactor Network publishes hundreds of original
articles every week, seventy to eighty percent of which are written by
NewsFactor staff writers. The information is free for all users at these
sites (including the special reports). Current and archived information
on all sites is searchable at anyone site, and searchers may limit their
search to an indi vidual site if they so desire. All the sites use similar pre-
sentation and layout, making navigation among the ten sites easy and
straightforward.
Business 2.0
(http://business20.com)
The Business 2.0 Web site covers general e-commerce industry and
company news and information, contains a link to the online version of
their magazine, Business 2.0, and features daily editorials and columns
136 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key lriformation Resources

unique to the Business 2.0 Web site. The best feature on this Web site is
their "Web Guide," a continuously updated guide to e-cornmerce infor-
mation, covering 13,000 topics and containing links to more than
50,000 carefully selected Web pages.3 The guide was created, and is
maintained, by professional research librarians and focuses on re-
sources that follow current e-business news and support the editorial
content of the magazine. 4
The Business 2.0 Web site also contains "e-Business," "Marketing,"
and "Technology" links that draw articles from the Web site's free
newsletters,S and a link to an extensive glossary. The site also contains a
"Web Files" link that connects to an issue by issue listing of selected
Business 2.0 magazine articles. Under each selected article is a further
listing of related full-text articles (from Business 2.0 and other maga-
zines), a listing of related subject resource links in the Business20.com
"Web Guide," and a list of links to people, companies, and technologies
in the "Web Guide" related to the main article. The site is searchable us-
ing the search box provided.
Business Week Online
(http://www.businessweek.com)
In addition to being the online counterpart to BusinessWeek,
BusinessWeek Online offers free newsletters,6 a "forums & chats
arena,"7 a "Today's Market" section by Standard and Poor's, and a
"stock look up" search box which provides extensive company and in-
dustry snapshots from Standard and Poor's ("Internet" as an industry is
covered). The outstanding feature of this Web site is its search engine,
which provides for advanced searching and contains articles from both
BusinessWeek and BusinessWeek Online back to January 1991. Both
the paper and the online editions of BusinessWeek provide in-depth
coverage of e-commerce, and the search engine gives researchers quick
and comprehensive access to that information.
Computerworld.com
(http://computerworld.com)
Computerworld Inc. is an information services company focused on
delivering information to professionals in information technology. The
company publishes Computerworld, a weekly print publication, and
Computerworld.com, a Web site that expands the focus of their print
publication. In addition to providing current news analysis on the infor-
 Stephanie JakIe Movahedi-Lankarani 137

mation technology sector of the economy, Computerworld.com offers

focused IT information in their "Knowledge Centers."
A unique feature of this Web site is the "Communities" link. Each
community on Computerworld.com is focused on a specific area of in-
formation technology, including e-commerce (http://computerworld.
comlcommunity/ecommerce). Many e-commerce news sites offer sub-
ject focused forums and online discussion groups, but the e-commerce
community page on Computerworld.com is exceptionally well de-
signed and informative. The page has clearly defined sections for dis-
cussions, feature stories, e-commerce news, and a side column contain-
ing quick links to other features, resources, services, and e-commerce
related subject communities. The site includes a glossary and an event
calendar.
E-Business Forum
(http://www.ebusinessforum.com)
E-Business Forum.com is produced by the Economist Intelligence
Unit, a company which provides analysis and forecasts of the political,
economic and business environment in more than 180 countries. 8 Click-
ing on the "doing e-business in ... " tab at the top of their Web page
takes you to a linked list of sixty countries for which up-to-date, de-
tailed information on the e-commerce business environment is avail-
able. This site is global in scope and all information provided is free.
The "Best Practice" tab contains case studies on the use of the
Internet in business (including e-commerce). The "Research" section
contains assessments of the impact of e-business on specific industries,
countries, and on how corporations function. This section also contains
a ranking of the leading Internet resources focused on e-commerce. The
"Global News Analysis" section profiles important developments in
global e-commerce, and the "Thought Leadership" section contains in-
terviews with and analysis by experts in e-commerce worldwide.
internet. com
(http://ecommerce.internet.com)
The internet. com network contains a vast amount of e-commerce and
information technology news, information and resources. internet. com,
together with its sister network Earth Web. com, contains 160 Web sites
(grouped into sixteen information technology related subject channels)
and offers 225 e-mail newsletters. 9 Theinternet.com "ECommercel
138 The Core Busilless Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Marketing" channel contains more than seventeen groupings of perti-

nent e-commerce related information.
The internet. com network is noteworthy for ISDEX, an Internet stock
index of fifty leading Internet companies, and "The Internet Stock Re-
port" which tracks companies who derive most of their revenue from the
Internet. Both of these tools are helpful to researchers tracking the e-com-
merce industry and are found on the main internet. com home page.
E-commerce and Internet-related headlines and news stories are also
available at internetnews.com (http://www.internet.com/sections/news.
html), another of the internet. com network sites. Two internet. com net-
work sites of particular interest to e-commerce researchers are ClickZ
Network (http://www.clikz.com) and CyberAtlas (http://cyberatlas.
internet.com), located on the internet. com "EcommercelMarketing"
channel. ClickZ Network specializes in commentary on Internet market-
ing and advertising from industry leaders and original case studies.
CyberAtlas is especially useful for researchers looking for Web market-
ing information, as it focuses on Web marketing research, statistics, and
resources. CyberAtlas gathers research from top research firms, such as
Forrester, Jupiter, Media Matrix and AdKnowledge. lO All CyberAtlas
content is archived and the URLs of CyberAtlas articles do not change. I I
searchEBusiness.com
(http://www.searchebusiness.com )
searchEBusiness.com offers e-business news and information gath-
ered from more than 800 other e-commerce related Web sites. It adver-
tises itself as "the Leading Network of Enterprise IT Web Sites:' The
Web site is focused more on e-commerce infrastructure (applications,
core technologies, platforms, development) than other e-commerce Web
sites in the general news and information sites category, but nonetheless
offers a very lengthy listing of linked news headlines from a wide variety
of Web sources. A look at the news headlines link on February 22, 2002
showed stories gathered from NewsFactor Network, searchSecurity,
InternetWeek, Knowledge@Wharton, c/net, CRMDaily, ASPstreet.com,
and InfoWorld, as well as original content from searchEBusiness.
The site contains a "Best EBusiness Web Links" section that offers
the editors' choices for best-of-the-Web Web sites in fourteen subject
areas, and includes categories for Case Studies-Management, Case
Studies-Technology, and Wharton School of Business Publications.
There is also an "EBusiness Career Center," which contains a search-
able database of IT jobs (drawn from employer Web sites) and a search-
able directory of technical professionals.
 Stephanie lakle Movahedi-Lankarani 139

E-COMMERCE HOW-TO SITES

E-commerce how-to Web sites offer the researcher general overview

articles on what constitutes e-commerce and information on how to set
up and run an e-business. If you need an introduction to e-commerce, or
are looking for instruction in e-business strategy or infrastructure
set-up, these are good sites to search.
About-Electronic Commerce
(http://ecommerce.about.com)
About-Electronic Commerce offers quick-start categories such as
"E-Commerce 101," "Start-Up Ideas," and "Research & Stats" to e-com-
merce searchers. One of several hundred Guide sites on the About network,
About-Electronic Commerce covers the basic areas of e-business, and con-
tains a "B2B Resources" link and a "Subject Library" link. In the "Essen-
tials Box," you can locate a guide to e-commerce survival, e-commerce
reports and statistics. Each About subject guide site is run by a subject pro-
fessional who creates a comprehensive site around the subject, including
timely information, relevant links, how-to's, and forums.12
Free Management Library
(http://www.mapnp.orgllibrary)
The Free Management Library, designed and maintained by Carter
McNamara, MBA, PhD of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, seeks to pro-
vide "20% of resources needed to address 80% of the challenges in
business, management and organization."13 This guide is divided into
675 topics, with seventy-two of the most popular topic categories listed
on the main page.
The "E-Commerce" link provides a lengthy "Basic Guide to E-Com-
merce" that covers every possible aspect of e-commerce, from definitions
and terminology and introductory over-views, to basic technical e-com-
merce needs, product development and market research, e-store basics, on-
line marketing, and telecommunications laws. The guide also contains
sections providing additional general resources, links to related "Free Man-
agement Library" subject guides, and relevant online discussion groups.
Northern Light Special Edition: Electronic Commerce
(http://special.northernlight. com/ecommerce/)
This special edition from Northern Light is a rich resource for e-com-
merce news links, links to organizations engaged in e-commerce, e-com-
140 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

merce research, government standards information, and infrastructure

technology information. The site includes a "Special Collection Titles"
section containing links to online e-commerce-focused journals.

webmonkey
(http://hotwired.l ycos.comlwebmonkey)

webmonkey is a hands-on, how-to guide that provides all the infor-

mation and instruction necessary to build a Web site. The tutorials come
in beginners, builders, and masters levels, and the site contains a com-
prehensive how-to library (including a how-to guide to e-business), and
a quick reference library containing a glossary, style sheets, a HTML
cheat sheet, JavaScript code library, and a Unix guide. The site is
searchable and offers a daily newsletter on Web creation'topics and
newsletters from Wired News. I4

Wilson Web
(http://www.wilsonweb.com )

Wilson Web, authored by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, PhD, contains many

general information and introductory materials on e-commerce and
Web marketing. Wilson Web focuses on "the doing" of e-commerce and
Web marketing, and provides background information, news, product
reviews, and research articles supportive of the small to mid-sized
e-business.
The site contains an "E-Commerce Research Room," where you can
search for articles in all sixty sub-sections of the room simultaneously,
or limit your search to seven broad categories of e-commerce, including
"Introduction to E-Commerce," "Industry Case Studies" (twenty-nine
different e-commerce industries listed), "Legal and Governmental Is-
sues of E-Commerce" (under the "Miscellaneous" heading), and
"Pricing Strategies" (again, under the "Miscellaneous" heading).
The "Web Marketing Info Center" on the site contains information
sections divided into six main subject areas, including "Introductory"
materials and "Business Web Site Design." Articles specific to analyz-
ing site traffic, Web demographics, and legal issues (copyright and
trademark) are located under "Miscellaneous."
Also located on Wilson Web is "Doctor Ebiz," a syndicated feature at
over 300 Web sites, providing "Practical Answers to help your online
business succeed."15 A free email version of "Doctor Ebiz" is available
after registering at the Web site.
 Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani 141

workz.com
(http://www.workz.com)

workz.com provides detailed and comprehensive how-to information

for small e-commerce businesses. Content is arranged into ten "How-To
Guides," including "Build Your Site," "Make Money," "Attract Cus-
tomers," "Save Money," "Web Site Design," "Web Site Operations,"
"Web E-Commerce," "Web Marketing," "Web Advertising," and "Inter-
national." Each how-to guide contains articles from workz.com research-
ers that cover a range of complexity from the very introductory ("How
Computers Link to the Internet" and "Application Service Providers Ex-
plained") to the detailed ("3 Microcommerce Business Models" and
"Branding Implications of Domain Names"). 16 This is a good site for re-
searchers needing comprehensive background information on how busi-
ness e-commerce is constructed and conducted, or for small business
e-commerce entrepreneurs who need practical information.

E-COMMERCE TECHNOLOGY SITES

These Web sites focus on the technology and infrastructure that un-
derlie e-commerce. Most sites contain e-commerce technology news
headlines and articles, product reviews, and product, as well as technol-
ogy provider directories.

BRINT.com
(http://www.brint.com)

BRINT.com is a knowledge portal focusing on business and technology

information. It contains hundreds of resources in the areas of general
business, technology, knowledge management, and e-business. The
BRINT.com Web site is well laid out and easily navigated. Site content is
divided into subject group channels, and resources and community pages.
In addition to the channels, the main page has subject category links that
take you directly to topic specific listings of resources. The e-business cate-
gory contains links to information and resources on strategy, e-business,
e-commerce, customer relations management (CRM), supply chains, ad-
vertising, and more. The information on BRINT.com is geared toward the
mid- to large-sized business.
142 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

c/net.com
(http://www.news.com)
c/net.com is all about Internet technology and news. The site com-
bines current business and technology news with trend analysis and
comprehensive coverage ofInternet technology products. E-Commerce
tech news is well covered, and the site content includes analysis as well
as commentary. The site is keyword searchable. There are links to the
other clnet networks, including mySimon (product and price compari-
sons), TechRepublic (Internet technology community) and ZDNet
(comprehensive technology news and information).
ZDNet (http://www.zdnet.com) has a link to "eBusiness Info" in its
services bar at the bottom of the page and an e-commerce link in its
"Business Products" column. ZDNet channels include "News" (with an
e-commerce link), "Tech Update" (with an e-commerce link), and an
advice column on the "AnchorDesk" link. There are also links to inter-
national ZDNet sites, which contain original content relevant to their
country and region of the world. There is information on all the ZDNet
sites that is useful for any sized e-business, from small to corporate.
eaijournal
(http://www.eaijournal.com)
eaijournal, advertising itself as the "Resource for e-Business and
Application Integration," is a good source for information on how
e-business technology impacts the "doing" of e-business. Each monthly
issue of eaijournal looks at how the technological infrastructure of
e-commerce impacts the running of e-businesses and what the
long-term business implications are of technology options employed by
e-businesses.
In addition to the monthly issue, the Web site features current
Internet market news and a "Departments" tab containing links to vari-
ous sections of the site, including The Business Integrator Journal,
"e-Business," "m-Commerce," "B2B," "e-services," and "Collabora-
tive Commerce." The site is searchable and searches return a tidy,
straightforward listing of articles arranged by title.
IDG.net
(http://wwwjdg.net)
IDG (International Data Group) is a technology media conglomerate
with more than 300 publications in eighty-five countries, and more than
 Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani 143

12,000 employees worldwide,l7 Among its many publications are PC

World, ComputerWorld, The Industry Standard, and Info World. The
company estimates its readership worldwide, for all its publications, at
100 million each month. 18
On the "IT Directory" (left hand column on main page) the "E-Busi-
ness" subject link takes you to a well-designed page containing news,
feature stories, and how-to and research articles. There are quick links
to sub-topics on B2B, B2C, and e-comrnerce specific banking, invest-
ing, and technology. The site is searchable.
Tech Web
(http://www.techweb.com)
Tech Web is owned by CMP Media and its content is provided by three
company publications: Information Week; InternetWeek; and Network
Computing. 19 The site is focused on Internet information technologies
and content includes news, reviews, analysis, opinion, and research.
The E-Business page (accessible by clicking on the "technologies"
tab) contains sections devoted to e-commerce feature stories, in-depth ar-
ticles on e-comrnerce technology, opinion articles, and product reviews.

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS E-COMMERCE
Business-to-business e-commerce is the largest sector of the e-com-
merce market. B2B e-commerce is expected to reach $4.8 trillion glob-
ally by 2004, with forty percent of all purchasing done by U.S.
companies completed online. 2o Business-to-business e-commerce Web
sites not only provide news and information on all aspects of e-com-
merce, but may also provide trade information and links, links to e-busi-
ness financing sources, and e-business directories.
A2ZoJB2B
(http://www.a2zofb2b.com)
A2ZojB2B is a business-to-business e-commerce portal that offers
current information on public and private exchange sites, e-markets,
and e-commerce infrastructure and Internet technologies. If you are
looking for B2B businesses with a Web presence, this is the site to
search. The main page contains directories for news, B2B financial in-
formation, a how-to guide for B2B (including a glossary), and resources
(including a research link). The site maintains a "DotComFlops" chan-
nel and an "A2ZofBiZ" section containing over 210,000 links to B2B
144 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

business and association Web sites. The directory is hierarchically ar-

ranged by subject, from broad to specific, and maintained by site editors
who evaluate sites for inclusion in the directory.21 Businesses and orga-
nizations may suggest their site for inclusion in the directory, but the di-
rectory is not fee-based. The directory is searchable by keyword or
business name, and has quick links to popular categories, recently
added categories, and recent searches conducted in the directory.
American Trading Network
(http://www.atnworld.com)
The American Trading Network offers an exhaustive list of B2B re-
source links for searchers of international e-commerce trade informa-
tion. Under the "Business Economic Trade, Investment, Finance" link,
American Trading Network provides general information links to
sources such as the Organization of American States Foreign Trade Info
System and more specific information links to sources such as guides to
companies in Japan, India, and Hong Kong.
The "U.S. Government Info Offices & Resources" page includes list-
ings for various government offices or programs engaged in trade, and
exhaustive international lists of chambers of commerce, embassies, and
universities. The "Trade Opportunities Open Exchange" gives lists for
"Trade Leads Opportunities," various fact books, commercial trade of-
fices of various countries, and links to top international newspapers. The
"World Trade Resources" page includes an "International Trade Direc-
tory" and a list of "World Wide Web Servers," "Import and Export Trade
Links," and international trade show listings. The site is still under con-
struction, so expect some broken links and incomplete listings.
EcomWorld
(http://www.ecomworld.com)
Owned by EC Media Group, ecomworld is a business-to-business
portal that specializes in business intelligence, e-technology and imple-
mentation, Web marketing and order fulfillment. The site's main sec-
tions are devoted to daily B2B news and industry analysis. A side
column details the offerings of the remainder of the site: editorials, EC
World magazine, industry portals, technology portals, and subject-fo-
cused pages (such as management, executive profiles, and legal issues).
There is also a "Vendor Research" link that offers free white papers, and
under a resources link, an industry events calendar, associations listing,
Web links, recommended books and a glossary of e-business terms.
 Stephanie JakIe Movahedi-Lankarani 145

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH E-COMMERCE SITES

As the e-commerce economy grows, an increasing number of universi-

ties are creating e-commerce research centers. These centers typically part-
ner with large business enterprises and draw faculty from a wide variety of
disciplines including computer science, engineering, business, and eco-
nomics, and they study a wide variety of topics related to e-commerce.

Center for Research in Electronic Commerce

(http://crec.bus.utexas.edu)

At The Center for Research in Electronic Commerce (CREC) at the

University of Texas at Austin, researchers study how changes made to
e-commerce infrastructure (technologies, products, processes, policies)
impact the efficiency and effectiveness of global e-commerce. Using
economic analysis and market efficiency measurements, researchers in
a wide array of disciplines are developing technologies and applications
that increase e-business productivity, consumer satisfaction, and mar-
ket efficiency. The center partners and collaborates with various enter-
prises, including The National Science Foundation, Cisco Systems,
IBM, and Pitney Bowes. 22
Current research projects include, among others, Economic Modeling
of Network Management, Digital Product Companies, Financial Bundle
Trading System (PBTS), Developing Real-Time Distributed Applica-
tions, and Modeling Intermediated Electronic Commerce. Working pa-
pers and articles by CREC researchers are available in full-text and are
free at the center' s Web site. Other resources linked to CREC can be
reached via the resources bar at the top of the main Web page, and include
a variety of informational pages on e-commerce topics and a linked list of
e-commerce research centers and business Web sites.

HBS Working Knowledge

(http://hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu/)

The Harvard Business School's HBS Working Knowledge Web site

provides information on thirteen management subject areas, including
"E-Commerce & the Marketspace"; "Knowledge & the Information
Economy"; and "Leadership, Strategy & Competition." Each subject
section contains feature articles, a Web site review, a book review, and
is updated weekly. Past articles are archived and available via the linked
title list at the bottom of each section's Web page.
146 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

WeBi: Wharton e-Business Initiative

(http://webi.wharton.upenn.edu)

WeBi is a partnership of business leaders, Wharton faculty, and stu-

dents engaged in interdisciplinary research in the workings of the
e-commerce marketplace. Partners include a research alliance with the
Gartner Group and corporate partners that include, among others, Bris-
tol-Myers Squibb, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Enron Corp., and the
Ford Motor Company.23 The Web site contains feature articles on
e-business subjects and, on the "Resources & Tools" tab, contains a link
to Knowledge@Wharton, a free (registration required) online resource
of business research, analysis, and information published by the Whar-
ton Business School.

E-COMMERCE GOVERNMENT, ORGANIZATION,

AND ASSOCIATION SITES
As e-commerce has grown in size and economic influence, organizations,
government agencies, and associations have been formed to guide e-com-
merce policy, to provide business and consumer protection, to study best
practices, and to promote cooperation and collaboration. The United States
government established a national e-commerce plan and created, within the
Department of Commerce, a Secretariat for Electronic Commerce. The fol-
lowing sites tend to be global in scope and are good sources for U.S. and in-
ternational e-commerce policy information and e-commerce security issues.
CommerceNet
(http://www.commerce.net)
As announced on their main Web page, CommerceNet is a nonprofit
consortium of business, government, technology and academic leaders
bringing companies together to develop and implement new e-com-
merce technologies and e-business practices on a global basis. The
CommerceNet agenda in 2001 included groups working in five key ar-
eas: evolving supply chains; next generation Internet applications; se-
curity and Internet payment; government, public policy, advocacy; and
pervasive access and wireless technology. Ongoing projects include
open buying on the Internet (OBI), e-checking, demonstrating the value
of integrating three common component-based electronic commerce
services (eCO), and a Social Security Administration pilot program
dealing with online security and privacy.
 Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani 147

There are many useful e-commerce technology and e-business prac-

tices documents and articles posted on CommerceNet. The site is search-
able via a search box at the top right hand comer. Searching a term returns
a set of citations sorted by relevancy and an options button that appears
beside the search box. Clicking on the options button produces an ad-
vanced search form that allows researchers to substantially customize
their search results, resulting in a much more relevant citation list.
Computer Security Resource Center (CSRC)
(http://csrc.nist.gov)
The Computer Security Resource Center works in five major areas:
cryptographic standards and application; security testing; security re-
search and emerging technologies; security management and guidance;
and outreach and education. CSRC is within the NIST Information
Technology Laboratory, itself a cooperative program. The NIST Infor-
mation Technology Laboratory works to improve information system
security by raising awareness of security risks, researching and devising
solutions, and developing standards. NIST, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (http://www.nist.gov) is a non-regulatory
federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Computer Security Resource Center Web site contains extensive
links to other governmental bodies working in computer and information
technology and posts bulletins and articles relevant to computer security
from these groups on its Web site. The site also contains computer security
news, governmental news stories, a cryptographic toolkit, a vulnerability
index, a security bulletin links, links to policies, and a virus information
link. The site also has an "Events" link and a listing of academic, govern-
ment, and professional organizations.
Federal Trade Commission
(http://www.ftc.gov)
The Federal Trade Commission Web site contains extensive informa-
tion of interest to the e-commerce consumer. The "Consumer Protection"
link on the main pages sends searchers to a "Consumer Information Di-
rectory" arranged by subject. The "E-Commerce and the Internet" link
produces a lengthy list of articles (available in text or PDF format) to
searchers. In addition to advisory information on Internet security and
privacy, there are consumer guides to e-payments, online investment op-
portunities, and online shopping tips. There is also an information section
available for Internet businesses with information on various e-com-
148 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

merce rules, and a section devoted to Internet law cases. Both consumers
and businesses may file a complaint online (a quick link is available).
International Web Police
(http://www.web-police.org)
The International Web Police investigate, track, and record Internet
crime. They arbitrate complaints, prosecute Internet criminals, and shut
down Internet enterprises engaged in illegal activities. Their services
are free.
Web Police staff members are located in sixty-one countries and in-
clude agencies, governmental officials, police officers, and civilian vol-
unteers who work closely and cooperatively with law enforcement
agencies and government officials around the world. The International
Web Police database contains records of criminal activity since 1986; and
the site maintains links to their latest crime reports, latest scam reports,
and latest Internet statistics pages. There are quick links for reporting a
crime, reporting a scam, or reporting terrorist activities. The main page
also contains a "Child Safety Center" and "Women's Task Forces."
OECDOnline
(http://www.oecd.org)
The OEeD Online, the Web site of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development, contains an enormous amount of infor-
mation relevant to electronic commerce. There is an Electronic Com-
merce directorate (directorates are listed in the left hand column) which
contains general information on e-commerce as well as a "What's
New" column featuring e-commerce related OECD events worldwide,
conference and workshops, and newly published OECD studies. There
is a listing of all OECD activity groups working in e-commerce and in-
formation technologies, a list of OECD e-commerce relevant docu-
ments (including case studies, country surveys, manuals, policy briefs,
statistics, and working papers). There is a "My OECD" option, which
allows users to customize the site to their subject areas of interest and
become their personal OECD home page.

E-COMMERCE STATISTICS SITES

The following Web sites specialize in e-commerce statistics and are
connected to commercial entities. These sites tend to cover marketing,
 Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani 149

demographic, and trend information, but researchers may be able to ob-

tain quality statistical information on other e-commerce subjects.

I nternetStats
(http://wwwjnternetstats.com )

Internetstats.com provides lists of business Web sites that contain re-

search and statistical information on e-business marketing and trends.
InternetStat's main page is cluttered with product advertisements but
does feature weekly "Ecommerce Stat," "International Stat," and
"Internet Stat" sections, each with a feature article. There is also a
"Business Channels" listing at the left of the Web page, which contains
links to Internet, advertising, business, financial, trade, and trends sub-
ject statistics pages.
Each "Business Channels" statistics page on InternetStats is further
broken down by type of statistic (such as "Industry Numbers & News"
under financial statistics or "Businesses On-line" under business statis-
tics). The business Web sites listed on these pages are hot-linked, and a
brief description of the highlighted statistic is given, as well as whether
the information is free and if the referred to Web site generally contains
American- or Canadian-oriented content. On the business stats channel,
statistics and information for seventy-five industries are available.
Businesses may submit their Web site for inclusion on InternetStats,
subject to review and approval by InternetStats.

Nua.com
(http://www .nuaje/surveys)

The Nua.com database contains Internet demographic and trend in-

formation back to 1996. The site includes a weekly editorial, Internet
statistics and trends articles, a "Graphs & Charts" tab, and a tab for
"Nua Analysis." The "Nua Analysis" tab lists Nua online publications
and provides links to the following publications: The Weekly Editorial
(1997-to current); Bi-Monthly Report (1997-1999); Year in Review
(1996-2000); and Graphs and Charts (assorted dates). The left hand
column lists Nua Internet Surveys by category: sector (eighteen indus-
tries); society (security, privacy, community); tools (Internet technolo-
gies); and demographics (general, specific groups, usage patterns).
Business and organizations may submit a site for inclusion, subject to
review, via the "submit a survey" link. The site is searchable.
150 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

CONCLUSION

The Internet is fast becoming the research tool of choice, not only for
those who study e-commerce, but also for those who study more traditional
areas of business and economics. Infonnation on all aspects of business
and e-business are easily accessible on the Internet, with the Internet excel-
ling particularly in the provision of up-to-the-minute business news. Re-
searchers may need to search more widely and expend more effort in
locating more targeted pieces of infonnation, but the Web sites included in
this survey provide a gateway to that world of infonnation.

NOTES

1. Web sites of the NewsFactor Network sites include: NewsFactor (http://www.

newsfactor.com), allEC.com (http://www.allee.com), E-Commerce Times (http://www.
eeommercetimes.com), Linux Insider (http://www.linuxinsider.com).CRMDaily.com
(hnp://www.crmdaily.com). TeehNewsWorldcom (http://www.technewsworld.com). Wire
less NewsFactor (http://www.wirelessnewsfactor.com), OsOpinion (http://www.osopinion.com),
FreeNewsFeed.com (http://www.freenewsfeedcom), TechExtreme (http://www.techextreme.
com).
2. Newsletters offered by NewsFactor Network include: E-Commerce Minute
(daily), E-Commerce Times (weekly), Wireless Industry Alert (daily), CRM Industry
Alert (daily), CyberCrime & Security Daily Report, and Top Tech News (daily). These
newsletters are free. Subscribers can go to http://newsletters.newsfactor.com to ·sign up
to receive any or all of the newsletters using the "Newsletter Management Wizard."
3. Sherman, C. A "Hidden Guide" to the Business Web, Search Dav #194. [On-
line]. Available at: http://searchenginewatch.comlsearchday/ January 31: 2002.
4. Ibid.
5. Newsletters offered by Business20.com include: Daily Insight, Brazen Ca-
reerist (Mondays), Marketing Focus (Mondays), Tech Investor, eBusiness Dispatch
(Tuesdays), Barely Managing (bi-weekly), Talent Monger (bi-weekly), Wireless Re-
port (Wednesdays), The Defogger (bi-weekly), The Conference Spy (Thursdays), and
Future Boy (Fridays). These newsletters are free. Subscribers can go to http://www.
business20.comlarticles/web/newslettersub/ to sign up to receive any, or all, of the
newsletters.
6. Newsletters offered by BusinessWeek Online include: BW Insider (weekly),
European Insider (weekly), MBAIB-School Insider (bi-weekly), Careers, Fron-
tier/Smail Business (weekly), Market Week Ahead (late Fridays). These newsletters
are free, but subscribers must sign-up (no fee) with BusinessWeek Online prior to sign-
ing up for the newsletters. Click on the 'Newsletters' link from the BusinessWeek On-
line main page (http://www.businessweek.com).
7. BusinessWeek Online forums & chats arena covers b-schools, investing, topics
in the current issue of BusinessWeek Online, technology. careers, and small business.
8. About Us (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://www.ebusinessforum.coml
index.asp?layout+about_us February 21, 2002.
 Stephanie Jakie Movahedi-Lankarani 151

9. To sign up for newsletters: http://e-newsletters.intemeLcom.

10. About INT MediaGroup. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://www.intemet.com/
corporate/about.html February 22, 2002.
II. About CyberAtlas. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://cyberatlas.intemet.com/
resources/about/article February 25, 2002.
12. AboutUs. (n.d. ). [Online]. Available at: http://ourstory.about.com/index.htm
February 21, 2002.
13. About the Free Management Library. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://www.
mapnp.org/library/aboutnml.htm February 22, 2002.
14. SIGNUP to our newsletters! (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://hotwired.lycos.
com/email/signup/webmonkey.htmIFebruary 27, 2002.
IS. Doctor EBiz. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://doctorebiz.com February
25,2002.
16. About Us. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: hnp://www.workz.com/contenti9.asp Febru-
ary 22, 2002.
17. About /DG. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: hnp://www.idg.com/home February
21,2002.
18. Ibid.
19. AboutUs. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at http://www.techweb.com/mediaiaboutus
February 22, 2002.
20. Cyberatlas Staff. (January 30, 2002). Online Purchasing Increases in Q4
2001. [Online]. Available at: http://cyberatas.intemet.com February 7, 2002.
21. About the Open Directory Project. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://www.
a2zofb2b.com/a2zofbiz/a2zofbiz.htm February 27, 2002.
22. About CREe. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://crec.bus.utexas.edu/ Febru-
ary 27, 2002.
23. Partners. (n.d.). [Online]. Available at: http://webi.wharton.upenn.edulSt/partners
List.asp February 27, 2002.
 Finance and Investments
Hal P. Kirkwood, Jr.

SUMMARY. Web sites for finance and investing are among the most per-
vasive. This chapter outlines key examples in the categories of market anal-
ysis and commentary, market news, initial public offerings, historical data,
stock screeners, brokers, mutual funds, bonds, international investing, pro-
fessional associations, and several other categories. [Article copies available
for afee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HA WORTH. E-mail
address: <[email protected]> Website: <http.llwww.HaworthPress.com>
© 2003 by The Haworth Pres!>; Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Investing, investments, finance, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

The advent and impressive growth of the Internet has led to signifi-
cant changes in the way people go about their daily lives. Access to an
ever-increasing array of resources and services is made available daily
over the World Wide Web. Online auctions, worldwide chat and e-mail,
and music file transfer are just some of the areas that have had tremen-
dous growth due directly to the development of the Web. Company re-
search and online investing are another topic that has seen significant
growth. The average person can now access information and resources
that were once completely out of their reach.

Hal P. Kirkwood, JT. is Assistant Professor of Library Science, Purdue University

(E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Finance and Invesunents." Kirkwood, Hal P., Jr. Co-published simulta-
neously in ]ourrUl! of Business & FiTUIllce Librariallship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4,2003, pp. 153-166; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide 10 Key Injon/Ullion
Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003,
pp. 153-166. Single or multiple copies of this mticle are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery
Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.1Il. - 5:00 p.1Il. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]].

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/prodUCl.asp ?sku=J 109

© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
IO.13001J109v08n03_03 153
154 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

An area that has had significant development online is access to informa-

tion and resource on finance and investments. The resources available vary
from the Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR database of com-
pany financial filings to the "backroom" infonnation at Earnings Whispers
to the contrarian investing at Tulips and Bears. Hundreds of sites sprouted up
as investment portals. The coverage of the information spans free investment
analysis to fee-based financial research. Tools such as bul1etin boards for dis-
cussion, fonns for requesting more infonnation, stock screeners and portfo-
lio trackers for online investing are widespread. Individual investing has
created an ever-growing demand for financial data, news and analysis.
The access to an abundance of investment-related information has
dramatically affected the equities markets. The "average" investor now
has an incredible and overwhelming amount of information to peruse.
The variety of sites is now almost as large as the number orsites them-
selves: market news; technical analysis; fundamental analysis; historic
data; bonds; mutual funds; "bearish" sites; "bullish" sites; commodity
trading; company resources and annual reports; venture capital; initial
public offerings; online brokers; associations; tools; calculators; and
screeners. The list goes on and on.
The list that follows is not comprehensive. It is a sampling of espe-
cially useful sites. Most categories are represented by at least two sites.
The annotations highlight the useful information and tools that can be
found at each site. There are many similar sites. Many of the investment
sites share tools and outsource information to each other. Portfolio track-
ers, for example, are the must-have feature for many sites. Selecting the
choicest sites was an extremely difficult task. It is my hope that besides
seeing some sites that you are familiar with you will find some hidden
gems you were unaware of previously.

META-SITES
Investor Links
(http://www.investorlinks.com)
Boasting a collection of over 12,000 links, Investor Links is arguably
the most comprehensive directory for investment sites and resources.
The site is organized into sixteen main categories with numerous sub-
categories available. A majority of the sites are briefly annotated. Fea-
tures on this site include "WallBoards" discussion bul1etin boards, a
portfolio tracker, and a free newsletter of market activity and invest-
ment news.
 Hal P. Kirkwood. Jr. 155

MARKET ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

CBS Marketwatch
(http://cbs.marketwatch.com)
MarketWatch is a complete analysis site with "News & Commentary,"
''Personal Finance," "My Portfolios," "Research & Tools" and "MarketWatch
TV & Radio." In addition to the standard dose of market news, the site
provides a solid amount of analysis and commentary for potential inves-
tors. A concise stock screener, interactive charting, and several other in-
vesting and personal finance tools make this an informative and
functional site. Of particular note is the "TV & Radio" section with an
abundance of investment commentary and interviews including a section
of executive interviews. Free registration is necessary for some content.
Features on this site include a portfolio tracker, an intraday screening
tool, and an alerting service for price/volume changes and breaking news
announcements. A wireless option is also available.
Quicken
(http://www.quicken.com)
Quicken provides access to a wide array of financial and investing re-
sources. Categories available include "Bills & Banking," "Taxes," "Small
Business," "Home Loans," "Insurance Quotes," and "Retirement." It is not
necessary to own the Quicken software to enjoy the benefits of the site. The
"Investing" section is particularly strong with a portfolio tracker, stock
screener, and excellent quote and charting information. "Intraday and Ana-
lyst" commentary is clearly provided within the navigation. The "Evaluator"
feature provides a clear breakdown of growth trends, financial health, man-
agement performance, market multiples, and intrinsic value. Research re-
ports and clear presentation of recent insider trading is also available.
Additional features of this site include a mutual fund finder and evaluator,
capital gains calculator, and information on DRIPs, 401 (k)'s and other
long-term investment options.
Corporatelnformation
(http://www.corporateinformation.com)
Corporatelnformation has been and remains one of the most informa-
tion-rich free sites on the Web for public company information. It requires
a free registration as this site which is in the midst of a significant redesign.
The content remains extremely solid with over 20,000 unique company
profiles from Wright Investors' Service as well as a search engine to thou-
sands of other company profiles and corporate snapshots across the Web.
156 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Additional features include full-text research reports on companies,

companies organized by country, industry reports by country, an ex-
change rate calculator, and current news headlines.
Clearstation
(http://clearstation.etrade.com)
Clearstation, a subsidiary of E*trade, provides a combination of in-
vestment analysis and education to offer an excellent investment Web
site. Information is provided on all three primary types of investing: tech-
nical; fundamental; and community. Clearstation provides very specific
commentary on the actions of stocks (i.e., whether it is trending up, a
community favorite, or has recently been up or downgraded by an ana-
lyst). Free registration is available for customization features but not nec-
essary for general content. Additional features include a portfolio
management tool, the "Tag & Bag" section of screened stocks for poten-
tial investment, and the extensive "Education" section.

MARKET NEWS
Bloomberg
(http://www.bloomberg.com)
Bloomberg provides several fee-based services for financial, invest-
ment, and market news. They also provide an excellent amount of infor-
mation on their Web site for free. In addition to the solid financial
reporting on a wide variety of topics (Le., earnings news, profit warn-
ings, stocks on the move), there is full-text access to articles from
Bloomberg columnists on specific issues such as executive pay, bonds,
European companies, small cap stocks, and mutual funds.
Notable sections include the "Earnings News" calendar of scheduled
earnings announcements, "Stocks on the Move" with brief summaries
of potentially volatile stocks, and a "Tech Stocks" section with news
and investment data on the different technology sectors.
Financial Times
(http://www.ft.com )
The Financial Times site is an excellent source for news on markets and
investments. Five years of archived articles from the Financial Times are
available as well as numerous other international business newspapers and
publications. A substantial amount of full-text information is available. Ff
provides deep reporting of international markets and investments. A
 Hal P. Kirkwood, Jr. 157

"Global Investing" section contains numerous stories and special reports

on companies and industries. The "FT Investor" section contains tools for
exploring fund prices and interactive charting of funds and equities. Free
registration is necessary for some features and tools. Other features include
a United Kingdom share price search, an interactive charting tool for inter-
national markets, and a United Kingdom broker comparison tool.
CNNIMoney
(http://money.cnn.com)
Formerly known as Cnnfn, the new site is a joint venture between
CNN and Money magazine. A wealth of national and international fi-
nancial news, investment analysis, and personal finance information is
available. The "Industry Watch" under "News" contains recent head-
lines on several dozen industries with a handy "Executive Summary."
Other sections of note are the "International" section under "News" and
the "Commentary" section with numerous columns on the investment
world. Features include the "Calculators" section with handy tools for
screening mutual funds, calculating rate of returns, employee stock op-
tions, stock screener and portfolio tracker.
S&P's Index Services
(http://www.spglobal.coml)
S&P's Index Services is a focused site on market index activities.
Descriptive information, methodology, constituents, and recent data are
all provided here by S&P for U.S. and international indexes. A calendar
is often available for upcoming corporate actions related to each index.
Features include the "Global Industry Classification Standard" (GICS)
and related S&P index tickers, exchange links, and a "Special Data" section
with information on items such as total return, market attributes, earnings,
turnover and several others. The "Sector Scorecard" is a useful tool for re-
viewing sector and sub-sector performance over a variety of time periods.

IPOs
IPO.com
(http://www.ipo.com)
In addition to breaking news on the initial public offerings market, a da-
tabase ofIPO filings is available. Search options include underwriters, law
finns, accountants, executives, and venture investors. IPO information is
158 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

available for companies back to 1998. Features include VC Funding re-

search reports for a fee and an extensive secondary market breakdown.

IPO Central
(http://www.ipocentral.com)

Hoover's Online provides information on the IPO market at their lPO

Central site. In addition to IPO news and filing dates there is the "IPO
Scorecard" feature that serves up information on the total values of recent
IPOs as well as statistics by industry, best and worst returns, biggest first
days, and several other lists. Also available is an "IPO Beginner's Guide."
Features include "Aftermarket Performance Data" and "Postponements."

Alert-IPO
(http://www.alertipo.com)

Alert-IPO is part of the Internet.com family. While Alert-IPO con-

tains similar information to IPO.com and IPO Central, it does have sev-
eral unique features. Specifically it allows for the searching of IPOs by
state, country, and by competitor. Alert-IPO has a free IPO newsletter
available as well as several fee-based services, e-mailed alert services,
and nightly news feed summaries. Additional features include a
"Bull/Bear Ranking" too] and an "IPO Dictionary."

HISTORIC DATA

BigCharts
(http://www.bigcharts.com)

Supported by sponsors and advertising, BigCharts is an excellent re-

source for charting and historic data. Pricing information is available
for more than ten years for most companies. The "Interactive Charting"
feature provides over a dozen chart options including averages, indica-
tors, comparisons, as well as nine different chart formats and numerous
custornizable presentation options.
Features include three-month performance data for Dow Jones U.S.
Industry Sectors and the "BigReports" section with information on se-
curities within each market and the state of the markets.
 Hal P. Kirkwood, Jr. 159

Yahoo! Finance: Historical Prices

(http://table.finance.yahoo.comlk?)
The historical prices feature of Yahoo! Finance provides tabular nu-
meric data on daily, weekly, and monthly stock price information. Divi-
dends can also be displayed. The information is presented in an HTML
table, but can be downloaded in spreadsheet format.

STOCK SCREENERS
Multex MarketGuide Screener
(http://www.multexinvestor.com )
A somewhat non-intuitive entry page leads to an extremely powerful
stock-screening tool at Multex Investor. Twelve different categories in-
cluding "Earnings Estimates," "Growth Rates," "Financial Strength,"
and "User Defined Variables" with numerous sub-options make this a
tool for the informed investor. A "Simple Screening" tool is available.
Full descriptions of each variable are available. At the time of this writ-
ing, 9,331 active companies were in the database.
MSN Moneycentral
(http://moneycen tral. msn .comli nves tor/finder/predefstocks .asp )
The "Custom Search" provides access to eleven criteria-types menus
for a novice-friendly screening tool. A "Deluxe Stock Screener" is
available as a free download with many more criteria filtering options.
The "Pre-Defined Search" area has six carefully set screens for differ-
ent types of investing strategies including high momentum, cheap
stocks, high yield, and "dogs of the Dow."
Business Week
(http://prosearch.businessweek.comlbusinessweeklgeneral_
free_search.html ?)
Business Week provides a "Quick Stock Search" tool and an "Ad-
vanced Stock Search" tool with many variables and options. The "Ad-
vanced" version contains approximately eighty criteria. Especially
useful are the linked definitions for each variable with information on
scale and how to use it effectively for investing strategies. Filters are
available for exchange, industry, and type of stock. There is also a spe-
cialized screening tool that uses the Business Week 50 and S&P 500 to
create even more focused lists of potential investment targets.
160 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

BEAR ANALYSIS

Bearmarketcentral
(http://Bearmarketcentral.com )

Investing consists of two opposing "sides," the "bulls" and the "bears."
The "bears" are historically more pessimistic regarding the stock market
and its general future success. Bearmarketcentral, while heavy with ad-
vertising and self-promotion of products, serves as a valuable source for
"bearish" or contrarian investing. Information and guidance is provided
on short selling, "bearish" investing, and "bearish" market news.
Fall Street
(http://Fallstreet.com)
Fall Street is a rich source for "bear" investing information. Current news
articles, a recurring "Spotlight" column, and an extensive directory of
links are available. A discussion board is also provided for "bear" investors.

BROKERS
Gomez: Broker Scorecard
(http://www.gomez.com!)
Gomez, Inc. is a provider of e-commerce measurement and bench-
marking services. As a service to the investing community, they pro-
vide a regularly updated evaluation of online discount and full-service
brokers. Brokers can be sorted by criteria (ease of use, customer confi-
dence' on-site resources, relationship services, overall cost, and overall
score) as well as by user type (hyper-active trader, serious investor,
life-goal planner, and one-stop shopper). Each broker is scored and
briefly reviewed by Gomez.
CNNIMoney: Best Online Brokers 2001
(http://money .cnn .comlbestlbrokers/)
This excellent article ranks and reviews online brokerage services.
Detailed information on their methodology is provided while the bro-
kers are organized by user type (mainstream investors, frequent traders,
wealthy investors, and beginners). While the article is beginning to be
somewhat dated, it still contains useful information and analysis to as-
sist investors under current conditions.
 Hal P. Kirkwood, Jr. 161

MUTUAL FUNDS
Morningstar
(http://www.morningstar.com)
Morningstar is the premier name in mutual fund information. Its Web
site contains an abundance of information and resources. The mutual
fund section contains a "Fund Quickrank," "Fund Selector," "Investment
Radar" interactive map of the top 500 funds, and a fund comparison tool.
Some features are available with a free membership, while enhanced fea-
tures are available with a premium fee-based membership. Fund lists,
news articles, and analyst opinions round out this excellent site.
Brill's Mutual Funds Interactive
(http://www.brill.com)
The "FundLink" section contains URLs to a large number of mutual
fund companies. The site also provides full-text articles from investment
"experts," mutual fund primers, profiles of fund managers, and an exten-
sive Q&A forum.

BONDS
Bureau of the Public Debt
(http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/)
In addition to being the primary site for U.S. public debt information,
the Bureau of Public Debt is the main source for U.S. Savings Bonds,
T -Bills, and Treasury Notes. Information available includes rates, pay-
back dates, cancellations, and purchase details.
Investing in Bonds
(http://www.investinginbonds.com)
This excellent site contains information on municipal, corporate, and
treasury bonds. The municipal and corporate sections have a searchable,
browsable, and sortable report of daily transactions. A bond glossary and an
investor's checklist support the bond information. There is substantial in-
troductory and explanatory information on this site for the novice investor.
Bonds Online
(http://www.bondsonline.com)
Overtlowing with bond information, Bonds Online provides a greater
level of granularity in navigating the information than other sites in this
162 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

section. A solid section of general bond information, "the Bond Profes-

sor," and yield curve tables are just a few of the available resources.

COMMODITIES, OPTIONS AND FUTURES

Commodity Ville
(http://www.commodityville.coml)
CommodityVille consists of two primary sections, "Commodity
Central" and "Commodity Cafe." The "Cafe" is a moderated discussion
forum for commodity traders. "Commodity Central" is an extensive
portal to all types of commodity sites and resources. Separated into ap-
proximately twenty-five categories including "Commodity Charts,"
"Educational Resources," "Online Paper Trading," and "Trading Sys-
tems & Methods," the site is filled with a valuable collection of links.
Updated regularly, this is an excellent starting place for anyone seeking
commodity and futures related information.
Futures Guide
(http://www.futuresguide.com)
Futures Guide is a useful source of recent news and opinions on the
futures and options markets. Of particular note in this site are the "Mar-
ket Forecast" report on currency and commodity futures and the "His-
torical Data" section with daily settlement prices back to March 1999.
Future Source
(http://www.futuresource.com)
Future Source is a commodity portal with regularly updated news ar-
ticles, market announcements, contract specs, charting tools, quotes,
and a discussion forum. Registration is free and necessary to access por-
tions of the information. More enhanced services are available for a fee.

INTERNATIONAL
World Federation of Exchanges
(http://www.world-exchanges.org)
The International Federation of Stock Exchanges is the global trade as-
sociation for the exchange industry. Membership consists of fifty-five reg-
ulated members from around the world. Information available includes
 Hal P. Kirkwood, Jr. 163

specifics on each of the member exchanges, recent news articles and an-
nouncements, and other publications including an annual report, market in-
formation, studies and workshop reports, and other association related
documentation. Several of the publications are available onl y to members.
Numa Web: Directory of Futures and Options Exchanges
(http://www.numa.comlref/exchange.htm)
This is a massive directory of over 100 countries and their exchanges.
Contact information is available including address, telephone numbers,
e-mail address, and URL. Numa Financial Systems provides this direc-
tory as part of their derivatives information site.
]PMorgan ADR
(http://www.adr.com)
JP Morgan provides a central source of American Depository Re-
ceipts and international equities information and data. Introductory and
expert information can be found on ADRs. Current information is avail-
able on top performing ADRs, world markets, and industry overviews.
Searchable by country, region, industry, and ticker symbol company in-
formation is available on financials, earnings estimates, and institu-
tional ownership along with a concise tear sheet. Free registration is
available for the customizable portfolio tool.
Oanda 164 Currency Converter
(http://www.oanda.comlconvertlclassic )
The FXConverter provides current and historic exchange rates be-
tween 164 currencies. Options include "Interbank," "Typical Credit,"
and "Typical Cash" rates. The "Converter" is available in English, Ger-
man, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish.

ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS
Securities & Exchange Commission
(http://www.sec.gov)
The United States Securities & Exchange Commission provides a
wealth of investment information. Specifically the site contains informa-
tion on SEC rules and regulatory information, the EDGAR database of
public company financial filings, news and press releases, speeches and
public statements, and litigation releases. For the individual investor there
164 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

is a collection of tools; i.e., "Mutual Fund Cost Calculator," "Investor

Quizzes," and several others. The site offers over fifty online publications
including ''Tips for Online Investing," "Investment Clubs and the SEC,"
and "Stock Market Fraud 'Survivor' Kit." Also available is a complaint
center and information on evaluating and selecting brokers and advisors.
American Association of Individual Investors
(http://www.aaii.com)
The AAII's purpose is to represent and instruct individual investors.
Instructional resources include reports from financial gurus, publica-
tions on investing strategies, tax relief, and broker guides. A fee-based
membership provides access to additional resources including financial
planning tools, tax resources, portfolio management, stock investing
and analysis, and a community bulletin board.
National Association of Securities Dealers
(http://www.nasd.com)
The NASD is the regulatory organization for the securities industry.
The site contains news and press releases, regulatory documents, a
streaming investor university, tips and criteria for evaluating brokers,
investment guidance documents, complaint submission, and more in-
formation for brokers, securities firms, and regulators.

GWSSARIES
Yahoo! Finance-Financial Glossary
(http://biz. yahoo.com/flg!g.html)
Yahoo! provides access to an extensive collection of investing terms with
clear and short definitions. This glossary is especially strong in acronyms.
Motley Fool Glossary
(http://www.fool.com/schooVGlossary/glossary.htm)
The Motley Fool's Glossary is not as extensive or as heavily cross-refer-
enced as some other glossaries. The definitions are written with a novice
user in mind and are clear and jargon free.
Global Investor Glossary
(http://www.finance-glossary.com/pages/home.htm)
This glossary consists of 2,000 investing terms with extensive defini-
tions and cross-references.
 Hal P. Kirkwood, Jr. 165

Investor Words
(http://www.investorwords.com )
A massive glossary of 6,000 terms and 20,000 cross-references
makes this one of the most extensive investment/financial glossaries on
the Web. It is searchable and browsable.
Campbell R. Harvey's Hypertextual Finance Glossary
(http://www.duke.edu/-charvey/Classes/wpg/glossary.htm)
Competing with Investor Words as the largest finance glossary is the
Harvey's Finance Glossary. Boasting 7,200 terms and over 18,000
cross-references, this is an excellent resource for finance and invest-
ment definitions and acronyms. Browsing is by alphabet only.

UNIQUE TOOLS
ValuePro: Baseline Valuation Calulator
(http://www.valuepro.net/index.shtml)
While primarily a site advertising the ValuPro 2002 valuation soft-
ware for purchase, ValuePro does provide an extremely interesting tool
to sample what the full version can do. The "Baseline Valuation" tool
takes a submitted ticker symbol and calculates an "Intrinsic Stock
Value." It accomplishes this by calculating twenty financial variables to
provide this value amount. Especially useful is the ability to alter the
evaluated criteria based on user input and then to recalculate the stock's
value. Thus the visitor can create a valuation on currently available in-
formation or on specific numbers and parameters. A clear explanation
of what the online valuation is doing is available. A "Value Screening"
tool and "Portfolio Valuation" tool are planned for the future.
Prophet Finance: lava Charts
(http://www.prophetfinance.com/charts/pc.asp)
The investment portal Prophet Finance provides access to the most
powerful charting tool on the Web. Entering a ticker symbol provides
the standard stock price chart and volume data. However, there are
many additional features available. The interactive Java chart allows for
zooming in to the stock price information, chart display options, adding
indexes and companies to the chart for comparison, and viewing lists of
selectable gai ners and losers from the major exchanges. The "Technical
Analysis" features include dozens of c1ickable options on moving aver-
166 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

ages, upper studies, lower studies, market studies, trend studies, volatil-
ity, and more. An enhanced version with historical data is available for a
monthly fee.

Motley Fool: Pegulator

(http://www.fool.comlPegulator/pegulator.htm)

The Motley Fool is an excellent, rather irreverent site that encourages

and instructs on investing. A key tool for analyzing a company for pos-
sible investing is the "Price to Earnings Growth Ratio" (PEG). The Fool
provides a handy tool and explanation for how to calculate and use the
PEG ratio.

S&P/SmartMoney Map of the Market

(http://www.smartmoney.comlmaps/)

Standard & Poor's, in collaboration with SmartMoney magazine,

have created a very interesting visual tool of market activity. Com-
panies are grouped into sectors and then color coded by their activity
and recent price direction. You can view the recent performance of in-
dustry sectors and of competitors. The "Map Control Panel" allows for
the viewing of gainers and losers and the change from a selection of
dates. Maps are available for the S&P 500, mutual funds, IPO market,
sector maps, and a customizable map for your own portfolio.

Quicken's One-Click Scorecard

(http://www.quicken.comlinvestments/ strategies!)

Quicken has created a unique analyst tool with its "One-Click Score-
card." The "Scorecard" allows for the review and analysis of companies
by one of four prominent investment strategies. After selecting a com-
pany and an investment strategy a recommendation is given as to
whether it is of "interest" or not to further research the company. Details
are provided on a variety of criteria for each strategy and why it passes
or fails that strategy. An excellent source for gaining insight into how
certain investment strategies work and what their reaction would be to a
given stock.
 The Best of the Web:
Hospitality and Tourism Web Sites
Diane Zabel

SUMMARY. This chapter on hospitality and tourism Web sites includes

key sites for the lodging and gaming industries, restaurants and foodservice,
and the tourism industry. {Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth
Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address: <docdelivery@
haworthpress.com> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2003 by The Haworth
Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Hospitality, tourism, travel, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of di-
verse industries. The hospitality industry consists of fragmented ser-
vices: foodservice in restaurants; foodservice on planes and cruise
ships; food service in clubs; foodservice in college dormitories, school
cafeterias, hospitals, nursing homes, and jails; lodging; and recreational
facilities ranging from casinos to resorts. The tourism industry also in-
volves a spectrum of commercial activities. Tourism is an industry con-

Diane Zabel is Endowed Librarian for Business, Schreyer Business Library, The
Pennsylvania State University (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note): "The Best of the Web: Hospitality and Tourism Web Sites." Zabel,
Diane. Co-published simultaneously in }ounwl of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Informa-
tion Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4,2003, pp. 167-179; and: The Core Business
Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint
of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp. 167-179. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee
from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail ad-
dress: [email protected]).

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/product.asp?sku=J 109
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.1300/Jl09vOSn03_04 167
168 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

sisting of an amalgamation of services that support a traveler's need for

transportation, food, lodging, amusement, and entertainment. The tour-
ism industry involves industries as wide ranging as tour operators,
rental cars, hotels, bars, gasoline stations, theme parks, and attractions.
Although the terms hospitality and tourism are often used interchange-
ably, they are not quite synonymous. The tourism industry serves trav-
elers, people away from home. In contrast, the hospitality industry also
includes businesses (such as restaurants) that serve people in their local
town. Olson and Blank provide an example that helps explain this dif-
ference: "A restaurant illustrates this distinction-it is always a part of
the hospitality industry, but only that part of sales to people away from
their usual residence or work area can be considered tourism.")
Together, hospitality and tourism represent a major industry. In
1999, travel expenditures within the United States by domestic and in-
ternational travelers totaled $522.9 billion. 2 The industry is also a major
source of employment. The travel and tourism industry is the third larg-
est private employer in the United States; only the health services and
business services sectors of the economy employ more workers. 3 It also
generates new jobs faster than other sectors of the economy. In 1999,
travel and tourism generated jobs in the United States totaled 7.7 mil-
lion, a twenty-four percent increase from 1990.4 Tourism is also a
growth industry worldwide, especially in developing countries. Even
the poorest of the poor nations have contributed scarce resources to
tourism development.
The hospitality and tourism industries are important for more than
economic reasons. Tourism has significant environmental, social, and
cultural impacts. Although tourism can bring economic prosperity, it
can also bring over-development, strip-development, and loss of an
area's uniqueness. Although tourism generates money, it also requires
major capital investment on the part of host countries. For example, vis-
itors increase the demand for garbage collection, police protection, and
other municipal services. The flow of tourists into a region can signifi-
cantly alter the environment. It can result in traffic congestion, pollu-
tion, a depletion of natural resources, and a shift in the ecosystem. As a
result of these negative environmental consequences, ecotourism (tour-
ism sensitive to the environment) has emerged as one ofthe hottest top-
ics in hospitality and tourism studies.
Hospitality and tourism studies is still in its infancy as an academic
study. The academic discipline of hospitality involves numerous areas
of study, including cookery, nutrition, finance, accounting, marketing,
management, law, and information technology. Tourism studies in par-
 Diane Zabel 169

ticular has drawn from the scholarly expertise of other fields such as ge-
ography, sociology, psychology, political science, economics, and
anthropology. The development of tourism as a separate field of study
did not occur until the 1960s and 1970s, the same period when special-
ized research journals emerged in the discipline. In the past two de-
cades, hospitality and tourism education has grown dramatically. In the
United States alone, there are almost 300 institutions awarding degrees
(ranging from associate degrees to doctorates) in the culinary arts, res-
taurant and foodservice management, hoteillodging management, and
travel and tourism management. 5
Librarianship in hospitality and tourism studies is both challenging
and specialized. Reference questions can range from queries about the
history of a specific cuisine to inquiries about the socio-demographic
characteristics of consumers who have taken a cruise in the past year.
Hospitality and tourism students and researchers make heavy use of busi-
ness-oriented materials, especially those of a statistical nature. A unique
body of literature has emerged in hospitality and tourism studies. Profes-
sional trade associations, like the National Restaurant Association, and
specialized publishers, such as consulting firms, produce much of the rel-
evant literature. It is not surprising that these types of data producers have
also produced the "best" Web resources. The following Webliography
excludes consumer travel Web sites. The focus is on authoritative and
substantive sites representing all parameters ofthe hospitality industry, as
well as sites treating tourism as an economic activity.

GENERAL HOSPITALITY SITES

Hospitality Net: All of Hospitality on the Web
(http://www .hospitali tynet.org)
This comprehensive, professionally designed site was established in
March 1995. It provides current industry news, industry reports, job
listings, a directory of industry vendors, an index to other hospitality
Web sites, and more. Industry news is updated daily and the site's news
archives go back to 1995. The "Industry News" file can be searched by
category, date, or keyword. Some industry news is in a multimedia for-
mat (i.e., audio and video interviews delivered via streaming media).
Users looking for recent financial information relating to a sector of the
industry or specific company can select "Financial News" from the
main menu. Selective reports from major industry consultants are avail-
able free of charge by clicking "Market Reports" from the sidebar.
170 The Core Busilless Web: A Guide to Key Informatioll Resources

Among the consulting firms providing reports are Andersen, Global

Hospitality Resources, HVS International, Jones Lang La Salle, Hospi-
tality eBusiness Strategies, Overlook Hospitality Management AB,
PKF, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Smith Travel Research, and the Cornell
Center for Hospitality Research. This feature is invaluable as the firms
supplying these reports are the leading consultants for the industry. The
"Associations Update" link on the main menu provides recent news
from several key organizations, including the American Hotel &
Lodging Association, the National Restaurant Association, the Travel
Business Roundtable, the Travel Industry Association of America, the
World Tourism Organization, the World Travel & Tourism Council,
the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals, and the Hospi-
tality Sales & Marketing Association International. The "Industry
Links" section allows users to search for organizations by keyword, cat-
egory, or in alphabetic order. The section is fairly extensive, including
not only major industry associations but also more specialized organi-
zations such as the Asian American Hotel Owners Association and the
Gaming Manufacturers Association. For each association listed, users
can find more information or opt to visit the organization's Web site.
Additionally, the "Industry Links" section links to hotel chains and on-
line industry publications. Although by no means comprehensive, the
"Bookshelf' menu option allows users to browse industry related
books, videos, and CD-ROMS. Titles can be searched by broad cate-
gory or keyword. Ordering information is available. This exceptional
site (both in terms of content and design) is one that all business librari-
ans will want to bookmark.

LODGING AND GAMING INDUSTRY SITES

American Gaming Association
(http://www.americangaming.org/)
This site is useful for news and statistics relating to the casino indus-
try, especially information on issues impacting the industry. The Asso-
ciation's members include casinos and other businesses that operate
gambling games and machinery. The Association disseminates infor-
mation on gaming, the casino industry, and responsible gambling. For
example, by selecting "Casino Industry" from the main menu, users can
access briefs on issues impacting the casino industry, an annual survey
conducted by the Association, federal and state legislation impacting
the industry, and other news about the industry. The "Publications" link
 Diane Zabel 171

from the main sidebar allows users to access selective articles from In-
side the AGA, the Association's newsletter, free of charge. In addition to
providing access to recent articles, an archive allows readers access to
articles from the past five years. The "Publications" link also allows us-
ers free access to selected articles from two related newsletters: Respon-
sible Gaming Quarterly andAGA Ally. Web site users can also sign up
to receive free e-mail notification about changes to the Association's
Web site as well as the bimonthly newsletter.
American Hotel and Lodging Association
(http://www.ahma.coml)
The Association, formerly known as the American Hotel and Motel
Association, was established almost a century ago. It is the premier asso-
ciation for the U.S. lodging industry. The Association's Web site is a
good source of news and data relating to the lodging industry. While there
is a "Members Only" section, the site provides a wealth of information to
non-members. By clicking "Information Center," users can retrieve a list
of the top fifty hotel companies, an up-to-date profile of the lodging in-
dustry, a short chronological history of the lodging industry, and practical
information for hoteliers such as energy conservation tips. There are also
links to hospitality schools and hospitality related organizations. By
clicking "Governmental Affairs," users get access to late breaking legis-
lative news impacting the industry, briefs that the Association has pre-
pared on issues ranging from compensatory timelflextime to ergonomics,
and links to Congressional and other political Web sites.
American Resort Development Association
(http://www .arda.org/arda)
Consult this site for news and information about the resort, timeshare,
and vacation home sectors of the lodging industry. This association's
membership is comprised of developers of resorts and resort communi-
ties, timeshare properties, and second homes. Members also include sup-
pliers to the resort development industry and other companies with an
interest in vacation ownership. The Association conducts surveys and
other research relating to the development of resorts and recreational
properties. For example, by selecting "About the Industry" option from
the "About ARDA" menu, users can retrieve fast facts about the vacation
ownership and resort development industries. By choosing "Legislation"
from the main menu, researchers can monitor new and proposed legisla-
tion relating to pertinent issues such as timesharing, real estate licensing,
172 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

property management licensing, and taxes. Librarians selecting materials

in this specialized area should note that the "Publications" link on the
main menu leads to a listing of recent surveys relating to the timeshare in-
dustry, vacation ownership, resorts, and recreational property. Many of
these reports are published or sponsored by the American Resort Devel-
opment Association, with research conducted by leading consultants in
this area.

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

(http://www.vegasfreedom.coml)

This site includes information and data relating to gaming and tour-
ism in Las Vegas. It is the official site ofthe Las Vegas Convention and
Visitors Authority. By clicking on "Facts" from the main menu, users
can then choose "Las Vegas Facts," which includes a timeline that
chronicles major developments in Las Vegas's history, population sta-
tistics, and information on the city's ethnic heritage. By choosing
"Press" from the "Facts" menu, users can retrieve up to date news re-
leases providing information on number of visitors, tourism trends, and
initiatives to promote tourism in Las Vegas. The "Related Links" option
under "Facts" provides useful links to governmental agencies and other
travel and tourism industry organizations. Researchers needing detailed
and historical data on the gaming industry in Las Vegas will find exten-
sive data by clicking "Visitor Stats" under the "Facts" menu. There are
detailed statistics relating to Las Vegas tourism from 1970 to the pres-
ent. The answers to many reference questions about Las Vegas tourism
can be found by clicking "Frequently Asked Research Questions" un-
der the "Visitor Stats" link. This site should be the first stop for anyone
researching the Las Vegas gaming industry. Unfortunately, the research
value of this site is not readily apparent since most of the site's links re-
late to helping tourists plan their Las Vegas vacation.

New Jersey Casino Control Commission

(http://www.state.nj.us/casinos/)

This regulatory agency oversees gaming in the state of New Jersey.

Their site provides a wealth of data on New Jersey casino revenues. By
selecting "Casino Revenue" from the menu, users can retrieve monthly
casino revenue data for the past five years. Data are broken down by indi-
vidual casino. Aggregate casino industry data are also presented for New
Jersey. By choosing "Publications," searchers can download Comrnis-
 Diane Zabel 173

sion publications, reports, and brochures. Some publications are avail-

able only by subscription while others are free. One particularly useful
free publication is the substantive report on casino gambling in New Jer-
sey that was submitted to the National Gambling Impact Study Commis-
sion. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission also makes their
annual report available free of charge on their site. This document is use-
ful because it includes a wealth of data on New Jersey casinos.
Since the gaming sector of the hospitality and tourism industry can
be difficult to research, this site provides a valuable service by making
substantive data on New Jersey casinos available free of charge. The
site also links to gaming regulatory agencies in other states as well as to
other organizations related to gaming.

Smith Travel Research

(http://www.str-online.coml)

Smith Travel Research is a leading consultant to the lodging indus-

try. Although this consulting firm's site has a "Clients Only Login"
area, the site provides some current data on the lodging industry free of
charge. For example, a visit to their site in February 2002 retrieved use-
ful data such as preliminary figures on the 2001 performance ofthe U.S.
lodging industry and global lodging statistics for September 2001. A
notice on this site indicated that the company is in the process of en-
hancing and improving their Web site. This site will be useful to those
libraries that can not afford to purchase Smith Travel Research publica-
tions, such as their weekly report, monthly newsletter, or detailed an-
nual study of the hotel industry.

US Business Reporter: Lodging & Gaming Industry

(http://activemedia-guide.comllodging_gaming_industry.htm)

US Business Reporter provides profiles of more than fifty industries

free of charge. Most overviews average four to eight pages in length.
All follow a similar format, covering the industry environment, current
issues, emerging trends, and characteristics of a particular industry.
These profiles are also a good source of composite industry data and
market share data. The analysis on the lodging and gaming industry
dated February 2, 2002 discussed many critical issues, including the im-
pact of terrorist attacks, the impact of the recession, and threats to the in-
dustry (ranging from rising labor costs to Internet gambling). These
clearly written essays will be especially useful to students needing
174 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

background information on an industry, basic data, and a quick analysis

of industry issues and trends. Additionally, this site includes profiles of
major companies in this industry. US Business Reporter has a compan-
ion report on the restaurant industry. Users can access that report and
other industry reports from the Lodging & Gaming Industry page.

RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE SITES

Foodsafety.Gov
(http://www.foodsafety.gov)

This site is a gateway to government food safety information. Since

food safety is a critical issue for foodservice professionals, this is a core
resource. This well designed site has several components: news and
safety alerts; food safety advice for consumers; food safety resources
for educators (including those teaching food safety to children and teen-
agers); resources for the general food service industry as wel1 as seg-
ments of the industry (nursing homes, hospitals, schools, cruise lines,
etc.); contact information for reporting food borne pathogens; informa-
tion on governmental food safety programs; and links to state, federal,
and international agencies concerned with food safety issues. This com-
prehensive site includes a search and site index.

National Restaurant Association

(http://www.restaurant.orgl)

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) is the premier associa-

tion for the restaurant and food service industry. Members represent all
segments of the industry: restaurants; cafeterias; clubs; contract
foodservice management; and institutional foodservice providers. The
NRA plays an important role in the dissemination of information. The
Association has a long list of publications ranging from industry annual
reports to consumer research/marketing reports. The NRA home page is
an indispensable source of information. By selecting "Magazine" from
the menu, users can read excerpts from Restaurants USA, the NRA
trade journal that publishes in-depth articles on foodservice trends, op-
erations, and political issues impacting the industry. Because govern-
mental affairs are so critical to the restaurant and foodservice industry,
the site offers a "Governmental & Legal" file. This section provides the
latest news on pertinent legal issues, background information on issues
 Diane Zabel 175

of interest to the industry, a guide to laws and regulations, and links to

federal, state, and local governmental officials. The site also highlights
recent research conducted by the NRA. This "Industry Research" file
provides a wealth of information including extensive statistical data,
operating ratios, and industry forecasts. Hospitality educators and ca-
reer counselors will find the "Careers & Education" file useful. This
section of the site links to a range of career resources, including a direc-
tory of culinary and hospitality schools, information on the job outlook
for the industry, and other career advice.

Nation's Restaurant News

(http://www.nrn.com)

This site has been created by Nation's Restaurant News, one of the
leading industry trade journals. The site is an excellent source of market-
ing, financial, legislative, and headline news for the foodservice industry.
"Daily Specials" leads to headline news relevant to the industry. The
well-designed interface allows users to easily e-mail or print these stories.
The "NRN News" menu option categorizes important news stories by
broad categories, such as "Financial News," "Marketing Mix," "Legisla-
tive Loop," "People on the Move," "E-Business News," "Quick Service
News," "Fine Dining News," and more. The "Operations" menu option
links to stories focusing on issues relating to operating restaurants and
other foodservice facilities. The "Resources" file links to ranking and
market share data from several NRA special reports. These special re-
ports include the "NRA Top 100" and "Second 100," lists ofleading pub-
lic and private restaurants and foodservice operators.

Restaurant Report
(http://www.restaurantreport.com/)

This site claims to contain more than 700 pages of information "for
hospitality professionals and food connoisseurs." It links to top food
sites, online yellow pages for the hospitality industry, hospitality jobs
and more. One of the most interesting features is the section listing
"Top 100 Hospitality Sites." This directory includes sites relating to
food, wine, cooking, restaurant operations, and more. Sites are given a
rating for content, design, navigation, and overall experience. Web site
users can also opt to subscribe to a free weekly e-mail newsletter con-
taining feature articles, restaurant industry news, and reader feedback.
176 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

TOURISM INDUSTRY SITES

American Society of Travel Agents

(http://www.astanet.com)

The American Society of Travel Agents (AST A), the leading associ-
ation for professional travel agents, disseminates information on the
travel industry. ASTA's Web site is an excellent source of up to the
minute news impacting the travel and tourism industries. For example,
a search on this site in February 2002 resulted in stories relating to ter-
rorism alerts issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, changes in
U.S. airport security screening, an increase in car rental prices, and new
luggage designs to better accommodate new airline security proce-
dures. These travel news stories were extracted from the Wall Street
Journal, USA Today, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Las
Angeles Times, Travel Management Daily, and other sources (including
Reuters, PRNewswire, MSNBC, ABC News, CNN, Fox News, Bloom-
berg, the Associate Press, and governmental agencies). The site also in-
chides consumer travel information ranging from tips to ensure a healthy
trip to advice on overseas travel.
Cruise Lines International Association
(http://cruising.org)
This site, sponsored by the official trade organization ofthe cruise in-
dustry, is a good source of information on the cruise lines industry. By
selecting "Press & Media" from the menu, users can click on the "Con-
sumer Press Release" area of the site to find profiles of cruise lines and
ships, information about cruise destinations, and recent cruise news. By
selecting "Cruise Travel Update," users can find special articles on cur-
rent issues in the industry, such as cruise line security. Since the cruise
industry is one segment of the tourism industry that is more difficult to
research in standard sources (e.g., reference works, monographs, and
periodicals), this site is a particularly useful resource.
International Ecotourism Society
(http://www.ecotourism.org)
The goal of this non-profit organization is to promote environmentally
responsible tourism. This visually attractive, professionally designed site
offers information to a range of audiences: travelers; students; conserva-
tion professionals; tour operators; and government officials. Travelers
 Diane Zabel 177

can use the site to find eeo-friendly tour operators and accommodations.
Professionals and students have access to statistical data and fact sheets
on eeotourism. The Society also posts (usually as PDF documents) the
text of recent scholarly papers on ecotourism. These published and un-
published papers were judged to be among the best in the world by Soci-
ety staff. There is also a core reading list on ecotourism. Individuals
interested in studying ecotourism can link to an ecotourism education fact
sheet, which includes a directory of colleges and universities offering
courses and programs on ecotourism. Librarians purchasing materials on
ecotourism will want to explore the "Bookstore" in order to purchase So-
ciety publications. The Society is a major publisher in the area of
ecotourism and their publications range from practical guides for
ecotourism planners and managers to recent case studies. Members of the
Society have access to a range of benefits, depending on membership lev-
els. The "Members Only" part ofthe site provides access to special pric-
ing of books and materials, a directory of ecotourism professionals, a
quarterly newsletter, and an online resource center.
ITA Tourism Industries
(http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/)
Tourism Industries was created in 1996 within the Trade Department
Area of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Ad-
ministration. Their Web site provides information about the statistical
reports available from Tourism Industries. Tourism Industries is a pro-
lific publisher; their current publications catalog indicated that they
have more than 900 products available. Many of these can be reviewed
free of charge or purchased for a nominal amount. Many of these publi-
cations provide detailed data on visitors to the United States as well as
data on U.S. travel abroad. In addition, the site provides other substan-
tive data free of charge. For example, users can subscribe to "TI News,"
a good source of recent data on travel to and from the United States. A
new section of the site, "Tourism Industries Outreach," links to current
statistics, analysis, and reports on inbound and outbound tourism. These
pages provide access to current international tourism research and spe-
cific agency announcements regarding a specific region or country.
Meeting Professionals International
(http://www.mpiweb.org/)
This is the Web site for the world's largest meeting professionals
group. There are more than 19,000 members in more than sixty coun-
178 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

tries. This site is a good source of information on the meeting industry.

By selecting "News & Publications" from the sidebar, users can read is-
sues of several trade periodicals for meeting and event planning profes-
sionals free of charge, including "The Meeting Professional," "Meeting
Europe Newsletter," "Canadian Communique," and the "Chapter
Leader Newsletter." By selecting "Weekly Newsbytes" under the
"News & Publications" option, users can retrieve timely news impact-
ing the meeting planners industry. For example, the February 26, 2002
Newsbytes link retrieved stories relating to the recovery of the cruise in-
dustry, tourism decline in Tacoma (Washington), and other stories. By
selecting "Research Tools" from the "Professional Resources" option,
users can retrieve statistics about the meeting industry, a profile of the
meeting and travel industry, and significant legislative trends affecting
the industry. Sections ofthe site are restricted to members only. For ex-
ample, MPI membership is required for users who want to post a re-
sume to this site. However, resume listings could be viewed free of
charge as well as job postings as of late February 2002.
Travel Industry Association of America
(http://www .tia.org)
The Travel Industry Association of America is the leading trade as-
sociation for the U.S. tourism industry. The Association represents all
components of the industry and its goal is to promote travel to and
within the United States. It conducts market surveys and economic im-
pact studies relating to tourism as an economic activity. The Associa-
tion is the major source oftourism data in the United States. It publishes
several key annual publications including the Domestic Outlook for
Travel and Tourism, Tourism Works for America, The Impact of Travel
on State Economies, and The International Outlook for Travel and
Tourism. Additionally, it publishes reports on segments of the industry.
For example, recent reports have been published on the shopping trav-
eler, e-travel consumers, travelers who gamble, middle-aged travelers,
and minority travelers. Data from these publications are the basis for the
free "Fast Facts" link on the Association's Web site. The "Fast Facts"
link is also a good source of trend information relating to the industry.
The "Press Releases" link provides news about the industry free of
charge. Users needing information about legislative trends can select
the "Government Affairs" link to learn about proposed legislation and
regulations impacting the tourism industry. The Association's Web site
also provides links to other sources of legislative news, travel statistics,
 Diane Zabel 179

demographic/economic statistics, technology trends, travel organiza-

tions, and more. Additionally, Association members have access to an
online membership directory, executive summaries of several reports,
and detailed statistical data.
World Tourism Organization
(http://www.world-tourism.org)
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) , based in Madrid, pro-
motes tourism and serves as a clearinghouse for tourism information. It
collects tourism data and conducts research. Research findings are dis-
seminated through its publication series. The organization also spon-
sors workshops and forums on tourism development and tourism policy
issues. The WTO's Web site is an excellent source of global tourism
data. By clicking "Facts and Figures," users can retrieve detailed data
on international tourism, including short-term and long-term forecasts.
By selecting "Newsroom," users can access the full text of recent. news
releases issued by the WTO. These press releases (which are sometimes
in the form of speeches) are significant because many report major re-
search findings or summarize data from recent surveys. Librarians with
collection development responsibilities in this area will want to choose
"Infoshop" from the menu in order to access WTO's catalog of publica-
tions as well as listing of new publications.

NOTES
I. Olson, R., and U. Blank. (1994). "Research Needs of the Restaurant Industry,"
In J.R. Brent Ritchie and Charles R. Goeldner (Eds.), Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality
Research: A Handbookfor Managers and Researchers, 2d ed., 306. New York: Wiley,
1994.
2. The Economic Review of Travel in America, 2000 ed., 10. Washington, DC:
Travel Industry Association of America, 2000.
3. Ibid., i.
4. Ibid.,5.
5. A Guide to College Programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality, and Tourism, 6th
ed., 357-359. New York: Wiley, 1999.
 Web Sites
for Human Resource Development
and Organizational Behavior
Kaiping Zhang

SUMMARY. This chapter covers high-quality Web sites in the areas of

human resource development and organizational behavior, including pro-
fessional organizations and associations. lArticle copies available for a fee
from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address:
<[email protected]> Website: <http://wwwHaworthPress.com> © 2003
by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Human resources, organizational behavior, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
The selection of human resource development and organizational be-
havior Web sites is based on the following criteria: relevance; quality;
authority; currency; and quantity.
The Web sites selected in human resource development cover topics
such as benefits, compensation, discrimination, diversity, labor law and
legal issues, recruitment, safety, training, and technology. The sites for
organizational behavior include topics on benchmarking, communica-
tion, decision-making, organizational ethics and theory, and training and
development. Sites selected are relevant to the above areas. Most of the

Kaiping Zhang is BusinesslEconomics Reference Librarian, University of Oregon

(E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Web Sites for Human Resource Development and Organizational
Behavior." Zhang, Kaiping. Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Business & Fillance Librariallship
(The Haworth Information Press. an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 181-186;
and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Illformation Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Infor-
mation Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc .. 2003, pp. 181-186. Single or multiple copies of this arti-
cle are available for a fcc from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HA WORTH. 9:00 a.m. -
5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: [email protected].

http://www.haworthpress.com!store!product.asp.?sku=Jl09
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
10. 13001J1 09v08n03_05 181
182 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key InfOimation Resources

sites selected are also intended to target faculty, students, HR profession-

als, but also general public users who have interest in these fields.
Quality is a major concern for selection. A good site must provide reli-
able information. For example, The HRzone site includes research-based
articles with reference of sources. The organization behavior resources
site links to professional journal Web sites. The DB WEB site links to
teaching materials that faculty are willing to share over the Internet.
Web pages of professional associations, organizations, and societies
are selected because they represent members and professionals in the
related fields. Their Web pages include authoritative works from these
professionals.
Currency is another criteria in the selection. Most of the sites selected
are updated and monitored on a regular basis. Although the date on
some of the index pages has not been changed, the information covered
might be current.
Most of the sites include expansive information. Some sites include
Web search engines; news sites in addition to human resources sites.
This addition provides users other ways of access to information. Based
on the above criteria, the following sites have been chosen.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT WEB SITES

Dr. Ed's Human Resource Cocktail
(http://www.hrmgt.comlwelcome2.html)
This is the Web site of Dr. EdwardH. Hernandez, Assistant Professor of
Management & Human Resource Management, School of Business Ad-
ministration at California State University, Stanislaus. It is an extensive
and valuable collection of Internet sites devoted to human resources. The
"HR Law Mega-Links" page (http://www.hrmgt.comlhrlaw.htrn) contains
links to hundreds of HR-related Web sites. Special areas of focus include
independent contractor law, wrongful discharge, employment-at-will, sex-
ual harassment, age discrimination and religious accommodation in the
work place. The "Good HR Links" page includes the Human Resource
Management Resources on the Internet Site (http://www.nbs.ntu.ac.
ukldeptslhrmlhrm_link.htrn). There are twenty categories of topics cover-
ing HR resource pUblications, development and training, and organization
and management theory. Dr. Ed's site also includes a chart of search en-
gines and directories, a section of "Business Mega Links," and a section of
news from Interest !ALERT ! (http://interestalert.coml).This Web site is
comprehensive and informative; however, the dark royal blue background
 Kaiping Zhang 183

with the black-color cocktail wine glasses makes the page busy and diffi-
cult to read for some users and can be distracting.
HRGopher
(http://www.hrgopher.coml)
HRGopher is a comprehensive directory of links to over 20,000 hu-
man resource Web sites. The "HR Topic Index" on the left of the page
lists subject areas ranging from absenteeism to workplace violence.
There is a "Current HR News" section with selected articles from Fu-
ture, Entreworld, and Edinburgh Evening News. The subject categories
of this site are specific and inclusive covering subjects such as "Expatri-
ate, Working-Living Abroad" which includes information on global
employment and relocation, the embassies of Washington D.C., etc.
Click on a subject of your interest and it takes you to a page of subcate-
gories where you can further select a more specific area for your search.
Many of the sites included are commercial. HR Gopher is a useful site
for HR professionals.
HR-Guide.com
(http://www.hr-guide.com/)
HR-Guide.com contains an extensive list of well-organized links to
Internet based resources for HR professionals and students. Topics covered
include: "Benefits"; "Compensation"; "Education Programs"; "Equal Em-
ployment Opportunity (EEO)"; "Human Resources"; "HR Information
Solution (HRIS)"; "Industrial and Organizational Psychology"; "Job Anal-
ysis"; "Labor, Law and Legal issues"; "On-line Documents and Forms";
"Safety"; "Selection and Staffing"; "Test Information"; and "Training and
Development." Pages can be translated into French, German, Italian, and
Spanish.
HRZone
(http://www.hrzone.comlindex.html)
HRZone provides human resources information in the areas of benefit,
compensation, diversity, discrimination, employment law, human re-
sources administration, labor law, organizational effectiveness and psy-
chology, personnel administration, selection and job analysis, training
and psychology, and team building. Articles included are based on re-
search findings and references are provided. The "Labor Law and
Legislation" section (http://www.hrzone.comlwebguidellabor_law .html)
includes useful links to help users to understand employment law and la-
184 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

bor law trends and the links are well annotated. This is a useful site for
HR professionals as well as general public users who are looking for in-
formation in areas of human resources.
Human Resources Learning Center
(http://www.hrzone.com/webguide/laboclaw .html)
The Human Resources Learning Center provides comprehensive in-
formation on human resource management and development. Topics
covered include associations, benchmarking, conferences and events,
employment law, new tools and technology, reengineering, and much
more. The "HR Library" page includes a comprehensive resource cen-
ter with links to over 400 free online articles, studies, and data relating
to human resources. Articles are organized in the subject areas of
benchmarking, benefits, compensation, diversity, employee relations,
law and policy, management, recruitment, strategy, technology, train-
ing and other related topics.
International Personnel Management Association (IPMA)
(http://www.ipma-hr.org/)
The International Personnel Management Association (IPMA) is a
non-profit organization representing the interests of agencies and HR
professionals in the public sector human resources field. The navigation
bar on the left of the screen lists the sections on the IPMA site. The "HR
(Research) Center" is a good place to look for information on human re-
source trends, best practices, benchmarking, organization structures,
job description, and a HR glossary and terms. The "Student Center" link
is helpful for students who are interested in pursuing a human resources
career. The "Financial Aid Resources" section includes sites where stu-
dents can find financial assistance.
The "International HR" page covers "International News" from 1998
through 2002 updated monthly or bimonthly. Sources of articles pub-
lished are listed in the news. At the bottom of this page is the section of
"Resources." The "Global Resources" link in this section takes the us-
ers to the IPMA Global Human Resources page. This page provides a
list of Public Personnel Management article abstracts as well as Web
sites from Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Philippines,
Singapore, and Sweden. This "Resources" section is useful and infor-
mative. It should be placed in a more prominent and easy-to-find place.
 Kaiping Zhang 185

Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)

(http://www.shrm.org/)
The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), the
world's largest human resource management association, is "the lead-
ing voice" of the human resource and personnel profession. It repre-
sents the interests of more than 165,000 professional and student
members from around the world. Its Web sites provide comprehensive
information related to Human Resources, from online publications to
HR job openings around the country to an information center and li-
brary of white papers, model surveys, questionnaires, and job descrip-
tions. The "HR Links" page, in the section of "Publications Resources,"
includes well organized Web sites covering topics in areas of benefits,
compensation, diversity, education and training, flexible work arrange-
ments, international HR, labor and employee relations, management,
recruitment and career, safety and work and life issues. Government le-
gal resources are also included. HR professionals, teaching faculty and
students who are interested in issues relating to human resource devel-
opment will tind the SHRM site informative and resourceful.
Workindex.com
(http://www.workindex.com/)
Produced and maintained by the publishers of Human Resource Execu-
tive magazine, in cooperation with Cornell University's School of Indus-
trial Labor Relations, Workindex is a comprehensive index of workplace-
related Web sites as well as human resource tools and information
providers. There are two major sections: "Feature" and "Workindex: HR
Links." The "Feature" section includes topics on "Stories from Human Re-
source Executives," "Expert Views," "Topics and Tactics," "Supplier
News," "Job net Works," "Perspectives," "Monthly Survey," and "Legal
Clinic." The "Workindex: HR Links" section contains a dynamic list of
over 4,000 Web sites for HR professionals.
Workindex.com is also a searchable Web site. Users can go to the top
left-hand corner of the page. In the "HR Category Search" box area,
click on the arrow to reveal the drop-down menu of choices. Select the
one related to your needs, for example: "Recruitment." You will auto-
matically be taken to the list of categories on this topic and you may
then select a narrower topic for your research.
You can also do a keyword search by typing a word or words in the
keyword search box located just under the drop down menu and click
"Find." The next screen displays a listing of references on your topic.
186 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Scroll down the screen to select one to read the annotation or go to a

specific site.
Workindex.com includes well-researched sites. Annotations of each
link are also well done. By clicking on the "More Info" button, users can
read the details of a specific site. This is a unique feature of this site.

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHA VIOR WEB SITES

Organizational Behavior Resource
(http://www.cps.usfca.edulob/resources/)

The Organizational Behavior Resources Web site is produced by the Col-

lege of Professional Studies of University of San Francisco. It includes Web
resources related to organizational behavior research and practice. There are
twenty-seven subject categories covering benchmarking, communication,
decision making, human resource development, organizational ethics and
theory, training and development and more. In each category, there is a defi-
nition on the subject followed by links related to that topic. The links are
from a variety of resources including journal articles, Web sites, and presen-
tations. These resources serve as research and learning tools to support stu-
dents' coursework, research activities, teaching, and lifelong learning interests.

OBWEB
(http://www.obweb.org/)

OB WEB is the official Web site of the Organizational Behavior Di-

vision of the Academy of Management (http://www.aom.pace.edu/).
This site includes links to member pages, other related sites and more
information about programs, research resources, syllabi, etc. The "Pub-
lications" link on the left index takes you to a page of Web sites links for
journals of the Academy of Management as well as other professional
journals related to organizational behavior. All journals sites listed re-
quire paid registration; however, users can review article abstracts, ta-
ble of contents, sample articles or full text articles from previous issues.
For example, Journal of Organizational Behavior provides free access
to full text articles in issues in the previous years. The tabs across the top
take you to specific areas of "Research," "Teaching," and "Interna-
tional." These sections are interactive. You can send e-mail messages to
participate in online discussions. The OB WEB site is a good resource
for teaching faculty and graduate students who are researching issues
relating to organizational behavior.
Best of the Industry Information on the Web
Jen Venable

SUMMARY. Industry resources are another important area of business re-

search. This chapter provides in-depth coverage of primary Web sources for
industry research. [Anicle copies available for afee from The Hawonh Document
Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-nUli/ address: <docdelivery@haworthpress.
com> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc.
All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Industry information, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

A researcher may seek industry information for a variety of reasons.

Sales, marketing and human resources professionals search companies
organized into industry groups for leads. Other users include entrepre-
neurs who gather facts on potential business ventures or investors who
analyze markets by industry. Manufacturers may purchase a desired
piece of merchandise on the Web if they know how to find relevant in-
dustry portals.
The free industry-related information available on the Web is so di-
verse and voluminous that it is most logically organized by purpose. I
have grouped the "best of the industry Web sites" as they relate to the
following categories:

Jen Venable is Assistant Management & Economics Librarian, Purdue University

(E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note): "Best of the Industry Information on the Web." Venable, Jen. Co-pub-
lished simultaneously in Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information Press, an
imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 187-204; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide
to Key in/ol1nation Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp. 187-204. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from
The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HA WORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:
[email protected]).

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/producl.asp ?sku=J 109

© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
10. I 300/J109vOSn03_06 187
188 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

• General Profiles, Overviews and Descriptions

• Portals and Directories
• News and Investing
• Product Sale and Purchase
Free, stable, Web-based industry resources are difficult to find. They
are elusive in that the companies that publish the quality content are of-
ten preparing to move that information "behind the wall" or to a log-on
based charge section of their Web site. For this reason, I have included a
review category called "cost status change possibility." If the company
plans to eventually charge for the industry information, I have men-
tioned it here, and tried to get a general idea of when this free-to-fee
transition will take place.
Inconsistencies are common when dealing with the methodology and
classifying systems used by each Web site to name and categorize the
many industry sectors and sub sectors. Some sites use the industry
names available from the stock exchanges; others use SIC code catego-
ries and others create their own.
Some of the Web sites chosen are dedicated entirely to providing in-
dustry information, and some provide industry information along with
other services. My focus is on the quality of information, regardless of
whether the site is completely dedicated to industry information, or if
the industry portion has only a minor presence.

CATEGORIES
• General Profiles, Overviews and Descriptions
These are Web sites that provide a current, comprehensive
synopsis of a particular industry's situation, including financial
background, consumer spending, history, and top players.
• Portals and Directories
These are Web ·sites that point the researcher to other Web
sites about specific industries.
• News and Investing
These are Web sites contm.mng financial data, market share
information, outlook, and analyst predictions for specific industries.
These include the "latest and greatest" news that is available free on-
line. This information is used by business researchers for the purpose
of investing.
 Jell Venable 189

• ProductSale and Purchase

These are Web sites geared toward the businessperson seek-
ing to buy, sell or trade products. These Web sites usually have a pri-
mary directory organized by industry.
Fee or Free?
The bulk of the Web sites I have selected for each category do not
cost money to use, as I believe the "best of the Web" are resources that
are both high in quality and free of charge.
Selectioll Criteria
• Content quality (writing or data quality/accuracy/volume/sources/rel-
evance)
• Site organization (location of industry info/navigation/layout)
• Authority (organization/company sponsoring site)
• Search Relevance
• Endurance Factor (will this site be around next year?)
• Cost status change possibility (will this site change from free to fee?)
• Value-Add
Exclusiolls
Barred are the Web sites focused on a single industry. An indus-
try-specific organization or enthusiast usually sponsors such sites.
These will often have questionable ownership and maintenance. My re-
views are focused on portals and services backed by "deeper roots" and
are therefore more likely to be in existence and retain their quality for a
longer duration. I have included portals that point to market-dedicated
Web sites for researchers who seek this information.
Format
The top rated Web site in each category is listed first in full detail. "Run-
ner-up"t'Runners-up" sites follow in a more abbreviated review format.

GENERAL PROFILES, OVERVIEWS AND DESCRIPTIONS

Hoover's Olllille
(http://www.hoovers.com)
Descriptioll of Service
Hoover's has been utilized by Web roving business information seek-
ers as a principal destination for company information since the Web site
190 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

launched eight years ago. Aside from presenting financials and skillfully
written descriptions of over 18,000 public and private companies, the re-
source now offers useful industry information available from the Com-
panies & Industries tab off the site's main navigation bar.

Goal/Aim/Purpose of Site

"To be the lowest-cost business information tool on the Web for pro-
fessionals."

Historical Highlights

Hoover's began in 1990 as a book company called The Reference

Press, which published business reference books containing profiles of
companies. The content of these books were company profiles contain-
ing descriptions of "big player" companies. The descriptions were
unique. They contained financial information and intelligently written
historical synopses of the "big corporate players."
After a few years of dabbling in electronic delivery, the company
lobbied for capital from Time Warner Books in 1994 and launched
Hoover's Online. The service grew and Hoover's went public in 1999,
expanding its Web features. The site now offers profiles/capsules of
over 18,000 companies and a new section of industry "lowdowns" and
descriptions.

Content Quality

Writing Quality: Hoover's has their own team of journalists who

write the company and industry profiles. This group of roughly
fifty-five writers and editors are organized into industry-based teams
(e.g., "Finance & Healthcare" and "Entertainment & Information"). So
this means a particular writer/editor consistently covers a group of com-
panies in a particular industry. Why is this important? It means that the
creators of the industry profiles are experts. The industry synopses are
insightful, well written, and entertaining.
Hoover's, unlike other business Web sites, does not regurgitate pre-
viously existing information on the Web. What you find in these pro-
files are free, original overviews of the goings-on of an industry.
Accuracy: Hoover's has quality control experts responsible for find-
ing errors in content. A "Feedback Form" is located on the site where
users may report inaccuracies.
 Jen Venable 191

Volume: Hoover's offers descriptions of over 300 industries that are

organized into twenty-eight industry "sectors." Researchers should focus
on the sectors because their descriptions are each roughly one page long.
The remaining 270+ "sub" industry areas are described in a sentence or
two and followed with a list of relevant companies. The amount of infor-
mation offered will be ideal when all of these industries are treated with
full "Lowdown" -type descriptions.
Sources: Hoover's reveals the "types" of sources used for research-
ing companies, but is unclear on where the journalists search to find
overall industry information. As stated in an F AQ section of the Web
site, Hoover's journalists use sources such as annual reports and 10-Ks,
article searches, other reference material, and even interviews with
company representatives.

Site Organization

Location of Industry Information: This meaty information is not ad-

vertised with bells and whistles on the home page. However, the tab
called "Companies & Industries," located on the home page main navi-
gation bar, gives the novice Hoover's researcher a hint.
Navigation: To arrive at the information, the user chooses the "Com-
panies & Industries" page and chooses the third tab on the left naviga-
tion bar. The user is then lead to highlighted tabs presenting an A to Z
list of over 300 industries/sectors and a list of the twenty-eight sectors
with links to the descriptions, called "Industry Snapshots." Aside from
"The Lowdown" feature and the twenty-eight snapshots, other elements
include a "who's who" collection of relevant companies that link to the
Hoover's capsules and less useful lists of links to news and associations
and links to journals and conferences.
Layout: Hoover's has been known for carrying a more cluttered de-
sign than other business Web sites. Recent streamlining has skimmed
some of the fat, allowing for easier navigation.

Authority

The Web site has been operating for eight years, and is known as one
of the more senior members of the "good' 01 boys" online business in-
formation club. Hoover's has an expert staff writing the content.
192 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Search Relevance

The A to Z hot linked directory list eliminates the need to use a search
engine.

Endurance Factor

The company is eight years old and the stock looks good compared to
the financials of rival companies. This URL will be functioning for a
while.

Cost Status Change Possibility

Industry profiles will not always be available for free. Users may ac-
cess free profiles for at least the next six months.

Value-Add

Hoover's contains well-written, authoritative information that is

witty and understandable by the "layman" business researcher. Hoo-
ver's "List of Lists" located under the "Companies" tab off the "Com-
panies & Industries" page is also a valuable tool and free to the public.

RUNNERS-UP

US Business Reporter
(http://www.usbrn.com)
Description of Service
This Web site offers free, comprehensive industry data for over fifty
industries. The industry "composites" are written by market analysts
originating from the company's parent company, Centium, Inc. These
reports, sometimes up to eight pages long, cover a list of industry con-
cerns including "Industry Environment," "Industry Background," "In-
dustry Issues," "Industry Trends," "International Environment,"
"Environmental Issues," and "Industry Characteristics." The overviews
are current and are updated regularly. Upon going through each report, I
could tell (based on the revised date stamp) that the oldest reports were
six months old, where most were written within the past two months.
The interface is very simple (blue text on white background) and is free
 Jen Venable 193

of advertising. The search engine/directory, which is presented in the

form of a simple alphabetical industry drop box, is effective. The ser-
vice has been in existence for about three years and is a "best kept se-
cret" among academics and corporate researchers. It serves as a
showplace for the research of its corporate analysts from Centium, Inc.
and was initially used as a revenue builder to bring in market analysis
business to its parent company.

Why I Consider This to Be a "Second-Best" Site

US Business Reporter plans on placing this valuable content "behind

the wall" by March 2002. That means that the company will charge a
$99 annual subscription to users. Compared to other business informa-
tion sites, the charge is meager. However, after speaking to a company
representati ve, I discovered that 100 percent of the information will be-
come available by charge only, unlike the partial free arrangement Hoo-
ver's offers. My criteria for "best of the Web" prioritizes free sites.

Business Week Online Special Report Industry Outlook 2002

(http://www.businessweek.comlmagazine/toc/02_02/B376Sindout02.htm)
Description of Service

Each January, BusinessWeek Online Magazine publishes a special in-

dustry report issue describing the "state" of certain industries. In broad
categories, the journal covers manufacturing, information, finance, life
sciences, distribution and services. Descriptions are "newsy" and current.
They are written in layman's style. The issue is geared toward informing
investors of the economic outlook. Businessweek incorporates events in-
fluencing industries and provides commentary regarding what the public
can expect for the coming year. Businessweek journalists effectively
shine a "newsy light" on industries that cannot be found on the other Web
sites. This special issue is a nice second-priority industry research source.
Why I Consider This to Be a "Second-Best" Site
In spite of the assurance from Business Week Online Magazine's Web
master that the URL is unbreakable, I have my doubts. The URL to this
issue just doesn't seem stable. In addition, once you break down the in-
dustry listings to the subcategory level, you realize that only twenty-one
industries are covered.
194 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Corporatelnformation.com
(http://www.corporateinformation.com )
Description of Service
This site provides free overviews of thirty industries in sixty-five
countries. Unlike the other Web sites, this particular source is focused
on international business. Along with an average one-page overview of
each industry, you may locate news, dealers, and related organizations,
so it doubles as a portal. "Corporate Information" serves as an aggregator
rather than a provider of original content. This service does not employ
its own writing team like Hoover's or US Business Reporter to write the
profiles, so the authority of the content is dependent upon the source
from which it is obtained. Often the user is pointed to the link of another
industry Web site instead of presented with the text of a profile. The
length and quality of the overviews vary from one industry to another.
The service claims that it provides direction to over 350,000 profiles,
but sometimes these links are broken.
Why I Consider This to Be a "Second-Best" Site
The profiles are pulled from various trade journals instead of written by
journalists employed at CorporateInformation.com, so the quality of the
overviews are questionable and the existence of the profiles is unreliable.
The profiles are often too short. Finally, the site now has a login require-
ment. It is possible that this site may be moving to a fee-based arrangement.
Current Industrial Reports (CIR)
(http://www.census.gov/cir/www/index.htrnl)
Description of Service
The U.S. Census Bureau's Economics and Statistics Administration
publishes annual quantitative reports of the Manufacturing, Mining and
Construction industries. The data shows the shipping amounts of a par-
ticular product along with the value of the shipment. A one-page synop-
sis of the findings plus the data itself are available free. The consistently
high quality of government information is another benefit.
Why I Consider This to Be a "Second-Best" Site
This information is only available for products (certain products re-
lated to manufacturing, mining and construction) and not services. SIC
 Jen Venable 195

code-based statistics are useful as specific, supplemental type of indus-

try research and not for general industry research.

PORTALS AND DIRECTORIES

Business. com
(http://www.business.com)
Description of Service
Business.com is a business-focused search engine. The company
profits through the fees it charges organizations and companies that
"get listed" in its directory. Business.com charges different fees based
on where the company/organization prefers to appear in a results set.
The "feature listing" charge floats a company to a box at the top of the
results list, and serves as a kind of advertisement for the company. The
search engine indexes over 400,000 listings within 25,000 industry,
product and service categories. The "Yahoo!-style" interface allows the
researcher to search all listed companies and organizations in the direc-
tory by industry. Business Week's Frontier Magazine calls it "a Yahoo!
for the advanced entrepreneur."
Goal/Aim/Purpose of Site
"To help the business professional find exactly what [(s)he's] look-
ing for."
Historical Highlights
Jake Winebaum and Sky Dayton of eCompanies launched the Web
site in 2000. Business.com acquired the Work.com URL in 2001, which
increased site traffic. The company is private. The company's heavy
hitter partners include Cahners.com, BusinessWee~ Online, Primedia,
The McGraw-Hill Companies, CBS MarketWatch and Google.
Content Quality
Writing Quality: Brief, useful one-sentence descriptions of an organiza-
tion or company are shown next to the hotlink of each result. Unlike the re-
sults sets displayed in Google and Yahoo!, the small descriptions are not
written in a consistent style, and are not flashy, yet they are informative.
Accuracy: Company descriptions are written by those individuals
who subscribed their organization to the service. At worst, these short
196 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

write-ups may contain some bias, but inaccuracies are probably infre-
quent.
Volume: The list of companies and organizations offered when
searching the directory by industry are relevant, yet too selective. In this
case, quality is favored over quantity. The researcher wants the more
limited, focused result set. The exclusive database of 400,000 listings is
useful to a user whose goal is to weed out irrelevant and unofficial com-
panies and organizations during an industry search. Business.com of-
fers a solution to the "too many hits" problem one encounters when
entering a search string like "advertising companies and consultant"
into Google or Yahoo! But there are still too few listings to offer the re-
searcher enough choices.
Sources: Business.com taps the Financial Times, Dow Jones, Reuters,
Thomson, and McGraw-Hill for information used to compile company
profiles.
Relevance: The directory listings are organized under relevant cate-
gories. The searches reveal listings of companies and organizations rel-
evant to the industry searched.
Site Organization
Location of Industry Information: The directory of twenty-four gen-
eral industries is clearly arranged on the home page. This list of indus-
tries is bolded, hot linked and occupies about eighty percent of the page.
Navigation: The user clicks on an industry and links to a page showing
the alphabetical list of search results on the lower half and a collapsed di-
rectory of links for that industry's sub-sectors (called "categories") lo-
cated on the upper portion of the page. There is a separate feature located
in the middle of the page called "Resources," featuring links to "Associa-
tions," "Education & Training," "Employment," "Events," "News" and
"Reference." It is helpful that these types of sites are separated from the
main list of results. f,
Site Layout: Clear blue text on a white background with limited ad-
vertising makes this site surf-friendly. The layout mimics the Google
and Yahoo! directories. Partnership logos are advertised on the home
page; a limited amount of ads are shown on the results pages.
Authority
Two factors make this tool more reliable than many commercial
e-commerce portals: the fact that it was developed by librarians and sea-
soned Internet gurus as opposed to e-commerce sales people; and the
 Jen Venable 197

impressive corporate backers that put their money and their reputations
on the theory that Business.com is a valuable tool.

Search Relevance

U sing the A to Z hot linked directory list yields more accurate results
than using the search engine, especially if the user is searching by in-
dustry.

Endurance Factor

We can trust that this Internet portal may be one of the survivors
based on its strong partnerships.
Cost Status Change Possibility
Not likely as revenue generating plans do not appear to be user-targeted.
Value-Add
This tool also offers 25,000 company profiles of private, public and
international companies.

RUNNER-UP

Stanford GSB Jackson Library Rosenberg Corporate

Research Center Selected Business Websites
(http://wesl e y .stanford.edulli braryIlinksli ndex .html)

Description of Service

This is a graduate-student run Web site listing topic areas that repre-
sent most industries. The Web site has a clean layout, and the links are
well chosen.
Why I Consider This to Be a "Second-Best" Site
This Web site is not particularly rich in directory listings. However,
this is a useful secondary research source, especially considering the
overwhelming amounts of information available from other directories.
The Web site was not created for industry research; the topics are more
general.
198 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

NEWS AND INVESTING

CBS MarketWatch
(http://cbsmarketwatch.com )
Description of Service
CBS MarketWatch provides financial news and information like its
competitor Yahoo! Finance. CBS MarketWatch stands out because of
its great features that facilitate easy searching and sorting of financial
information by industry.
Goal/Aim/Purpose of Site
To be the top-rated financial news and information source on the
Internet. This source provides "the story behind the numbers."
Historical Highlights
MarketWatch.com is a public company owned by CBS and Pearson
pIc (Financial Times Group) and headquartered in San Francisco, Cali-
fornia. Introduced in 1997, the company is a major financial communi-
cations player running enterprises including BigCharts.com, CBS
MarketWatch Weekend and the MarketWatch.com Radio network. The
company employs over seventy journalists in nine bureaus around the
world.
Content Quality
Data QualitylAccuracyNolumelSources: This data is extracted from
the major financial indexes and exchanges and is not original or qualita-
tive content. The focus of this particular review is on organization and
search ability of the data as opposed to review of the data itself.
Site Organization
Location of Industry Information: The "News Alerts" feature is eas-
ily found on the home page. However, links advertising the existence of
the "Industry Analyzerllndustry Index" tools and the other eight indus-
try-related tools are not evident from the home page. The user must in-
tuitively know that the "good stuff' is located on the blue "Research and
Tools" tab off the main navigation bar at the top of the page.
Navigation: After reaching the "Research & Tools" page there are
nine different industry search features available. These links are located
 Jell Venable 199

in multiple spots on the initial page and at deeper levels. The nine tools
include "Industry Analyzer," "Industry Index," "Industry Analysis,"
the "Dow Jones U.S. Sector Directory," "Keyword/Symbol Industry
Search Engine," "Stock Performance Search Engine," "Industry Chart,"
"News Alerts," and "News" (by company).
One disappointing navigation factor is that when clicking on an indus-
try search tool, the result page is unnamed and there is not a viewable his-
tory tracker to allow the user to understand the path they took to arrive.
For example, clicking on "Industry Analyzer" jumps to a default page
showing "The Dow Jones US Sectors" directory, the "10 Best Per-
forming Industries" and" 10 Worst Performing Industries," a "Search For
Industry" search engine and an additional search engine clumsily named
"Compare a stock's performance to its industry: Enter Symbol or Key-
word." Clearly, the idea is to use this page as a portal to most of those nine
tools. These services, along with the free "News Alerts" which can be ac-
cessed from any of the "Create Alerts" icons located on several of the
pages, allow the user to perform a range of research functions.
The logical place to start this industry tool "searching adventure" is
on the central portion of the page where the "Industry Analyzer" and
"Industry Index" links are visible. Don't get distracted by the repeated
"Industry Analyzer" link under the "Research Tools Top 10 Features"
on the left side of the page, as it leads you to the same result.
Look a bit lower and you see a "Stocks in a Box" feature listing an
option that sounds similar to "Industry Analyzer" called "Industry
Analysis." This tool does not exactly provide the same type of search.
The user may justifiably ask: "Do these link to the same page or differ-
ent pages?" The answer is different pages. The "Industry Analyzer" is
actually another portal page to access the comparison charts and lists of
industries and companies. The "Industry Analysis" tool prompts you to
enter a stock ticker and then presents you with a chart identifying how
your stock compares to its industry.
The tools are redundantly displayed and have confusing names.
However, these are the benefits they provide for industry research:
• Quick shots at the best and worst performing industries
• A list of the best performing companies within an industry com-
plete with chart
• Comparison stock charts of how a particular company is function-
ing compared to its industry
• An A to Z presentation of miniature stock charts for all companies
in an industry
200 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key lnfonnation Resources

• A complete list of Dow Jones Industry indices

• Industry-specific news delivered directly to a researcher's e-mail
address
Layout: Based on the description of the nine random industry infor-
mation locations, it is easy to envision that the "Research & Tools" lay-
out looks pretty disorganized. I am not a fan of placing multiple links
that lead to the same page on a Web site. I also think that inconsistent
naming of a tool is confusing. CBS MarketWatch should organize the
ten industry tools under something called the "Industry Page" instead of
displacing them everywhere.
Authority
This source is the child of established media moguls CBS Broadcast-
ing Incorporated and Data Broadcasting Incorporated. It has expanded
to a more international level with the launch of FTMarketWatch.com,
proving the Financial Times has confidence in its success. Top-tier pub-
lications praising this Web site include Forbes, Barron's, U.S. News &
World Report, Esquire, Fortune, The Washington Post and others.

Search Relevance

CBS MarketWatch offers various search engines. One is the "Indus-

try Analyzer," which gives a directory list of industries to choose from.
Another, the "Search For Industry" search box, prompts the user to pro-
vide a keyword of the desired industry. The other approach by which
the user finds information is through entering a stock ticker into a search
engine. The result will show how the company's stock compares with
the industry as a whole. This variety allows for a greater chance to find
relevant results.

Endurance Factor

The Web site's five-year status makes it a "grandfather" compared to

its competitors. Its ties with CBS encourage its strong survival rate.

Cost Status Change Possibility

Information on CBS MarketWatch has a strong chance of remaining

free. Revenue streams appear to be generated from advertising.
 Jell Vellable 20]

Value-Add
This site is valuable because of the ability to create news alerts by in-
dustry.

RUNNER-UP
Yahoo! Finance
(http://finance.yahoo.com)

Description of Service

Yahoo! Finance is stronger in industry news than in industry re-

search. The tools relevant to news and investment by industry are acces-
sible from the "News by Industry" under the "Financial News" link of
the home page. "News By Industry" offers exactly what it advertises,
without forcing the user to create a MarketWatch type of "News Alert."
The other facet of industry research is found in the "Stock Researcher
Center" section. The new "Sector/Industry Analysis" link shows nine
points of analyst data (one-day price change, market cap, PIE, etc.) for
the twelve main industries in a spreadsheet format. Researchers may
break down the financials of an industry area further. For example, one
of the twelve main areas shown is "Energy." If the researcher wants a
spreadsheet of financial data comparing the four sub-industries of "En-
ergy," which are "Coal," "Oil and Gas-Integrated," "Oil and Gas-Oper-
ations," and "Oil Well Services and Equipment," it can be done by
clicking on the "Energy" link. The next comparison level breaks down
to a list of relevant companies. Clicking on "Coal" yields an A to Z list
of analyst.

Why I Consider This to Be a "Second-Best" Site

This site has a cleaner, more organized design than the MarketWatch
site. However, overall, MarketWatch offers more features like "com-
pare a stock to its industry" and "The ten best and worst performing
stocks." In addition, it goes one step beyond Yahoo! Finance by provid-
ing industry charts. MarketWatch has the advantage of owning the
Internet financial company BigCharts.com. MarketWatch provides a
great value-added service that Yahoo! Finance can't by using the charts
created by BigCharts to illustrate industry and company financial infor-
mation.
202 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

PRODUCT SALE AND PURCHASE

Tradeworlds
(http://www.tradeworlds.com)
Description of Service
Many of the industry Web sites focused on B-to-B commerce are not
effective knowledge portals. My original idea to use these as primary
sources of industry information did not develop as successfully as sites
chosen for the other categories. Because these commercial sites are gen-
erally disorganized, difficult to navigate, and often point to other irrele-
vant Web sites, I prefer to prioritize those Web sites in the other three
categories as they are backed by organizations with deeper roots.
Given this, some secondary industry knowledge may be gleaned from
B-to-B, trade and e-commerce driven Web sites. The sites are useful to an
industry researcher because the home pages are usually arranged by in-
dustry or product. One can find unusual information related to products,
organizations and general news that may not be found on the other Web
sites mentioned. This Web site serves as a directory for product buyers
and sellers. It looks at the manufacturing presence on the Web and ex-
tracts relevant information, organizing it into a directory by industry. The
level of organization of the markets is very specific, so a user will find in-
formation on products of all types. This site also provides locator services
that point the user to freight costs and product quotes. Another feature,
the "Invitational Auction," works as a "member's only" store in which
sellers of specific products may ask certain buyers to purchase goods.
Goal/Aim/Purpose of Site
Creating and managing a virtual environment dedicated to specific
market portals.
Historical Highlights
Tradeworlds.com is a privately owned Italian company launched in
1997. The company is backed by giants Sun Microsystems and Amazon.
com among others. It also has investment capital backing.
Content Quality
Data Quality/AccuracyNolumeiSources: The information presented
is primarily gathered information created by other sources. Main links
available from the home page include the "Vertical Portals Directory,"
 Jell Venable 203

"Product Finder," "Client Finder," "Transport Finder," "Shipper

Finder" and the "Invitational Auction."
Site Organization
Location of Industry Information: The industry information relevant
to a researcher is mainly located in the "Vertical Portal Directory." The
"Vertical Portal Directory" occupies the majority of the home page.
Navigation: Examples of portal topics include "Electronics and
Equipment," "Pharmaceuticals and Medical" and "Energy." Clicking
on a portal leads the user to the next layer of information: an alphabeti-
cally arranged subdirectory of that topic. After the specific level of the
industry is chosen, the user is prompted to choose the type of informa-
tion desired from a final set of links, whether that is "Companies," "In-
stitutes," "Organizations" or another choice. Then a set of Web links
with one-sentence descriptions is presented.
The lower portion of search results page focuses on news related to
the industry that is currently being viewed. The news pieces are orga-
nized from most recent to oldest. The information originates from com-
pany press releases and some newswires.
Other items standard to all pages include a "fast find" search engine,
a weekly poll prompting the user to electronically respond to a question,
various vendor pop-up boxes prompting the user to purchase products
related to the industry being researched, free newsletter gimmicks and
the other service features like "Product Finder," previously mentioned.
Layout: The layout is busy but well designed. The designer has effec-
tively executed the creation of an industry b-to-b portal with a sophisti-
cated look using blue tones, modular layout and muted colors and boxes
surrounding diminutive advertising. Compared to competing b-to-b
portals, it has a more professional presence.
Authority
The Web site's backers are strong, which lends credibility to the
quality and effectiveness of the product.

Search Relevance

A user may find the alphabetical directory listing links to be suffi-

cient for searching. The "fast find" search box is also an effective free
text search method.
204 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Endurance Factor

This site has existed for five years. This is an impressive accomplish-
ment for a venture capital-backed Internet start-up.
Cost Status Change Possibility
This site is not likely to charge its users.
Value-Add
The company's international base makes it stand out.

RUNNER-UP

Industry Search. com

(http://www.IndustrySearch.com)

Description of Service

This is a megasite for business-to-business information. This portal

is focused specifically toward the manufacturing industry. It works as
an industry portal, like Tradeworlds.com, but it is focused on domestic
buying and selling. A convenient state-to-state search engine is avail-
able. The site's goal is to "link industrial buyers with suppliers." The
important portion of the content concerning an industry researcher is
the "Other Product/Service Portals" directory. When a user clicks on
"forklifts," for instance, he/she gets a page of broad reaching links rang-
ing in subject area-from certification and training to used equipment
and distribution. Other features include a "shopping cart" logo that
leads to an Amazon.com-style product buying interface.
Why I Consider This to Be a "Second-Best" Site
There are fewer industry portals in this service than some of the other
sites appraised. It is also difficult to find the ownership and history in-
formation, which makes it hard to legitimize the content. The design is
busy with company logos monopolizing many of the pages. Some fea-
tures are misleading. One misleading feature is "Power Search" which
initially appears to be an advanced search tool, but is actually a straight
list of companies that paid for a premium listing location.
 Insurance
Joseph Straw

SUMMARY. The Web provides access to a vast amount of information re-

lated to insurance. This chapter covers portals, sites to obtain insurance rat-
ings, and resources for statistics related to insurance. {Article copies available
for afee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-mail
address: <da:[email protected]> Website: <hJtp:lIwww.HaworthPress.com>
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Insurance, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
Insurance is the business that sells and provides protection to people and
businesses against the threat of sudden and accidental loss. The insurance
industry is one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy. The insurance
market in the U.S. is the largest in the world with total earned premiums
reaching $844 billion in 2000. Insurance products are generally divided
into property/casualty, health, and life. Property/casualty, or personal lines,
are those insurance products that provide protection for property and third
party exposure; these include auto, homeowners, rental, business, and per-
sonal liability policies. l Health insurance products protect against the fi-
nancial losses associated with illness and include hospitalization, group
medical benefits, and personal health policies. Life insurance provides fi-
nancial protection against the loss of life and includes things like personal,
group, whole, and universal life policies?

Joseph Straw is Associate Professor of Library Administration, The University of

Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co·indexing entry note]: "Insurance." Straw, Joseph. Co-published simultaneously in Journal of
Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press. Inc.) Vol.
8. No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 205-211: and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources (ed: Gary w.
White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp. 205-211. Single or
multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service
[I-SOO-HAWORTH. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]].

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1O.1300/J109vOSn03_07 205
206 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

The insurance industry in the U.S. is very stable although the property/ca-
sualty sector has to plan for man-made and natural catastrophes that could
happen at anytime. Insurance markets are highly competitive, although most
of the written premiums are scooped up by larger companies. Both the prop-
erty/casualty and lifelhealth markets in the U.S. are highly developed, and
premium growth is expected to be in the single digits for the near future. Real
growth for U.S. insurers will come from penetrating markets abroad where
opportunities are growing at fast rates. International movements towards
more open markets will create a rich environment for growth for both premi-
ums and investment'>. As insurance becomes more global, competitive pres-
sures will increase and future consumers might be offered more specialized
product choices, flexible pricing, and more innovative marketing techniques.

INSURANCE ON THE WEB

The information and reference problems posed by the insurance indus-
try are vast. Librarians are faced with an immense array of print and elec-
tronic sources that either deal directly with insurance or may be
applicable in some way. In recent years, the Internet has become a popu-
lar medium for mounting and distributing information about insurance.
Anything from rating insurance companies to quoting prices for auto in-
surance has become available over the Internet. The incredible size of the
insurance industry itself is mirrored by an Internet presence that has
grown to the point of saturation.
The emergence of the Internet as a major information source further
complicates the problem of providing reference to patrons with an inter-
est in insurance. The sheer volume of potential sites creates problems of
selection and evaluation that are staggering. A basic list of core sites is
likely to miss many worthy sites that may be of value for consumers or re-
searchers. Time, Internet access, and knowledge will all conspire to limit
the range of any listing of insurance links that can be compiled by one in-
dividual. The list that follows is a selection of potentially core sites that
try to paint the industry with the broadest possible strokes. This list
mainly concentrates on links that focus on the industry as a whole, and
avoids sites that have a narrow, company, advocacy focus, or sell insur-
ance services. None of these sites can truly provide one-stop shopping
for the vast world of insurance. A detailed look at insurance will most
likely demand that a researcher use these sites in combination with
other print and electronic sources. Divided into categories for directo-
 Joseph Straw 207

ries, rating sites, and research/statistical sites, the list will hopefully pro-
vide a good foundation for insurance research on the Internet.

CORES/TES
Directories
Claims Pages
(http://www.c1aimspages.com)
This site, designed by Michael Kay, is mainly for insurance claims
adjustors and investigators. The large number of links makes it a good
site for the insurance industry in general. Extensi ve links to news stories
give good perspectives on issues of concern for insurance professionals.
A series of topical folders link the user to a wide variety of valuable sites
for both the consumer and the insurance professional. This site is a good
starting point for a general look at the insurance field.
E-Insurance Directory
(http://www.e-insurancedirectory.com)
This is a substantial Internet directory for insurance in the United King-
dom. E-Insurance.com provides good access to insurance company
Internet sites in the British Isles and Ireland. The site also has links to news
and FAQ' s about buying different lines of insurance. This site provides ac-
cess to about 200 insurance sites across the Internet. E-Insurance.com is a
good starting point for users that are interested in the insurance market in
the United Kingdom.
I nsurance.About
(http://insurance.abouLcom)
Some excellent links to the insurance world are provided in this
broad informational site. Links at the top of the page allow users to ac-
cess news stories and join insurance related forums and chat lines. Gen-
eral subject links connect users to a wide range of interesting sites from
across the Internet. Some ofthe content on this site includes information
about claims, research, statistics, company ratings, reinsurance, careers,
and industry regulation. A spotlight section provides more focused topi-
cal information about issues of interest to both insurance practitioners
and the general public. This site is one of the "about.com" series of di-
rectories that provide introductions to Internet resources for a number
of subjects in the social sciences, business, and the humanities.
208 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Insurance Company. com

(http://www.insurance-company.org)
The Insurance Company site provides some good general information
about insurance. The site provides links to internet resources on the oper-
ational areas of insurance like actuarial science, underwriting, claims,
systems, and agency. Information is also provided for different lines of
insurance like life, health, homeowners, marine, and business. For both
consumers and professionals this site can offer a credible starting point.
Insurance Industry Information Network
(http://www.iiin.com )
The Insurance Industry Internet Network is a very basic directory of
useful links for the insurance industry. A series of directory icons takes
the user to thousands of insurance related Web sites. The directories
cover areas like insurance companies, law firms, corporate counsel, ca-
reers, news, agents, and brokers. The simple organization makes for fast
and easy access for both the general public and insurance professionals.
Insurance Professional.Com
(http://www.einsuranceprofessional.com)
This site, created by Manoj Kumar, has a good listing of insurance re-
lated links. A simple subject arrangement provides access to sites about in-
surance companies, reinsurance companies, rating agencies, brokers and
consultants, online insurance quotations, and insurance education. An im-
pressive list of links to company information is one of the real highlights of
the site. Kumar also provides a very extensive list of sites where consumers
can get pricing information for all lines of insurance. For most types of us-
ers this site is a useful basic introduction to the insurance industry.
Insure. Com
(http://www.insure.com)
Insure.com is perhaps one of the most respected providers of insur-
ance information on the Internet. This Web site provides some of the
most extensive news coverage of the insurance industry from both in-
dustry sources and the mainstream media. Much of insure.com is a
unique combination of news reporting and up-to-date educational and
industry information. Insure.com is divided into consumer and profes-
sional files with each reflecting the perspective of its intended audience.
Both files contain links for annuities, auto, business, health, home, life,
 Joseph Straw 209

ratings, insurance company guide, car crashes, lawsuit library, Septem-

ber 11, and reader forums. Users in the consumer file can click on the
auto link and be taken to a page with news stories from a consumer per-
spective. They can also be directed to links that have features and ad-
vice on buying and using auto insurance. Insure.com also has excellent
Standard & Poor's based company and rating information for over
2,500 companies that sell all lines of insurance. This site truly lives up
to its reputation as one of the best insurance sites on the Internet.
Ultimate Insurance Links
(http://www.barryklein.com)
This site, maintained by Barry Klein, is perhaps the simplest yet most
extensive insurance directory on the Internet. Little in the way of fancy
icons or designs characterizes this site. A very simple subject arrange-
ment connects users to information on property, casualty, life, vendors,
organizations, and publishers. The actual links themselves are simply
listed alphabetically and are quite large. Insurance organizations of ev-
ery stripe that have some kind of Web presence seem to be covered.
This site provides some excellent connections to some of the major or-
ganizational players in the insurance industry.

RATING SITES
A.M. Best
(http://www.ambest.com )
A.M. Best is the most recognized name in the area of insurance infor-
mation and ratings. The respected print product has been a core feature
in library collections for many years. A.M. Best is the oldest rating ser-
vice for insurance companies in the United States. It is often seen as the
standard rating tool for the industry as a whole. Insurance companies
place great value on their Best rating and consider it very prestigious to
get a high mark. The A.M. Best Web site is a subscription-based tool
that allows users to access the Best reports for over 6,000 insurers. The
site is fee based and users are billed for every report generated. Despite
the costs that a user must face, this is still an essential site for anyone do-
ing serious company or industry research in insurance.
Fitch Ratings
(http://www.fitchratings.com)
Fitch is another rating agency for insurance and financial services.
Currently about 800 insurance companies in thirty countries are rated
210 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

by the Fitch agency. The Fitch Web site provides access to the Fitch rat-
ings, research reports, and international insurance news. Access to
some of the ratings and research reports is free, but the bulk of the infor-
mation content is sUbscription based. This site has particularly strong
coverage of international insurers including some of the better coverage
of European and Latin American insurance companies. The Fitch site
also covers some of the larger insurance groups and international rein-
surance syndicates that playa prominent role in the global insurance
market. Despite the fees and subscriptions, the Fitch site can provide
valuable information for professionals that are looking for insurance in-
formation from an international perspective.
Standard & Poor's Insurance Ratings
(http://www.standardpoor.com)
A growing competitor to A.M. Best for rating U.S. insurers, Standard
& Poor's rates about 2,500 companies for life, property/casualty, and
health insurance lines. Like other rating services, S & P rates for finan-
cial strength, solvency, credit, and claims paying ability. The S & P
Web site provides free access to some of the rating files and insurer pro-
files. Unfortunately, most of the rating reports and sophisticated search-
ing features can only be used by paid subscribers. In recent years, the
S & P ratings have grown in their prestige across the industry, and com-
panies place considerable importance on their S & P rating. The S & P
Web site provides impressive ratings information that can supplement
what a user might get from A.M. Best or other rating tools.

RESEARCH/STATISTICS
Insurance Information Institute
(http://www.iii.org)
The Insurance Information Institute Web site is a good place to get facts
and statistics about the insurance industry. Topical links at the top of the
page connect the user to consumer orientated information about auto,
home, business, life, health, disabilities, and disasters. At the bottom of the
page, more links take the user to facts and statistics, industry financials, hot
topics, latest topics, media questions, audio/visual, and directory resources.
In the "latest studies" link the Institute provides full-text access to studies
that focus on issues of concern to the insurance industry. The Institute site
 Joseph Straw 211

is a good starting point for both consumers and professionals who want to
get basic industry data.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(http://www.hwysafety.org)
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is perhaps the most impor-
tant insurance industry sponsored research organization. Studies and infor-
mation generated by this organization often have national significance
influencing both insurance industry decisions and public policy. The main
charge of the IIHS is to study the problem of highway safety in the hopes of
reducing accident fatalities, injuries, and damage to property. The IIHS
Web site provides excellent access to research studies, news, facts, and
other information about highway safety and its importance for the insur-
ance industry. This site offers links to news releases and research bulletins
that often summarize current IIHS research efforts. A link to "vehicle rat-
ings" allows users to compare car makes and models to crash test stan-
dards, and a link to "safety facts" provides data on highway fatalities. For
both researchers and the general public the IIHS site can provide useful in-
formation about the insurance industry's huge stake in highway safety.
Insurance Services Office
(http://www.iso.com)
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is a major research organization
for the property/casualty industry. ISO conducts research and distrib-
utes information to help insurance companies handle risk management
and loss prevention. The ISO Web site allows users to connect to finan-
cial reports, standards, codes, and research studies. Users can get de-
tailed reports of industry financial performance that go back to 1995,
and access ISO sponsored studies that focus on everything from global
markets to loss exposures. A good chunk of free information is avail-
able for the taking, but more still can be obtained by becoming a paid
subscriber. The ISO site provides insurance professionals valuable in-
sight into the complex workings of the property/casualty industry.

NOTES
I. Seifert, Catherine, A. (July, 19,2(01). Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys. In-
surance: Property-Casualty. New York: McGraw-Hill.
2. Seifert, Catherine, A. (November 15, 200\). Standard & Poor's Industry Sur-
veys. Insurance: Life & Health. New York: McGraw-HilI.
 Knowledge Management on the Web
Meg Tulloch
Brent Mai

SUMMARY. Knowledge management is another valuable concept within

the business world. The authors outline major Web resources for finding
information on knowledge management as well as Web-based pub-
lications. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Deliv-
ery Service: /-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address:<[email protected]>
Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All
rights reserved. J

KEYWORDS. Knowledge management, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
The origin of "knowledge management" (KM) can be traced to the
early 1970s and the development of what, at that time, was called a "de-
cision support system." Terms like "management information systems"
(MIS), "expert system," and "artificial intelligence" (AI) soon joined
the vernacular as advances in computer technology rapidly increased
storage capacity, processing speed, and output options. Sprouting out of
AI, the phrase "knowledge management" became the buzzword of the
day in the mid-1990s. Despite KM initiative's eighty percent failure
rate, applications of these concepts continue to be reincarnated.!

Meg Tulloch is Information Services Librarian, Walker Management Library,

Vanderbilt U ni versity (E-mail: meg. tulloch-ray@owen. vanderbilLedu).
Brent Mai is Director, Walker Management Library, Vanderbilt University (E-mail:
[email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Knowledge Management on the Web." Tulloch, Meg, and Brent Mai.
Co-published simultaneously in JOUnla/ of Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Information Press,
an imprintofThe HawOlth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 213-221; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide
to Key Infmmation Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth
Press, Inc .. 2003, pp. 213-221. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth
Document Delivery Service [J -800-HA WORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: docdelivery@
haworthpress.coml.

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10. 1300/JI09vOSn03_0S 213
214 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Knowledge management is the systematic process of finding, select-

ing, organizing, distilling, and presenting information in a way that im-
proves an employee's comprehension in a specific area of interest. 2 KM
is an effort to identify what is known so that decisions can be made about
the risks associated with what is truly unknown. Applications of this pro-
cess can be made for the benefit of any organization whether corporate,
non-profit, governmental, or academic. In many organizations, the most
difficult part of this process is capturing the knowledge, skills, and com-
petencies of what the business community would call human capital.
Until captured through some sort of knowledge management
scheme, the knowledge, skills, and competencies of human capital are
owned by individuals rather than the organization. A complete system
of corporate knowledge management may also incorporate structural
capital (i.e., the processes, structures, information systems, and patents
that remain with a company when employees leave) and customer capi-
tal (i.e.; relationships with customers and knowledge of their behavior
relative to the organization's reputation, products/services, and prices).
The trend is moving from using knowledge management as a stockpile
organization theory to one of managing the flow of knowledge.
There are literally thousands of KM sites on the Web. Most seem to
be associated eventually with some think-tank or consulting group. The
three sites reviewed here are those that have been identified as the mega
portals for the topic of KM: Brint.com; Knowledge Management Re-
source Center; and DM Review. There is original content to each one,
but most of the topical information is found through links to other sites.
A statement to their stability is that each of these three sites has been
around for several years and each appears to be up-to-date. When tested
with a 100 Mbps Ethernet connection, the pages of each site load with-
out hesitation. Very few, if any, dead links were found. These sites were
last viewed on 15 February 2002.
Following the review ofthe three sites are direct links to organization
and publication sites for KM. Most of these are included in the portal
sites, but it is important to comment on them directly for a full under-
standing of the KM world on the Web.
Brint.com
(http://km.brint.com)
In addition to knowledge management, Brint.com serves as a portal
to resources in general business, technology, and e-business. Fast Com-
pany notes, "If BRINT doesn't have it, then you probably don't need
 Meg Tulloch and Brent Mai 215

it."3 BRINT's KM portal touts itself as "The Premier Knowledge Man-

agement Portal and Global Virtual Community of Practice for the New
World of Business." That's a mouth full, but many sources gi ve it credit
for being one of the most comprehensi ve for coverage of KM and its re-
lated components.
Brint.com was established in 1996. Its stated mission is "Developing
leading-edge thinking and practice on contemporary business, technol-
ogy and knowledge management issues to facilitate organizational and
individual performance, success and fulfillment." The site does not
identify its intended audience directly but does imply that its linked re-
sources are vital to KM executives. A cursory knowledge of KM jargon
helps when using this site, which suggests that it is not intended for a
complete novice to the field.
Brint.com aggregates content through arrangements with publishing
houses, corporations, consulting firms, and experts on individual top-
ics. BRINT's KM site identifies itself as the "virtual library on knowl-
edge management." The KM Portal thoroughly explores many aspects
of this specialty, including sections devoted to out-of-the-box thinking,
a discussion list and archives, practitioner perspectives, an online mag-
azine and forums, KM quotes, an event calendar, an executive's net-
work, and executive job listings.
The discussion list is quite active with current additions on the day
this review was written. Many of the discussions are driven by the post-
ings to the "Out-of-Box Thinking" portion of the site. The archives of
these discussions are extensive, going back to 1997, which is probably
when they began. There is a box for keyword searching of the archived
discussions.
The Knowledge Executive's Network (KEN) is an invitation-only
group. Without admittance to this network, it is difficult to tell exactly
what value it has, but the hype on the Brint.com site makes it sound crit-
ical to building and maintaining successful KM executives.
At first glance, this text-heavy site appears quite chaotic with heavy
use of "bolding" and frequent font changes. A second and third glance
may not change this perception, but there is a pattern of presentation.
Some links go directly to content items while others go to further lists of
links. BRINT may have it all, but it takes some effort to find it.
Recent articles grouped by topic are listed on the right bar. The left
bar links to articles by BRINT authors and information about BRINT it-
self. At the top of that left bar is a search box that apparently searches
the entire site. This box can be helpful when a unique word or phrase is
sought. The center column of the screen is where the majority of the vi-
216 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key information Resources

sual confusion lies. There is, however, near the top of this column a list-
ing of the major headings as they appear further down the page. This
listing provides a quick link to the information below.
The initial pages of the site make heavy use of acronyms (KM, CRM,
XML, CIO, W AP, 30, and B2B) so knowledge of KM and e-commerce
related jargon is helpful for speedy navigation. Links to all four of the
brint.com "channels" (general business, business technology, e-busi-
ness, and knowledge management) are visible from many pages, and it
is quite easy to jump from one area to another without realizing it.
The BRINT Institute is the entity behind this sponsor-financed site.
Like many other KM sites, the consulting services offered by the
BRINT Institute are at the heart of its existence. BRINT is a well-re-
spected player in this field; so well-respected that a report by the Asso-
ciation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) stated, "In
ten years, we may read a Business Week or U.S. News and World Report
ranking of the top learning portals. It remains to be seen whether the
names on this ranking will still belong only to traditional business edu-
cation providers or whether newcomers such as BRINT will be ranked
between Harvard and Wharton."4

Knowledge Management Resource Center

(http://www.kmresource.com/)

The Knowledge Management Resource Center produced by the IKM

Corporation provides background information about almost every area
of knowledge management. It covers university KM sites, international
KM sites, organizations, periodicals, news, community, and case stud-
ies links and is the first place to look for information about knowledge
management.
IKM Corporation is a research, publishing, and consulting firm spe-
cializing in knowledge management for a general and an experienced
KM audience. Its mission is "to support the implementation of intelli-
gent knowledge management through research, training, publishing,
and consulting"5 with an emphasis on the use ofKM in e-commerce, in-
formation technology management, and training. 6
The Business 2.0 Web site (http://www.business2.com/webguide/0.
1660,8129,FF.html) recognizes IKM Corporation as a knowledge man-
agement service provider and mentions its Web site as an "extensive KM
resource center."7 The Knowledge Management Resource Center is a sim-
ple site. The home page is streamlined with only five content links to its
main content areas: "What's New," "Explorer," "Bookstore," "Search,"
 Meg Tulloch alld Brent Mai 217

and "Feedback." "What's New" highlights recently added links to infor-

mation, articles, case studies, conferences, and KM tools. The "Explorer"
section covers a wide array of types of information about KM.
The "KM Explorer" sectio!1 is divided into the following categories:
"Introduction to KM"; "Case Studies in KM"; "Knowledge Links"-links
to articles, essays, white papers, reports, reviews about KM; "In the
News"; "Community"; "Lots of Links"-collections of links in KM disci-
plines; "KM Sites"; "Related sites"; "Products & Services"; "Conferences
and Events"; "International KM"; "Knowledge Markets"; "Periodicals";
"Professional Organizations"; "Search Engines" and "Portals."
Under each of these categories are about fifteen to thirty sites with re-
views of each site under the link to them. The reviewed sites are a mix of
commercial, educational, and organizational hosted sites. For more in-
formation about the different areas of knowledge management, the KM
bookstore section of the Web site has a bibliography of 216 titles with
links to reviews on Amazon.com.
Under the site's "Search" section the search engine allows for Boolean
searching. The "KM Resource Center" is also interested in feedback
about the site and provides a form behind the "Feedback" link ofthe site.
It is very hard to tell how often the site is updated; it appears sporadi-
cally as new information is found. To check for the latest additions, go
to the "What's New" section. When viewed in February 2002, the Web
site had been updated with a copyright of 2002, and some sites have def-
initely been added in 2002.
Navigating through the different areas of the site is easy. The main
navigational tool on all the pages except the Home page is a top right
hand navigation bar. That top bar has links to the six main areas of the
Web site that will help the user get back to any area of the Web page
quickly. A brown box at the top of the screen identifies the path taken
thus far with a "breadcrumb" trail and gives additional information
about that page as well as making recommendations about other places
in the site that could be helpful.
The Knowledge Management Resource Center produced by the IKM
Corporation is well organized, easy to use and thorough.
DM Review
(http://www.dmreview.com/)
The DM Review Web site is based on the print DM Review and e-mail
DM Direct Newsletter focusing on business intelligence, e-business, cus-
tomer relationship management, and data warehousing. It is a hybrid of
218 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

data management and knowledge management information and provides

both technical and theoretical information about these subjects. Business
Objects describes OM Review's readership as "corporate executives, IT
professionals, consultants, integrators."g Its mission is to provide "both
business and technology perspectives regarding issues, trends and solu-
tions of interest to corporate executives and IT managers."9
The OM Review Web site is produced by the EC Media Group which
is part of the Thomson Financial company. The material on the site is
generated by the staff at EC Media Group and often comes from EC
Media's publications.
OM Review offers white papers as well as articles, Web resources,
and book reviews in each of its topic areas. While there are no stated cri-
teria for inclusion of information, the coverage of the printed DM Re-
view's monthly pUblication would appear to apply to the Web site's
philosophy: "DM Review taps the top industry experts to explore the
important issues and bring informative and timely articles, data ware-
house success stories, executive interviews, and third-party product re-
views to its reader."10
Although the reader will most likely ftrst notice the featured articles in
the center of the home page, the sections outlined in the sidebar reveal the
depth of information offered on the site. These sections are:

• "Stay Informed" has the artjcles from DM Review (the magazine)

and DM Direct Newsletter that are available on the Web. This sec-
tion also has a Webcast Direct Newsletter, industry news, special
reports from OM, an archive of articles, online columnists, an in-
dustry events section, a content alert section, and a career center.
• "Resource Portal" takes different topics and provides a short de-
scription of each topic, articles about the topic as well as white pa-
pers and suggested books to read, associations having to do with
the topic and additional Web sites that have more information
about the topic.
• The "General Resources" section is a reference library with infor-
mation about vendors in the fteld, articles that readers liked, articles
that the editors deemed "classics," product reviews, software de-
mos, a white paper library with all of OM Review's white papers,
online posters, a bookstore with 250 books featured and reviewed,
an author index, a glossary, and additional Internet resources.
• "Get in Touch" provides industry contacts to related associations
and organizations as well as the opportunity to pose a question to
the experts.
 Meg Tulloch and Brent Mai 219

• "Corporate Infonnation" is the last section in the sidebar. It provides

the user with the nonnal array of contact infonnation, customer ser-
vice, subscription infonnation to the DM Review magazine, DM
awards, press release, and calendar infonnation.

The DM Review Web site is constantly updated. On 12 February

2002 there was already a column from 11 February 2002 on the home
page. Many stories are updated monthly when the print DM Review is
published. Also, content is added from the weekly e-mail newsletter
DM Direct. Other sections of the Website are updated constantly, such
as the "Events" and the "Editorial Calendar."
The most common navigational tool throughout the DM Review site
is the left -hand sidebar. The parent (or home page) level sidebar reveals
the contents of the site. You can navigate to any major area from it. The
disadvantage of such an extensive sidebar is that it is long. However, it
does make navigating throughout the site easy.
In certain areas of the site, such as the portals, there are child level (or
page level) sidebars that let the user easily reach more information on
the page level subject. On every page the DM logo helps the user navi-
gate back to the home page where the complete sidebar resides.
The DM Review Web site provides in-depth technical and theoretical
information on the data management and knowledge management
fields. It is an excellent and relatively easy to use Web site.

ORGANIZATIONS
American Productivity and Quality Center
(http://www.apqc.org)
The American Productivity and Quality Center is a member-based
organization that offers education, training, benchmarking services, ac-
tion research, and publications. It sponsors regular conferences on KM
issues.
Knowledge Management Consortium International
(http://www.kmci.org)
The Knowledge Management Consortium International is a mem-
ber-based organization that provides certification programs through the
KMCI Institute. It publishes a quarterly journal and sponsors regular
symposia around the world on KM concepts and practices.
220 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Inf01mation Resources

The Knowledge Management Professional Society

(http://www.kmpro.org)
The Knowledge Management Professional Society is a member-based
organization that conducts training and certification programs and net-
working opportunities.

Society of Competitive InteUigence Professionals

(http://www.scip.org)

The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals is a member-based

organization that supports those involved in creating and managing business
knowledge through education and networking opportunities.

PUBUCATIONS

There are many publications which cover the world of KM or its com-
ponents. Several of those most often sited are briefly examined here.

CRM Magazine
(http://www.destinationCRM.com)

From the same publishers as KMM, CRM (Customer Relationship

Management) focuses on issues and ideas that can help organizations
better understand and leverage their customer knowledge. It is also
available for free in several CRM focused areas via e-mail.

KM Metazine
(http://www.ktic.com )

This Web magazine is cited by many sources as a premier publication

in the field of KM. It appears, however, to be defunct as of this review.
KMNews
(http://www.kmnews.com/)
KM News is a free e-mail newsletter that has a Web site with back is-
sues of the newsletter and supporting information about knowledge man-
agement. The technology chart with software categorization and linking
Web sites is a unique feature.
 Meg Tulloch and Brent Mai 221

KMWorid
(http://www.kmworld.com)
Formerly ImagingWorld, KMWorld appears in both print and electronic
formats covering document, image, and workflow systems. Online issues
are available back to its prototype debut. Of particular strength is its prod-
uct information.
Knowledge Inc.
(http://www.knowledgeinc.com)
Originally a Web-based newsletter for executives who are engaged in
or exploring opportunities in knowledge and intellectual capital manage-
ment, it no longer appears to be subscription-based. The site still includes
many worthwhile case studies and interviews with executives. The focus
ofthe site, however, has moved toward provision of consulting services.
Knowledge Management Magazine
(http://www.destinationKM.com)
Line56 Media's KMM inaugurated its new digital-only version on De-
cember 12,2001. It is available via e-mail free of charge. The publication
has an enterprise-wide focus. Do not confuse this title with Bizmedia's
Knowledge Management Magazine, which is primarily a print publication.

NOTES
1. Fluss, O. (2002, February) "Why Knowledge Management is a 'DIRTY'
Word," Customer 1nteiface, 15 (2),40.
2. Knowledge Management Glossary. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bus.
utexas.edulkmanJglossary.htm February 15, 2002.
3. Nerds Need Apply. [Online]. Fast Company. com. Available at: http://www.fast
company.com/online/34/firstsite2.html February 15,2002.
4. Learning Portals: Reshaping Business and Corporate Education. [Online].
At Issue. Available at: http://www.westerbeck.comlfileslIssue.htm February 15, 2002.
5.IKM Corporation. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ikmcorp.comlmission.
htm February 15,2002.
6. IKM Corporation [Online]. Available at: http://www.ikmcorp.comlwho.htm
February 13,2002.
7. Business 2.0 [Online]. Available at: http://www.business2.comlwebguide/
0, 1660,8129,FF.html February 13,2002.
8. Business Objects [Online]. Available at: http://www.businessobjects.comlnews!
press/press2000/dmreview_readership2000.htm Februmy 15,2002.
9. OM Review [Online]. Available at: http://www.dmreview.com/marketing/
20021?NavlD=42 February 15,2002.
10. EC Media Group. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ecmediagroup.coml
Magazines/dmreview.cfm February 12, 2002.
 Labor and Collective Bargaining Web Sites
James E. Nalen

SUMMARY. This chapter outlines key resources in the labor and collec-
tive bargaining fields. The author covers Web directories, Web sites of the
U.S. government and international organizations, unions, academic institu-
tions, professional organizations, and interest groups. [Article copies available
for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-mail
address: <docdelivery@hawOl'thpress.com> Website: <hJtp:IIwww.HaworthPress.com>
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All righJs reserved]

KEYWORDS. Labor, collective bargaining, unions, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

Unionized labor represents a significant portion of the overall United

States labor market. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1999 13.9
percent of wage and salary workers belonged to unions; a further 1.4
percent of workers were covered by collective bargaining agreements
without formally belonging to unions. At the same time, public sector
workers were far more likely than private sector workers to belong to
unions, with 37.3 percent of the former and 9.4 percent of the latter un-
ion members.! While percentages for unionized workers in both the pri-

James E. Nalen is Social Sciences Librarian, The University of Akron (E-mail:

[email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Labor and Collective Bargaining Web Sites." Nalen, James E.
Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Busilless & Fillallce Librariallship (The Haworth Information
Press, an imprint ofThe Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4, 2003. pp. 223-235; and: The Core Busilless Web:
A Guide to Key illformation Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of
The Haworth Press. Inc .• 2003, pp. 223-235. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee
from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [\-800-HA WORTH. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail ad-
dress: [email protected].

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/product.asp.?sku=J 109
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.1300/Jl09vOSn03_09 223
224 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

vate and public sectors have declined over time, recent reports suggest
an upsurge in organizing activities among certain groups of service
workers, most notably doctors (see, for example, Greenhouse, 2001).2
Information sources on labor and collective bargaining are useful to a
number of audiences. Web sites typically provide a wide range of infor-
mation, including policy positions, news items, guides, reports, laws
and regulations. Several directories that provide excellent coverage of
and access to this range are described below. The Web sites of several
U.S. government agencies and international organizations offer objec-
tive, in-depth analysis of the labor market, and those that include a par-
ticular focus on labor relations and collective bargaining are included
below. These Web sites are often the best place to look for comprehen-
sive statistical, legal and regulatory information on organized labor.
Finally, Web sites maintained by unions, institutions of higher educa-
tion, professional associations, and interest groups offer further analysis
of labor and collective bargaining issues from a wide variety of view-
points. Some of the information provided by these organizations will
appeal to practitioners-union officials and organizers-more so than to
union members and human resource managers or policy makers. How-
ever, each of the selected sites contains enough of a variety of informa-
tion to appeal to a wide audience of users.
Several other useful Web-based resources were excluded from the list of
Web sites below, including the Council on Union-Free Environment
(http://www.cueinc.com). the Society for Human Resource Management
(http://www.shrm.org), and BNA, Inc. (http://www.bna.com), since these
require either paid membership or some other commercial form of access.
Other useful sites on labor history (e.g., http://www.kentlaw.eduJilhsl)
were also excluded from the list. Those interested in print resources on la-
bor and collective bargaining would do well to consult Joseph and
Sparanese (2000)3 and Lee and Kuhn (1996).4
Web sites that focus on the issue of labor and collective bargaining
are important resources for a number of reasons. Both unions and em-
ployers stand to benefit from a good understanding of the values and po-
sitions of the other side, as well as the regulatory and legal context that
informs their relationship. Traditionally, mutual understanding has
helped to mitigate the adversarial nature of the grievance process or
contract negotiations; further understanding of other types of informa-
tion, such as cost of living data, has helped the respective parties to ne-
gotiate from a position of strength.
Beginning in the 1980s and continuing to the present, however, many
employers have sought to involve union members on labor-manage-
 James E. Nalen 225

ment committees formed to address issues of organizational change or

strategic planning. These committees have invariably bumped up
against working conditions and other mandatory subjects of collective
bargaining. While the Dunlop Commission on the Future of Worker-
Management Relations, created in 1993 by former Secretary of Labor
Robert B. Reich and former Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown,
recommended that "employee participation and labor-management
partnerships are good for workers, firms, and the national economy,"5
some unions have sought to restrict members' involvement in such part-
nerships. A more innovative approach is that of "continuous bargain-
ing," wherein every conversation between management and labor is
treated like traditional bargaining.6
Many of the Web sites described below begin to explore this new is-
sue in the field of organized labor and collective bargaining. Human re-
source managers, union officials, employers, union members, and,
ultimately, policy makers, need to begin to understand the parameters
of "labor-management partnerships"; the Web is a good place to begin
developing such an understanding.

DIRECTORIES

SocioSite Project: Industrial Relations and Trade Unions

(http://www.pscw.uva.nllsociosite/TOPICS/indrel.html)

SocioSite Project: Sociology of Labor

(http://www.pscw.uva.nl/sociositeITOPICSlLabor.html)
The Sociology of Labor and Industrial Relations and Trade Unions
Web sites are part of the SocioSite Project, a set of Web directories pro-
viding annotated sets of links on various topics in the social sciences.
These two directories are international in focus, and include links to
various labor and general employment issues.
Union Resource Network
(http://www .unions.org)
The most useful feature of the Union Resource Network (URN), a Web
site developed by the Communications Workers of America, is the Union
Search. Union Search allows searching by state or by union acronym.
Links to international labor organizations are provided elsewhere on the
site. URN also features news releases from a variety of labor organizations.
226 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Workindex.com
(http://www.workindex.com)
Workindex.com, created by the publishers of Human Resource Exec-
utive Magazine and the School of Industrial Labor Relations at Cornell
University, focuses on all aspects of human resources, including labor
relations and labor unions. Its well-maintained and organized sets of
links provide comprehensive access to United States and international
Web sites. Each link is briefly annotated; however, links to more infor-
mation are also provided.
World Trade Union Directory
(http://www.cf.ac.uk/socsi/union/links.htm)
Steve Davies, a senior research fellow at the Public Services Interna-
tional Research Unit, University of Greenwich, maintains the World
Trade Union Directory. The Directory provides extensive access to un-
ion Web sites across the world. These Web sites are organized first by
geographic region, then by country. Within each country listing, the
sites are grouped by national, state, or local level.
XPDNC Labour Directory
(http://www.xpdnc.com )
The Labour Directory groups sites into four broad categories: "Em-
ployment"; "Rights at Work"; "Social Protection"; and "Social Dialogue."
Under these general headings are more specific sub-headings, such as
"Arbitration Services" and "Labour Libraries." Web sites collected under
these sub-headings are sorted by country; it is this international scope of
the directory that makes it a significant resource. A glossary of labor
terms and an exhaustive list of labor acronyms supplement the directory.

TOPICAL WEB SITES:

U.S. GOVERNMENT
AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Bureau of Labor Statistics

(http://www.bls.gov!)

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the most comprehen-

sive information on labor market conditions in the United States and
abroad. Many of the data sets available through the site are customiz-
 James E. Nalen 227

able, although "most requested statistics" are also featured. Particularly

relevant to issues of organized labor are the sections on "Collective Bar-
gaining," "Union Membership," and "Contract Escalation." "Collec-
tive Bargaining" includes a clearinghouse of private and public sector
collective bargaining agreements, which are available for ordering; the
section also includes detailed statistics on work stoppages. "Union
Membership" provides data on the earnings of union-affiliated and
non-affiliated workers, disaggregated by industry and occupation.
"Contract Escalation" includes a guide to using the Consumer Price In-
dex (CPI) as the basis for wage increases specified by a collective bar-
gaining agreement or through negotiation.

Commission for lAbor Cooperation

(http://www.naalc.org/index.htm)

The Commission for Labor Cooperation was established in 1993 un-

der the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC)
between the United States, Canada and Mexico, and is charged with im-
plementing that agreement. In addition to the text of and press releases
on the NAALC, the site offers a set of online publications on labor is-
sues in North America. One such study is "Labor Relations Law in
North America," which describes general and country-specific laws
and regulations. Other documents deal with plant closings, the employ-
ment of women, and productivity. A Library Referral Service provides
links to legislation, statistics, NAFT A, and other topics.

Department of lAbor
(http://www.dol.gov)

The U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for the welfare of job seek-
ers, wage earners and retirees, and performs this mission by administering
federal labor laws regarding working conditions, minimum hourly wages
and overtime pay, employment discrimination and unemployment insur-
ance. While many sections of the DOL Web site are useful for general la-
bar and employment issues, the Office of Labor-Management Standards is
perhaps most pertinent to collective bargaining issues. OLMS is responsi-
ble for administering the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure
Act, which seeks to ensure democracy and fiscal responsibility within pri-
vate sector labor unions. The OLMS Web site provides information on re-
cent criminal and civil enforcement actions, as well as regulatory and
compliance information. Union officials and members will find the "Con-
228 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Injmmation Resources

ducting Local Union Officer Elections: A Guide for Election Officials"

and the various "Compliance Tips" especially useful.

European Industrial Relations Observatory On-Line

(http://www.eiro.eurofound.iel)

EIRO forms part of the European Union's European Foundation for

the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The Web site pro-
vides annual comparative and national reviews of industrial relations,
collective bargaining, and labor market conditions in EU member
states, as well as in Japan and the United States. Comparative studies of
topics such as gender pay equity and working time are also available.
Articles on current industrial relations issues can be browsed by coun-
try, sector, or date. The EMIRE database is a glossary of industrial rela-
tions terminology employed by individual member states. Finally,
EIRO maintains an extensive set of links to government agencies, em-
ployers' groups, and trade unions in EU member states and beyond.

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

(http://www.fmcs.gov)

The FMCS provides dispute mediation, preventive mediation, alter-

native dispute resolution, arbitration, and other services to employers
and unions in the private and public sectors. These services are de-
scribed in detail on the Web site. The key section of the FMCS Web site
is its set of case studies involving FMCS intervention. These case stud-
ies are relatively short, but focus on a wide variety of labor-manage-
ment issues. Two recent case studies, produced with the cooperation of
Northeastern University, are much more detailed, and include not only
a description of the problem but a set of best practices.

National Labor Relations Board

(http://www.nlrb.gov)

The NLRB is charged with administering the National Labor Rela-

tions Act, which governs relations between unions and employers in the
private sector. The NLRB organizes secret-ballot elections and investi-
gates and remedies unfair labor practices. The Web site features ser-
vices and activities of the NLRB, including its Weekly Summary of
NLRB Cases, forms, decisions and orders, and rules and regulations.
Several online publications will be of interest to both human resource
 James E. Nalen 229

managers and union officials, including "A Guide to Basic Law and
Procedures under the National Labor Relations Act" and "The National
Labor Relations Board and You: Unfair Labor Practices."
The National Mediation Board (http://www.nmb.govl) provides similar
services to both the railroad and airline industries in its administration of the
Railway Labor Act, while the Federal Labor Relations Authority (http://
www.flra.govl) administers the Federal Service Labor-Management Rela-
tions Statute. The Office of Personnel Management's Labor-Management
Relations Division (http://www.opm.gov/cplmr/index.htrn) provides further
guidance on these decisions. Labor-management relations in the state and lo-
cal public sector are typically governed by state labor relations laws, which
are administered by state-level labor relations boards.
International Labour Organisation
(http://www.ilo.org)
The International Labour Organisation, a specialized agency of the
United Nations, formulates international labor standards; provides
technical assistance in a variety of areas; and promotes and provides
training to employers' and worker~' organizations. The Web site pro-
vides a considerable amount of information on the work of the organi-
zation, including a catalog of publications, databases of international
labor standards (lLOLEX) and national laws (NATLEX), and collec-
tions of press releases and speeches. LABORSTA is perhaps the most
significant aspect of the ILO Web site: this statistical database contains
detailed historical labor market data for a large number of countries.
This data is included in ILO's annual Year Book of Labour Statistics.

TOPICAL WEB SITES:

UNIONS, HIGHER EDUCATION,
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND INTEREST GROUPS
AFL-CIO
(http://www .aflcio.org)
The AFL-CIO Web site offers a wealth of information on the federa-
tion's policy positions, leadership, and activities. AFL-CIO maintains a set
oflinks to unions (and union locals) affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Various
research products, including economic policy papers, technical working
papers, and policy handbooks, are available online. These are of very high
quality, and include titles such as "The Dollar and the Trade Deficit: The
Costs of Policy Neglect" and "The Role of Institutions and Policies in Cre-
230 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

ating Unemployment: The Cross-Country Empirical Evidence." Other no-

table features of the site are a section on culture and history, which in-
cludes artwork, video and audio clips, and cartoons; the Executive
PayWatch database, which describes and allows for comparisons with
the salary and benefits of top CEOs; and practical information on employ-
ment rights.
American Arbitration Association
(http://www.adr.org)
Many collective bargaining agreements stipulate that grievances are
subject to binding arbitration when these fail to be resolved at other lev-
els, or steps. The American Arbitration Association provides arbitra-
tion, mediation and other dispute resolution services to a wide variety of
industries. The "Focus Area" section on labor presents AAA's "Labor
Arbitration Rules" and other rules, as well as forms and guides, includ-
ing one on "Drafting Dispute Resolution Clauses."
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(http://www.afscme.org)
AFSCME, one of the largest public sector unions, makes available a
wealth of information through its well-organized Web site. One key fea-
ture of the Web site is AFSCME's extensive list of online publications,
which will appeal to union local officials, union members, and human re-
source managers. For example, the "AFSCME Steward Handbook" in-
cludes a glossary of labor terms, grievance forms and procedures, and a
list of tactics. Other notable publications include "Knowing the Num-
bers: A Guide to Public Budget Analysis" and "Preventing Workplace
Violence." AFSCME maintains a set of links to topical Web sites that fo-
cus on human resource and labor issues. Legislative updates and policy
analyses also feature prominently on the site.
Center for Labor Education & Research,
University of Hawaii at West Oahu
(http://homepages.uhwo.hawaii.edu/clear/)
The Center for Labor Education & Research (CLEAR) Web site
makes available a glossary of collective bargaining terms; the CLEAR
Newsletter, which reports on legal and regulatory developments; and
descriptions of aspects oflabor law, such as Weingarten rights. The site
also presents a well-organized set of links to government agency, higher
education, and labor organization Web sites.
 James E. Nalen 231

Institute of Industrial Relations,

University of California at Berkeley
(http://www.iir.berkeley.edu/)
UC-Berkeley's Institute of Industrial Relations makes available a
number of working papers, reports, and issues of the "Labor Center Re-
porter." The "Working Papers" focus on areas such as "Employee In-
volvement and Pay at U.S. and Canadian Auto Suppliers" and
"Changes in the Employment Contract?: Evidence from a Quasi-Exper-
iment." These publications are on par with those produced by the
School for Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University in terms
of quality (see below); however, many of the papers present a more in-
ternational focus. The Institute of Industrial Relations Library main-
tains a Labor Research Portal, which contains Web guides and labor
guides focusing on a variety of topics, including labor education and
temporary workers, respectively. The Library also maintains sets of
links to international and U.S. labor unions and labor news sources.
Berkeley is also home to the Agricultural Personnel Management
Program (http://are.berkeley.edu/APMP/). The APMP Web site pro-
vides full-text access to several newsletters, as well as links to govern-
ment and other sources of information on agricultural labor.
Labor Education Program,
University of Missouri at Columbia
(http://web.missouri.edu/-Iabored/)
The Labor Education Program Web site provides an extensive set of
links to union Web sites in Missouri, in the United States and around the
world, as well as to other labor education programs. The "Research"
section makes available outlines on federal labor law and on collective
bargaining. Each of these outlines presents in-depth analysis; for exam-
ple, the outline on collective bargaining covers bargaining techniques
and the "arithmetic of collective bargaining," including sections on
reckoning the costs of wage increases and fringe benefits.
Labor Policy Association
(http://www .1 pa. org/)

"LPA is a public policy advocacy organization representing corporate

executives interested in human resource policy." Some information is
available only to members. The "HR Issues" section provides press re-
leases on federal court decisions, legislation and regulations that impact
232 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

human resources, especially labor relations. "Issues" also provides for

tracking of federal legislation with implications for labor relations and
other human resources issues. The full-text of amicus curiae briefs filed
by LPA are available, as are in-depth analyses of human resources issues.
LPA is also responsible for a number of related Web sites. The "HR Mar-
ket" (also accessible at http://www.hrmarket.com) is a directory of prod-
uct and service providers and provides links to companies specializing in
various aspects of human resources, including alternative dispute resolu-
tion and labor relations. NLRBWatch.com (http://www.nlrbwatch.com)
summarizes and provides links to federal court decisions related to Na-
tional Labor Relations Board regulations. CodesofConduct.org (http://
www.codesofconduct.org/)bringstogethervariouscodesofconduct.in-
cluding several union-sponsored codes. Finally, LivingWageLaws.org
(http://www.livingwagelaws.orgl) tracks information about local labor
legislation, specifically related to living wage ordinances.

Labor Research Association

(http://www.laborresearch.org/)

A "non-profit research and advocacy organization" affiliated with

LRA Consulting, the Labor Research Association (LRA) provides
news and analysis on labor law, collective bargaining, labor organizing
and other topics, including workplace privacy and temporary workers.
LRA's Union Busting Watch brings together labor organization press
releases and news stories on organizing disputes. Union Trends and
Data includes statistical tables and analysis of labor trends, as well as
practical information, such as advice on using company e-mail for orga-
nizing purposes. Economic Trends presents analyses of labor market
conditions, as well as statistical tables.

Labornet
(http://www .labornet.org)

Formerly supported by the Institute for Global Communications,

Labornet is now an "independent network that seeks to build up labor
communication for all working people." Labornet's most useful aspect
lies in its role as a clearinghouse for news on union activities. It
co-sponsors a strike-tracking site (http://www.thebird.org/strikes/), and
maintains a set of links to various labor resources. Its "Union Directory"
is notable in that it includes labor organizations at both the national and
local levels. The site features commentary and news briefs, as well as
 James E. Nalen 233

quick links to international sites, such as the United Kingdom's

LaboursStart (http://www.labourstart.org).

Legal Institute, Cornell Law School

(http://www.law.comell.edu/topics/collective_bargaining.html)
(http://www.law.comell.edu/topics/labor.html)

Cornell Law School's Legal Institute has prepared a number of

guides to legal topics, including collective bargaining and labor law.
Each of these guides provides links to legal and regulatory material at
the federal level and New York State level. An overview describes sig-
nificant federal acts that pertain to a particular topic; for example, the
overview of collective bargaining discusses the National Labor Rela-
tions Act and the Uniform Arbitration Act. These comprehensive
guides also list links to relevant organizations and federal agencies.
Martin P. Catherwood Library, School of Industrial
and Labor Relations, Cornell University
(http://www.i1r.comell.edullibrary/)
The Martin P. Catherwood Library, together with the Kheel Center for
Labor-Management Documentation & Archives, serves students and fac-
ulty in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.
In addition to well-maintained research and Internet guides, on topics such
as international labor and organizing, the Library is also responsible for the
"Electronic Archive," a repository for U.S. and New York State govern-
ment and AFL-CIO reports on industrial relations. Full-text searching of
the archive is available, as are listings of reports. Catherwood intends to
make these reports available over the long-term, and is actively collecting
reports produced by governmental and non-governmental organizations.
U.S. government documents include the report of the Commission on
Family and Medical Leave and of the Commission on the Future of
Worker-Management Relations, among many others.
National Labor Management Association
(http://www.nlma.org/)
A membership organization "open to all persons interested in la-
bor-management cooperation efforts," the National Labor Management
Association (NLMA) Web site is notable for back issues of its newslet-
ter Forward Thinking; links to news stories, articles, and manuals that
focus on labor-management committees; a directory of state and local
234 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

labor-management committees; and, extensive sets of links to federal

and state departments of labor, labor relations research centers, em-
ployee ownership programs, and other labor relations-related organiza-
tions. NLMA, with financial assistance from the Federal Mediation &
Conciliation Service, also makes available its Manual for Area & In-
dustrial Labor-Management Committees, a comprehensive guide to
setting up labor-management committees.
Restructuring Associates Inc.
(http://www.restructassoc.com)
Restructuring Associates Inc. (RAI) is a Washington-based consult-
ing firm that works with employers and unions in organizations under-
going organizational change. Its case studies and articles are useful.
RAI recently made news by criticizing both Yale University and its la-
bor unions for their particularly acrimonious relationship.7 RAJ's Web
site presents a set of case studies that depict RAJ's analysis and resolu-
tion of a particular problem of organizational change within unionized
environments. The "Articles" section of the site provides similar case
studies, as well as pieces that express RAJ's general philosophy towards
labor-management relations.
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America
(http://www.ranknfile-ue.org/)
UE is an independent union (unaffiliated with the AFL-CIO), repre-
senting just over 35,000 workers in a variety of sectors and industries.
In addition to information on organizing and affiliating with UE, links
to labor resources, and news and legislative briefs, the site's "Informa-
tion for Workers" section offers practical information on a number of
issues, including arbitrating, negotiating, and health and safety. Notable
among these online publications are "Workplace Bullying," "Using
ADA in the Workplace," and "Mid Contract Bargaining Changes." The
advice contained in these publications would be useful for union offi-
cials and members; human resource managers would also do well to un-
derstand the approaches outlined in these publications.
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
(http://www.upjohninst.orglindex.htm)
The W.E. Upjohn Institute is a non-profit institution that engages in re-
search on a wide variety of employment issues; it also administers pro-
grams for and provides services to unemployed workers. The key feature
 James E. Nalen 235

of the Institute's Web site is the availability of online staff working pa-
pers, employment research reports, and other publications. These docu-
ments are accessible through a master publications list or through various
"Research Hubs," such as "Economic Development and Local Labor
Markets." The publications are of a uniformly high quality, and include
titles such as "Thinking about Local Living Wage Requirements" and
"Nonstandard Work and Child Care Choices of Married Mothers." Other
publications, including books and technical reports, are available for or-
dering. The Institute is also home to the West Michigan Data Center and
the Employment Research Data Center. The latter serves as a repository
for the U.S. Department of Labor's research and evaluation efforts; these
DOL data products are available for ordering on CD-ROM.

NOTES

1. u.s. Census Bureau. (2000). Statistical abstract o/the United States (l20th ed.),
table 712. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
2. Greenhouse, S. (2001, March 27). St. Luke's doctors unionize. The New York
Times, p. B9. Retrieved March 11,2002, (rom Lexis-Nexis database.
3. Joseph, D., & Sparanese, Ann. (2000). Reference sources for Labor History
Month. Booklist, 96,1778-1779.
4. Lee, A. H., & Kuhn, J. (1996). Look out bosses! Union power's going to get your
employees a raise! RQ, 36, 48-56.
5. U.S. Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations. (1994). The
Dunlop Commission on the Future o/Worker-Management Relations: Final report, p. 8.
Retrieved February 19,2002, from Cornell University, School ofIndustrial and Labor
Relations, Catherwood Library Web site: hup://www.ilr.comell.edullibrary/e_archive/
gov_reports/dunlop/DunlopFinaJReport.pdf.
6. University of Massachusetts Lowell, Labor Extension Program. (n.d.) Treat It as
Continuous Bargaining: Dealing with the Changing Workplace-New Technologies,
New Forms o/Work Organization and Employee Involvement/Quality Programs. Re-
trieved March 14, 2002, http://www.uml.edunaborextension/pdf/contbarg.pdf.
7. Greenhouse, S. (2002, January 15). Labor consultant criticizes Yale and its un-
ions. The New York Times, p. B4. Retrieved February 8, 2002, from Lexis-Nexis data-
base.
 Best Management Web Sites
Bill Kinyon

SUMMARY. Management is one of the most fundamental business con-

cepts. The author of this chapter provides overviews of the most important
Web sites related to management information, including sites from aca-
demic institutions and professional organizations. [Article copies available
for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: l-800-HA WORTH. E-mail
address: <[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com>
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Management, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
There are many ways to define "management." Agha Hasan Abedi,
who was President of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International in
Luxembourg, once said "The conventional definition of management is
getting work done through people, but real management is developing
people through work." Peter Drucker, the noted management guru, said
"Management means, in the last analysis, the substitution of thought for
brawn and muscle, of knowledge for folklore and superstition, and of
cooperation for force ..." Of course, Drucker also made a more cynical
observation, "So much of what we call management consists in making
it difficult for people to work." Even that cynical comment, though, in-

Bill Kinyon is Director of Library Services, Mars Hill College (E-mail: bkinyon@
mhc.edu).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note): "Best Management Web Sites." Kinyon, Bill. Co-published simulta-
neously in Journal of Business & Fi,u:mce Ubrarianship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 237-244; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Informa-
tion Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.,
2003, pp. 237 ·244. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document
Delivery Service [1·800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: docdelivery@haworth
press.comj.

http://www.haworthpress.com!store/product.asp?sku=J 109
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
lO.l300/Jl 09v08n03_lO 237
238 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

dicates the nature of management, in that he is pointing to the fact that

management involves the interaction between managers and their com-
pany and its employees.
In another sense, the term "management" could include any of the
topics included elsewhere in this publication. Any of the Web sites dis-
cussed in these bibliographies could well be of use to a person who
needs help in managing an enterprise of almost any kind. Management
of a business obviously involves human resources, marketing and ad-
vertising, accounting, knowledge of relevant laws, familiarity with cus-
tomers, and financial responsibility. From a broader perspective, and
taking into account the quotations above, the functions of management
can be broken down into a few major responsibilities. According to
Carter McNamara, who developed the Free Management Library (dis-
cussed later in this article) the four major functions traditionally consid-
ered to constitute management are planning, organizing, leading, and
coordinating of resources.] These responsibilities are directed both in-
ternally (to one's own company and employees) and externally (to the
firm's competitors and to the market). It is these major functions that
will be emphasized in the Web sites that are included here.
To be included, a Web site must offer significant amounts of real con-
tent; that is, information, or a well-organized set of links to other useful
Web sites. Sites which are primarily self-promoting or which provide lit-
tle more than advertisements for publications, activities or services have
been left out. Most of the Web sites listed here are either completely free
of charge, or at least offer a considerable amount of information for free.
However, there are a few for which the information was so valuable that
they were included even though there is a charge. Some sites also require
registration, which is sometimes free and sometimes requires a fee.
About.com Guide to Management
(http://management.about.com)
This site is sort of a primer for new managers, although much of the in-
formation will be useful for experienced managers as well. Much of the
content is written for laymen. An "Essentials" section covers such items as
management tips and advice for beginning managers. Also provided by the
site are links to articles, Web sites, and information resources in nearly
thirty management-related categories, from big-picture subjects such as
mergers and acquisitions to more personal topics such as public speaking.
 Bill Kinyon 239

Bpubs
(http://www.bpubs.com)
Bpubs provides links to full-text online articles in many fields of busi-
ness. These can be articles from online magazines, government sources,
or companies willing to make their expertise available. Items are selected
for inclusion based on the company's own collection development pol-
icy, and the process seems to be highly selective. The intended audience
is business users of all kinds, from entrepreneurs to academics to CEOs.
"Management Science" is the category perhaps most relevant to the topic
here. Documents in such areas as "Change Management," "Competitive
Intelligence," and "Total Quality Management" are included.
BUBLLINK
(http://link.bubl.ac.uklmanagementl)
BUBL LINK (Libraries of Networked Knowledge) is a catalog of
Internet resources in virtually all academic subject areas. Resources are
evaluated before being selected for inclusion in the catalog. Upon selec-
tion, the resources are cataloged according to the Dewey Decimal Clas-
sification System. Therefore, the relevant classification here is 658. The
site can also be searched via an alphabetical list of subject terms. "Man-
agement practice" and "Management research" will lead the user to a
wealth of sites providing management-related information. BUBL
LINK currently contains over thirty links in these two categories.
Business Management Supersite
(http://www.ioma.com)
The Institute of Management and Administration (10M A) Web site is
one of the few on this list that is fee-based. Registration and searching can
be done for free, but articles must be purchased. However,selected arti-
cles are occasionally available for free. IOMA publishes nearly sixty
pay-per-view or subscription-based newsletters on management topics,
plus nine free e-newsletters. The free e-newsletters include such titles as
Business Technology Update, Leadership Newswire, and Office Man-
agement. The fee-based newsletters include such titles as HRFocus,
Managing Training and Development, and Report on Customer Rela-
tionship Management.
Business Researcher's Interests
(http://brint.com)
Billing itself as "the premier business and technology portal and
global community network for e-business, information, technology,
240 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key ltiformation Resources

and management," this continuously updated mega-site leads the user

to a huge multitude of Web sites. The "Reference Section" is divided
into three parts: "Business Disciplines and Business Research"; "Busi-
ness Administration and Business Functions"; and "Information Tech-
nologies and Information Systems." Many of the links here will be
relevant to management in the context of this bibliography. The "Busi-
ness Administration and Business Functions" section alone has links in
over twenty-five categories of management, including such categories
as data management, innovation management and service management.
In addition, three "phases" of "subject portals" cover the areas of new
economy business enterprises, e-business and e-commerce enterprises,
and knowledge driven organizations. Links to the latest articles are in-
cluded for some categories.
The Business Search Engine
(http://www.business.com/directory/management)
This is a business-focused search engine and directory aimed at busi-
ness professionals. Industry experts and librarians developed the Web
site. It provides links to hundreds of Web sites with management infor-
mation, divided into seventeen categories. One caution: the "Featured
Listings" section allows companies to pay for better placement of their
site. However, all sites that are included in this directory, and only those
deemed worthy of inclusion, are eligible to pay for a featured listing.
CEO Express
(http://ceoexpress.com)
As is stated on the main page of this very useful site, it is "designed by a
busy executive for busy executives." The idea of this Web site is to pull to-
gether links to all the information an executive might need in the course of a
workday. A wide variety of types of information is represented-news,
business magazines, financial market data, government agencies, company
research, legislation, directories, travel information, ready-reference sources
and many others. It is organized in a very simple and clear arrangement.
Continuous Quality Improvement Online
(http://deming.eng.Clemson.edu)
A Web site devoted to quality improvement and education in quality,
Continuous Quality Improvement Online provides links to online docu-
ments and other Web sites. The Deming Electronic Network (DEN) fo-
cuses on the philosophy of W. Edwards Deming, and includes links to
 Bill Kinyon 241

selected papers and article reprints, the W. Edwards Deming Institute, in-
formation about Deming Associations, and other Deming resources. The
"Public Sector Continuous Improvement Site" focuses on online re-
sources intended to foster improvement in public sector organizations.
European Case Clearing House
(http://www.ecch.cranfield.ac.ukl)
This is an excellent resource for those interested in the case study
method of management education. The ECCH collects and distributes
case studies from many of the top management education organiza-
tions. The studies are international in scope with holdings from such
United States institutions as the Harvard Business School, the Richard
Ivey School of Business, and the Darden School at the University of
Virginia and from overseas institutions such as the London Business
School and the Cranfield School of Management. The original office of
ECCH is at Cranfield University in England, and the North American
operations are located at Babson College in Massachusetts. The site can
be searched for free, including reading the abstracts, but there is a fee
for acquiring the case studies. As of this writing, the corporate fee for a
case study is $6 and the academic fee is $3.15.
Fast Company
(http://fastcompany.com)
This is the online version of the print publication of the same name.
Founded by two former editors of the Harvard Business Review, its
goal is to help businesses and managers keep up with the changing
business world. Emphasis is given to new business practices, how
companies creatively meet their competition, and people and compa-
nies that are effectively facing the future. Informative articles, live
events, and opportunities to network with other readers are available
at the Web site. Some articles are available only on the Web version. A
subscription to the print version is required to have free access to the
Web site, but it is very inexpensive. Archives are available all the way
back to the first issue (November 1995).
Free Management library
(http://www.mapnp.orgnibrary)
Produced by the Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits,
this site has useful links for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations.
All areas of traditional management functions are covered here, plus
some topics that are not typically included in discussions of manage-
242 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

ment responsibilities. For example, there are groups of links for per-
sonal productivity, social entrepreneurship, and written communication
skills. There is a wealth of useful information at this site, all of it free.
Each link either provides content for free, or links to another Web site
that is free. The library was developed with the intention of providing
managers, particularly those with limited resources, with basic and
practical information that will help them in the performance of their
jobs. The site is well organized and user-friendly.
HBS Working Knowledge
(http://www.hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu)
Produced by the Harvard Business School (HBS), HBS Working
Knowledge requires free registration. Included are full-text of interviews
with HBS scholars and industry leaders, as well as HBS publications, and
reviews and recommendations for both books and Web sites. Content is
divided into thirteen topic areas; those which will be most relevant to
management as defined here are "Entrepreneurship"; "Innovation &
Change"; "Leadership, Strategy & Competition"; and "Organizations &
People." The "What Do You Think?" column provides the opportunity to
have a dialogue with an HBS professor on specific business events or ac-
tivities. Special Reports are included, often coming from conferences
such as the 2001 Harvard Business School Entrepreneurship Confer-
ence, Build to Lead and Dynamic Women in Business 2002.
Knowledge@Wharton
(http://knowledge.Wharton.upenn.edu)
This is a product of the Wharton School at the University ofPennsyl-
vania. Management topics covered include "Leadership and Change,"
"Strategic Management," "Public Policy and Management," "Innova-
tion and Entrepreneurship," "Operations Management," and "Man-
aging Technology." Emphasis is placed on current research, information
and analysis. For each category, research papers, articles, interviews,
book reviews, and links to other Web sites are included. Information is
organized in layers to accommodate each user's needs. The layers are:
brief summaries; short, professionally written articles in journalistic
style; academic papers; and links to related Web sites.
Management Best Practice
(http://www.dtLgov.uklmbp)
Managed by the Department of Trade and Industry of the government
of the United Kingdom, this site offers many "key sites" which are sets of
 Bill Kinyon 243

links to documents pertaining to business. One of the most useful for

management information is the "Best Practice Guides, Tools and Publi-
cations" site, which links to documents discussing best practices from or-
ganizations in the UK and in other countries. It is divided into 11 specific
management topics such as "General Business Management," "Partner-
ships with People," and "Information." Some examples of relevant titles
are "Best Practice Benchmarking," "Total Quality Management and Ef-
fective Leadership," and "Making Information Work for You."
Management Unk
(http://www.ocula.managers.org.uk)
Management Link is produced by the Institute of Management (1M) in the
UK. Two sections, "Management Skills" and "Management Sources," pull
together links to management Web sites. These sites have been assessed and
selected by 1M staff according to 1M's established guidelines and are in-
tended as a guide to valuable management sites, although not an endorse-
ment of any particular site. "Management Skills" focuses on management
techniques relating to such areas as people, change and performance, while
"Management Sources" focuses on information resources such as profes-
sional and government organizations and company information sources.
Some sites linked here may require either a subscription fee or registration.
Manager Wise
(http://www.managerwise.com)
Subtitled "Advancing the Practice of Management," the most useful
feature ofthis site is the "Knowledge Bank" which features the full-text
of many essays, thought pieces, and other documents that have been
submitted to ManagerWise. Most of the submissions are from previ-
ously published authors and/or management consultants. While virtu-
ally anyone can submit a document, there is a set of editorial guidelines
that must be followed, and items are reviewed before being added to the
"Knowledge Bank." The documents are arranged in over forty manage-
ment-related categories, such as "Communication," "Innovation,"
"Leadership," and "Motivation."
MIT Sloan Management Review
(http://mitsloan.mit.edu/smr)
This is the online version of the business journal of the same name, a
quarterly peer-reviewed publication by the MIT Sloan School of Man-
agement, one of the world's top business schools. This is a for-fee site,
244 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

but the articles in SMR should be worth the price for managers, and par-
ticularly top executives. Full archives are available back to Fall 1995,
while selected articles are available as far back as Fall 1977; reprints
can be purchased for any ofthese articles. While primarily an academic
publication, the editors seek to provide articles that will be useful to
managers in the "real world." A sampling of recent article or essay titles
includes: "Building Competitive Advantage Through People," "Weird
Ideas That Spark Innovation," "How To Make Strategic Alliances
Work," and "Turning Online Browsers Into Buyers."
U.S. Business Advisor
(http://www .business .gov/busadv/)
The U.S. Business Advisor, sponsored by the Small Business Ad-
ministration, consists of a collection of links designed to give the small
business owner easy access to federal government information. Useful
information can be found for starting and managing a business; dealing
with taxes, laws and regulations; and workplace issues such as
wellness, benefits and safety. Links to agency home pages and business
pages should be useful, as well as the group of links to one-stop gate-
ways. Several FAQ sections are provided, covering a variety of topics.
Working Papers in Management
(http://www.olin.wustl.edullibrary/workingpapers.htm#MAN)
Working Papers in Management is maintained by the The Kopolow
Business Library of the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington
University in St. Louis. This site provides links to working papers in sev-
eral business disciplines, including management. The papers originate
primarily from academic institutions, although not exclusively. Full-text
online is available for some documents, although for many others only
abstracts are available. Coverage is worldwide, with documents from
such institutions as the University of Melbourne Department of Manage-
ment, the Manchester School of Management, and the Erasmus Research
Institute of Management at Erasmus University of Rotterdam.

NOTE
I. McNamara, Carter, Free Management Library (n.d.). Retrieved February 15,
2002 from http://www.mapnp.orgnibrary/mng_thry/mng_thry.htm.
 Marketing and Advertising
Blake Carver

SUMMARY. The Web is one of the best starting points for marketing and
advertising information. The author covers Web sites for top pUblications as
well as sites from academic institutions and professional associations. [Arti-
cle copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service:
I-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address:<[email protected]> Website:
<http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights re-
served.}

KEYWORDS. Marketing, advertising, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
The World Wide Web and the advertising industry is a well-suited
pair. The Web is an ideal place to aggregate, disseminate, and collect
statistics used in the field. Search engines and access to databases make
the Web an ideal place for an industry that thrives on data. The visual
nature of advertising, coupled with the timeliness of information pre-
sented on the Web, find a convergence in a way not seen in many other
industries. Advertisers are able to use the Web to gather statistics, while
at the same time reaching new audiences and promoting new products.
Although the number of marketing and advertising sites available to-
day can be overwhelming, focusing on better quality sites can yield

Blake Carver is Web Librarian, The Ohio State University Libraries (E-mail: carver.
[email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note): "Marketing and Advertising." Carver, Blake. Co-published simulta-
neously in Journal of Business & Finnnce Librariwlship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 245-252; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Informa-
tion Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.,
2003, pp. 245-252. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document
Delivery Service [1-8oo-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: docdelivery@haworth
press.com).

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/product.asp?sku=J 109
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.1300/Jl09vOSn03_11 245
246 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

more than enough resources for librarians, serving academic and busi-
ness communities in search of marketing know-how, numbers or design
inspiration. The Web offers more than just numbers and "how-to" ad-
vice; it transports users from the practicalities of terms used in online
marketing, to tum of the century advertising for laxatives and vitamins,
to the world of painted bovine billboards. Sites for this "best of the
Web" were chosen based on information provided, currency of infor-
mation, navigation, and popularity.
UTexas Marketing World
(http://advertising.utexas.edulworld)
The University of Texas' Marketing World is a metasite that lists
hundreds of sites broken down by category. A great starting place, this
site is ideal for someone unsure of what the Web has to offer in market-
ing or advertising resources.
Marketing World specializes in providing resources to professionals,
students, and faculty. According to Jef Richards, Department Chairman
and Professor of Advertising at UT "The mission, from the beginning,
was to give our Department a Web presence. We have no advertising
budget, per se, and this was created in the hope that marketing commu-
nication professionals would use it and become aware of our program."
The primary target for the site is the marketing industry and the students
who aspire to enter that industry.
The Marketing World homepage is an index of ninety-one catego-
ries, ranging from" Account Planning" to "Word of Mouth." Each cate-
gory, in tum, consists of a page with a list of links to relevant sites; there
are cross-references that point to similar categories as well. Initially, the
shear number of categories can be overwhelming, but it is easy to find
what you need if you can narrow your idea to a single topic. With so
many topics, the cross references are a necessity.
PaintedCows.com
(http://www.paintedcows.com)
Do not let the name throw you, Painted Cows is one of the more use-
ful marketing resources sites and no doubt the most fun site on this list.
Put together by Shelley Delayne and Scott J. Karlson, the site aims "to
provide a comprehensive, efficient and entertaining advertising and
marketing Web site dedicated to the success of industry professionals
worldwide." PaintedCows is updated frequently, and contains an exten-
sive range of links to useful marketing and advertising sites.
 Blake Carver 247

PaintedCows includes news articles that are updated twice per week;
the articles are from sites like AdAge and American Demographics. The
site also offers an extensive list oflinks to other marketing sites and in-
ternational marketing publications. The links are broken down by cate-
gories such as advertising, media and publications.
As for the name, Karlson says, "It was Shelley's idea based on an expe-
rience of mine on an Amtrak train ride across the U.S. While in the middle
of a trip, I was watching herd after herd of cows pass by my window over-
looking the highway and the fields beyond. Suddenly it occurred to me,
'shouldn't those cows have Pepsi logos on them or something?," To ad-
vertise the launching of their site, PaintedCows used a real-live painted
cow-making them the first marketers to promote cows as "bovine bill-
boards." Fun and flashy, PaintedCows.com is a useful resource to find
news, sites, and most anything you need in the world of marketing.

The VNU Media Group

(http://www.vnuemedia.coml)

The VNU Media Groups publishes several leading trade publications

in the marketing industry. The VNU Media, Media & Marketing Group
is made up of five sites: adweek.com; brandweek.com; mediaweek.com;
salesandmarketing.com; and technologymarketing.com. Each site is the
electronic version of a print publication and focuses on a specific area in
the advertising or marketing businesses.

Adweek.com
(http://www.adweek.com)

Adweek.com is a site aimed at "leading decision-makers" in the ad-

vertising and marketing field. While the site does contain free articles,
complete access to the Adweek archives is a "premium service" avail-
able only to subscribers. Articles cover the entire advertising industry.

Brandweek.com
(http://www.brandweek.com)

Brandweek aims to provide "competitive information and insights"

through articles covering different brands and personalities in the mar-
keting industry. The editors place special emphasis on "breakthrough
campaigns," campaigns that break new marketing ground.
248 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Media Week. com

(http://www.mediaweek.com)
Mediaweek.com focuses on breaking news in different areas of the
mass media industry: television; radio; magazines; and the Internet.
SALESandMARKETING.COM
(http://www.salesandmarketing.com )
SMM is a site for sales and marketing professionals. Articles cover
best practices, continuing education, and career advancement.
TechnologyMarketing.com
(http://technologymarketing.com)
Technology Marketing is a focus area of Adweek Magazine and is
specifically written for the "highest-ranking marketer at a given tech-
nology organization." The site covers marketing in all areas ofthe tech-
nology industry.
VNUs marketing and advertising oriented Web sites are an excellent
source of current industry news. Each site offers daily industry specific
news, along with featured stories, columns, and some premium pay content.
The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke
University (http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/) has three projects dedi-
cated to the history of advertising.
Emergence of Advertising in America
(http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/eaal)
The Emergence of Advertising in America has over 9,000 advertise-
ments originally published from 1850 to 1920. The advertisements are bro-
ken down into eleven categories such as Lux Flakes, Chesebrough-Pond's,
collectible cards, and tobacco. Most images are available in JPEG format,
in high or low resolution, and may be reproduced for use in research, teach-
ing, and private study. The items chosen help to illustrate "the rise of con-
sumer culture, especially after the American Civil War, and the birth of a
professionalized advertising industry in the United States."
Medicine and Madison Avenue
(http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/mmal)
This project explores the "complex relationships between modern
medicine and modern advertising, or 'Madison Avenue,' as the latter is
colloquially termed." The project contains images from 600 advertise-
 Blake Carver 249

ments printed in newspapers and magazines in the early part of the

1900s. The images cover products like cold remedies, cigarettes, soaps,
laxatives and vitamins. The site also includes text-only documents that
"put health-related advertising into a broader perspective."
The Ad*Access Project
(http://scriptorium.lib.duke.eduladaccess/)
Funded by Duke University'S "Library 2000" Endowment Fund, the
Ad* Access project has made advertisements from the Duke Library's J.
Walter Thompson Company Archives collection of ads available to re-
searchers via the Web. The image library contains over 7,000 advertise-
ments that were printed in newspapers and magazines between 1911
and 1955.
The advertisements chosen for digitalization were those that attract re-
search interest and help to reflect developments in American society, cul-
ture, business, and technology. The advertisements are divided into five
main categories: "Beauty and Hygiene"; "Transportation"; "Radio";
''Television''; and "World War II." This helps to show advertising during
this time period, but focuses on a limited number of areas. Unfortunately,
there are no current plans to add additional advertisements to the site, as
funding was only available for the pilot project. To find similar sites with
classical ads that are updating and adding to content try (http://www.
old-time.comlcommercialsl) and (http://www.adflip.coml) while current
ads can be found at (http://www.luerzersarchive.netlhome.htm).
Commarts
(http://www.commarts.com)
With a visually appealing interface designed to appeal to designers,
Commarts is a source of creative inspiration to many. Commarts.com is
broken down into three separate areas; commarts.com, an extension of
the print magazine; designinteract.com, which focuses exclusively on
technology and multimedia; and creativehotlist.com, a career oriented
site for those on the creative side of marketing and advertising.
Commarts is "information and inspiration" for people who design
and create the advertisements used in any type of media. All three sites
contain articles that cover graphic design as well as other creative areas
of marketing and advertising. Content is updated every two weeks and
features "the insights of an influential participant in interactive industry
philosophizing about some aspect of technology that is important to
them." With a "Site of the Week" feature, and news that is updated ev-
250 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

ery business day, Commarts provides fresh content regularly. Two

monthly features-a profile of an interacti ve media developer and a proj-
ect overview-add nicely to the features.
Commarts should be a regular stop for anyone interested in graphic
design as a career, or anyone looking for creative ideas for designing an
advertisement, Web site, or any type of promotional material.
MarketillgTerms.com
(http://www.marketingterms.com)
Marketingterms.com is an extensive collection of terms used in
Internet marketing. Founded to help outsiders get up to speed on basic
online marketing terminology, the site is essentially an annotated online
dictionary. With terms broken down into categories, recently added and
updated terms and "fan favorites," the site is easy to use and navigate.
Each one of the many definitions comes complete with links to sites and
news stories that contain more information, and is fully cross-referenced.
The site is best navigated by letter, and each individual definition page
contains a definition, followed by a more in-depth "information" section
that works to put the term in context and provides synonyms, related
terms, and pointers to other sites and articles around the Web for more in-
formation. Terms are put in context in a way not available to a print dic-
tionary. Founder Sean O'Rourke goes for "maximum knowledge and
minimum duplication" on each page. The site is clean, quick and easy to
use and provides information critical to understanding the terms listed.
Larry Chase's Web Digestfor Marketers
(http://www.wdfm.com/)
Larry Chase and a team of four editors, send out "mercifully short"
reviews of marketing oriented Web sites, once a week, via e-mail. With
the current week's featured sites freely available on the site, and the full
archives available for $49.00, wdfm.com is a great tool to stay in touch
with the newest Web sites available. Each weekly email is broken down
by categories that include "Team Marketing," "Trade Publications,"
and "Customer Acquisitions."
This is a Web resource that comes to you. Each week it lists new sites
of interest that may have been missed in your daily travels on the Web.
The mail covers online and offline marketing in a no-nonsense, direct
way that allows for a quick and easy read.
Larry says, "Sites are selected on effectiveness, trend-spotting, and
examples other marketers can learn from." The sites chosen are from all
 Blake Carver 251

sides of marketing; you can expect resources in sports, technology, and

most everything in between. Not every site chosen is an essential re-
source in itself, but with weekly updates, you are sure to build a great
list of interesting sites in only a few months. Although heavy on
self-promotion, wdfm.com is a good resource for anyone who wants to
stay abreast of new sources of information in the marketing world.
Wilson Web
(http://wilsonweb.com/)
Wilsonweb.com is the leading site devoted to Web marketing, and is
widely cited as an example of excellent site design and content. The site
focuses on Web marketing resources and includes some free articles on
Web marketing, links to other useful sites, Internet design and market-
ing "Tutorials," as well as a large paid-access archive.
Wilson Web is aimed at small business owners looking to learn how
to effectively market on the Web, but the resources can be of use to any-
one interested in learning more on Web marketing. Dr. Wilson has as-
sembled a good, but expensive collection of articles useful to those who
need more information on how to market goods and services on the
Web. The free areas of the site make it worth a regular visit.
Fedstats.gov
(http://www.fedstats.gov)
Billed as "The gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agen-
cies," FedStats.gov is the central location for statistics compiled by the
U.S. government and covers most official statistical information avail-
able from the U.S. Federal Government. Fedstats provides an easy way
to access a bewildering array of governmental statistics without any
knowledge of which agency provides the numbers. The site is the best
place to start a search for any kind of government statistics when one is
unsure of what agency is providing the numbers.
Site navigation is a snap. Users can simply browse more than 400
topics that range from acute conditions (colds and influenza) to weekly
earnings. Some of the most useful numbers in marketing are demo-
graphies numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS
provides numbers on topics like employment, layoffs, and wages by oc-
cupation. If you are looking for demographic information, statistics, or
other information on the American public, Fedstats is great place to start
looking for raw data and some analysis.
252 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

American Demographics
(http://americandemographics.com)
American Demographics magazine is widely known for research and
stories on the American public. The monthly magazine and Web site focus
on marketing and consumer trends in the United States. American Demo-
graphics provide analysis of trends, and events relating to American con-
sumers in areas such as spending, growth, and projections on work force
trends. The stories and features provide information and in-depth analysis
to anyone interested in further understanding marketing in America.
The site is designed to appeal to those in working in the marketing
field, and focuses on articles that can help readers find a market, or un-
derstand the changes that are affecting our population. Stories work to
explain raw data so the numbers can be used to effectively market to a
wider audience. An "Ad Source Book" lists suppliers in areas like direct
marketing, lifestyles, and business services. Full access to current
American Demographics articles is only available to subscribers.
Adage. com
(http://www.adage.com)
AdAge.com is the Web site of Advertising Age, the seventy-one
year-old trade journal. The companion Web site contains weekly news
and information that cover marketing, as well as advertising and mass
media. The Ad Age Group, which owns Adage.com, publishes a num-
ber of marketing periodicals including, Advertising Age International,
Business Marketing and Creativity, and Adreview.com.
Content on Adage.com includes domestic and international news,
features, special reports, and critiques of advertising strategies. Specific
industry news comes from sources such as the "Ad Industry Pulse," a
quarterly poll of agency executives and advertisers. The site also in-
cludes breaking news, which is updated throughout each business day.
Features on people in the advertising industry, viewpoints and the "Data
Center" all add up to an impressive collection of information on the ad-
vertising industry. Special areas of the site include the "Data Center,"
which includes a list of 100 Leading National Advertisers, the largest
U.S. media companies, an annual Agency Report, and Ad Age's annual
survey of the salaries of more than 200 top agency executives. Ad Age
is a great site to keep current on the latest happenings in the advertising
world.
 Operations Management/Operations
Research Web Sites
Emily Missner
Leslie J. Reynolds

SUMMARY. This chapter covers the field of operations management!

operations research. The authors provide in-depth reviews of prominent
sites, including those of professional organizations and academic institu-
tions. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery
Service: l-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address:<[email protected]>
Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2003 by The Haworth Press, lnc. All
rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Operations management, operations research, supply chain

management, Web sites

INTRODUCTION
Operations management, operations research, and management sci-
ence are terms commonly used interchangeably to describe employing
analytical techniques to help make better decisions and to solve prob-
lems. Operations management professionals work to understand and
structure complex systems, and then use this understanding to predict
behavior and improve performance.

Emily Missner is Information Services Librarian-Business and Economics, Drexel

University (E-mail: [email protected]).
Leslie J. Reynolds is Associate Director for Public Services, Walker Management
Library, Vanderbilt University (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Hawonh co-indexing entry note): "Operations Management/Operations Research Web Sites." Missner,
Emily, and Leslie J. Reynolds. Co-published simultaneously in Journal of Business & Finance Librariwzship
(The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 8, No. 3/4. 2003, pp. 253-264;
and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources (ed: Gary w. White) The Haworth Infor-
mation Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp. 253-264. Single or multiple copies of this arti-
cle are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m.-
5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]).

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/product.asp?sku=J I 09
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
10. 13oo/Jl09vOSn03_12 253
254 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Operations management stems from a variety of disciplines-including

engineering, psychology, management, and mathematics-and is closely
related to applied mathematics, industrial and systems engineering, com-
puter sciences, and economics. These fields are considered the "decision
sciences."!
People in this field use mathematical techniques and computer models,
such as simulation, linear and nonlinear programming, dynamic pro-
gramming, queuing, econometric methods, expert systems, decision
analysis, and the analytic hierarchy process, to manipulate systems com-
posed of people, machines and procedures, and to make better decisions. 2
Specialists in operations management are both theorists and practitioners
of management science. Those working in operations management enjoy
varied applications ranging from industry work, public services, and con-
sulting. Some operations management professionals remain generalists,
while others specialize in specific areas or problems. 3
The way that organizations produce goods and services is the most
simplistic description of operations management. This professional disci-
pline deals with how products and services are developed, produced and
distributed. 4 Activities include supply chain management, quality con-
trol, and logistics. It incorporates engineering principles, management
fundamentals, as well as psychology, economics, mathematics, and com-
puter science to improve an organization's efficiency and effectiveness.
Following are reviews of three operations management Web sites, as
well as annotations of sites that were found to provide gems of informa-
tion, or at least have the potential to grow and improve into vital re-
sources.

INFORMS-Institute for Operations Research

and the Management Sciences
(http://www .informs.org/)

The INFORMS Web site is the online information service of the In-
stitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, a profes-
sional organization of operations management and the management
sciences. INFORMS, a member of the International Federation of Op-
erational Research Societies, has over 12,000 members worldwide. The
Web site for this organization is an excellent resource for information
on a variety of aspects of operations research and the management sci-
ences. Along with offering news and information about INFORMS, the
site also serves as a full-service, singular stop for information on opera-
tions management, offering resources ranging from conference and em-
 Emily Missner and Leslie J. Reynolds 255

ployment listings to several searchable databases of publications,

member information, and conference publications. The majority of re-
sources found on the site are available for both members and non-mem-
bers of the institute.
INFORMS is the online presence of the Institute for Operations Re-
search and Management Sciences, thus the audience is the institute's
members. Remarkably, the information on the site is free and available
for the public. According to the INFORM's mission statement, the soci-
ety is "dedicated to advancing the development and dissemination of all
aspects of Operations Research and the Management Sciences ... "
INFORMS Online is a tremendous resource for operations manage-
ment professionals, teachers, and students. The home page for the Web
site is crowded with links to and information about resources for opera-
tions management and other management sciences. Highlighted on the
page are listings of upcoming INFORMS conferences and new
INFORMS resources.
For example, the site recently added the "INFORMS Online Re-
source Page" which provides links and information about Web-based
operations management resources. This fantastic database, stemming
from Carnegie Mellon University' Professor Michael Trick's Opera-
tions Research Page (http://mat.gsia.cmu.edu/), allows users to search
through over 1,000 OM resources by category, by the date it was en-
tered into the database, or by keyword. All the sites have been reviewed
by a content editor and are briefly annotated. Small icons note whether a
resource is newly added to the database, is an INFORMS site, is a site
that is very popular, and whether the editors of the database think the re-
sources are really note-worthy.
Another new online resource is the INFORMS Job Placement Ser-
vice created in conjunction with the INFORMS annual meeting. This is
a fee-based service, and includes both online and printed copies of job
placement listings and applicant files.
Also found on the home page are the "Top Ten Websites," which lists
the most important resources on the site. "What's New at INFORMS"
provides up-to-date information on the Web site. Users can read this up-
date online, or they may choose to sign up for an e-mail alert.
"PubsOnLine" offers online access to some ofINFORMS journals in~
cluding Decision Analysis, Information Systems Research, Journal on
Computing, and Inteifaces. This is a fee-based section of the Web site.
There are subscription rates for members, non-members, and institutions.
The "INFORMS Newsroom" is a collection of all the press releases
issued by the institute, archived from 1997 to the present. Covering
256 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

news, events, and people in the world of operations management, the

press releases are interesting to read and well-written. The site also con-
tains a list of experts for journalists to contact, an excellent explanation
of operations research, articles featuring issues in operations manage-
ment, and a list of the INFORMS board of directors.
The "Continuing Professional Education" site provides information
on a variety of learning opportunities. Detailed information about each
course includes a course description, instructor's biography, prerequi-
sites, and registration and fees. The courses are taught at locations
throughout the United States.
Most of the information found on INFORMS is directly related to the
institute. There does not seem to be a formal process for reviewing possi-
ble inclusions for the site. The INFORMS ORiMS Resource Collection
simpl y has a form for users to fill out if they want a Web site added to the
database; however, there are content editors who review the material.
Information on the site is extremely current and stable. New informa-
tion is added almost daily. Most pages on the site had been updated very
recently, and there were no broken links anywhere on the Web site. Ar-
chived information goes back to 1997. The INFORMS site is also very
easy to navigate. The most important and/or current information is
linked from the front page; however, the site also has a very good site
index. Along with these browseable forms of navigation, the site offers
an excellent keyword search feature for finding specific information.
Thanks to minimal graphics, this information-rich site loads quite
quickly. The site is text-heavy, and uses some graphics to guide users
through the site. The home page contains the most graphics, and there-
fore, is the slowest page to load on the site.
For news and information about operations research and manage-
ment sciences, the INFORMS Web site is by far the most important
Web site. The information on the site is tremendously relevant and easy
to find. Along with events and activities in the field, the site also pro-
vides information on other Web-based resources, some online articles,
and other resources. Even though some sections require registration
fees, the free information found on the site is unmatched by any other
online operations management resources.
TOMI-Twiggs Operations Research Management Index
(www.twigg.info/tomi)
TOMI, or Twigg's Operations Management Index, is one of several
starting points for operations management information found on the
 Emily Missner and Leslie J. Reynolds 257

Internet. The first incarnation of TOMI was in 1994. After a period of

neglect, however, the site's creator, David Twigg, has begun the neces-
sary maintenance work (as of January 2002) to make this site vital
again. The site includes links to information on a variety of operations
management related topics, such as product design, inventory control,
distribution logistics, process improvement and supply management.
One of the most interesting pages on this site is the introductory section
that explains why operations management impacts daily life.
David Twigg designed this site specifically for doctoral students at
the Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom. However, it also
covers introductory information that would be useful for a student or
practitioner new to the operations management field. Since the author is
based in Europe, the site targets a worldwide audience, instead of focus-
ing solely on the United States.
This review concentrates on the "Catalogue" section of the TOMI
site. All the links described are accessible from TOMI' s main home
page; however, the catalogue page provides longer annotations for sec-
tions and sites.
The "Directory" section focuses on Internet resources arranged by
operations management subject areas, with one exception-the sub-sec-
tion for "Business Directories." The "Business Directories" provides
brief annotations of other subject directories on other business related
topics. One helpful characteristic of this directory is the "see refer-
ences" feature. The links included in each section seem to be limited to
one or two quality sites, although several sections have as many as
seven annotated links.
The "Reading Room" section is divided into the "Library," "Coffee
Table" and "News Rack." The "Library" contains the TOMI Collection
of very brief bibliographies, almost all written by Twigg. They focus on
specific operations management topics and direct the reader to related
books, articles and other (mostly print) materials. The bibliographies
are not annotated nor have they been updated in several years. The
"Reading Room" also has a list of over sixty online operations manage-
ment journals, as well as publishers who focus on operations manage-
ment. There is also the standard link to Amazon.com.
The "Coffee Table" section points to online journal abstracts from
Harvard Business Review, Technology Review and Prism, the Arthur D.
Little Quarterly Journal. The "News Rack" points to a couple basic
news links like the PR Newswire and the Financial Times. This is not
the site to visit if the reader were looking for current news information.
258 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

The "Working Papers-Case Studies" section is described on the cata-

logue page. There is also a link to this section from within the "Reading
Room." This section mainly contains sources for working papers and teach-
ing case studies. It provides links to case study indexes and lists. However,
there are a few that provide full-text papers and cases. This section also con-
tains a link to virtual tours that include graphics, sound and video.
The next section in the catalogue is described as "Other Resources."
This includes the following subsets which are briefly described.

"Academic Sites" links to universities around the world that are

involved in operations management; this section is divided into
European and North American institutions of higher education.

"Career Information" provides no position advertisements but

gives general information on employment opportunities in acade-
mia and industry. The sources are mostly located in the United
Kingdom and are not solely focused on operations management.

The "Conferences" section lists conferences with a "high operations

management presence (mainly European)." This section provides
information on upcoming conferences. It also provides links to con-
ference gateways that should lead the searcher to additional infor-
mation.

"Mail Lists, Bulletin Boards and On-line Conferences" provides a

quick reference to listservs that deal with areas of operations man-
agement. It also provides a link to search for listservs that are re-
lated to any other topic that might be of interest. Twigg has
included subscription information right on his page, so that the
reader can quickly sign up for the list of interest.

"Professional Associations" provides links to home pages of sev-

eral organizations that are related to operations management.

"Research Resources" provides links to a few online notable on M

line catalogs. However, a few of the sites listed require logins and
passwords.
The "Software" section contains links to software packages that
may aid in either the learning or the delivery of operations man-
agement. The software is not tested for reliability or applicability
 Emily Missner and Leslie J. Reynolds 259

to specific operations management problems. The sites are listed

as places to find learning programs, business management games,
project management software and simulation programs.
The selection criteria are stated clearly. Sites are reviewed prior to in-
clusion and are periodically reviewed to ensure relevance and benefit to
users. The site considers operations management related information
that can support teaching or research needs at the university level or
might be found useful to a practitioner. There are two basic questions
Twigg asks before sites are included:
• Does the site provide a good starting point for operations manage-
ment related issues, or fill some useful gaps of other sites?
• Is there a learning content to the site that promotes operations
management for both academic and practitioner?
David Twigg created and maintains the TOMI site. He received his
Ph.D. from Warwick Business School (United Kingdom) in 1996. His
research interests have focused on the adoption and implementation of
integrated technologies, specifica11y Computer Aided Design and Com-
puter Aided Manufacturing, and the management of product co-design
relationships within automotive supply networks. Currently, he is re-
searching project management of complex product systems in the de-
fense and construction industries. His articles have appeared in the
International Journal of Operations and Production Management,
Sloan Management Review and several others. Currently, Twigg is a
Research Fellow at the ESRC Complex Product Systems (CoPS) Inno-
vation Center in Brighton, England.
TOMI began in 1994. At this writing, the site's latest update was
listed as January 30, 2002, the site was last reviewed on February 18,
2002. There is a statement on the site: "After a long absence from this
site, I am in the process of updating pages and verifying links. My apol-
ogies for the long wait. This may take weeks or months-work commit-
ments take priority. Nevertheless, rest assured the site will be updated
shortly." Since this is a one-man site, there is always the possibility that
the site will become unstable. However, I believe he has recommitted to
maintain this site so that it will continue to be useful.
TOMI is a valuable resource for operations management. Should Da-
vid Twigg continue his commitment to this site in a relatively consistent
manner, this site will continue to be a good entry point to operations
management articles and working papers, organizations, case studies,
and software.
260 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Operations Management Center

(http://www.mhhe.com/business/opsci/pom/)

Created and maintained by Byron Finch, a member of the faculty at Mi-

ami University in Oxford, Ohio, this site is sponsored by IrwinlMcGraw
Hill, an educational publisher, and is intended to serve students and faculty
of operations management. The site, conceived by Professor Finch in
1996, was originally hosted by Miami University; however, it was moved
to its current location in 1998. Although the Operations Management Cen-
ter benefits from strategic partnerships with both IrwinlMcGraw-Hill and
the journal Business Week Online, the author stresses that it is more than
just an advertisement for IrwinlMcGraw-Hill and Business Week. Profes-
sor Finch intends for the Operations Management Center to offer excep-
tional "educational value" to its intended audience.
The mission of the Operations Management Center is to be the "source
for faculty looking for pedagogical support or references and for students
seeking current OM information." Rather than serving as a clearinghouse
for all Web sites with operations management resources, only Web sites
with relevant and useful information are added to the site.
As stated in the Operation Management Center's background and
history section, the site's mission is to "provide a focal point for finding
operations management resources that are valuable for students and
faculty ... OM center is designed to be a fast-loading informational site,
with minimal glitter and glitz that would slow it down. We want it to be
THE source for faculty looking for pedagogical support or references
and for students seeking current OM information."
The Operations Management Center primarily wants to identify the
best operations management resources found online. However, large sec-
tions ofthe content are from the site's sponsor, IrwinlMcGraw-Hill. Also
included on the site is a collection of Business Week Online articles, all
which contain some kind of reference to operations management.
The site has no search feature; however, the layout of the Web site is
very straightforward. Each section is clearly linked from the home
page. The Operations Management Center does, however, have a site
map that helps users navigate the site. Each section within the site looks
similar to the front page, with the content clearly organized, but with no
search engine. Because of the layout of the site, it is still relatively easy
to browse for information on a SUbtopic of operations management, but
it is very difficult to look for specific information or a specific article.
There is no way to conduct a word search on this Web site.
 Emily Missner and Leslie J. Reynolds 261

The Operations Management Center does not produce any of its own
content; however, it is a good place to find a collection of information
from a variety of sources. Lacking a search engine, the Operation Man-
agement Center's content is all linked from the home page. The site is
laid out in a grid, a design that is repeated throughout the site. Opera-
tions Management Center is divided into four main sections.
"OM Resources" offers links to other operation management re-
sources online, including Web sites, teaching guides, links pages, and
articles. The resources are organized by topic and include inventory
management, quality management, manufacturing, and operations re-
search. The sites are linked complete with brief annotations.
The "Company Tours" section provides an excellent directory to
companies that have created online tours of their facilities. The tours are
organized in alphabetical order by company name, and are accompa-
nied by overviews, an explanation of the relevancy of the tour to opera-
tions management, and a ranking of in-class use.
Users can access full-text Business Week articles from this site in the
Business Week Online section. The articles are listed in chronological
order. Article summaries and descriptions of the type of operations
management are also provided. The collection of articles spans from
1996 to the present.
The "Text Support" section links to teaching tools for instructors that
are provided on specific textbook's home pages. Almost all of the text-
books listed are published by McGraw-Hill publishing.
The Operations Management Center Web site is kept fairly current.
Relevant articles from Business Week are linked to the site as they are
published in the journal-at the rate of about one every month to every
other month. The article titles are listed and linked on the left side of the
screen, and an easy-to-understand grid explains the topics addressed in
the article: quality management; service management; inventory man-
agement; location; supply chain and logistics; capacity management;
manufacturing; productivity; and advanced technology. Articles span
from 1996 to the present.
The information on the site is not particularly time-sensitive, nor
does it become outdated. For this reason, the Operations Management
Center does not need to be updated daily in order to be relevant to the
study of operations management. Instead, the Web site points to OM
news feeds, articles, and online periodicals that will keep users
up-to-date.
Because of the affiliation and sponsorship ofIrwinlMcGraw-Hill and
the partnership with Business Week, there is a good possibility of the
262 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key InfO/mation Resources

long-term stability of the Web site. As long as Dr. Finch continues to

have an interest in updating the information on the site, it will remain a
good resource for the academic community.
Due to the almost complete lack of graphics and other large files, the
Operations Management Center Web site loads extremely quickly.
Since the Operations Management Center was created to download in-
formation as quickly as possible, Finch has decided to do away with any
whistles and bells, so the site has a very stark appearance.
Geared for students and faculty of operations management, the Opera-
tions Management Center offers a great starting place for finding infor-
mation on this topic. The Web site offers a great breadth of informational
sources from a variety of places; however, it lacks any kind of original
content.

OTHER SITES OF MERIT

International Organization for Standardization:

ISO 9000 and ISO 14000
(http://www.iso.chliso/enlis09000-l4000/index.html )

If an organization seeks to establish a quality or environmental man-

agement system, then such a system has a number of essential features
that are described in the ISO 9000 (quality management) or ISO 14000
(to minimize harmful effects an organization's activities may cause to
the environment) standard families. These standards are voluntary, un-
less a business sector makes them a market requirement. International
in scope, these standards can be applied to any size organization pro-
ducing any product or providing any service, in any sector of business
or government. Under the "Basics" link is a tour designed to demystify
both ISO 9000 and 14000. This fabulous resource was designed to clear
up common misunderstandings about what these standards are and,
more importantly, are not.

International Federation of Operational Research

Societies Online Encyclopedia
(http://www .ifors.org/ioe/)

The International Federation of Operational Research Societies plans

to provide an extensive collection of ORiMS materials, organized as an
online encyclopedia. This site is currently under construction and will
 Emily Missner and Leslie J. Reynolds 263

be launched officially at the IFORS 2002 Conference (July 8-12, 2002)

in Edinburgh. The stated objective of the encyclopedia is to make oper-
ations research/management science more accessible to non-operations
research professionals and therefore some of the material will be devel-
oped and presented with the general public in mind. Most of the ency-
clopedia is empty at this time, but will include: ''Topics Depository" of
links and bibliographies; "Glossary" with layman-oriented descriptions
of operations management terms; "Dissertation Abstracts"; and a
"Who's Who" of experts and professional organizations. When this re-
source becomes fully realized, it will be a wealth of information for op-
erations management students and practitioners.

Operations Management
(http://www.mapnp.orgllibrary/ops_mgntlops_mgnt.htm)

This site was produced by the Management Assistance Center for

Nonprofits. It provides links to sites that describe most functions of op-
erations management, from a general overview (which links to TOMI's
introductory section) to procurement, management control, quality
management, facilities management, and distribution channels.

Supply Chain Management Resource Center

(http://www.cio.comlresearch/scml)

This site was developed by CIO magazine. CIO claims that each of
its topical "Resource Centers" includes "articles, white papers, metrics,
events, case studies, books and more." The site provides basic overview
articles that appeared in CIO magazine. It is laid out well, is simple to
use and labels advertisements that appear on the page. One interesting
feature on this site is their "metrics" section. It provides interesting tid-
bits of metrics from a variety of sources that are searchable using a
drop-down menu of subject categories.

TutOR
(http://www.tutor.ms.unimelb.edu.au/)

This site was launched in July 1999. The site's creators are in the pro-
cess of developing a comprehensive, Web-based, interactive tutorial
system for operations research. The site is designed for undergraduate
students of operations research and related disciplines, and their teach-
ers. It includes introductory information, problems, and case studies,
264 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

and is growing in size. TutOR describes its activities as development of

tutorial modules for specific OR topics, development of generic Web
tools to facilitate the construction of the OR modules, and research of
the WWW technologies pertaining to this project. The site was devel-
oped by Moshe Sniedovich, a Reader in the Department of Mathematics
and Statistics, University of Melbourne, who holds a Ph.D. in Industrial
Engineering.

VTOURS: Virtual Tours of Organizations Using Remote Systems

(http://forecast. umkc.edu/vtours/)

VTOURS presents reviews of about 100 virtual, Internet tours of or-

ganizations. This site is not pretty, but the tours it links to and reviews of
them are extraordinary resources for academics and professionals in
business, economics, and engineering. The site is updated regularly
with new tours. The first tour listed is of a Kansas City based high-tech
machine job shop using state-of-the-art technology and human resource
management. Select the "Other Vtours" icon in the left frame or "Other
Plant Tours" link in the text on the right to find two tables of contents
(TOC) for Virtual Tours. The first TOC links directly to each com-
pany's tour. The second TOC provides brief annotations of the tours
that are divided into industry categories from apparel/knitting process-
ing to steel manufacturing to services.

NOTES
1. What is OR/MS? [Online] Available at: hUp:llwww.informs.org/Join/Onns.html.
2. "Operations Research Analyst" Occupational Outlook Handbook 2002-2003
[Online]. Available at: http://www.bJs.gov/oco/ocos044.htm.
3. What is OR/MS? [Online]. Available at: http://www.infonns.org/JoiniOnns.html.
4. An Introduction to Operations Management [Online]. Available at: http://
mcmbcrs.lycos.co.ukltomi!whatis.html.
 Real Estate
Joseph Straw

SUMMARY. The Web is an important tool for those interested in real es-
tate and is a key tool for locating properties or researching loans. The author
includes coverage of government Web sites for housing and loan informa-
tion, as well as to major real estate directories. {Article copies available for a
fee from The Haworth Documellf Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-mail ad-
dress: <[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com>
© 2003 by The Hawonh Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Real estate, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

Land and shelter are essential needs for all living human beings. The
places where we live and work are ultimately bought, sold, and owned by
someone. Real estate is the business that sells, rents, and leases the places
where we as people live and transact business. In a very real sense it can
be said that real estate is the bedrock of any economy. In a free capitalist
system, real estate can be seen as the primal economic activity or as the
business that must happen before any other business can take place.
The importance of real estate for the U.S. economy can never be over-
stated or exaggerated. Real estate in the U.S. involves assets, sales, prof-
its, and investments that are in the trillions of dollars. The problems of

Joseph Straw is Associate Professor of Library Administration, The University of

Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Real Estate." Straw, Joseph. Co-published simultaneously in Journal of
Business & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Infonnation Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol.
8, No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 265-270; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide /0 Key Information Resources (ed: Gary W.
White) The Haworth Infonnation Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp. 265-270. Single or
multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from Tbe Haworth Document Delivery Service
[1-8oo-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]).

http://www.haworthpress.com!store/product.asp?sku=Jl09
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.13001Jl 09v08n03_13 265
266 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Infonnation Resources

defining the precise parameters of this business are difficult, if not impos-
sible, because it affects almost everyone in a very real and personal way.
Real estate comes into the lives of almost every American that buys a
house, rents an apartment, purchases land, or starts a business.
Real estate markets in the u.s. are highly fragmented and decentral-
ized. The American tradition of private land ownership opens up the
business to millions of potential players. Everything from housewives
selling homes on their block, to governments buying millions of acres
for regional development, are all important cogs in the real estate en-
gine. The complexity of real estate is immense with distinct and differ-
ent markets on almost every street, thus forcing the real estate industry
to organize itself at an intensely local level.
Real estate is one of the most market driven segments of the u.s.
economy. Changes in other economic sectors can have rapid positive or
negative influences on the stability of real estate markets at any given
time. Traditionally, banks in their roles as suppliers of money and credit
have had the greatest stabilizing or destabilizing effect on the fortunes
of real estate markets. Clearly, market forces will always make real es-
tate one of the most profitable, yet one of the most volatile, sectors of
the u.s. economy.

REAL ESTATE ON THE WEB

The information problems posed by real estate are immense. Besides

the vast number of print and electronic resources that are available to li-
brarians, the growth of the Internet has also created a whole new set of
numbers. It's not surprising to find that a massive amount of real estate
information can be found on the Internet. The highly local and market
driven dimension of real estate mirrors itself on the Internet with an in-
ventory of sites that is almost limitless.
For a person not currently in the housing market, surfing the Internet
for real estate information can be a frustrating experience. The vast ma-
jority of sites emphasize getting people to buyers and sellers as quickly
as possible. Trying to list sites that look at the bigger picture is a consid-
erable challenge. The listing of sites that follows steers clear of sites that
exclusively offer property listings, classifieds, agent referrals, local real
estate offices, and buying advice. What follows is a potentially core list-
ing of sites that give the broadest overview of real estate as a whole.
This includes sites that are directories of information about real estate
services, consumers, trends, and analysis.
 Joseph Straw 267

CORE REAL ESTATE SITES

Freddie Mac
(http://wwwJreddiemac.com)

This quasi-government corporation is an important referral and fi-

nancing entity for low- to moderate-income consumers. The Freddie
Mac Web site has excellent information about multi-family housing,
mortgage securities, debt securities, leasing, and property ownership.
This site also has some very good FAQ pages that talk about issues of
concern for housing consumers. The emphasis of the site is clearly on
mortgaging and financing information for a whole range of potential
buyers. The Freddie Mac site provides a wide range of important real
estate information from a consumer perspective.
Free-Real-Estate-Info.com
(http://www.Free-Real-Estate-Info.com)
This site contains a very simple and generic selection of real estate
related links from across the Internet. Folders for both consumers and
real estate professionals allow the user to connect to sites about loans,
financing, relocating, home values, news, and professional real estate
education. This site provides a good starting point for both consumers
and real estate professionals.
Ginnie Mae
(http://www.ginniemae.gov)
Ginnie Mae is a government corporation owned by the Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The purpose of this
agency is to serve low to moderate income homebuyers in financing and
mortgaging houses. The Ginnie Mae Web site has some good links to
general buying, mortgage, insurance, and home owning issues. This site
also has some good FAQ pages about issues of concern to consumers.
Ginnie Mae can provide some good connections for consumers inter-
ested in home financing options.
HSN Associates
(http://www.hsh.com)
This site is an excellent source to find Internet information about real
estate, home mortgages, and financing options. HSH.com can link users
to mortgage rates for all geographic areas and for all types of potential
268 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

buyers. It has some good statistical links that provide information about
housing indexes, borrowing rates, relocation costs, and loan rates. For
both consumers and professionals the HSN site offers some very valu-
able information about home buying and the real estate financing maze.
Housing and Urban Development
(http://www .hud. gov)
This is the Internet site for the Department of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment (HUD), an excellent clearinghouse for all kinds of property and
real estate information from a largely consumer point of view. It has a good
array of links to a large number of agencies that deal with housing issues.
The site also has a large collection of subject links that to go to places that
may be helpful to minorities, lenders, small businesses, women, and the
homeless. Overall, this a first class site for the general public.
Ired. com
(http://www.ired.com)
This is the Web site for the International Real Estate Digest.
Ired.com is perhaps one of the largest real estate directories on the
Internet. A series of links provides connections to real estate sites for all
the fifty states and about 115 foreign countries. This site would clearly
be most useful for the real estate professional.
lack Brause Library
(http://www.nyu.edu/library/rei)
This interesting academic site is the library for the Real Estate Institute
at New York University. The site has a number of simple subject links
that include commercial properties, government properties, residential
properties, finance and investments, and academic resources. Under each
subject is a bibliography of works from the library collection, and a list of
external Web sites. The Jack Brause library is one of the most compre-
hensive real estate focused collections in the world, and it can be used as
an important research tool for professionals and the general public.
Monstermoving.Com
(http://www.monstermoving.com)
This is a monster.com Internet site that looks at resources for relocating.
In an effort to provide resources for moving, monstermoving.com instead
becomes a good site for real estate services in general. Links and FAQs
 Joseph Straw 269

provide practical information on mortgage quotes, credit issues, apart-

ments, housing values, and much more. Monstermoving.com is a first class
site to get fast Internet information about moving and real estate.
RealEstate.com
(http://www.realestate.com)
RealEstate.com provides useful links to real estate services for both
professionals and consumers. A consumer real estate center connects
users to a wide variety of information about property values, appraisals,
agent selection, mortgages, and buying information. Both consumers
and professionals can purchase tools that customize the whole process
of real estate transactions. RealEstate.com is a good site for business
professionals and the real estate savvy consumer.
RealEstateDirectory.com
(http://www.realestatedirectory.com)
This site claims to be "the most powerful online real estate network
in the world." A series of geographic links take the user to pages that fo-
cus on the real estate market for the fifty states and all Canadian prov-
inces. Other links provide information on real estate markets for U.S.
local and metropolitan areas. This site also boasts some good relocation
tools including links to free moving quotes from some of the biggest
van lines in the country. This is one ofthe larger Internet directories for
real estate, and clearly would be of use to anyone wanting to understand
local real estate markets.
The Real Estate Library
(http://www.relibrary.com)
This site is a directory of categorical links to real estate information
across the Internet. Electronic maps can call up sites for lenders,
realtors, and homebuilders for all the fifty states. The site has recently
added video chat for users to pose questions to a live real estate expert.
The site also has an excellent list of real estate related use.nets and dis-
cussion lists that are geared toward a professional audience.
REALS.com
(http://www.reals.coml)
REALS.com is one of the most comprehensive real estate directories
on the Internet. A Yahoo! -style categorical arrangement offers informa-
270 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

tion on apartments, builders, home buying, foreclosures, commercial

real estate, and many other subjects. By clicking on the categorical
links, a user can be connected to thousands of links that are further di-
vided into subcategories and by geography. For consumers and profes-
sionals looking for a vast number of real estate links, REALS.com
would be a good starting point.

REALTOR. com
(http://www.realtor.com )

This is the official site of the National Association of Realtors. The

site features subject files that provide all kinds of useful information
about apartments, moving, neighborhoods, home improvement, appli-
ances and mortgages. A buyer and sellers guide provides helpful hints
to consumers that are currently in or considering going into the housing
market. The site also has links to news items that are of interest for both
consumers and realtors. REALTOR.com is a site sponsored by a profes-
sional association, and a good deal of the information is promoting the
services of real estate agents. If this bias is taken into account, a great
deal of good information can be mined from this site.

Vandema
(http://www.homebuyingrealestate.com)

Vandema is another large collection of real estate links that is similar

to REALS.com. A Yahoo!-style subject arrangement connects users to
information about buying, selling, news, mortgages, statistics, guides,
listings, and discussion forums. The links provided in this site may not
be as extensive as some of the other Internet real estate directories, but it
certainly would be a credible starting point for either consumers or pro-
fessionals.
 Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Glenda S. Neely

SUMMARY. Small business and entrepreneurship information is another

area of strength on the Web. The author covers sites for general and start-up
information, sites geared toward women and minorities, sites for advise and
counseling, and sites for sources of capital. [Article copies available for a fee
from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: i-800-HAWORTH. E-nUlil address:
<[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2003
by The Haworth Press, lllC. All rig/us reserved]

KEYWORDS. Small business, entrepreneurship, new business enterprises,

Web sites

INTRODUCTION
Small business is part innovation, skill, hard work, being your own
boss, and running your own business. It is synonymous with the "Amer-
ican dream" and provides approximately seventy-five percent of the net
new jobs added to the U.S. economy. More than half of the private work
force is employed by twenty-five million small businesses, and seven of
the ten industries that added the most new jobs in the 1990s were in sec-
tors dominated by small business. They account for thirty-eight percent
of the jobs in high technology and dominate many categories of busi-
ness statistics.! Entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks to create, in-

Glenda S. Neely is Business Reference Librarian, University of Louisville (E-mail:

[email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry notel: "Small Business and Entrepreneurship." Neely. Glenda S. Co-published si-
multaneously in lournal '!fBusiness & Finance Librarianship (The Haworth Infonnation Press, an imprint of The
Haworth Press,lnc.) Vol. 8. No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 271-280: and: The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key injonnation
Resources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003,
pp. 271-280. Single or multiple copies of this anicle are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery
Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.Ill. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address: [email protected].

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp ?sku=J 109

© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
10. 1300/J 109v08n03_14 271
272 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

vest in and grow a business from its inception are increasing in number,
due in part to downsizing and reductions in work force by large corpora-
tions. Self-employment has always been encouraged and praised in
American society, and small businesses are the growth engine of the na-
tional economy.
Web sites for small business enterprises are among the fastest grow-
ing on the Internet and are sponsored by commercial and nonprofit or-
ganizations, the federal government, and educational institutions. Small
businesses are also making up a large part of the network economy.
Many Web sites claim to educate, train, and counsel the entrepreneur
from the seed of an idea and raising needed capital to the final products
and services that are requirements in managing a growing enterprise.
They often include news, articles and other literature for small business
managers and entrepreneurs, marketing plans and tools, professional
products, services, counseling, trade missions and funding sources.
There is an abundance of assistance for small business from private and
public sources. Typing "small business" into Yahoo's search engine on
April 3, 2002 yielded 6,788 sites, and narrowing the search to "entrepre-
neur" resulted in 62 I-still too many destinations. The Web sites chosen
for this review were culled from several types of sources for evaluation.
The starting point was the Small Business page from the "Best of the
Best Web Sites," sponsored by the Education Committee of the Business
Reference and Services Section (BRASS) of the Reference and User Ser-
vices Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association (http://
www.ala.org/rusa/brass/bestsmb.html). Library sites from three institu-
tions were visited for recommendations. They were Rutgers University Li-
braries' "Small Business and Entrepreneurship" page ofIntemet sites (http://
www.libraries.rutgers.edulrul/rcgateway/research_guides/busi/smallbus.
shunl); Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Business Library's "Entre-
preneurship Web Sites" (http://www.libraries.psu.edulcrsweb/business/
Entrepreneur/websites.htm); and the 3rd edition of "The Entrepreneur's
Reference Guide to Small Business Information" (http://lcweb.loc.gov/
rr/business/guide2.html), compiled by Robert Jackson and the Business
Reference Services, Science, Technology, and Business Division staff at
the Library of Congress. The latter is a guide to the literature of small busi-
ness and entrepreneurship. Vivisimo, "the document clustering company"
(http://www.vivisimo.com). was also checked for small business site rank-
ings which showed the Web site of the U.S. Small Business Administration
posted first on AOL and sixth on Yahoo. A 2000 article by Awe was stud-
ied for Web site evaluation. 2
 Glenda S. Neely 273

Web sites for small business were checked for practical, useful infor-
mation, as well as for research purposes, rather than for selling prod-
ucts. They had to be well organized, easy to navigate, and include
strong "linking" sites to take users to other helpful information. They
also had to show evidence of currency. The sites are arranged by types
of information. The first section is on comprehensive Web sites that of-
fer general and startup information for new ventures; the second section
is tailored to business information for women and minorities; the third
focuses on counseling and professional association Internet sources.
The last section contains Web sites that feature. funding and venture
capital sources.

GENERAL AND STARTUP INFORMATION

U.S. Small Business Administration

(http://www.sba.gov)

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the official starting site for
resources and programs offered by the Small Business Administration
(SBA). It calls itself "America's Small Business Resource" and is argu-
ably the most extensive Web site for starting and growing a business. The
site made its debut in August 1994 and receives over six million hits per
week. 3 There are seventeen button links to major content including
"Starting Your Business," "Financing Your Business," "Business Oppor-
tunities" (formerly "Expanding Your Business"), "FAQs," informative
articles, a startup kit, "PRO-Net" (Procurement Marketing and Access
Network), the "SBA Classroom," and "Your Local SBA Offices" which
links to offices throughout the U.S. It is the primary destination for seek-
ing government financing. The "BusinessLINC" (Learning, Information,
Networking, and Collaboration) site contains business plans and a men-
tor network. There are publications and online forms and documents,
many now available in Spanish. The authority, design and stability of in-
formation is outstanding, although when opening frames to site links it is
sometimes tricky to back up to previous pages without returning to the
home page.
There are other federal agencies with useful information for small
business researchers. Some of the more notable are the Department
of Commerce (http://www.doc.gov) for business statistics, speeches
by Secretary Donald Evans, economic analysis, economic develop-
ment and electronic commerce; the International Trade Administration
274 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

(http://www.ita.doc.gov) and ITA's key links for export assistance,

trade data, market access and compliance, advice on how to sell over-
seas, and the Export Portal; the u.s. Patent and Trademark Office
(http://www.uspto.gov); and FirstGov (http://www.firstgov.gov)-the
government gateway to business information.
Entrepreneurial Edge Online
(http://www.lowe.org)
Entrepreneurial Edge Online is the home page of the Edward Lowe
Foundation, devoted to championing the entrepreneurial spirit. Lowe,
who was the inventor of Kitty Litter, established the foundation to pro-
mote his philosophy of fostering and nurturing the American entrepre-
neur. This treasure chest contains over 1,400 ideas for growing your
company under the "Business Builders" section. There are articles,
books, and links to specialized small business sites, "CEO Perspec-
tives," "Conferences," and the "Digital Library." Major article catego-
ries include leadership, strategy, human resources and funding. There
are daily feature articles and hot topics. The publication section in-
cludes Entrepreneur's News Digest, The Edward Lowe Report, and Me-
dia Tip Sheet. Its strength lies in focusing on a variety of subjects that all·
entrepreneurs will invariably deal with as their businesses grow. Graph-
ics load slowly at midday.
Entrepreneur. com
(http://www.entrepreneurmag.com)
Entrepreneur.com is maintained by Entrepreneur Magazine to sup-
port new business ideas and growing companies. It contains articles
from Entrepreneur, Start-Ups, Home Office, and Entrepreneur Interna-
tional, and is exceptionally strong in franchising and home-based busi-
ness information. Entrepreneur.com offers four newsletters via e-mail-
"Starting a Business," "Growing a Business," "Franchise News," and
"Sales & Marketing." There are resources for business developers,
ready-made business forms to download, links to categories of franchis-
ing opportunities, and the Franchise 500 list.
Entreworld
(http://www.entreworld.com)
Entreworld is sponsored by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial
Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It uses "The
Entrepreneur's Search Engine" to find the most current information on
 Gle1lda S. Neely 275

the Web for entrepreneurs, and content is divided among four ar-
eas-"Starting your Business," "Growing your Business," "Supporting
Entrepreneurship," and "Social Entrepreneurship." The April 2002
"Entrepreneur's Byline" featured lessons from a failed partnership.
Regular sections include "From Top Advisors," "The Kauffman Busi-
ness EKG," and "From the Entrepreneur's Search Engine." It is not
only an informative and comprehensive site, but also easy to navigate. It
links to e-mail at SCORE, a counseling organization of retired execu-
tives. An example of a site from an educational institution is the Arthur
M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship (http://www.babson.edu/entrep),
part of Babson College, which was ranked number one in the 2002 U.S.
News & World Report ranking for outstanding undergraduate programs
in entrepreneurship. Students in the program have won numerous
awards for business plans.

Idea Cafe
(http://www.businessownersideacafe.com)

Idea Cafe, known as the "Business Owners' Idea Cafe," has a fun ap-
proach to serious business. It has a "busy" look to the graphics and page
designs. Developed by successful entrepreneurs and authors of published
guides on forming and running a business, it includes resources, practical
advice, business and marketing plans in both service and manufacturing
sectors, and business news. Business site links are summarized and re-
viewed. There is a grant center, profiles of people in small business ven-
tures, financing focus section, and links to free trade publications. An
expanded site for business plan samples is Bplans.com (http://www.
bplans.com) which helps locate types of plans (marketing or advertising)
for specific business sectors with help of the "plan wizard."

WOMEN AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS SITES

According to the Small Business Administration's FAQs the number

of women and minority-owned businesses increased during the 1990s,
while self-employment as a whole declined. In 1999, 4.6 million
women (39.3 percent of the tota\), 0.6 million Asians (4.7 percent of the
total), 0.8 million blacks (6.8 percent of the total), and 0.8 million His-
panics (7.1 percent of the total) were self-employed. More detailed data
for these businesses is available from the Economic Census (U.S. Cen-
sus Bureau).
276 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Online Women's Business Center

(http://www .onlinewbc.gov)

Online Women's Business Center has recently changed its address

from an "org" domain. This is the site of the SBA' s Office of Women's
Business Ownership (OWBO). The "About Us" page reports America's
9.1 million women-owned businesses employ 27.5 million people and
contribute $3.6 trillion to the economy, yet women continue to face
unique obstacles in the business world. The OWBO is striving to level the
playing field for women entrepreneurs. They promote the growth of
women-owned businesses through training programs, technical assis-
tance, access to credit and capital, federal contracts, and international
trade opportunities. The side bar menu on the left has buttons which in-
clude tables of contents. For example, "Hot Topics" includes information
on government contracting, e-commerce, exporting, disaster assistance,
women with disabilities, research and development and young entrepre-
neurs. The menu is multilingual and includes Spanish, Russian, Chinese,
Japanese, and Icelandic. Special software may be required to read in Chi-
nese and Japanese. There is a directory of Women's Business Centers
throughout the U.S., where training in finance, management, marketing,
procurement and the Internet is offered. Issues such as welfare-to-work,
home-based businesses, and corporate downsizing are also addressed.
The National Foundation for Women Business Owners
(http://www.nfwbo.org)
The National Foundation for Women Business Owners provides infor-
mation on women entrepreneurs and includes the Center for Women's
Business Research. They provide original, groundbreaking research to
document the economic and social contributions of women-owned firms.
The Center also offers consulting and public relations services. The Na-
tional Association of Women Business Owners (http://www.nawbo.org)
has chapters located throughout the country. They sponsor national and
regional conferences, provide corporate networking opportunities, guest
speakers for chapters, and sponsor awards.
The Minority Business Development Agency
(http://www .mbda.gov)
The Minority Business Development Agency is an organization of
the U.S. Department of Commerce. Known as the MBDA, it is the fed-
eral agency fostering the creation, growth and expansion of minor-
 Glenda S. Neely 277

ity-owned businesses in America. Its vision, adopted September 22,

2001, is as follows: "The Minority Business Development Agency is
dedicated to becoming an entrepreneurially-focused and innovative or-
ganization, committed to empowering minority business enterprises for
the purpose of wealth creation in minority communities." MBDA pro-
vides access to working capital, startup business financing, assistance
to home business, online courses, conferences, access to markets, tech-
nology tools and the publications Capital Trends, Demographic
Trends, Industry Trends and Export Trends. The MBDA has regional
and district offices around the country. The home page connects to a
mission statement approved in June, 2001: "MBDA's mission is to ac-
tively promote the growth and competitiveness of minority-owned
businesses by providing access to public/private debt and equity financ-
ing, market opportunities, and management and business information;
coordinating and leveraging public and private resources; and, facilitat-
ing strategic alliances." Other MBDA development programs include
Native American Business Development Centers, Minority Business
Opportunity Centers, and Business Resource Centers. Although the
Web site is free, registration is required for accessing the Phoenix Data-
base of Minority Businesses. Although in the past there was a Spanish
version of this site, it was not mentioned on the main pages.
Other minority organization Web sites of note include the American
Association of Minority Businesses (http://www.website1.com!aamb)
founded in 1992 and dedicated to management and technical education
of minority business owners, African American Chambers of Com-
merce (http://www.minoritychamber.com). the National Center for
American Indian Enterprise Development (http://ncaied.org), the Latin
American Association (http://1bausa.com) and the United States His-
panic Chamber of Commerce (http://www.ushcc.com). The latter has a
site map and was more current and easier to navigate. All are actively
involved in training, networking, and funding minority businesses.

COUNSELING AND PROFESSIONAL SITES

SCORE
(http://www.score.org)
SCORE is the Service Corps of Retired Executives and is a resource
partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration. "SCORE is dedi-
cated to aiding in the formation, growth, and success of small business
nationwide." Retired executives serve as small business counselors and
278 The Core Busilless Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

are dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed. Over 900 serve as vir-

tual volunteers by providing free and confidential e-mail counseling.
There are 13,000 SCORE counselors providing startup help for new
business ventures as well as helping seasoned business owners with
their problems. They strive to match counselors to specific needs of the
requestor and the industry. Use "Find SCORE" on the left menu to lo-
cate an interactive map and chapter contacts. These one-on-one corps
counselors are invaluable to preventing business failure. SCORE also
offers workshops and seminars as well as follow-up meetings.

The Executive Committee

(http://www.teconline.com )

The Executive Committee is composed of chief executives working

together to help their fellow CEOs. Chapters are located in major cities
and there are over 7,000 members globally. The TEC home page says
they have been "increasing the effectiveness and enhancing the lives of
chief executives since 1957." The "Best Practices" series available to
TEC members range from sixty to eighty-five pages, but executive
summaries of five to ten pages are located on the Web site and provide
comprehensive overviews. The Women Presidents' Organization
(http://www.womenpresidentsorg.com) has twenty-six chapters in U.S.
cities. The WPO provides peer support, mentoring and networking for
entrepreneurial women whose business revenues are more than $2 mil-
lion (if product driven) or $1 million (if service driven).
There are other nonprofit small business organizations that assist en-
trepreneurs and some that offer professional consulting services. Others
watch out for political interests of small business owners. Another as-
sists family business owners with their unique set of problems and op-
portunities. These are representative and select, but not comprehensive
sites.
The National Federation for Independent Business (http://www.nfib.
org) calls itself "The Voice of Small Business," and is the largest small
business lobbying organization. The National Commission on Entrepre-
neurship (http://www.ncoe.org) was created "to focus public policy on
the role of entrepreneurship in the national economy and to articulate pol-
icies that will foster its continued growth." The International Council for
Small Business (http://www.icsb.org) is an umbrella organization which
integrates activities of organizations and professionals who deal with
small business. The United States Association for Small Business and
Entrepreneurship (http://www.usasbe.org) is a nonprofit organization de-
 Glenda S. Neely 279

voted to continuing management education for entrepreneurs and small

business. Fambiz.com (http://fambiz.com) is "The Web's Leading Re-
source for Family Business Executives & Owners," according to their
home page. This site tailors its information to family-controlled compa-
nies. The "Family Business Search Engine" provides family business ar-
ticles covering such topics as life disposition of the family business, small
business health insurance, sibling rivalry, strategic planning and
non-family managers and employees. It also links to other family busi-
ness sites. It is affiliated with Northeastern University's Center for Fam-
ily Business.

FUNDING AND VENTURE CAPITAL

It is not easy getting the green, but the Internet makes it easier to make
contact with prospective sources. Many of the sources mentioned and re-
viewed above have links to funding, some also overlap. The study of locat-
ing money could be an article on its own since there are so many types of
funding sources. Government-sponsored funding from the Small Business
Administration (http://www.sba.gov) represents the mother lode of avail-
able money and opportunity. "Financing Your Business" is clearly labeled
on the SBA home page and leads to links for loans, programs, studies, and
sources. Be sure to visit the "Hotlist" page (http://www.sba.gov!hotlist!
busfin.html). The SBA offers a variety of financing options for small busi-
nesses. Its assistance is usually in the form of loan guarantees-they guaran-
tee loans made by banks and other private lenders to business clients.
Contacts can be made to related federal agencies like the Small Business
Development Centers (http://www.sba.gov/sbdc), Women's Online Busi-
ness Center (http://www.onlinewbc.gov), and the Commerce Depart-
ment's Economic Development Administration (http://www.doc.gov/eda/
htmIl2e_stateandloc.htm) for state and local sources.
Equity and insider funding can come from venture capital and angels
(individual investors) as well as wealthy family members and friends.
Venture capital is a field that has traditionally been covered by printed
directory sources, but Web sites have brought currency and speed to
coverage. Business incubators are facilities that house business to-
gether, usually in university settings, and newly formed (incubator)
firms share space, rent and services. Contact the National Business In-
cubation Association (http://www.NBIA.org) to reach members who
are incubator developers and managers, economic development profes-
sionals, and venture capital investors. The National Venture Capital As-
280 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

sociation (http://nvca.org) represents the venture capital community.

Their Web site provides helpful information on recent issues affecting
the venture capital community. Some government sites, including the
SBA, link to ACE-Net, the Angel Capital Electronic Network (https://ace-
net.sr.unh.edu/pub). ACE-Net has raised approximately $700 million
since 1997 with an average deal of $1.2 million according to the Web
site. SCORE (http://www.score.org) and the Service Corps of Retired
Executives have excellent connections to capital along with their
proven consulting expertise. Also check Entreworld (http://www.entre
world.com) and Minority Business Development Agency (http://www.
mbda.gov) for funding in addition to the educational and training op-
portunities discussed in the previous section of this article.
Commercial Web sites offer a wealth of contacts for small business fund-
ing. Garage.com (http://www.garage.com) from Garage Technology
Ventures serves a'i a venture capital investment bank. EarlyBirdCapital.com
specializes in financing for early-stage companies looking to raise between
three million and ten million dollars in fa'it-growing industry segments in-
cluding information technology, e-commerce, medical technology, and tele-
communications. Da1ewood Associates manages its venture capital fund.
Although listed sites have concentrated on the U.S., you can think global
since there are investors matching companies and investors around the
world. There are investment sites like OneCore.com (http://www.onecore.
com) and Wells Fargo (http://www.wellsfargo.comlbiz). The Web pages of
the Commercial Finance Association (http://www.cfa.com) serve as a type
of directory for commercial finance companies.
A few venture capital sites are reporting the need for refilling their
coffers, possibly due to events of September 11, 2001 or to the general
economic environment of the past year. The angel investors are going to
be in high demand.

NOTES

1. United States Small Business Administration (2001), "Small Business Vital Sta-
tistics," available at: http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/.
2. Awe, S.C. (2000). "Small Business Resources on the World Wide Web: an
Evaluative Guide," Reference Services Review. 28 (1). 95-102.
3. Ren, W. (2000). "U.S. Small Business Administration," Journal of Business &
Finance Librarianship, 6 (2), 37.
 Taxation
Deborah L. Harrington

SUMMARY. Tax sites continue to grow in popularity as users download

forms and search for tax help on the Web. The author of this chapter covers
such areas as governrnentalllegal sites, e-commerce, state and local re~
sources, and international resources. [Article copies available for a fee from
The Haworth Document Delivery Service: J-800-HA WORTH. E-mail address:
. <[email protected]> Website: <http://wwwHawonhPress.com> © 2003
by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved]

KEYWORDS. Taxation, Web sites

INTRODUCTION

Tax research is multi-faceted and requires timely, accurate, and reli-

able information for keeping abreast of the latest changes. Gary White
and Diane Zabel, in a recent column for Reference & User Services
Quarterly (RUSQ), provide an excellent framework of tax research by
explaining the history, terminology, types of taxes, and outlining core
source titles. I Tax documents and publications, mentioned in the col-
umn, were not readily available on the Web for either tax professionals

Deborah L. Harrington is Instruction Coordinator Librarian, Auburn University at

Montgomery, Montgomery, IL (E-mail: [email protected]).
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: "Taxation." Harrington, Deborah L. Co-published simultaneously in
Journal of Business & Finance Ubrarianship (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth
Press, Inc.) VoL 8, No. 3/4, 2003, pp. 281-290; and: The Core Business Web: A Guide 10 Key InforrnationRe-
sources (ed: Gary W. White) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2003, pp.
281-290. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery
Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]].

http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp ?sku=J 109

© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
1O.13OO/Jl09vOSn03_15 281
282 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

or individuals in the recent past but are now only a click away. Although
many of the core services are fee-based, the amount of tax information
available at no cost via the Internet continues to increase at an exponen-
tial rate. This increase mirrors a coinciding increase in the popularity of
the Web and a preference for finding information in electronic format.
According to a recent survey, "almost all accountants (96%) have ac-
cess to the Web, as opposed to only 51 % in 1996."2
Surfing the Web through search engines or general directories will
help identify and provide access to a number of core tax titles, including
Internal Revenue Service forms, publications, regulations, and bulle-
tins; federal tax law sources in the areas of pending and enacted legisla-
tion, primary and case law, regulations and revenue rulings; state and
local tax information; news, updates, and discussions; international tax
sources; tax help, tips, and articles; online tax preparation and much
more. A recent Yahoo! search by the author using the term "tax" re-
sulted in 3,107 hits. Searching through a results list of this size to find
specific information would be impractical, time consuming, and mayor
may not lead to the best source. Although numerous tax Web sites are
available to researchers, they cannot be considered equal in quality and
accuracy of information. The differences are important because of the
need for accuracy in reporting to avoid penalties and the potential op-
portunities in tax-savings.
Search engines by themselves are becoming more and more ineffi-
cient in leading users to the best sources that fit their needs as the
amount of tax information continues to increase on the Web and effec-
tive searching takes a lot of practice. "Probably the most significant
change in the way that tax research is conducted since the advent of
electronic search services is currently underway as individuals and tax
professionals explore the Internet and learn to use it to their best advan-
tage."3 "Subject specific directories, that are maintained by tax experts
and provide category listings oflinks to tax information, saves research-
ers valuable time by searching the Web for information and organizing
it into a logical, concise, and practical way."4
The following subject specific directories are highly recommended
for saving time in locating quality and accurate core tax sources, most
of which do not charge for access to specific titles. They are the author's
favorites, many by well-known accounting experts or associations, and
have proven to be core sites in addressing a number of questions coming
to the reference desk.
 Deborah L. Harrington 283

COMPREHENSIVE

Accountant's World. com: Taxation

(http://www.accountantsworld.comldefault.aspx)

As part of the Web site name, "the community of accountants who

think ahead," this site was launched in 1999 as a dynamic virtual learning
community whose mission is to "give the accountant the power they will
need to thrive and survive under the new dynamics that are reshaping the
accounting profession ... through the power of information, knowledge
and technology."5 The layout of the site assists the member in finding in-
formation and resources very quickly. A top menu bar, as well as a cate-
gory toolbar to the left of the screen, follows the user throughout the site.
After a free simple registration process, members are provided with ac-
cess to numerous resources arranged into seven dynamic channels con-
sisting of: "Accounting!Audit"; "Consulting"; "E-business"; "Financial
Planning"; "PayrollIHR"; "Practice Dev."; and "Taxation."
Under the "Taxation" channel, topic areas include: "Resources";
"News"; "Tools"; and "Discussion." "Resources" consist of links to
government agencies, especially the IRS, and forms links to core tax re-
search resources, and links to specialist topics. "News" provides
full-text news articles in the areas of corporate, estate and gift, individ-
ual, international, partnership, reg. and taxes, and taxation. News ar-
chives are provided although they are more conveniently browsed than
searched. "Tools" provides a practical calendar, tax calculators, forms,
and a privacy letter template. Multiple threaded discussion forums pro-
vided under "Discussion" are a key feature of the virtual learning com-
munity. Based on tax topics, ten active forums provide a place for
members to connect with other tax professionals, discuss topics, and
ask questions.

Tax and Accounting Sites Directory

(http://www.taxsites.coml)

Dennis Schmidt, a well-known tax expert at the University of North-

ern Iowa, has maintained this subject specific tax directory since 1995.
Schmidt describes the design of the site as a "starting point for people
who are searching for tax and accounting information and services."6
Users benefit from Schmidt's expertise in identifying and organizing
links to core resources saving them invaluable time. The directory is a
comprehensive index of tax resources easily navigable and understood
284 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key InfO/mation Resources

by the user since information is arranged by topic category links from

two main areas, "Tax Sites" and "Accounting Sites." Twenty categories
are available under "Tax Sites" and further information and links are
provided based on the specific topic. Free and fee-based information
and links are current, reHable, and relevant. Although Schmidt provides
a simple search engine, searching is a secondary concern as the layout
and design of the site leads users to relevant information very quickly.
The directory has grown in popularity over the years. Based on site
stats, the directory received "10,919 page views" in January 1996 com-
pared with "451,021 page views" in January 2002.1 Frequently men-
tioned and unique topic pages include "Academia" (http://www.taxsites.
comlacademia.html), "Tax Policy and Reform Groups" (http://www.
taxsites.comlpolicy.html), "International Tax" (http://www.taxsites.coml
international.html), and "State and Local Tax" (http://www.ta.xsites.coml
state.html). Based on the author's familiarity with the directory, several
revisions and updates have occurred since it was launched in 1995. Links
to a new "Tax Jobs" area (http://www.tax-talent.comltsl) is now included
throughout the site as well as links to more practical information such as
"Rates and Tables" for the individual taxpayer.
Tax Resources on the Web
(http://taxtopics.net)
Alan G. Kalman, a tax accountant based in California, created this
"site as a public service ... to provide easy access to tax resources that
are available on the World Wide Web for individual and small business
taxpayers."9 The layout and design of the site allows for the nonprofes-
sional to easily find information they need through an extremely practi-
cal topic category arrangement. Links are current, reliable, and relevant
as indicated by current dates of update on each page throughout the site.
From the front page, site visitors can choose from among 132 topic
links arranged within a "directory box." Below the main directory box
are links to "Federal Tax Law" and "California Tax Library." Even
though the site is menu/topic driven, an excellent search feature has
been added to the site. Visitors can search the entire site using a number
of search options such as matching (any word, all words, exact phrase,
and sound-aHke matching), and within fields (anywhere, title, descrip-
tion, keywords, body, alternate text, URL). Results can be displayed by
number ofresults per page (5, 10,25,50,100) and with or without sum-
maries or sorted by confidence score or date.
Kalman does an excellent job of designing the site to suit the non-tax
professional. The use of technical jargon has been avoided and terms are
 Deborah L. Harrington 285

selected that will be understood by most taxpayers (e.g., deceased tax-

payers vs. estate tax). A caution has been placed on the front page warn-
ing visitors to check the latest tax laws (with accompanying links to those
new laws) because sites that he links to may not be updated. He also
warns visitors to be aware that sites he links to may be trying to sell a ser-
vice and for accurate information a tax professional should be contacted.

E-COMMERCE

Tax Cybrary: Internet Taxation

(http://www.vertexinc.comlcybrary/internetlarticles.asp)

Dennis Schmidt and Will Yancey, in a recent Practical Tax Strategies

article, define the hottest issues in e-commerce to be "the state and local
governments' quest to compel out-of-state sellers to collect sales and use
tax when they sell into the state."l0 Enter Vertex, Inc., a multi-state
sales/use tax software developer, creator of the Tax Cybrary which ad-
dressescthat very issue by providing "a resource for the most up-to-date in-
formation on state and local taxes."ll An excellent site design, concisely
targeted and focused on state and local tax issues, allows for intuitive navi-
gation and location of information from six topic categories which are out-
lined on a left toolbar that follow the user throughout: "Internet Tax";
"Sales Tax"; "Telecommunications Tax"; "Property Tax"; "Useful Tax
Links"; and "Free Publications." Clicking on "Internet Tax" expands the
menu offering with additional resource links:

• Articles-listing of news articles focused on the issue of Internet

tax legislation
• State Laws and Definitions-provides a comprehensive outline of
each state's laws and/or definitions in three areas: Internet access
charges; sales of goods purchased over the Internet; and informa-
tion/software purchased via downloading from the Internet
• Tax Simplification Initiatives-provides information on Tax Sim-
plification Model Legislation
• EC Considerations-helps provide information to help businesses
answer 3 questions: What kind of e-commerce will your company
conduct? How will your system be configured? How will you inte-
grate the Front-Office and Back-Office calculation processes?
• Internet Tax Terms-concise glossary of Internet terms
286 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Will Yancey's Home Page: Electronic Commerce

(http://www.willyancey.com/ecom.htm)
Will Yancy, a CPA and Independent Consultant based in Dallas, TX,
is a research partner of Dr. Dennis Schmidt (Tax and Accounting Sites).
Together they have co-authored a number of articles on Web resources
for tax research. From his comprehensive tax subject directory (Will
Yancey's Home Page http://www.willyancey.com). Yancey provides a
category link to "Electronic Commerce" that offers visitors a concisely
designed list of the best resources on this dynamic topic. Over ninety
links are organized into the following topical categories:
• General Issues of Electronic Commerce and EDI
• Taxation of Electronic Commerce
• Ecommerce Tax References
• Tax Havens
• Vendors of Software for Ecommerce
Additional punch outs to related categories include:
• Electronic Evidence and Records Retention
• Internet Law
• Retailers on the Web
• Technology for Professional Firms in Law or Tax
• Web and Computer Resources

GOVERNMENT/LEGAL
The Digital Daily
(http://www.irs.ustreas.govl)
The Digital Daily is a popular Web site created by the Internal Reve-
nue Service. "The IRS is the nation's tax collection agency and admin-
isters the Internal Revenue Code enacted by Congress. Its mission: to
provide America's taxpayers with top quality service by helping them
understand and meet their tax responsibilities and by applying the tax
law with integrity and fairness to aU."12 Recently redesigned for easier
navigation, resources can be accessed with less clicking and are now
organized and targeted to various customer groups through multiple
access points. From a side menu bar, customer links include: "Individ-
uals"; "Businesses"; "Charities & Non-Profits"; "Government En-
tities"; "Tax Professionals"; and "Retirement Plans." Under the "Tax
 Deborah L. Harrington 287

Professionals" link, click on the "Practitioner's Corner" for access to re-

search links that include:
• State Law Guides
• Federal and State Court Opinions
• Government Sites
• Tax Research
• Income Tax Issues
• Offer in Compromise
• News and Events
The top menu bar provides links to the most popular site pages includ-
ing "Tax Stats," "About IRS," "Careers," "FOIA," ''The Newsroom,"
"Accessibility," "Site Map," "Espanol," and "Help." Even though infor-
mation has been customized and can be accessed through multiple access
points from the main page, a simple search box is provided to search all or
a portion of the site. "Forms and Publications Finder" allows for visitors
to search by keyword or form/publication number.
FindLaw: Legal Topics: Tax Law
(http://www.findlaw.comlO 1topics/35tax/index.html)
FindLaw is a popular and frequently mentioned legal subject direc-
tory that utilizes content management/personalization technologies to
suit resources/features to differing customer groups. Multiple access
points to site resources increases usage by suiting information retrieval
to a variety of customer preferences. According to site statistics, the site
has "over 42,000,000 page views and 2,000,000 unique visitors each
month."13 A top menu bar links to customer groups, legal professionals,
students, businesses, and the pUblic, directing them to appropriate chan-
nels through which they can access content especially designed for
them. To further suit unique customer needs, another link on the top
menu to "My FindLaw" allows users to personalize content after a sim-
ple registration process.
Resources can also be accessed through topical links, on a separate
menu bar at the top of the main page, including "Cases & Code,"
"Forms," "Legal Subjects," "Federal," "State," "Library," and "Boards."
The topic of "Tax Law" can be found under the topical link of "Legal
Subjects" at the top of the page. A very concise design of the specific
"Tax Law" page allows for information to be found easily. Resources are
divided under four main headings: "FindLaw Resources"; "Tax Law
Web Guide"; "Related FindLaw Guide Pages"; and "Related West
288 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Group Products." The "Tax Law Web Guide" heading provides links to
the most practical categories of tax law resources arranged by format. Ac-
cess is also provided to topical links through a reorganized menu of tex-
tuallinks found at the bottom of the main page.
Prof. Spalding's List of Tax, Legal,
and Regulatory Research Resources
(http://www.cis.wayne.edu/aspaldingnawlist.html)
Federal tax law research is extremely multi-faceted addressing legis-
lative, administrative, and judicial concerns as well as differing levels
of legal authority in each of those concerns. A plethora of Web sites ex-
ist that address specific aspects of each of these areas. Dr. Albert D.
Spalding, an accounting professor at Wayne State University, School of
Business Administration, has provided an excellent comprehensive
subject directory that brings together the availability of a variety of re-
sources.
From informational links on such topics as the basics of legal re-
search to links to specific courts, primary and secondary law sources, as
well as practical links to associations, governments, publishers, calcula-
tors, Spalding provides over 400 links organized into thirty-two topical
categories. Although a search feature is not available, visitors will be
able to navigate the site easily through those categories.

STATE/LOCAL

Ryan Salt Gateway

(http://www.ryanco.com!salt.html)

As Dennis Schmidt and Will Yancey point out, because of "the vol-
ume of cases, administrative determinations and publications is greater
than in federal tax due to the large numbers of different jurisdictions and
types of cases ... the Web is an ideal method of disseminating State and
Local Tax (SALT) information."14 In recent years, many professional
firms and organizations, government associations, research groups, and
publisher and software vendors have developed SALT subject directories
to assist researchers in locating key resources. Ryan & Company, a re-
spected state and local tax-consulting firm, provides such a directory
known as the Ryan Salt Gateway. The Gateway is organized into two
main areas:
 Deborah L. Harrington 289

Jurisdictions

The "State & Local Taxing Jurisdictions" page provides links to Web
resources for each of sixty jurisdictions. Based on the resources avail-
able per jurisdiction, links are provided to such areas as "Departments
of Revenue," "Legislatures," "Administrative Offices," "Treasury De-
partments," "Tax Incentives," "Electronic Commerce Taxation," etc.

Topics in State & Local Tax

Includes the following topic links:

• Associations and Research
• Electronic Commerce Tax
• Excise and Fuels Tax
• Federal Law on State & Local Tax
• Finding People and Firms
• Income and Franchise Tax
• Payroll Tax
• Property Tax
• Sales and Use Tax
• Sampling for Audits
• Severance Tax
• Unclaimed Property

Although a search feature is not offered, site visitors will be able to

easily locate specific resources for information needs due to excellent
layout and design.

MULTINATIONAL

Tax World.org: International

(http://www.taxworld.org/OtherSiteslInternationallinternational.htm)

Professor Thomas C. Orner, Director of Tax World, provides Tax

World "as a public service to Internet users whose primary mission is
providing links to tax information from state, federal, and international
taxing authorities on the Internet."15 His comprehensive subject direc-
tory provides concise navigation through a left tool bar comprised of
topical category links. Of interest to multinational tax researchers:
290 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

• "Tax Information Sites: International"

(http://www .tax world.org/OtherSi tes/Internati onal/internati onal.
htm)
This page provides international tax resources from private and
government resources arranged by country.
• "The Language of Tax" (http://www.taxworld.orglLanguage/
Language.htm)
A unique resource via the Web, this page provides information
about how the concept of taxation is expressed in languages
around the world. A concise glossary of terms is currently pro-
vided to eighteen countries.
Sites listed were last reviewed February 15, 2002.

NOTES
1. White, G.W. & Zabel, D. (2001, Spring). The Alert taxpayer: building a taxa-
tion collection. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 40 (3), 214-223.
2. Covaleski. J. (2000, Oct 9-0ct 22). Survey: Accountants are enjoying their
time online. Accounting Today, 14 (18), 5,57.
3. Klien, K.H. & Wilmot, J. (1998, Fall). Using the Internet for tax research.
Bank Accounting & Finance, 12 (1), 50.
4. Harrington, D.L. (2000, Aug.). Tax and Accounting Sites Directory. Journal
of Business & Finance Librarianship, 6 (3), 63.
5. Accountants World.com, [Online]. Available at: http://www.accountantsworld.
com!mission.asp February 15, 2002.
6. Tax and Accounting Sites Directory, [Online]. Available at: http://www.
taxsites.com!info/about.html February 15,2002.
7. Tax and Accounting Sites Directory, Site Usage Report. [Online]. Available
at: http://www.taxsites.com/info/history.htmIFebruary 15.2002.
8. About Tax Planet.com, [ Online]. Available at: http://www.taxplanet.com!
pressrelea<;es/newsrelease0201 00/newsrelease020 l00.html February 15, 2002.
9. Tax Resources on the Web, [Online]. Available at: hup://pages.prodigy.netl
agkalman February 15, 2002.
10. Schmidt, D. & Yancey, W. (2001, June). Web resources for tax profession-
als: update 2001. Practical Tax Strategies, 66(6) 358.
11. Tax Cybrary, [Online]. Available at: http://www.vertexinc.com/cybrary/
default.asp February 15, 2002.
12. Internal Revenue Service, [Online]. Available at: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov
February 15, 2002.
13. FindLaw: Advertising Info, [Online]. Available at: http://company.fmdlaw.com!
adkitlone.html February 15, 2002.
14. Schmidt & Yancey, 355.
15. Tax World Purpose, [Online]. Available at: http://www.taxworld.org/rename.
HTM February 15,2002.
 Index
A2ZofB2B,143-144 ACLU. See American Civil Liberties
AAA. See American Accounting Union (ACLU)
Association (AAA) Ad Age Group, 251
AACSB. See Associations to Advance AdAge, 247
Collegiate Schools of Adage.com, 251
Business (AACSB) AdKnowledge, 138
AAI. See American Antitrust Institute Adreview.com, 251
(AAI) "Advancing the Practice of
AAII. See American Association of Management," 243
Advertising, marketing and, web
Individual Investors (AAII)
resources for, 245-252. See
ABA. See American Bankers
also Marketing and
Association (ABA)
advertising, web resources for
ABC News, 176 Advertising Age, 251
Abedi, A.H., 237
Advertising Age International, 251
AbouLcom Guide to Management, 238 Advocacy, consumer, web sites for,
About-Electronic Commerce, 139 96-99
Academic business library links, list Adweek, 247,248
of,61 Adweek.com, 247
Academy of Management Journal, 56 AFL-CIO,229-230
"Accountants & Auditors," II African American Chambers of
Accountants Media Group of Thomson Commerce, 277
Corporation, 11 AFSCME. See American Federation of
Accountant's World.com: Taxation, 283 State, County and Municipal
AccountantsWorld.com,8 Employees (AFSCME)
"Accounting: A Career Without AGA Ally, 171
Limits," 10 Agency for International Development,
Accounting Education, 10 107
Accounting Hall of Fame, 13 Agricultural Personnel Management
Accounting Research Network, 12 Program (APMP), 231
Accounting Technology, 11 AICPA. See American Institute of
Accoullting Today, II Certified Public Accountants
Accounting Tutor, 13 (AICPA)
"Accounting Tutor: Ten Steps to AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, 6
Accounting Research," 13 AICPA States, 13
Accounting WEB, 7-8 AICPA Student Affiliate Members
ACE-Net, 280 Home Page, 10

http://www.haworthpress.comlstore/producLasp.?sku=Jl 09
© 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
10. 1300/JI09v08n03_1 6 291
292 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key InfO/mation Resources

ALA. See American Library AmericanCompanies.com. 89-90

Association (ALA) America's Career InfoNet, 73
Alert-IPO, 158 "America's Small Business Resource,"
allECommerce.com, 135 273
"Alphabet Soup," 20 Andersen, 11, 170
A.M. Best, 209 Angel Capital Electronic Network
American Accounting Association (ACE-Net), 280
(AAA).7 Annual Demographic Survey, 106
American Antitrust Institute (AAI). 41 Annual Report, 23
American Arbitration Association, 230 Annual reports, web sites for. 83-85
American Association of Individual Annual Reports Service. 84
Investors (AAII), 164 Antitrust issues, web resources for,
American Association of Minority 41
Businesses, 277 Antitrust Policy, 41
American Banker, 21 APMP. See Agricultural Personnel
American Bankers Association (ABA), Management Program
19 (APMP)
American Civil Liberties Union Applied Ethics Resources on
(ACLU),47 WWW-Centrefor Applied
American Demographics. 252 Ethics, 26-27
American Demographics, 247,252 AReport.com, Annual Reports of the
American Depository Receipts, 163 World's Biggest Companies,
American Economic Association, 130 84-85
American Factfinder, 105 Armed Forces Careers.com, 73-74
American Federation of State, County Arthur D. Little Quarterly Journal, 257
and Municipal Employees Arthur M. Blank Center for
(AFSCME). 230 Entrepreneurship, 275
American Gaming Association. 170-171 Asian American Hotel Owners
American Hotel & Lodging Association, 170
Association, 170,171 ASPstreeLcom, 138
American Hotel and Motel Associate Press, 176
Association, 171 Association of Certified Fraud
American Institute of Certified Public Examiners, 10
Accountants (AICPA). 5.6 Associations to Advance Collegiate
American Library Association (ALA). Schools of Business
81.272 (AACSB).216
American Productivity and Quality ASTA. See American Society of
Center. 219 Travel Agents (ASTA)
American Religion Data Archive. ATM locators, 22
Purdue University, 107 Audit and Attest Standards, 9
American Resort Development AuditNet, 9-10
Association, 171-172 "AuditNet Resource List." 10
American Society of Travel Agents "AuditNet Virtual Library." 10
(ASTA),176 Australasian Legal Information
American Trading Network, 144 Institute. 44-45
 Index 293

Australian National University, TheBankingChannel, 21

Demography Program of, 115 trade associations, 19-20
Authenticity Consulting, 139 Visa ATM Locator, 22
Awareness, consumer, web sites for, World Bank, 23
96-99 Bankrate.com, 21-22
Awe, S.c., 272 Bargaining, labor and collective, web
resources for, 223-235. See
also Labor and collective
Babson College, 241,275 bargaining, web resources for
Background Notes, 128 Barron's, 200
Baer, H., IS Basic Monthly Survey, 106
Baker Books, 61 "Basic World Tax Code," 50
Baker Library, of Harvard Business BBB companion site, 97-98
School,60-61 BEA. See Bureau of Economic
Bank Card Industry Survey Report, 19 Analysis (BEA)
Bank for International Settlements Bearmarketcentral, 160
(BIS), 22-23 Beige Book, 120-121
Bank of Credit and Commerce Beige Book, 16
International, Luxembourg, Ben & Jerry's, 34
237 Ben & Jerry's Rainforest Crunch ice
Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic cream, 31
Sciences in Memory of "Best Jobs University," 78
Alfred Nobel, 128 "Best of the Best Business Web Sites,"
Bank Technology News, 21 81
"Bankers Hotline," 20 BestJobsUSA.com, 78
Bankers Information Network, 20 Better Business Bureau, 97
BankersOnline.com, 20 BibEc, 126
Banking, web resources for, 15-24 BigCharts.com, 158,198,201
ABA, 19 "BigReports," 158
BankersOnline.com, 20 Bi-Montlzly Report, 149
Bankrate.com, 21-22 BIS. See Bank for International
BIS, 22-23 Settlements (BIS)
Board of Governors of the Federal "Biz Quick Links," 60
Reserve System, 16 Biz/ed, 126
Central Banks, 22 Bizmedia, 221
CSBS, 19-20 Bloomberg, 156,176
FDIC, 17-18 BLS. See Bureau of Labor Statistics
Feds on the Web, 17 (BLS)
Global Banking Law Database, 23-24 BNA, Inc., 224
international banking links, 22-24 Board of Governors of the Federal
introduction to, 15-16 Reserve System, 16
NCUA,18-19 Bobst Library, of New York University,
OTS, 18 58
portals and metasites, 20-22 "BOL Gurus," 20
regulators/supervisors, 16-19 Bonds Online, 161-162
294 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Bowling Green State University, 82 BSR,31-32

Bplans.com, 275 Carol and Lawrence Zicklin
Bpubs, 239 Center for Business Ethics
Brandweek.com, 247 Research, 29-30
BRASS. See Business Reference and Center for Ethical Business
Services Section (BRASS) Cultures, 28
Brighton. England, ESRC (CoPS) Center for Ethics and Business. 31
Innovations Center of, 259 CERES, 33-34
Brill's Mutual Funds Interactive, 161 Co-op America, 34
BRINT.com, 141,214-216 CorpWatch,32-33
Bristol-Myers Squibb, 146 The EthicaJEdge, 27-28
Brown, R.H., 225 The Ethics Corner, Inc. Online,
Bruce, T.R., 38 30-31
BSR. See Business for Social Ethics on the Internet,
Responsibility (BSR)
Ethics-Related Sites, 27
BUBL LINK, 239 The Free Management Library,
Build to Lead. See Harvard Business
Index of Topics, 30
School (HBS)
general topics, 29-31
Bureau of Competition, 42
introduction to, 25-26
Bureau of Economic Administration, 130
metasites, 26-28
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA),
Net Impact: New Leaders for
67,121-122
Better Business, 29
Bureau of Export Administration
social responsibility, 31-34
(BXA),45
"Business Ethics," 26
Bureau of Industry and Security
"Business Ethics and Social
(BIS)-U.S. Department of
Responsibility," 30
Commerce, 45
Business for Social Responsibility
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),
74,77,106,130,226-227 ,251 (BSR), 31-32
Bureau of Statistics, 67-68 Business Information Reports, 65
Bureau of the Census, 106,107 Business law, web resources for, 35-54
Bureau of the Public Debt, 161 American Antitrust Institute. See
Business & Economic Resource Center American Antitrust Institute
of the Regenstein Library, of (AAI)
University of Chicago, 58 antitrust, 41
Business 2.0, 91-92,135-136,216 Antitrust Policy, 41
Business and Economics Newsletter, Bureau of Industry and Security
82 (BIS)-U.S. Department of
Business ethics Commerce, 45
defined, 25 BusinessLaw.gov-Small Business
described, 25-26 Administration, 40
web resources for, 25-34 CataLaw, 36-37
Applied Ethics Resources on Code of Federal Regulations, 40
WWW-Centre for Applied comprehensive web sites, 36-39
Ethics, 26-27 corporations, 42-44
 Index 295

Delaware Corporate Law National Conference of

Clearinghouse-Widener Commissioners on Uniform
University School of Law, 42 State Laws, 52
EDGAR database, 43 Drafts of Uniform and Model
Employment Laws Assistance for Acts-Official Site, 53
Workers and Small National Labor Relations Board, 48
Businesses-U.S. Department National Right to Work Legal
of Labor, 48 Defense Foundation, 47
Employment Standards Securities Law, 43
Administration, 48 The Securities Lawyer's
The Entrepreneur's Help Page, 51 Deskbook-The Center for
Equal Employment Opportunity Corporate Law, University of
Commission, 47 Cincinnati College of Law, 43
Export Administration Regulations, State Securities Regulators, 43
45 statutes, regs, and agency decisions,
federal agencies, 47-48 39-40
Federal Register, 40 tax and taxation, 49-51
Federal Trade Commission, 41-42 TaxLinks, Your Online Source for
FindLaw,37
IRS Revenue Rulings, 50-51
FirstGov, 40
Tax.org, Tax Information
Forms of Incorporation, 42
Worldwide-The Tax
GPO Access: U.S. Code (1994 and
2000 eds., plus Annual Analysts, 50
Uniform Commercial Code, 52-53
Supplements), 39-40
United States Code on the Web
Hieros Gamos, 37-38
Intellectual Property Mall-Franklin (Cornell), 39
Pierce Law Center, 51 The Upstart Small Business Legal
Internal Revenue Service, 49-50 Guide, 2nd ed., 51-52
international business transactions, U.S. Customs Service, 46
44-46 U.S. Department of Justice-Antitrust
International Trade Division, 42
Administration-U .S. U.S. Department of Labor, 48-49
Department of Commerce, 45 U.S. International Trade
introduction to, 35-36 Commission, 46
labor and employment law, 46-49 U.S. Securities and Exchange
Labor Research Portal, 46-47 Commission, 43
law and entrepreneurship, 51-52 Workplace Rights-American Civil
Legal Information Institute-Cornell Liberties Union, 47
Law School, 38,39 Business library web sites, 55-62
Lex Mercatoria, 44-45 business library page selection, 56-61
Major Laws and Regulations Columbia University Thomas J.
Enforced by the Department Watson Library, 59
of Labor-U.S. Department of Harvard Business School Baker
Labor, 49 Library, 60-61
Mega.Law.com,39 introduction to, 55-56
296 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

New York University Bobst U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis,

Library, 58 67
Northwestern University, 61 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Stanford University-Jackson 67-68
Library of the Stanford U.S. Census: 1997 Economic Census
Business School, 57-58 Data, 68-69
University of Chicago Library, 58-59 U.S. Census Bureau, 68
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor U.S. Government, 67-69
Kresge Business U.S. Securities and Exchange
Administration Library, 57 Commission, 69
University of Minnesota World Bank, 70
World Trade Organization, 70
Libraries-Business Reference,
Business Technology Update, 239
59-60 Business Week, 136,159,216,260,261
University of Pennsylvania
Business Week 50, 159
Lippincott Library, 57 Business Week Online, 136,195,260,261
University of Texas, Austin-Business Business Week Online Special Report
Reference, 60 Industry Outlook 2002, 193
Business Management Supersite, 239 Business.com, 195-197
Business Marketing and Creativity, 251 authority for, 196-197
Business Objects, 218 content quality of, 195-196
"Business Owners' Idea Cafe," 275 cost status change possibility, 197
Business Reference and Services described, 195
Section (BRASS), 1 endurance factor, 197
Education Committee of, 81,272 goal/aim/purpose of site, 195
Business Reference Services, 272 historical highlights, 195
Business research platforms, 55-62. See search relevance, 197
also Business library web sites site organization, 196
Business Researcher's Interests, 239-240 value-add, 197
Business Resource Centers, 277 Business.com: The Business Search
Business statistics web sites, 63-70 Engine, 90-91
DialogWeb,64-65 BusinessLaw.gov-Small Business
DRI-WEFA,65 Administration, 40
Dun & Bradstreet, 65 "BusinessLINC," 273
Eurostat, 69 BusinessWeek Online Management, 193
FedStats, 67 BXA. See Bureau of Export
Hoover's, 65 Administration (BXA)
internal organizations, 69-70
introduction to, 63-64
LIVEDGAR, 66 Cahners.com, 195
Organisation for Economic California State University, Stanislaus,
Co-operation and 182
Development, 70 Call Reports, 17
S&P NetAdvantage, 66 Campbell R. Harvey's Hypertextual
TradStat, 66 Finance Glossary, 165
 Illdex 297

Capital Trends, 277 Carlson School of Management, 59-60

Career Adviser, 73 Carnegie Mellon University, 255
Career Chase, 74 Carol and Lawrence Zicklin Center for
Career Guide to Industries, 74 Business Ethics Research,
Career information and salary surveys 29-30
America's Career InfoNet, 73 CAROL--Company Annual Reports
Armed Forces Careers.com, 73-74 Online, 84
BestJobsUSA.com, 78 Carver, B., 245
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 74 "Casino Industry," 170
Career Chase, 74 CataLaw, 36-37
The Career Key, 77 CBS, 198
CareerJournal.com, 74-75 CBS Broadcasting Incorporated, 200
CareerPlanit: Resource Mining, 75 CBS MarketWatch, 195,198-201
CareerZone, 77 authority of, 200
College Grad.Job Hunter, 75 content quality, 198
CollegeBoard.com: Career cost status change possibility, 200
Browser, 75 described, 198
Defense Finance and Accounting endurance factor, 200
Service: Military Pay, 78-79 goaVaimlpurpose of site, 198
Economic Research Institute: historical highlights, 198
Career Planning, 79 search relevance, 200
Exploring Occupations, Student site organization, 198-200
Counselling and Career value-add, 201
Centre, University of CBS Marketwatch, 155
Manitoba, 73 CBS MarketWatch Weekend, 198
JobProfiles.org, 75-76 CD-ROM products, 50
JobStar,76 Census and Demographics, Mansfield
Military Career Guide Online, 77-78 University, 104-105
Monster.com: Career Center, 78 Center for Ethical Business Cultures, 28
The Princeton Review: Career Center for Ethics and Business, 31
Assessment, 76 Center for Family Business,
Quintessential Careers, 76 Northeastern University, 279
Salary.com,79 Center for International Business
SalaryExpert.com, 76-77 Education, 57
WageWeb, 79 Center for International Earth Science
web sites for, 71-79 Information Network
Career Adviser, 73 (CIESIN), 105
introduction to, 71-73 Center for Labor Education &
metasites, 73 Research (CLEAR), 230
WetFeet.com: Career Profiles, 77 Center for Research in Electronic
"Career Resources Toolkit," 76 Commerce (CREC), 145
CareerJournal.com,74-75 Center for Women's Business
CareerPlanit: Resource Mining, 75 Research, 276
Careers in Accounting, 11 Centium, Inc., 192
CareerZone, 77 Central Bank Websites, 22
298 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Central Banking, 22 Commerce Department's Economic

Central Banks, 22 Development Administration,
CEO Express, 240 279
CERES, 33-34 CommerceNet, 146-147
CESSDA. See Council for European Commercial Finance Association, 280
Social Science Data Archives Commission for Labor Cooperation, 227
(CESSDA) Commission on Family and Medical
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., 146 Leave, 233
Chase, L., 250 Commission on the Future of
CIESIN,11O Worker-Management
CIESIN-Center for International Earth Relations, 233
Science Information Network, "Commodity Cafe," 162
105 "Commodity Central," 162
CIESIN-Socioeconomic Data and CommodityVille, 162
Applications Center, 105-106 Communications Workers of America,
CIESIN-U.S. Demography Home Page, 225
105 Company directories, web sites for,
ClO,263 85-87
CIRs. See Current Industrial Reports general, 86-87
(CIRs) manufacturing, 86
Cisco Systems, 145 "Company Filings," 66
Claims Pages, 207 Company information, web sites for,
CLEAR. See Center for Labor Education 81-94
& Research (CLEAR) AmericanCompanies.com, 89-90
Clearstation, 156 annual reports, 83-85
ClickZ Network, 138 Annual Reports Service, 84
CMP Media, 143 AReport.com, Annual Reports of the
CINet, 91 World's Biggest Companies,
clnet, 138 84-85
c/net.com, 142 Business 2.0, 91-92
CNN, 157,176 Business.com, The Business Search
CNNfn,157 Engine, 90-91
CNN/Money, 157 CAROL-Company Annual Reports
Coca Cola USA, 34 Online, 84
Code of Federal Regulations, 38,40 company directories, 85-87
CodesofConduct.org, 232 company research, 82,89-94
College Grad.Job Hunter, 75 company research tutorials, 82-83
College of Professional Studies, Corporate Information, 86-87
University of San Francisco, EdgarScan, 89
186 GuideStar, 85
CollegeBoard.com: Career Browser, 75 Hoover's Online, 92-93
Columbia University Thomas J. Idealist.org, 86
Watson Library, 59 introduction to, 81-82
Commarts, 249-250 Kompass,87
Commerce Control List, 45 nonprofits, 85-86
 Index 299

PRARS, 83-84 Direct Marketing Association, 99

Researching Companies Online, Epinions.com, 100-10 1
82-83 Federal Trade Commission, 98
SEC filings, 87-89 Find It! Consumer (Washington
SEC Info, 88-89 State), 98
Security and Exchange Give.org,97-98
Commission's database, 87-88 introduction to, 95-96
Stock Answers: Finding Historical Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 99
Stock Prices, 83 product/service evaluation and
Stock Naked: Uncovering a opinion, 100-101
Company History, 83 protection, advocacy, and awareness,
Thomas Register, 86 96-99
Wall Street Research Net, 94 Public Citizen, 99
Wall Street View, 93 U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Company Research, 82 Commission, 97
web sites for, 89-94 What'sTheBest.net, 101
"Company Research," 86 Consumer Information Catalog, 98
Company research tutorials, web sites Consumer Information Center, 98
for, 82-83 Consumer Price Index (CPI), 68,227
"Complete Guide to Ethics Consumer Reports, 100
Management: An Ethics Consumer Reports, 100,101
Toolkit for Managers," 30 Consumer.gov,96
"Compliance Action," 20 ConsumerReview.com, 101
Computer Aided Design, 259 Consumersearch.com, 101
Computer Aided Manufacturing, 259 Consumerworld.org, 96-97
"Computer and Info-Tech Ethics," 26 Continuous Quality Improvement
Computer Ownership, 106 Online, 240-241
Computer Security Resource Center Co-op America, 34
(CSRC),147 Core accounting web resources, 3-13
ComputerWorld, 143 AAA,7
Computerworld.com, 136-137 Accounting Hall of Fame, 13
Conference of State Bank Supervisors Accounting Research Network, 12
(CSBS), 19-20 Accounting Tutor, 13
Consumer Guide, 100 Accounting WEB, 7-8
Consumer Guide, 100,101 AICPA,6
Consumer information, web sites for, AICP A States, 13
95-101 AICPA Student Affiliate Members
Better Business Bureau, 97 Home Page, 10
Consumer Guide, 100 Audit and Attest Standards, 9
Consumer Information Center, 98 auditing and fraud, 9-10
Consumer Reports, 100 AuditNet, 9-10
Consumer.gov,96 careers, firms, and directories, 11-12
ConsumerReview.com, 101 CPA Directory, 11-12
Consumersearch.com, 101 CPA Journal, 12
Consumerworld.org, 96-97 education and examinations, 10
300 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Electronic Accountant, 11 CPA Directory, 11-12

FASB,5 CPA Journal, 12
financial accounting standards and cpemarket.com, 10
interpretations, 4-6 CPI. See Consumer Price Index (CPI)
GASB,5 CPS. See Current Population Survey
gateways and portals, 7-8 (CPS)
lAS Plus, 8-9 Cranfield School of Management, 241
IASB,5-6 Cranfield University, 241
IFAC,9 CREe. See Center for Research in
IFAD,9 Electronic Commerce (CREC)
Information for Accountants, 8 Credit Union Directory, 19
international, 8-9 CRM. See Customer Relationship
introduction to, 3-4 Management (CRM)
ISB,6 CRM Magazine, 220
Journal of Accountancy Online, 12 CRMDaily.com, 135,138
NASBA,6 Cruise Lines International Association,
news feeds and discussion groups, 176
10-11 CSBS. See Conference of State Bank
NewsFlash! AICPA, 10-11 Supervisors (CSBS)
online publications and research. 12 CSRe. See Computer Security Resource
professional associations and Center (CSRC)
organizations, 6-7 Current Industrial Reports (CIRs),
Tax and Accounting Sites Directory, 7 194-195
U.S. General Accounting Office, 8 Current Population Statistics, 106
U.S. Government, 8 Current Population Survey, 106
Cornell Center for Hospitality Current Population Survey (CPS),
Research, 170 106,110
Cornell School of Law, 38,39 Customer Relationship Management
Legal Institute at, 233 (CRM),220
Cornell University, School ofIndustrial CyberAtlas, 138
and Labor Relations at,
226,231,233
Corporate Information, 86-87 Dalewood Associates, 280
Corporatelnformation, 155-156,194 Darden School, University of Virginia,
Corporations, web resources for, 42-44 241
CorpWatch, 32-33 Data and Program Library Service
Council for European Social Science (DPLS), University of
Data Archives (CESSDA), llO Wisconsin, Madison, 109
Council of Economic Advisors, 123,124 Data and Program Library Service
Council on Union-Free Environment, (DPLS)-Internet Crossroads
224 in the Social Sciences, 130
"Country Research," 87 Data Broadcasting Incorporated, 200
County and City Data Book, 105, I 06, Data on the Net, University of
108 California, San Diego, 107
County Business Patterns, 106,108 Dayton, S., 195
 Index 301

"Debt Securities Page," 23 Statistical Resources on the Web,

Decision Analysis, 255 University of Michigan
Defense Finance and Accounting Documents Center, 112
Service: Military Pay, 78-79 Statistics and Statistical Graphics
Delaware Corporate Law Resources, 113
Clearinghouse-Widener Statistics.com, 112-113
University School of Law, 42 United Nations Statistics Division,
Delaware Court of Chancery, 42 113-114
Delayne, S., 246 U.S. Census Bureau, 114
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, 8-9, II U.S. Census International Programs
Deming Associates, 241 Center, 114-115
Deming Electronic Network (DEN), 240 White House Briefing Room, 116
Deming, W.E., 240 World Wide Web Virtual Library,
Demogmphic data, web sites for, 103-116 Demography and Population
Census and Demogmphics,
Studies, 115
Mansfield University, 104-105
World Wide Web Virtual Library:
CIESIN,105
Statistics, 115-116
CIESIN-Socioeconornic Data and
Demographic Trends, 277
Applications Center, 105-106
Demography, defined, 103
CIESIN-U.S. Demogmphy Home
Page, 105 DEN. See Deming Electronic Network
Current Population Statistics, 106 (DEN)
Data on the Net, University of Department of Commerce, 115,146,273
California, San Diego, 107 Department of Economics, 57
FedStats, 107-108 Department of Housing and Urban
GEOSTAT: Geospatial and Development, 108
. Statistical Data Center, Department of Labor, 227-228
University of Virginia Department of Trade and Industry,
Library, 108 242-243
Government Information Sharing Developing Real-Time Distributed
'. Project, Oregon State Applications. See Financial
. University, 108-109 Bundle Trading System
ICPSR-Inter-University (FBTS)
Consortium for Political and Dewey Decimal Classification System,
~ocial Research, 109 239
Intern~t Crossroads in the Social DialogWeb,64-65
Sciences, 109-110 Digest of Education Statistics, 108
Internet Resources for Digital Product Companies, 145
Demographers, 110 Direct Marketing Association, 99
introduction to, 103-104 DM Direct Newsletter, 217,218
Penn State Population Research DM Review, 217-219
Institute, 110-111 "Doctor Ebiz," 140
PopNet, 111 Domestic Outlookfor Travel and
Population Studies Center, University Tourism, 178
of Michigan, 111-112 Dow Jones, 196
302 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Inf01mation Resources

Dow Jones News Service, 11 Federal Trade Commission, 147-148

Dow Jones U.S. Industry Sectors, 158 Free Management Library, 139
DPLS. See Data and Program Library general news and information sites.
Service (DPLS) 135-138
Dr. Ed's Human Resource Cocktail, government, organization, and
182-183 association sites, 146-148
DRI-WEFA,65 HBS Working Knowledge, 145
Drucker, P., 237 how-to sites, 139-141
Duke University lOG. net, 142-143
"Library 2000" Endowment Fund, International Web Police, 148
249 internet.com, 137-138
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special InternetStats, 149
Collections Library at, 248 introduction to, 133-134
Dun & Bradstreet, 65 Northern Light Special Edition:
Dunlop Commission on the Future of Electronic Commerce, 139-140
Worker-Management Nua.com, 149
Relations, 225 OECD Online, 148
Dworsky, E., 96-97 searchEBusiness.com, 138
statistics sites, 148-149
technology sites. 141-143
eaijournal, 142 TechWeb, 143
EarlyBirdCapital.com, 280 WeBi: Wharton e-Business
Earnings Whispers, 154 Initiative, 146
EarthWeb.com. 137-138 webmonkey, 140
eBay,I01 Wilson Web, 140
E-Business forum, 137 workz.com,141
EC Media Group, 144 E-commerce, 285-286
E-Commerce, 133-151 E-Commerce Times, 135
A2ZofB2B,143-144 eCompanies. 195
About-Electronic Commerce, 139 eCompany,91
academic and research sites, 145-146 EcomWorld, 144
allECommerce.com, 135 EconData.Net. 129
American Trading Network, 144 Economic Census, 275
BRINT.com, 141 Economic Data Administration, 129
Business 2.0, 135-136 "Economic Development and Loval
Business Week Online, 136 Labor Markets," 235
business-to-business, 143-144 Economic Modeling of Network
c/net.com, 142 Management, 145
CommerceNet, 146-147 Economic Report of the President, 123
Computerworld.com. 136-137 Economic Research Institute: Career
CREC, 145 Planning, 79
CSRC,147 Economic Status data, 106
eaijournal, 142 Economic Trends, 232
E-Business forum, 137 Economics, web sites for, 117-131
EcomWorld,l44 Beige Book, 120-121
 Index 303

collections of links, 118-119,129-131 WebEc WWWResourcesin

current content, 120 Economics, 131
DPLS-Internet Crossroads in the working papers, 118, 125-126
Social Sciences, 130 Economics Glossary, 126
EconData.Net, 129 Economist Intelligence Unit, 137
Economic Report of the President, Economy.com,129
123 EconPapers, 125
Economics Glossary, 126 EDGAR,154
Federal Deposit Insurance EDGAR database, 43,163-164
Corporation, 123-124 EDGAR SCAN, 89
free content, 120 EdgarScan, 89
FreeLunch.com, 129-130 Edinburgh Evening News, 183
government data and reports, 117-118 Education Committee of BRASS, 1
History of Economic Thought, Edward Lowe Foundation, 274
126-127 "8 Guidelines for Managing Editors in
Index of Economic Freedom, the Workplace," 30
127-128 E-Insurance Directory, 207
international data, 124-125 EIRO. See European Industrial Relations
introduction to, 117-120 Observatory On-Line (EIRO)
Nobel e-Museum, 128 EITF. See Emerging Issues Task Force
organization, 119 (EITF)
Penn World Table, 124-125 Electronic Accountant, 11
reference resources, 118,126-128 "Electronic Archive," 233
Regional Economic Conditions, "Electronic Handouts," 61
123-124 Emanuel Saxe Distinguished Lectures
RePEc, 125-126 in Accounting, 10
Resources for Economists on the Emergence of Advertising in America,
Internet, 130 248
selection measures, 119 Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF), 5
substantial content, 119 Emerson's Directory of Leading US
United States Bureau of Economic Accounting Firms, 12
Analysis, 121-122 EMIRE database, 228
United States Bureau of Labor Employee Tenure, 106
Statistics, 122 Employment Laws Assistance for
United States Congress-Economic Workers and Small
Indicators, 124 Businesses-U.S. Department
United States Economic Census, of Labor, 48
122-123 Employment Research Data Center, 235
U.S. Department of State Bureau of Employment Standards Administration
Public Affairs Background (ESA),48
Notes, 128 Encyclopedia of Associations, 61
U.S. Government Data and Reports, Encyclopedia of Business Information
120-124 Sources, 61
web functionality-design and Enron, Corp., 4,6,146
navigability, 120 "Enron debacle," 13
304 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Entrepreneur, 274 European Union's European Foundation

Entrepreneur International, 274 for the Improvement of Living
Entrepreneur Magazine, 274 and Working Conditions, 228
Entrepreneur.com,274 Eurostat, 69
Entrepreneurial Edge Online, 274 Evans, D., 273
Entrepreneur's News Digest, 274 Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation,
Entrepreneurship, small business and, 274
web resources for, 271-280. Excel, 66,130
See also Small business and Exploring Occupations, Student
entrepreneurship, web Counselling and Career Centre,
resources for University of Manitoba, 73
Entreworld, 274-275,280 Export Administration Regulations, 45
En trewo rId, 183 Export Portal, 274
Epinions.com. 100-10 I Export Trends, 277
Equal Employment Opportunity EZ Directory's Accountant Directory, 12
Commission, 47
Erasmus Research Institute of
Management, at Erasmus Fact Book, 18
University, 244 Fall Street, 160
Erasmus University, Erasmus Research Fambiz.com, 279
Institute of Management at, Family Medical Leave Act, 48
244 FASB. See Financial Accounting
Ernst & Young, 11 Standards Board (FASB)
ESA. See Employment Standards Fast Company, 241
Administration (ESA) FBI. See Federal Bureau of Investigation
Esquire, 200 (FBI)
ESRC Complex Product Systems FBTS. See Financial Bundle Trading
(CoPS) Innovations Center, System (FBTS)
Brighton, England, 259 FDIC. See Federal Deposit Insurance
Ethic(s) Corporation (FDIC)
business, web resources for, 25-34. FDIC Reform Act of 2002, 20
See also Business ethics, web FED 101, 17
resources for Fed in Print, 17
defined, 25 Federal Agencies, 47-48
"Ethical Advertising," 31 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Ethics on the Internet, Ethics-Related 176
Sites, 27 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
"Ethics Tools: Codes of Ethics," 30 (FDIC), 16.17-18.123-124
E*trade, 156 Federal Electronic Research and
European Case Clearing House, 241 Review Extraction Tool
European Industrial Relations (FERRET), 106
Observatory On-Line Federal Interagency Council on
(EIRO),228 Statistical Policy. 107
European Union, 38 Federal Labor Relations Authority, 229
 Index 305

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Commodity Ville, 162

Service (FMCS), 228,234 CorporateInformation, 155-156
Federal Register, 40 Fall Street, 160
Federal Regulations, 40 Financial Times, 156-157
Federal Reserve, 16 Future Source, 162
Federal Reserve Board, 120-121 Futures Guide, 162
Federal Reserve Bulletin, 16 Global Investor Glossary, 164
Federal Service Labor-Management glossaries, 164-165
Relations Statute, 229 Gomez: Broker Scorecard, 160
Federal Trade Commission, 41-42,98, historic data, 158-159
147-148 international, 162-163
Feds on the Web. 17 introduction to, 153-154
FEDSTATS, 1I0 Investing in Bonds, 161
FedStats.67,107-108 Investor Links, 154
Fedstats.gov, 251 Investor Words, 165
FERRET (Federal Electronic Research IPO Central, 158
and Review Extractio(l Tool), IPO.com, 157-158
106 IPOs, 157-158
Finance & Investment, 57 JPMorgan ADR, 163
Finance and investments market analysis and
Clearstation, 156 commentary, 155-156
web resources for, 153-166 market news, 156-157
Alert-IPO, 158 Maultex MarketGuide Screener,
American Association of 159
Individual Investors, 164 meta-sites, 154
associations/organizations, Morningstar, 161
163-164 Motley Fool: Pegulator, 166
bear analysis, 160 Motley Fool Glossary, 164
Bearmarketcentral, 160 MSN Moneycentral, 159
BigCharts, 158 mutual funds, 161
Bloomberg, 157 NASD,164
bonds, 161-162 Numa Web: Directory of Futures
Bonds Online, 161-162 and Options Exchanges, 163
Brill's Mutual Funds Interactive, Oanda 164 Currency Converter,
161 163
brokers, 160 Prophet Finance: Java Charts,
Bureau of the Public Debt, 161 165-166
Business Week, 159 Quicken, 155
Campbell R. Harvey's Quicken's One-Click Scorecard,
Hypertextual Finance 166
Glossary, 165 Securities & Exchange
CBS Marketwatch, 155 Commission, 163-164
CNNlMoney, 157 S&P's Index Services, 157
commodities, options, and S&P/SmartMoney Map of the
futures, 162 Market, 166
306 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

stock screeners, 159 Forward Thinking, 233-234

unique tools, 165-166 Fox News, 176
ValuePro: Baseline Valuation Franklin Pierce Law Center, 51
Calculator, 165 Freddie Mac, 267
World Federation of Exchanges, Free Edgar, 87
162-163 Free Management Library. 139,238,
Yahoo! Finance: Historical 241-242
Prices, 159 FreeLunch.com, 129-130
Yahoo! Finance-Financial FreeNewsFeed.com, 135
Glossary, 164 Free-Real-Estate-Info.com, 267
Financial accounting standards and Friendly, M., 113
interpretations, 4-6 Frontier Magazine, 195
Financial Accounting Standards Board FSB,91
(FASB),5 FTMarketWatch.com, 200
Financial Bundle Trading System Future, 183
(FBTS), 145 Future Source, 162
"Financial Products and Services Futures Guide, 162
Page," 23 FXConverter, 163
Financial Services Marketing, 21
Financial Times, 156-157,196,200
Financial Times, 156,257 GAAP,4
Financial Times Group, 198 "GAAP 2001 Report:' 9
Finch, B., 260,261,262 Galbraith, J.A., 15
"Find a Credit Union," 18 Gaming Manufacturers Association, 170
"Find GAO Reports," 8 GAO. See General Accounting Office
Find It! Consumer (Washington State), (GAO)
98 Garage Technology Ventures, 280
FindLaw, 37 Garage.com, 280
FindLaw: Legal Topics: Tax Law, Gartner Group, 146
287-288 GASB. See Governmental Accounting
FirstGov, 40,274 Standards Board (GASB)
Fitch Ratings, 209-210 GATT,45
Flanagan, D., 82 General Accounting Office (GAO), 8
Flynn, D.A., 3 General Motors, 34
FMCS. See Federal Mediation and Generally accepting accounting
Conciliation Service (FMCS) principles (GAAP), 4
Foodsafety.Gov,174 GEOSTAT: Geospatial and Statistical
Forbes, 200 Data Center, University of
Ford Motor Company, 146 Virginia Library, 108
Forms of Incorporation, 42 GICS. See "Global Industry
Forrester, 138 Classitication Standard
Fortune, 91 (GICS)"
Fortune, 200 Gila Group, 20
Fortune 500,92 Ginnie Mae, 267
FORTUNE Group, 91 Give.org, 97-98
 Index 307

Global Banking Law Database, 23-24 Hieros Gamos, 37-38

Global Hospitality Resources, 170 History of Credit Unions and the NCUA,
"Global Industry Classification 19
Standard (GICS)," 157 History of Economic Thought, 126-127
Global Investor Glossary, 164 Holding Corporations Accountable,
Gomez: Broker Scorecard, 160 32-33
Gomez, Inc., 160 Home Office, 274
"Goodwill and Other Tangible Assets," Hoover's, 65
13 Hoover's Online, 92-93,189-192
Google, 195, 196 authority of, 191
Government Auditing Standards content quality, 190-191
"Yellow Book," \0 cost status change possibility, 192
Government Information Sharing described, 189-190
Project, \05 endurance factor, 192
Oregon State University, \08- \09 goal/aim/purpose of site, 190
Governmental Accounting Standards historical highlights of, 190
Board (GASB), 5 search relevance, I 92
GPO Access: U.S. Code (1994 and site organization, 191
2000 eds., plus Annual value-add, 192
Supplements), 39-40 Hospitality, defined, 167
Graphs and Charts, 149 Hospitality and tourism
Greechie, S., 63 academic discipline of, areas of,
Green Pages, 34
168-169
Greiner, C.H., 1 importance of, 168
Gryn, T., 1 \0
librarianship in, 169
GuideStar, 85
revenue due to, 168
web resources for, 167-179
American Gaming Association,
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 170-171
United States, 46 American Hotel and Lodging
Harrington, D.L., 281
Association, 171
Harvard Business Review, 241,257
American Resort Development
Harvard Business School (HBS), 145,
241,242 Association, 171-172
Harvard Business School Baker ASTA,176
Library, 60-61 Cruise Lines International
Harvey's finance glossary, 165 Association, 176
Harwell, K.R., 35 Foodsafety.Gov, 174
HBS. See Harvard Business School general sites, 169-170
(HBS) Hospitality Net: All of Hospitality
HBS Working Knowledge, 145,242 on the Web, 169-170
"Health Care Ethics," 26 International Ecotourism
Health United States, \08 Society, 176-177
Heritage Group, 127 introduction to, 167-168
Hernandez, E.H., 182 ITA Tourism Industries, 177
308 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Las Vegas Convention and introduction to, 181-182

Visitors Authority, 172 IPMA,184
lodging and gaming industry SHRM,185
sites, 170-174 Workindex.com, 185-186
Meeting Professionals Human Resource Executive, 185
International, 177-178 Human Resource Executive Magazine,
Nation's Restaurant News, 175 226
New Jersey Casino Control Human Resource Management Resources
Commission, 172-173 on the Internet Site, 182
NRA,174-175 Human Resources Learning Center, 184
restaurant and foodservice sites, HVS International, 170
174-175
Restaurant Report, 175
Smith Travel Research, 173 lAS Plus, 8-9
tourism industry sites, 176-179 lAS Plus Newsletter, 9
Travel Industry Association of IASB. See International Accounting
America, 178-179 Standards Board (IASB)
US Business Reporter: Lodging IBM,145
& Gaming Industry, 173-174 ICPSR,11O
WTO,179 ICPSR-Inter-University Consortium for
Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, 170 Political and Social Research,
Hospitality Financial and Technology 109
Professionals, 170 Idea Cafe, 275
Hospitality Net: All of Hospitality on Idealist.org, 86
the Web, 169-170 IDEAS, 125
Hospitality Sales & Marketing IDG.net, 142-143
Association International, 170 IFAD. See International Forum on
Housing and Urban Development Accountancy Development
(HUD),267,268 (IFAD)
HRFocus. 239 Illinois Suburban Library System
HRGOpher, 183 Reference Service, 83
HR-Guide.com, 183 ILOLEX, 229
HRZone, 183-184 1M. See Institute of Management (IM)
HSN Associates, 267-268 Imagine Media, 91
HUD. See Housing and Urban Imaging World, 221
Development (HUD) In Our Opinion Newsletter. 9
Human resource development, web Inc., 30
resources for, 181-186 Independence Standards Board (ISB), 6
Dr. Ed's Human Resource Cocktail, Index of Economic Freedom, 127-128
182-183 Industry information, web resources
HRGOpher, 183 for, 187-204
HR-Guide.com, 183 Business Week Online Special
HRZone, 183-184 Report Industry Outlook
Human Resources Learning Center, 2002, 193
184 Business.com, 195-197
 Index 309

categories of, 188-189 Institute of Industrial Relations

CBS MarketWatch, 198-201 Library, 231
CIRs, 194-195 Institute of Internal Auditors, 91-92
CorporateInformation.com, 194 Institute of International Commercial
general profiles, overviews, and Law of Pace University
descriptions, 189-192 School of Law, 44
Hoover's Online, 189-192 Institute of Management (1M), 243
IndustrySearch.com, 204 Institute of Management and
introduction to, 187-188 Administration (lOMA), 239
news and investing, 198-201 Insurance, web resources for, 205-211
portals and directories, 195-197 A.M. Best, 209
product sale and purchase, 202-204 Claims Pages, 207
Stanford OBS Jackson Library core sites, 207-209
Rosenberg Corporate described, 206-207
Research Center Selected directories, 207-209
Business Websites, 197 E-Insurance Directory, 207
Fitch Ratings, 209-210
Tradeworlds,202-204
Insurance Company.com, 208
US Business Reporter, 192-193
Insurance Industry Information
Yahoo! Finance, 201
Network, 208
"Industry Issues," 19
Insurance Information Institute,
Industry Trends, 277
210-211
IndustrySearch.com, 204
Insurance Institute for Highway
Info World, 143 Safety, 211
Information for Accountants, 8 Insurance Professional.com, 208
Information Systems Research, 255 Insurance Services Office, 211
"Information Vault," 20 Insurance.About, 207
Information Week, 143 Insure.com, 208-209
INFORMS (Institute for Operations introduction to, 205-206
Research and the Management rating sites, 209-210
Sciences),254-256 research/statistics, 210-211
InfoWorld, 138 Standard & Poor's Insurance
Ingalls, N., 83 Ratings, 210
Inside the AGA, 171 Ultimate Insurance Links, 209
Institute for Industrial Relations Insurance Company. com, 208
Library, 46-47 Insurance Industry Information Network,
Institute for Operations Research and 208
the Management Sciences Insurance Information Institute, 210-211
(INFORMS), 254-256 Insurance Institute for Highway
Institute for Social Research at Safety, 211
University of Michigan, 109 Insurance Professional.com, 208
Institute of Global Communications, Insurance Services Office, 211
232-233 Insurance.About, 207
Institute of Industrial Relations, Insure.com, 208-209
University of California, Intellectual Property Mall-Franklin
Berkeley, 231 Pierce Law Center, 51
310 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Interest!ALERT!, 182 International Trade Statistics 2001, 70

Interfaces, 255 International Web Police,. 148
Internal organizations. business Internet Crossroads in the Social
statistics web sites of, 69-70 Sciences. 109-110
Internal Revenue Code, 49 Internet Legal Resource Guide, 38
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 49-50, Internet Resources for Demographers,
282,286 110
International Accounting Standards Internet Scout Reports, 82
(IAS),8-9 internet.com, 137-138
International Accounting Standards InternetStals. 149
Board (IASB), 5-6 InternetWeek, 138
International business transactions, Inter-University Consortium for
web resources for. 44-46 Political and Social Research
International Council for Small Business, (ICPSR), 109
278 Investing in Bonds, 161
International Data base, 107 Investor Links, 154
International Data Group (IDG).net, Investor Words, 165
142-143 Investquest, 92
International Ecotourism Society, IOMA. See Institute of Management
176-177 and Administration (IOMA)
International Federation of IPMA. See International Personnel
Accountants (IFAC), 9 Management Association
International Federation of Operational (IPMA)
Research Societies, 254 IPO Central, 158
International Federation of Operational IPO Maven, 92,93
Research Societies Online IPO.com, 92,93,157-158
Encyclopedia, 262-263 IPOs, 157-158
International Federation of Stock Ired.com, 268
Exchanges, 162 IRS. See Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
International Forum on Accountancy IrwinlMcGraw Hill, 260~261
Development (lFAD), 9 ISB. See Independence Standards Board
International Journal of Operations (ISB)
and Production Management, ISDEX, 138
259 ITA. See International Trade
International Labour Organisation, 229 Administration (ITA)
International Monetary Fund, 23-24 ITA Tourism Industries, .177
International Organization for iWon.com, 101
Standardization: ISO 9000
and ISO 14000,262
International Personnel Management J. Walter Thompson Company
Association (IPMA), 184 Archives. 249
International Real Estate Digest, 268 Jack Brause Library, 268
International Trade Administration Jackson Library, 57-58
(ITA),273-274 Jackson, R., 272
U.S. Department of Commerce, 45 JDS Uniphase, 91
 Index 311

Jensen, K., 117 KMM,220

JobProfiles.org, 75-76 KMWorld,221
JobStar,76 Knowledge Executive's Network
John M. Olin School of Business, The (KEN),215
Kopolow Business Library of, Knowledge Inc., 221
Washington University, 244 Knowledge management
Johnson, K.W., 27 described, 213-214
Johnson, W., 95 web resources for, 213-221
Joint BIS-IMF-OECD-Wor/d Bank, 23 American Productivity and
Joint Economic Committee of Quality Center, 219
Congress, 124 Brint.com, 214-216
Jones Lang La Salle, 170 CRM Magazine, 220
Jones News Service, 21 DM Review, 217-219
Joseph, D., 224 introduction to, 213-214
Journal of Accountancy, 6 KM Metazine, 220
Journal of Accountancy Online, 12 KM News, 220
Journal of Organizational Behavior, 186 KMWorld, 221
Journal on Computing, 255 Knowledge Inc., 221
JPMorgan ADR, 163 Knowledge Management
Jupiter, 138 Consortium International, 219
Knowledge Management
Magazine, 221
Kalman, A.G., 284 The Knowledge Management
Kaplan, J., 9 Professional Society, 220
Karlson, SJ., 246,247 Knowledge Management
Kauffman Center for Entreprenurial Resource Center, 216-217
Leadership, 274 organizations, 219-220
Kay, M., 207 publications, 220-221
Kellogg School of Management, 61 Society of Competitive
KEN. See Knowledge Executive's Intelligence Professionals, 220
Network (KEN) Knowledge Management Consortium
Kenneth G. Fisher Library of Graduate International, 219
School of Business, 59 Knowledge Management Magazine, 221
Kent State University, 82 Knowledge Management Resource
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Center, 216-217
Documentation & Archives, Knowledge@Wharton, 138,242
233 Kompass,87
Kinyon, B., 237 KPMG,11
Kirkwood, H.P., Jr., 153 Kuhn, J., 224
Kitty Litter, 274 Kumar, M., 208
Klein, B., 209
Klopper, S.M., 4
KM Metazine, 220 Labor and collective bargaining, web
KMNews, 220 resources for, 223-235
"Kmart," 90 AFL-CIO, 229-230
312 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

AFSCME,230 W.E. Upjohn Institute for

American Arbitration Association, Employment Research,
230 234-235
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 226-227 Workindex.com, 226
CLEAR,230 World Trade Union Directory, 226
Commission for Labor XPDNC Labour Directory, 226
Cooperation, 227 Labor and employment law. web
Department of Labor, 227-228 resources for, 46-49
directories, 225-226 "Labor Center Reporter," 231
BIRO,228 Labor Education Program, University
FMCS, 228 of Missouri, Columbia, 231
higher education, 229-235 Labor Policy Association (LPA),
Institute of Industrial Relations, 231-232
University of California, "Labor Relations Law in North
Berkeley, 231 America," 227
interest groups, 229-235 Labor Research Association (LRA), 232
International Labour Organisation, Labor Research Portal, 46-47,231
229 Labor-Management Reporting and
introduction to, 223-225 Disclosure Act, 227
Labor Education Program, University Labornet,232-233
of Missouri, Columbia, 231 LABORSTA,229
Labor Policy Association, 231-232 LaboursStart, 233
Labor Research Association, 232 LaRose, J .A., 25
Labornet, 232-233 Larry Chase's Web Digest for
Legal Institute, Cornell Law Marketers, 250-251
School, 233 Las Vegas Convention and Visitors
Martin P. Catherwood Library, Authority, 172
School of Industrial and Latin American Association. 277
Labor Relations, Cornell "Launch Pad," 20
University, 233 Law and entrepreneurship, web
NLMA, 233-234 resources for, 51-52
NLRB,228-229 Law Faculty of the University of Oslo,
professional associations, 229-235 44
RAI,234 Leadership NewslVire, 239
SocioSite Project: Industrial Relations Lee, A.H., 224
and Trade Unions, 225 Legal Information Institute-Cornell
SocioSite Project: Sociology of Law School, 38,39
Labor, 225 Legal Institute, Cornell Law School, 233
unions, 229-235 Lex Mercatoria, 44-45
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Lexis-Nexis,50
Workers of America, 234 Libraries of Networked Knowledge, 239
URN, 225 "Library 2000" Endowment Fund, of
U.S. government and international Duke University, 249
organizations, 226-229 Library of Congress, 272
 Index 313

Library of Congress's Global Legal ManagerWise, 243

Information Network, 38 MIT Sloan Management Review,
"Library Services and Construction 243-244
Act," 39 U.S. Business Advisor, 244
Linberger, P., 103 Working Papers in Management, 244
Linus Insider, 135 Management Assistance Center for
List of CPA Firms, 12 Nonprofits, 263
LIVEDGAR, 66 Management Assistance Program for
LivingWageLaws.org,232 Nonprofits, 241
London Business School, 241 St. Paul, Minnesota, 30
Los Angeles Times, 176 Management Best Practice, 242-243
Loyola Marymount University, 31 Management Link, 243
LPA. See Labor Policy Association ManagerWise, 243
Managing Training and Development,
(LPA)
239
LRA. See Labor Research Association
Manchester School of Management, 244
(LRA) Mansfield University, Census and
Demographics of, 104- 105
Mai, B., 213 Manual for Area & Industrial
Major Laws and Regulations Enforced Labor-Management
Committees, 234
by the Department of
Marien, S., 81
Labor-U.S. Department of
Marketing and advertising, web
Labor, 49 resources for, 245-252
Malven, Powers, and Pasucci, LLC, 51 The Ad* Access Project, 249
Management, web resources for, 237-244 Adage.com, 251
About.com Guide to Management, Adweek.com,247
238 American Demographics, 252
Bpubs,239 Brandweek.com,247
BUBL LINK, 239 Com marts, 249-250
Business Management Supersite, 239 Emergence of Advertising in
Business Researcher's Interests, America, 248
239-240 Fedstats.gov,251
The Business Search Engine, 240 introduction to, 245-246
CEO Express, 240 Larry Chase' s Web Digest for
Continuous Quality Improvement Marketers, 250-251
Online, 240-241 MarketingTerms.com, 250
European Case Clearing House, 241 Mediaweek.co, 248
Fast Company, 241 Medicine and Madison A venue,
Free Management Library, 241-242 248-249
HBS Working Knowledge, 242 PaintedCows.com,246-247
introduction to, 237-238 SALESandMARKETING.com, 248
IOMA,239 TechnologyMarketing.com,248
Knowledge@Wharton, 242 UTexas Marketing World, 246
Management Best Practice, 242-243 The VNU Media Group, 247
Management Link, 243 Wilson Web, 251
314 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

MarketingTenns.com, 250 Motley Fool: Pegulator, 166

MarketWatch, 155,201 Motley Fool Glossary, 164
MarketWatch.com Radio network, 198 Movahedi-Lankarani, S.1., l33
Martin P. Catherwood Library, School of MSN Moneycentral, 159
Industrial and Labor Relations, MSNBC,176
Cornell University, 233 M-Track Intranet system, 57
Martin, P.W., 38 My Accounting Portal, 8
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MyAccountingPortal.com,3
72
Maultex MarketGuide Screener, 159
MBDA. See Minority Business NAALC. See North American
Development Agency Agreement on Labor
(MBDA) Cooperation (NAALC)
McComb's School of Business, 60 Nader, R., 99
McGraw-Hili Publishers, 261 Nalen, J.E., 223
McGuigan, G.S., 55 NASBA. See National Association of
McNamara, c., 30,139,238 State Boards of Accountancy
Media Matrix, l38 (NASBA)
Media Tip Sheet, 274 NASD. See National Association of
Mediaweek.co, 248 Securities Dealers (NASD)
Medicine and Madison Avenue, 248-249 Inc. See National Association of
Meeting Professionals International. Securities Dealers (NASD), Inc.
177-178 National Association of Realtors, 270
Mega.Law.com,39 National Association of Securities
Miami University, 260 Dealers (NASD), 164
"Mid Contract Bargaining Changes," National Association of Securities
234 Dealers (NASD) Inc., 43
Military Career Guide Online, 77-78 National Association of State Boards
"Minority- and Women-Owned of Accountancy (NASBA), 6
Businesses," 68 National Association of Wodlen
Minority Business Development Agency Business Owners, 276
(MBDA),276-277,280 National Business Incubation
Minority Business Opportunity Association (NBIA), 279
Centers, 277 National Center for American Indian
Missner, E., 253 Enterprise Development, 277
MIT Sloan Management Review, National Commission on
243-244 Entrepreneurship, 278
Money, 91 National Conference of Commissioners
Money, 157 on Unifonn State Laws
Monster.com: Career Center, 78 (NCCUSL), 52
Monstennoving.com, 268-269 National Conference of Commissioners
Monthly Labor Review, 122 on Unifonn State Laws
Morningstar, 161 (NCCUSL) Drafts of Uniform
Mote, L.R., 15 and Model Acts-Official Site,
Motley Fool, 91 53
 Index 315

National Credit Union Administration New Jersey Casino Control

(NCUA),18-19 Commission. 172-173
National Federation for Independent New York City Skyscrapers, 89-90
Business, 278 New York Times, 176
National Gambling Impact Study New York University, Real Estate
Commission, 173 Institute of, 268
National Income and Products Accounts New York University Bobst Library, 58
Data (NIPA), 121 Newbegin, J., 89
National Institute of Health, 112 "News Rack," 257
National Institute of Standards and NewsFactor Network, 135,138
Technology, 147 NewsFlash! AICPA, 10-11
National Labor Management Association 1997 Economic Census, 68-69
(NLMA), 233-234 NIPA. See National Income and
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Products Accounts Data
48,228,233 (NIPA)
National Labor Relations Board NIST Information Technology
(NLRB),48,228-229 Laboratory, 147
National Mediation Board, 229 NLMA. See National Labor
National Quality Research Center, 57 Management Association
National Restaurant Association (NRA), (NLMA)
170,174-175 NLRA. See National Labor Relations
National Right to Work Legal Defense Act (NLRA)
Foundation, 47 NLRB. See National Labor Relations
National Venture Capital Association, Board (NLRB)
279-280 NLRBWatch.com, 232
Nation's Restaurant News, 175 Nobel, A., 128
Native American Business Development Nobel e-Museum, 128
Centers, 277 "Nonstandard Work and Child Care
NATLEX, 229 Choices of Married Mothers,"
NBIA. See National Business Incubation 235
Association (NBIA) North American Agreement on Labor
NCCUSL. See National Conference of Cooperation (NAALC), 227
Commissioners on Uniform North American Free Trade
State Laws (NCCUSL) Agreement, 38
NCUA. See National Credit Union Northeastern University, 228
Administration (NCUA) Center for Family Business of, 279
NCUA Annual Reports, 19 Northern Light Special Edition:
Neely, G.S., 271 Electronic Commerce, 139-140
NEP (New Economics Working Northwestern University, 61
Papers), 126 Now publication, 91
Net Impact: New Leaders for Better NRA. See National Restaurant
Business, 29 Association (NRA)
Network Computing, 143 Nua Internet Surveys, 149
New Economics Working Papers Nua.com, 149
(NEP),126 Numa Financial Systems, 163
316 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Numa Web: Directory of Futures and Operations Management Center,

Options Exchanges, 163 260-262
NYU Virtual Business Library, 58 Operations management/operations
NYU's Real Estate Institute, 58 research, web resources for,
253-264
INFORMS, 254-256
Oanda 164 CUlTency Converter, 163 International Federation of
OB WEB, 186 Operational Research Societies
OCe. See Office of Comptroller of the Online Encyclopedia, 262-263
Currency (OCC) International Organization for
Occupational Outlook, 122 Standardization: ISO 9000
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 11, and ISO 14000,262
74,77 introduction to, 253-254
OECD Online, 148 Operations Management. 263
OFAe. See International Federation of Operations Management Center,
Accountants (IFAC) 260-262
Office Management, 239 Supply Chain Management Resource
Office of Comptroller of the Currency Center, 263
(OCC), 15,16 TOMI, 256-259
Office of Federal Contract Compliance TutOR,263-264
Programs, 48 VTOURS,264
Office of Labor-Management Oregon State University, 108-109,121
Standards, 48 Organisation for Economic Co-operation
Office of Law Revision Counsel, 39 and Development. 70
Office of Population Affairs, 107-108 Organization for Economic Cooperation
Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), and Development, 148
16,18 Organizational behavior, web resources
Office of Women's Business Ownership for, 186
(OWBO),276 introduction to, 181-182
Office of Workers' Compensation OB WEB, 186
Programs, 48 Organizational Behavior Resource,
Ohio State University, Department of 186
Sociology, 110 Organizational Behavior Division of the
Ohio State University's Accounting Academy of Management, 186
Hall of Fame, 13 Organizational Behavior Resource, 186
O'Malley, F., 88 O'Rourke, S., 250
Orner, T.e., 289 OSOpinion, 135
100 Leading National Advertisers, 251 OTS. See Office of Thrift Supervision
OneCore.com, 280 (OTS)
Online Annual Report Service, 83-84 Overlook Hospitality Management AB,
Online Women's Business Center, 276 170
"Open Your Career Toolkit," 76 OWBO. See Office of Women's
Operation Research Page, Carnegie Business Ownership (OWBO)
Mellon University, 255 Owen Graduate School of Management,
Operations Management, 263 Vanderbilt University, 41
 Index 317

Pace University School of Law, Prof. Spalding's List of Tax, Legal,

Institute of International and Regulatory Research
Commercial Law of, 44 Resources, 288
PaintedCows.com,246-247 "Professional Ethics," 26
PayPal,93 Professional Ethics Division, 6
PC World, 143 Profile of State Chartered Banking, 20
Pearson pic, 198 Prophet Finance: Java Charts, 165-166
PEG. See "Price to Earnings Growth Protection, consumer, web sites for,
Ratio" (PEG) 96-99
Penn State Population Research Public Citizen, 99
Institute, 110-111 Public Register Annual Report Service
Penn World Table, 124-125 (PRARS), 83-84
Pennsylvania State University Schrever "Public Sector Continuous Improvement
Business Library, 272 Site," 241
Perry-Castaneda Library, 60 Public Services International Research
Philanthropic Research, Inc., 85 Unit, University of
Phoenix Database of Minority Greenwich, 226
Businesses, 277 Purdue University, American Religion
Pitney Bowes, 145 Data Archi ve of, 107
PKF,170
PopNet, III
Population Reference Bureau, III Quarterly Review: International Banking
Population Studies Center (PSC), and Financial Market
University of Michigan, Developments, 23
111-112 "Questions to Answer Before
PR Newswire, 257 Beginning," 61
Practical Accountant, II Quicken, 155
Practical Tax Strategies, 285 Quicken's One-Click Scorecard, 166
PRARS, 83-84 Quintessential Careers, 76
"Press Room," 19
"Price to Earnings Growth Ratio"
(PEG), 166 RAI. See Restructuring Associates Inc.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, 11,170 (RAI)
PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Railway Labor Act, 229
Centre, 89 Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special
Primedia, 195 Collections Library, Duke
Prism, 257 University, 248
Prison News, 33 Real estate, web resources for, 265-270
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 99 Freddie Mac, 267
Private Securities Litigation Reform Free-Real-Estate-Info.com,267
Act of 1995, 44 Ginnie Mae, 267
PRNewswire, 176 HSN Associates, 267-268
Product/service evaluation and opinion, HUD, 267, 268
web sites for, 100- 10 1 introduction to, 265-266
318 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Inf01mation Resources

Ired.com, 268 Restaurant Report, 175

Jack Brause Library, 268 Restaurants USA, 174
Monstermoving.com, 268-269 Rel>tructuring Associates Inc. (RAI), 234
The Real Estate Library, 269 Reuters, 176. 196
RealEstate.com, 269 Reynolds, L.J., 253
RealEstateDirectory .com RFE. See Resources for Economists on
REALS.com, 269-270 the Internet (RFE)
REALTOR.com, 270 Richard I vey School of Business, 241
Vandema,270 Richards, J., 246
Real Estate Institute, New York RUSA. See Reference and User
University, 268 Services Association (RUSA)
RealEstate.com, 269 RUSQ. See Reference & User Services
RealEstateDirectory .com, 269 Quarterly (RUSQ)
REALS.com, 269-270 Rutgers Accounting Web, 8
REALTOR.com,270 Rutgers University, 272
RECON. See Regional Economic Ryan Salt Gateway, 288-289
Conditions (RECON)
Reference & User Services Quarterly
"Salary Advice," 79
(RUSQ),281
"Salary News," 79
Reference and User Services
"Salary Survey 2001 Exclusive," 78
Association (RUSA), 81 Salary surveys, career information and,
Regional Economic Conditions
web sites for, 71-79. See also
(RECON),123-124 Career information and salary
Regional Economic Information surveys, web sites for
System, 121 "Salary Talk," 79
"Regional Law," 37 "Salary Wizard," 79
Registered Identification Number (RN) Salary.com,79
lookup, 98 SalaryExpert. com, 76-77
Reich, R.B., 225 SALESalldMARKETING.com, 248
RePEc (Research Papers in SBA. See Small Business
Economics), 125-126 Administration (SSA.)
Report on Customer Relationship Schmidt, D., 7,283,285,286,288
Management, 239 School of Industrial and Labor Relations,
Report on the American Workforce, 108 Cornell University, 231, 233
Research Papers in Economics School of Industrial Labor Relations,
(RePEc),125-126 Cornell University, 226
"Research Quick Start," 60 SCORE, 275,277-278,280
Researching Companies Online, 82-83 searchEBusiness.com, 138
"Resolving Ethical Dilemmas," 30 search Security, 138
"Resource for e-Business and SEC EDGAR, 89
Application Integration," 142 SEC Info, 88-89
Resources for Economists on the Secretariat for Electronic Commerce, 146
Internet (RFE), 130 Securities & Exchange Commission,
Responsible Gaming Quarterly, 171 43,69,154,163-164
Responsible Shopper, 34 database of, 87-88
 Index 319

Securities Law, 43 Social Security Administration, 108

SEDAC (Socioeconomic Data and Society for Human Resource
Applications Center), 106 Management (SHRM),
"Selling short in the wake of tragedy," 185,224
31 Society of Competitive Intelligence
Service Corps of Retired Executives Professionals, 220
(SCORE),275,277-278,280 SocioSite Project: Industrial Relations
SHRM. See Society for Human and Trade Unions, 225
Resources Management SocioSite Project: Sociology of Labor,
(SHRM)
225
Sloan Management Review, 259
SOl. See Statistics of Income (SOl)
Small Business Administration (SBA),
S&P 500, 92,159
244,273,275,279
S&P Industry Reports, 66
Small business and entrepreneurship,
S&P NetAdvantage, 66
web resources for, 271-280
Spalding, A.D., 288
counseling sites, 277-279
Sparanese, A., 224
Entrepreneur.com, 274
S&P's Index Services, 157
Entrepreneurial Edge Online, 274
S&P/SmartMoney Map of the Market,
Entreworld, 274-275
The Executive Committee, 278-279 166
funding, 279-280 Standard & Poor's Insurance Ratings,
general information, 273-275 210
Idea Cafe, 275 Standard and Poor's, 136
introduction to, 271-273 Standards of Charitable Solicitations,
minority-owned business sites, 98
275-277 Stanford GBS Jackson Library
professional sites, 277-279 Rosenberg Corporate
startup information, 273-275 Research Center Selected
U.S. Small Business Administration, Business Websites, 197
273-274 Stanford Law School, 44
venture capital, 279-280 Stanford Securities Class Action
women-owned business sites, Clearinghouse-Stanford Law
275-277
School,44
Small Business Development Centers,
Stanford University-Jackson Library
279
of the Stanford Business
SmartMoney, 166
SmartPros, 10,11 School,57-58
Smathers Libraries of the Uni versity of Start-Ups, 274
Florida, 13 State and Local Tax (SALT)
Smith Travel Research, 170,173 information, 288
Sniedivich, M., 264 State and Metropolitan Area Data
Social Investment Forum, 34 Book,108
"Social Science Gateways," 107 State Securities Regulators, 43
Social Science Research Network's Statistical Abstract of the United
eLibrary, 12 States, 105,106,108
320 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

Statistical Resources on the Web, Prof. Spalding's List of Tax, Legal,

University of Michigan and Regulatory Research
Documents Center, 112 Resources, 288
Statistics and Statistical Graphics state/local, 288-289
Resources, 113 Tax and Accounting Sites
Statistics for Federally Insured Credit Directory, 283-284
Unions, 18 Tax Cybrary: Internet Taxation, 285
Statistics of Income (SOl), 50 Tax Resources on the Web, 284-285
Statistics on Banking, 17 Tax World.org: International, 289-290
Statistics on External Debt, 23 Will Yancey's Home Page:
Statistics.com, 112-113 Electronic Commerce, 286
Stem School of Business, 58 TaxLinks, Your Online Source for IRS
STF3A Census data, 106 Revenue Rulings, 50-51
Stock Answers: Finding Historical Tax.org, Tax Information
Stock Prices, 83 Worldwide-The Tax
Stock Naked: Uncovering a Company Analysts, 50
History, 83 Team Kmart NASCAR site, 90
Straight Path Management, 101 TechExtreme, 135
Strauss, D.W., 4 TechNewsWorld.com, 135
Straw, J., 205, 265 Technology Review, 257
Students for Responsible Business, 29 TechnologyMarketing.com, 248
Supply Chain Management Resource TechWeb, 143
Center, 263 "10 Benefits of Managing Ethics in the
Survey of Current Business, 122 Workplace," 30
"10 Myths About Business Ethics," 30
10K Wizard, 87
TableBase, 64 Texas A&M University, 72
Tax(es), web resources for, 49-51 Texas Information Literacy Tutorial
Tax and Accounting Sites Directory, (TILT), 60
7,283-284 The Accounting Profession: Major
Tax Cybrary: Internet Taxation, 285 Issues: Progress and
"Tax History Project," 50 Concerns, 8
Tax Resources on the Web, 284-285 The Ad* Access Project, 249
Tax World.org: International, 289-290 The Associated Press, 11
Taxation, web resources for, 49-51,281-290 The Auditor's Guide to Internet
Accountant's World.com: Taxation, Resources, 9-10
283 The BIS Consolidated International
comprehensive, 282-285 Banking Statistics, 23
The Digital Daily, 286-287 "The Business Database Wizard," 57
E-commerce,285-286 The Business Integrator Journal, 142
FindLaw: Legal Topics: Tax Law, The Business Search Engine, 240
287-288 The Career Key, 77
government/legal, 286-288 The Digital Daily, 286-287
introduction to, 281-282 The Edward Lowe Report, 274
multinational, 289-290 The Entrepreneur's Help Page, 51
 Illdex 321

"The Entrepreneur's Reference Guide The Referellce Press, 190

to Small Business The Securities Lawyer's Deskbook-The
Information," 272 Center for Corporate Law,
The EthicalEdge, 27-28 University of Cincinnati
The Ethics Corner, Inc. Online, 30-31 College of Law, 43
"The European Union Online," 69 The Upstart Small Business Legal
The Executive Committee, 278-279 Guide, 2nd ed., 51-52
The Free Management Library, Index The VNU Media Group, 247
of Topics, 30 "The Voice of Small Business," 278
The Historical Statistics on Banking, 17 The Wall Street Journal, 11
The Impact of Travel on State The Washington Post, 21,176,200
Economies, 178 The Weekly Editorial, 149
The Industry Standard, 143 TheBankingChannel, 20, 21
The Institute for Labor and Employment, "Thinking About Local Living Wage
University of California, 46-47 Requirements," 235
The Institute of Industrial Relations, Thomas Register, 86
University of California Thomson, 196
Berkeley, 47 Thomson Dialog, 66
Los Angeles, 47 Thomson Financial Company, 218
The International Outlook for Travel Thomson Financial's Banking, Insurance
and Tourism, 178 & E-Commerce Group, 21
"The Internet Stock Report," 138 Thrift Financial Reports, 17
The Knowledge Management Thrift Industry Charts, 18
Professional Society, 220 Thrift Industry Highlights, 18
The Kopolow Business Library, of John Thrift Industry Press Releases, 18
M. Olin School of Business, Thrift Industry Selected Indicators, 18
Washington University, 244 TILT (Texas Information Literacy
"The Leading Network of Enterprise Tutorial), 60
IT Web Sites," 138 Timberland, 34
The McGraw-Hill Companies, 195,196 Time Warner Books, 190
The Motley Fool, 21 TOMI (Twiggs Operations Research
The National Foundation for Women Management Index), 256-259
Business Owners, 276 "Topic Links," 67
The National Information Center, 17 Tourism, defined, 167-168
The National Science Foundation, 145 Tourism Industries, 177
The New York Times, 11,91 Tourism Works for America, 178
The Observer, 33 "Trader's Pit," 58
"The Premier Knowledge Management Tradeworlds, 202-204
Portal and Global Virtual authority of, 203
Community of Practice for the content quality, 202-203
New World of Business," 215 cost status change possibility, 204
The Princeton Review: Career described, 202
Assessment, 76 endurance factor, 204
The Quarterly Banking Profile, 17 goal/aim/purpose of site, 202
The Real Estate Library, 269 historical highlights, 202
322 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

search relevance, 203 Institute of Industrial Relations

site organization, 203 at, 231
value-add, 204 The Institute of Industrial
TradStat, 66 Relations of, 47
Travel Business Roundtable, 170 The Institute for Labor and
Travel Industry Association of Employment of, 46-47
America, 170,178-179 Los Angeles, The Institute of
Travel Management Daily, 176
Industrial Relations of, 47
Trick, M., 255
San Diego. Data on the Net of. 107
Tulips and Bears, 154
University of Chicago, Business &.
Tulloch, M., 213
Economic Resource Center of
TutOR, 263-264
the Regenstein Library of, 58
Twigg, D., 257,259
University of Chicago Graduate School
Twiggs Operations Research
of Business, 59
Management Index (TOMI),
University of Chicago Library, 58-59
256-259
University of Cincinnati College of
2001 Harvard Business School
Law,43
Entrepreneurship Conference. University of Colorado, Denver, 27
See Harvard Business School U ni versity of Florida, 115-116
(HBS) University of Greenwich, Public
Services International
Research Unit at, 226
Ultimate Insurance Links, 209 University of Hawaii, West Oahu, 230
UN. See United Nations (UN) University of Melbourne. 264
Uniform Arbitration Act, 233 University of Melbourne Department
Uniform Commercial Code, 36,38,52 of Management, 244
web resources for, 52-53 University of Michigan, 111-112
Uniform Commercial Code Locator, 52 Institute for Social Research at, 109
Uniform Law Commissioners, 52,53 University of Michigan Business
Union Busting Watch, 232 School,57
Union Resource Network (URN), 225 University of Michigan Documents
Union Search, 225 Center, 112
United Electrical, Radio and Machine University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Workers of America, 234 Kresge Business
United Kingdom, Warwick Business. Administration Library, 57
School of, 257,259 University of Michigan's Statistical
United Nations (UN), 38,110 Resources on the Web, 105
United Nations Statistical Yearbook. University of Minnesota Law Library, 60
See Council for European University of Minnesota
Social Science Data Archives Libraries-Business
(CESSDA) Reference, 59-60
United Nations Statistics Division, University of Minnesota's Carlson
113-114 School of Management, 28
University of California University of Missouri, Columbia, Labor
Berkeley Education Program at, 231
 Index 323

University of Northern Iowa, 7,283 U.S. Census International Programs

University of Oslo, 44 Center (IPC), 114-115
University of Pennsylvania, Wharton U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
School at, 242 Factbook, 38
Wharton School, 29 U.S. Code, 38,39
University of Pennsylvania Law U.S. Code on the Web (Cornell), 39
School, 53 U.S. Congress-Economic Indicators,
University of Pennsylvania Lippincott 124
Library, 57 U.S. Consumer Product Safety
University of San Diego Center for Commission, 97
Public Interest Law, 99 U.S. Customs Service, 46
University of San Francisco, College of U.S. Department of Commerce, 67,68,
Professional Studies of, 186 276-277
University of Texas International Trade Administration
Austin, 145 of,l77
Marketing World of, 246 U.S. Department of Justice-Antitrust
University of Tromso, 44 Division, 42
University of Virginia, 121 u.S. Department of Labor, 48-49,67-68,
Darden School at, 241 235
University of Virginia Library, 108 U.S. Department of State Bureau of
University of Wisconsin, Madison, Public Affairs Background
Data and Program Library Notes, 128
Service (DPLS) at, 109 U.S. Economic Census, 122-123
U ni versity of York, 113 U.S. General Accounting Office, 8
URN. See Union Resource Network U.S. Government, 8
(URN) business statistics web sites of, 67-69
U.S. Agency for International U.S. Government Data and Reports,
Development, III 120-124
U.S. Association for Small Business and U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO),
Entrepreneurship, 278-279 39
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 67, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,
121-122 277
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 67-68, U.S. House of Representatives, 39
115,122 u.S. International Trade Commission, 46
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 115 U.S. International Transactions
U.S. Bureau of the Census Homepage, Accounts, 121
105 U.S. Macro database, 65
U.S. Business Advisor, 244 u.s. News & World Report, 200,216,275
U.S. Census: 1997 Economic Census U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 274
Data, 68-69 U.S. Securities and Exchange
U.S. Census Bureau, 68,110,112,114,223 Commission, 5,8,43,69
U.S. Census Bureau Economics and u.S. Small Business Administration,
Statistics Administration, 194 272,273-274,277
U.S. Census Bureau International U.S. Supreme Court, 38
Programs Center, 107 US Business Reporter, 192-193
324 The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources

US Business Reporter: Lodging & WebEc WWW Resources in

Gaming Industry, 173-174 Economics, 131
USA Today, 176 WeBi: Wharton e-Business Initiative,
USA Today.com, 21 146
"Using ADA in the Workplace," 234 webmonkey, 140
UTexas Marketing World, 246 Wells Fargo, 21
West Michigan Data Center, 235
ValuePro: Baseline Valuation WestLaw,50
Calculator, 165 WetFeet.com: Career Profiles, 77
Vandema, 270 Wharton School, 57
Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate University of Pennsylvania, 29,242
School of Management at, 41 Wharton School of Business
Venable, J., 187 Publications, 138
Vertex, Inc., 285 What'sTheBest.net, 101
Virtual Tours of Organizations Using White, G.W., 1,281
Remote Systems (VTOURS), White House Briefing Room, 116
264 "Who's Who in Antitrust," 41
Visa ATM Locator, 22 Will Yancey's Home Page: Electronic
Vivisimo,272 Commerce, 286
VTOURS (Virtual Tours of Wilson, R.F., 140
Organizations Using Remote Wilson Web, 140,251
Systems), 264 Winebaum, J., 195
Wireless NewsFactor, 135
Women Presidents' Organization
W. Edwards Deming Institute, 241 (WPO),278
Wage and Hour Division, 48 Women's Business Centers, 276
WageWeb, 79 Women's Online Business Center, 279
Wall Street Journal, 74,127,176 WoPEc, 126
Wall Street Journal Interactive, 84
Work Schedules, 106
Wall Street Research Net, 94
Workindex.com, 185-186,226
Wall Street View, 93
Working Papers in Management, 244
Warwick Business School, United
"Workplace Bullying," 234
Kingdom, 257,259
Workplace Rights-American Civil
Washington University, The Kopolow
Business Library of John M. Liberties Union, 47
Olin School of Business at, workz.com, 141
244 World Bank, 70
Wayman, M.J., 71 World Federation of Exchanges, 162-163
Wayne State University, 288 World Investor Link, 84
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment World Tourism Organization (WTO),
Research, 234-235 170,179
"Web Site Road Maps," 20 World Trade Organization (WTO), 45,70
Webcast Direct Newsletter, EC Media World Trade Union Directory, 226
Group, 218 World Travel & Tourism Council, 170
 Illdex 325

World Wide Web (WWW), business Yahoo!, 21,196

sites for. See specific topics Yahoo! Finance, 198,201
and sites, e.g., Business Yahoo! Finance: Financial Glossary, 164
ethics Yahoo! Finance: Historical Prices, 159
World Wide Web Virtual Library Yale University, 234
Demography and Population Yancey, W., 285,286,288
Studies, 115 Year Book of Labour Statistics, 229
Statistics, 115-116 Year in Review, 149
WPO. See Women Presidents' Youngstown State University, 82
Organization (WPO) "Your New Gateway to Census 2000,"
WTO. See World Tourism 114
Organization (WHO); World
Trade Organization (WTO)
Zabel, D., 167,281
ZDNet,142
XPDNC Labour Directory, 226 Zhang, K., 181