Company Research

Reference Room Resources

Finding Books in MaagNet

Finding Books in OhioLINK

Business Databases:
Articles & Company Information

MJF: Maag Journal Finder

Web Resources

Christine Adams
Business Liaison Librarian
Maag Library Reference Department
Phone: (330) 941-3680
Email: cmadams02@ysu.edu

YSU FACULTY & STUDENTS:
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Overview

Numerous resources, both print and electronic, may be utilized for company research. Maag Library provides access to books, articles, company profiles, annual reports, SEC filings, current company news stories, and much more. Public companies, which sell stocks to the public, are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to report certain financial information, including annual reports to shareholders and 10-K reports to the SEC. See Thomson Research Services' Guide to SEC Filings for more information. Public companies will have more information available than private companies, which are not required to report to the SEC.

Public companies are assigned a Ticker Symbol as their identifier for stock trading. As a start to your research, find out what your company's ticker symbol is. Also, determine whether your company is a subsidiary, branch or division of a larger parent company, in which case you may have to search within the parent company reports for information about your company.

Use Hoover's Online to find the ticker symbol for publicly-traded companies, as well as Company Overview, Key Numbers, Key People, Top Competitors, Industry Information, and Subsidiaries/Affiliates Covered by Hoovers. Much of this site is available only through paid subscription, but basic company information is available for free.

See also Maag Library's Business 1500 Class Page and Industry Research Subject Guide.

Reference Room Resources

The sources listed below, located in Maag Library's Reference Room, can be used for basic company research. They include directories, handbooks, business rankings, and market share planners. This is a good place to start answering basic questions: (1) Is your company public or private? (2) Is your company a subsidiary, branch, or division of another company? and (3) Is your company foreign-owned? Reference materials are for in-library use only. Reference materials are shelved alphabetically by call number in the Reference Room. Ready Reference materials are held at the Reference Desk.

Business Rankings Annual

REF HG4050 .B88 2007

D&B Business Rankings REF HG4057 .A237 2008
The top 25,000 U.S. public and private companies ranked by overall sales volume and number of employees, and also ranked by individual state and SIC code. Includes an alphabetical cross reference.
D&B Directory of Service Companies REF HD9981.3 .D86 2007
Physical address, tradename, sales, ownership, employee, executives, and bank and accounting firm information on over 50,000 company listings in the service industry. Cross referenced geographically and by industry classification.
D&B Principal International Businesses REF HF54 .U5 P74 2007/2008
Directory of the world's leading 50,000 firms, covering all types of business in 140 countries. The main section lists companies by country and then alphabetically by company name. Each entry includes company name and address, sales volume and number of employees, SIC code(s), and the name of the company's chief executive.
D&B Reference Book of Corporate Managements: America's Leading Public & Private Companies REF HD2745 .D85 2008
Company name, address and line of business with in-depth biographical information on principal officers for 12,000 top private and public businesses within the U.S., cross referenced by geographical area, industry classification, officer name, military affiliation, and schools attended.
D&B Regional Business Directory: Cleveland Area REF HG4058 .C6 D86 2008 (3 volumes)
Global Market Share Planner REF HD2757.15 .G56 2006x (6 volumes)
Volume 1: Market share tracker -- Volume 2: World leading global brand owners -- Volume 3: Major market share companies: Americas -- Volume 4 pt. A: Major market share companies: Western Europe. Austria-Italy -- Volume 4 pt. B: Major market share companies: Western Europe. Netherlands-United Kingdom -- Volume 5: Major market share companies: Asia Pacific -- Volume 6: Major market share companies: Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Hoover's Handbook of American Business: Profiles of 750 Major U.S. Companies: REF HG4057 .A28617 2004 (2 volumes)
Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies: Profiles of America's Most Exciting Growth Enterprises: REF HG4057 .A28618 2004
Hoover's Handbook of Private Companies: Profiles of Major U.S. Private Enterprises: REF HG4057 .A28616 2004
Hoover's Handbook of World Business: Profiles of Major Global Enterprises: REF HG4009 .H66 2004
>>See Companies Profiled section for list of companies included in each volume.
International Directory of Company Histories REF HD2721 .I63 1988 (66 volumes)
Relates the historical development of the world's most important companies. Maag Library has access to over 6,850 companies in 66 volumes. Most companies chosen for inclusion have achieved a minimum of US$25 million in annual sales and are leading influences in their industries or geographical locations. Companies may be publicly held, private, or nonprofit.
>>Use Index to Companies in most recent volume to locate volume number(s) and page number(s) for company histories, updates, and other references.
Market Share Reporter: An Annual Compilation of Reported Market Share Data on Companies, Products, and Services
REF HF5410 .M35 2008 (2 volumes)
Presents market share data on over four thousand companies, and 2,500 products, facilities, and brands. Several entries are usually available under each industry.

Finding Books in MaagNet

Books and other materials about your company can be found through MaagNet, the Maag Library online catalog. Use MaagNet to locate items available in Maag Library. Search by Author, Title, Keyword, or Subject Heading. Click on a title to access the record for an item, where you will see the item's Location, Call Number, and Status. This information lets you determine if the book is available and where it is located in the library. Maag Stacks materials are shelved alphabetically by call number on floors 3-6A. Oversize materials are located on the first bank(s) of shelves on each floor. To determine on which floor of the library your item is shelved, use the Building Guide online or signs posted in the Reference Room and by the elevators.

Also, if you scroll down in the item's record, you will find the Library of Congress Subject Headings under which that book has been classified. By clicking on the listed subject headings, you can find other materials on the same or similar topics.

Many companies do not have entire books written about them. If your company is one of these, figure out the industry your company belongs to and search for books about the industry.

For more help finding books, see Find Books.

Finding & Ordering Books in OhioLINK

Books may also be found through the OhioLINK Library Catalog. Use the OhioLINK Library Catalog to locate items available through other OhioLINK institutions. Available items can be requested and delivered to Maag Library for checkout (allow 3-5 days delivery time). To order materials, you need your library barcode number from the back of your student ID. If you do not have a library barcode, go to the Circulation Desk on the main floor of the library, and they will attach one to your student ID.

Use the same search techniques to search the OhioLINK Library Catalog that you use in MaagNet. Once you have located a book that you would like to order, click on the link telling you how many OhioLINK libraries own the item. As long as one of the libraries has the book listed as AVAILABLE, you may order the book:

Click on Request this item
Choose Youngstown State from the list of institutions
Enter your name and library barcode number, then press Submit

You will see a confirmation screen that tells you if your transaction has been successful. Delivery time is approximately 3 to 5 days. To find out when your book has arrived, go to Your Library Record and log in using your name and library barcode. Click the Requests tab to see the item(s) you ordered. A request can have one of three statuses: REQUESTED, IN TRANSIT or OHIOLINK RECVD. When the status says OHIOLINK RECVD, it is available for checkout at the Circulation Desk.

See Finding Books through OhioLINK for additional information.

Business Databases: Articles & Company Information

Journal article titles are not listed in MaagNet. Use the databases listed below to search for articles and company information. While these databases provide a good starting point for your research, other databases are also available. To view the complete list of databases, go to the Maag Library Home Page and click on Research Databases on the left side under Quick Links.

Many articles may be found full-text within the databases, while many others may be found in print in the bound journals on the sixth floor of the library. If you're having trouble locating the full-text of an article, contact Christine (contact information above).

Click on the database titles below if you are in the library or on campus. If you are off campus, click on the Off Campus Access link to authenticate using the library barcode on the back of your YSU ID. Click HERE for more information about off campus access.

BUSINESS SOURCE COMPLETE OFF CAMPUS ACCESS ABOUT BSC BSC USER GUIDE
Business Source Complete is a scholarly business database, providing bibliographic and full text content. BSC provides full text journals in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics. Additional full text, nonjournal content includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more.
>>Use Company Profiles link under "More" on toolbar at top of screen to access detailed Datamonitor Reports and Life Science Analytics Reports.
LEXISNEXIS ACADEMIC OFF CAMPUS ACCESS LEXISNEXIS ACADEMIC TUTORIALS
Lexis-Nexis Academic provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, medical and reference information from nearly 7,000 sources, most of them available in full text. The service covers newspapers, magazines, wire services, federal and state court opinions, federal and state statutes, federal regulations, and SEC filings. News information is updated daily and wire services several times daily.
>>To access Company Profiles, click Business tab on toolbar and search by Company Name or Ticker Symbol.
>>Hoover's Profiles in Lexis/Nexis: Click Business tab on toolbar > Click Company Profiles on left side of screen > Enter company name and/or ticker symbol in search box > Below, in "Sources" box: Uncheck U.S. Company Reports and check Hoover's Company Records - In-depth Records > Search
>>Note the lengthy list of sources in " Sources" dropdown menu that can be searched for company information.
MERGENT ONLINE OFF CAMPUS ACCESS MERGENT ONLINE USER GUIDE
Mergent Online provides business information, including financial reports, company news and securities data. Mergent Online contains company data and annual reports for both U.S. and international companies. U.S. company data includes SEC (EDGAR) filings.
>>Search by Company Name or Ticker Symbol. Use tabs across the top of company profile to view Company Details, Company Financials, Create Reports (make customized reports), EDGAR (SEC filings), and News.
>>If you click on Create Reports, then Pre-Defined Reports, you will access a list of company reports available through Mergent Online: Full Company Report, Abridged Company Report, Company Overview Report, Financial Overview Report, Detailed Financials Report, & Financial Analysis Report.
REFERENCE USA OFF CAMPUS ACCESS REF USA HELP SECTION
U.S. Businesses: This database of 14 million U.S. Businesses contains verified, accurate data and is updated monthly. Selection criteria include: Business Name, Executive Name, Business Type, Sales Volume, Employee Size, Year Established, plus more.
>>Click on U.S. Businesses: Search > Create a Custom Search: Select Company Name under "Name" section and Ticker Symbol under "Special Selects" (ticker symbol narrows your results considerably) > Click on Create Search > Enter Company Name and Ticker Symbol and click on Search Now > Click on appropriate company name
International Businesses: Find in-depth company profiles on 3 million international companies, including key executives and detailed financial information. Great for research on large companies and their foreign parents and subsidiaries. Selection criteria include: Business Name, Executive Name, Sales Volume, Company Assets, Number of Employees, Geography, plus more.
>>Click on International Businesses: Search to access OneSource Global Business Browser > In "Companies" box, enter Company Name or Ticker Symbol and click on magnifying glass > On left side of screen, narrow results by Country, State/Region, City, or Ownership > Click on appropriate company name to access detailed info about your company.
>>Online tutorials available after you enter One source Global Business Browser under Support.
REGIONAL BUSINESS NEWS OFF CAMPUS ACCESS ABOUT REGIONAL BUSINESS NEWS
Regional Business News is a collection of full text newswires that incorporates news information from all over the world. Information provided by these sources covers business, political, economic and other diverse, international news events. In order to maintain the most current collection of news, this database contains the most recent 30 days of information from each of these wire sources.
STANDARD & POOR'S NETADVANTAGE OFF CAMPUS ACCESS S&P NETADVANTAGE USER GUIDE
Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage is a comprehensive source of business and investment information, offering on-line access to popular Standard & Poor's research products, such as Industry Surveys, Stock Reports, Corporation Records, The Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives, The Outlook, Mutual Fund Reports among others.
Company information includes an Overview (Business Summary, Company Fact Sheet), Company Quote, Company News, Company Chart, Valuation (Key Stock Statistics, Per Share Data by Fiscal Year, Relative Standings by Calendar Year), Financials (Revenues, Earnings Per Share, Income Statement, Other Financial Data), Corporate Actions (Dividend Data, Stock Splits), Industry Information, Competitors, Industry News, S&P Stock Reports, Independent Equity Research, Company Register (Name, Address, Data, Stock Data, Business Description, NAICS Code(s), Market Regions, Bank/Accountant/Law Firm, Officers, Directors), Bond Reports, Industry Surveys, and Sub-Industry Reviews.
>>Click on Companies tab at top of page > Search for Company Profile by Company Name or Ticker Symbol. Use links on left side of profile to access detailed company and industry information.
VALUE LINE RESEARCH CENTER OFF CAMPUS ACCESS VALUE LINE EDUCATION SAMPLE STOCK PAGE
Value Line helps investors access the most accurate and independently created research information available, in any format they choose, and teaches them how to use it to meet their financial objectives.
>>For a one page Company Snapshot, use Standard Edition under Quick Index to look up company name or ticker symbol. Use Small & Mid-Cap Edition for smaller companies.

MJF: Maag Journal Finder

Use MJF: Maag Journal Finder to locate the print and/or electronic holdings of journals. You can search for a specific journal title or browse journals by title or subject. This is the best way to locate an article if you already have the citation!
From the Maag Library Home Page, click on MJF: Maag Journal Finder on the left side under Quick Links.

Web Resources

AnnualReports.com

Annual Report Service
Provides online access to company financial information. Currently the directory lists over 4,500 annual reports and 10-K Filings for online viewing. Additional companies are added daily. Free registration required.
AnyWho
White Pages: Find a Person/Reverse Lookup - All of the residential and business white pages listings are public information obtained from local telephone records for published telephone listings. These listings can range from 3-6 months old and are updated every three months.
Yellow Pages: Find a Business - Yellow Page listings (searches by category or name) are obtained from YELLOWPAGES.COM and are updated on a regular basis.
AT&T Directory Assistance
Online directory to find phone numbers, addresses, maps and directions for businesses and people in the U.S.
BigCharts
Use BigCharts to find the ticker symbol for your company, as well as News Headlines, Industry Information, Market Advisers, Analyst Recommendations, SEC Filings, Insiders Activity, Annual Report Service, and Company Profile.
Business Week: Company Insight Center
Search over 42,000 public and 322,000 private companies worldwide. Find stock quotes and charts, news and press releases, financials and key competitors. Research compensation figures, biographies, and board relationships of key company executives. Read up-to-the-minute global sector and industry news.
Business Wire
Business Wire, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, is a global market leader in commercial news distribution. Thousands of member companies and organizations depend on Business Wire to transmit their full-text news releases, regulatory filings, photos and other multimedia content to journalists, financial professionals, investor services, regulatory authorities and the general public worldwide.
CAROL (Company Annual Reports On-Line)
CAROL is an on-line service offering direct links to the financial pages of listed companies in Europe and the USA. CAROL provides direct access to companies’ balance sheets, profit & loss statements, financial highlights etc. Free registration for access to annual reports.
Corporate Information
The company research reports contained in CorporateInformation.com are produced on over 31,000 companies from over 55 countries. Much of this site is subscription, but basic company information is free.
Directory of Corporate Archives in the United States and Canada
This directory of corporate archives "includes companies that maintain their historical records themselves, as well as companies that contract with historical consulting firms to maintain their archives collections for them." Browsable by corporation name, archivist name, and geographical index. From the Society of American Archivists, Business Archives Section.
EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) Database (Securities and Exchange Commission)
All companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free. Here you'll find links to a complete list of filings available through EDGAR and instructions for searching the EDGAR database.
Search the EDGAR Database
EDGARpro: IPO Search (Initial Public Offerings)
Information on IPO companies, private companies changing to public companies.
Europages: The European Business Directory

Forbes Lists
200 Best Small Companies, 400 Best Big Companies, Fastest-Growing Techs, Asia's Best Under a Billion, Asia's Fabulous 50 Companies, Largest Private Companies, World's 2000 Largest Companies, Global High Performers, etc.
Fortune Rankings
Fortune 500, Global 500, 25 Top MBA Employers, 35 Largest U.S. Private Companies, Most Admired, 100 Best Companies to Work For, 101 Dumbest Moments in Business, Top 10 Blue-Ribbon Companies, 50 Most Powerful Women in Business, Top Companies for Leaders, 100 Fastest Growing Companies, 20 Great Empoyers for New Grads, etc.
Hoover's Online
Hoover's Inc. provides comprehensive company, industry, and market intelligence. Hoover's database includes 23 million companies, with comprehensive coverage of 44,000 of the world's top businesses. Much of this site is available only through subscription, however the company "capsules" (a description of the company, address, officers, sales, employment figures, and hyperlinks to financial reports, stock quotes, SEC filings) are available free of charge.
IRIN's Annual Report Resource Center
More than 10,400 current and historical annual reports are available for viewing and printing. If you want to request a hard copy of an annual report, IRIN will forward your request to the appropriate company.
MSN Money: Company Ownership Information and Activity
See ownership percentages for any given company, including institutional, mutual fund and insider ownership. You can also see recent changes in company ownership. Type a company name or ticker symbol and click Go.
New York Times Business Section
Free registration required.
Portfolio.com: Company Profiles
Company information, news, and financial data on more than 500,000 public and private companies.
PRARS (Public Register's Annual Report Service)
Company financials, including annual reports, prospectuses or 10ks for over 3,600 public companies available without charge to the investing public. Requests are processed within 24 hours and are shipped free of charge.
Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County: Electronic Business & Investment Resources
Business & Company Resource Center: A comprehensive database that provides timely and authoritative information on business, companies, and industries. Find articles, company data, investment analysis and more. Remote access available using Public Library of Youngstown barcode.
D&B Million Dollar Database: Find basic information on approximately 1,600,000 U.S. and Canadian leading public and private businesses, with sales greater than $1 million or more than 20 employees. Company information includes contact details, key officers, company profiles, executive biographies, number of employees, sales, links to websites, employment trends, and facility details. Remote access available using Public Library of Youngstown barcode.
Reference for Business
Select list of detailed company histories.
Researching Companies Online
This business research tutorial, created by Debbie Flanagan, presents a step-by-step process for finding FREE company and industry information on the Web. This online course will enable you to locate high-level company information, identify telephone numbers & addresses, locate company home pages, research company financial information, monitor company news and periodicals, review public opinion, learn about an industry, use business and financial meta-sites, locate professional associations, find conferences and seminars, find sales prospects, research nonprofit organizations, and identify international business resources.
Research Roundup: Business Filings Databases Updated
A state-by-state directory of links to corporate and business filings available online. Most of the listings provide free access. From the Law Library Resources Exchange (LLRX).
SEDAR (System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval)
Canada's EDGAR, the SEDAR database provides user-friendly access to public financial information. Developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and the Canadian Depository for Securities (CDS).
Superpages.com
Online resource for finding information and insights on businesses and retailers.
ThomasNet
Comprehensive resource for finding North American industrial suppliers, by company name and location. Free registration required.
ThomasGlobal
Complete, up-to-date directory of global industrial suppliers and product information. Free registration required.
The VARBusiness 500
The VARBusiness 500 is a listing of the top IT solution providers in North America, ranked by revenue. The VARBusiness 500 interactive database is filled with detailed company profiles and contact information.
The Virtual Chase: Company Information Guide
From Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP. Use this annotated research guide to find sources of information about companies.
The Wall Street Journal Online
Subscription required for full article access.
The Wall Street Journal Sunday
Selection of free articles for readers of the Wall Street Journal Sunday.
Yahoo! UK & Ireland Annual Reports

YELLOWPAGES.COM
A wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. As a leading Internet Yellow Pages and search directory, YELLOWPAGES.COM is uniquely able to offer searchable directory listings. Whether looking for a particular item, business, event, location or service, YELLOWPAGES.COM is a trusted online source for comprehensive national and local business information.