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Books - to find broad information on a topic, or the history of a given topic, try the book collection. This information may not the most up to date, but should give you a good sense of the "big picture." To look up books on a given topic, click on "Find Books & More" from the Library's webpage: http://library.mwcc.edu

Once you're in the library catalog depending on your topic, try broad keyword searches like:

• coca cola
• soft drinks

Some excellent marketing reference books include:

• Company Profiles for Students - Ref HG4057 .A27 1999
• Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands - Ref. HF5415.3 .E527 1994
• Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns - Ref HF5837 .E53 2000
• Dictionary of Marketing and Advertising - Ref HF5415 .R577 1995
• Concise Encyclopedia of Advertising - Ref HF5803 .C59 2005

Remember that we have access to many more books than are located at MWCC library. To see what books other libraries own on your subject search "All Central MA Libraries" or pick a specific library to search, within our system.

Also, if you do locate a book which contains good information on your topic, see if there are bibliographies in the book, which list other sources.

Periodical Indexes/Databases - to find the most current information on a topic, try journal or newspaper articles. In order to locate them, you must use an index. Just like in the back of a book there is an index which tells you what page to look at in the book, there are indexes to journals and newspapers which tell you which issue and page to look at in the journal. These indexes used to be just available in print but are now available online as well. Some online indexes which you should use in your work would be:

• Business Source Premier - great for articles and basic company information
• Business & Company ASAP- again, great for looking up articles
• LexisNexis - newspaper articles plus some journal coverage
• ReferenceUSA - A database of over 14 million businesses

The exciting thing about these online databases is that about 50 percent of the time, the articles which are indexed online, are available online, full-text.

These databases are available through the library's webpage under the link for "Find An Article"

Once in these databases, try specific keyword searches such as:

Websites - Keep an eye out for webpages that end with .org, .edu or .gov - These pages are usually put together by third parties that don't have a vested interest in convincing you to buy a product, believe what they believe, etc.

Corporate websites (www.cocacola.com, etc.) can also be a great source of information but watch out for "spin" - often the primary reason for these websites' existence is to get you to either a) invest in their corporation or b) to buy their product.

Statistics - The key to finding statistics, is spending a moment thinking about who would compile statistics in the field you are studying. More often than not, it will be one of two groups who would collect such information - namely the government and industry associations. There are two sources of statistical information in book form that you should consider using. These are:

• Statistical Abstract of the United States - Ref. HA 202 2007 
• Business Statistics of the United States - Ref. HC101 .A13122 2007

If you find a relevant section/table in either of these resources, be sure to look for the source of the citation. Backtracking to that source often leads to a wealth of valuable figures for your topic. If you need assistance in the process just ask a librarian.

Another great source of statistical information would be magazines and journals. The easiest way to access magazines and journals, would be via the library's databases, such as Business Source Premier. Try searches such as:

• soft drinks and statistics
• coca cola and market share

Industry Information - Several possibilities here. Certainly try the business databases as a starting point. Try searches such as:

• beverage and industry
• soft drink and industry

But also be aware that just as was the case with statistical information, trade/industry organizations will keep collect industry information. Do not be afraid to contact these industry organizations. Most have websites and toll-free numbers and are thrilled to talk about their industry, especially with students (otherwise known as potential and future paying clients). To find out about trade organizations check out these reference books:

• Small Business Sourcebook (Volume 1 - by industry) - Ref. HD2346 .U5 S66 2007
• Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources - Ref. HF5354 .E53 2007