1. Business 360W: Business Communication Research
4/19/2017
Business 360W: Business Communication Research @
Simon Fraser University Library
By Yolanda Koscielski
Liaison Librarian to Business Administration

2. Objectives:
Gain an understanding that there is a huge world of information out there between the polar opposites of good (usually academic) and poor
Learn to evaluate any piece of information for recency, reliability, and relevance (the three R’s)
Review some basic search strategies
Know how to get help/additional resources

3. Where Should You Search For the Info?
4/19/2017
The Research Process
Research Question
Sub Questions
Who Might Have the Info?
Where Should You Search For the Info?
SEARCHING
Evaluating
Writing

4. Where Should You Search For the Info?
4/19/2017
The Research Process
Research Question
Sub Questions
Who Might Have the Info?
Where Should You Search For the Info?
SEARCHING
Evaluating
Writing 4

5. Research Questions? Radio in the Internet Era
4/19/2017
Research Questions?
Radio in the Internet Era
Promoting a Reduced Carbon Footprint
BC Construction Worker Safety
Executive Safety
...

6. Where Should You Search For the Info?
4/19/2017
The Research Process
Research Question
Sub Questions
Who Might Have the Info?
Where Should You Search For the Info?
SEARCHING
Evaluating
Writing 6

7. Where Should You Search For the Info?
4/19/2017
The Research Process
Research Question
Sub Questions
Who Might Have the Info?
Where Should You Search For the Info?
SEARCHING
Evaluating
Writing 7

8. Who might publish the information you need?
4/19/2017
Who might publish the information you need?

9. Exercise: Scholarly vs. non-scholarly article
Roberts, J., Tanner, J., & Manolis, C. (2005). Materialism and the family structure-stress relation. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 15(2),
Winfrey, O. (2007, November). What I know for sure. O, The Oprah Magazine, pp. 352,352. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from Canadian Reference Centre database.

10. Evaluating your Sources The Three Rs
Recency
Reliability
Relevance

11. Evaluating your Sources
4/19/2017
Evaluating your Sources
Recency
Date = currency
Reliability
Bibliography+methodology= documentation
Author info = authority
Length = completeness
Ads + pictures = purpose
Relevance
Closeness to your topic
Must judge info and explain to (ex. Professor/manager)
High quality doesn’t always mean relevant

12. Evaluating your Sources Quality vs. Quantity
Quality is your 1st Priority

13. Who might publish the information you need?
4/19/2017
Who might publish the information you need?

14. Academic articles: Evaluation Issues
Peer-reviewed (reliability)
University affiliation (reliability)
Comprehensive + well-documented (reliability + relevance)
But..
Information may not be that recent (recency)
Information may not be that relevant + scholarly articles may not provide all the information you need (relevancy)
Not all scholarly articles/journals are created alike (reliability)

15. News articles: Evaluation Issues
Entry point to different topics, with useful references to people, associations, studies, reports, etc.
Source of unique content
Possibly high geographical relevance
Can be very recent
But..
Potentially biased
Big reliability issues

16. Private Researchers: Evaluation Issues
Source of highly relevant information
May provide methodology + other documentation
But…
Can be very expensive
Can be slanted
Relevance may be limited, e.g. American vs. Canadian law

17. Associations: Evaluation Issues
Possibly highly specific relevancy) to the industry/question you are researching
But…
As advocates for their members, can present a biased/incomplete view

18. Government: Evaluation Issues
Can be geographically relevant
Research methodology can be very well documented (e.g. Statistics Canada)
But…
May not be as relevant as you wish

19. Companies: Evaluation Issues
Possibly highly relevant information
But…
Selective reporting
Hard to obtain information for private companies
Alternatives:
Refer to public organizations for policies
Practitioner publications for policy/cost components

20. Where Should You Search For the Info?
4/19/2017
The Research Process
Research Question
Sub Questions
Who Might Have the Info?
Where Should You Search For the Info?
SEARCHING
Evaluating
Writing 20

21. Where do you find the information?
4/19/2017
Where do you find the information?
Books
News Articles
Business & Academic Literature
Library Catalogue
CBCA & Canadian Newsstand
Business Source Complete

22. Who might publish the information you need?
4/19/2017
Who might publish the information you need?

23. Where Should You Search For the Info?
4/19/2017
The Research Process
Research Question
Sub Questions
Who Might Have the Info?
Where Should You Search For the Info?
SEARCHING
Evaluating
Writing 23

24. 4/19/2017
Analyzing Your Topic
Before searching the databases, analyze your topic: break it down into concepts and think of synonyms for each idea.
Topic: What are the trends in the women's clothing market?
Concepts: clothing AND women AND trend*
Synonyms: apparel AND female AND fashion
Search = (clothing or apparel) AND (women or female) AND (trend or fashion)

25. Sample Search Question
4/19/2017
Sample Search Question
Use AND / OR / NOT to combine terms to narrow or broaden your database searches.
Use * Truncation symbol to find all variations of a word ex. A search for "forest* " will result in items containing any of:  forestry, forest, and forests

26. Using the Index

27. Where Should You Search For the Info?
4/19/2017
The Research Process
Research Question
Sub Questions
Who Might Have the Info?
Where Should You Search For the Info?
SEARCHING
Evaluating
Writing 27

28. Information Evaluation Exercise
Satellite radio doesn’t worry broadcasters
Star: Phoenix. Saskatoon, Sask.: Dec 10, pg. D.1
Retailers say satellite radio equipment is a hot-selling Christmas gift this year, but an official with the Saskatchewan Association of Broadcasters says satellite radio should not have any impact on traditional radio. Bjorn Vors, a sales associate with Future Shop in Saskatoon, says the store is almost running out of stock.
“I’ve got a couple left. They (satellite radio receivers) just go like hot cakes,” said Vors.
Vic Dubois, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Broadcasters, says about 50 years ago television was supposed to bring about the demise of radio, and a few years ago the Internet was expected to make radio and newspapers obsolete, but that has not happened…Dubois believes that satellite radio might have zero or minimal impact on advertising revenues for traditional radio.
“Not much (impact). Because if they ran advertisements it would be national advertising or international…I would say 15 per cent of our revenue ads comes from national advertising and 85 per cent is local,” said Dubois.
Credit: Abraham Akot

29. Information Evaluation Exercise
Satellite radio doesn’t worry broadcasters
Star: Phoenix. Saskatoon, Sask.: Dec 10, pg. D.1
Retailers say satellite radio equipment is a hot-selling Christmas gift this year, but an official with the Saskatchewan Association of Broadcasters says satellite radio should not have any impact on traditional radio. Bjorn Vors, a sales associate with Future Shop in Saskatoon, says the store is almost running out of stock.
“I’ve got a couple left. They (satellite radio receivers) just go like hot cakes,” said Vors.
Vic Dubois, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Broadcasters, says about 50 years ago television was supposed to bring about the demise of radio, and a few years ago the Internet was expected to make radio and newspapers obsolete, but that has not happened…Dubois believes that satellite radio might have zero or minimal impact on advertising revenues for traditional radio.
“Not much (impact). Because if they ran advertisements it would be national advertising or international…I would say 15 per cent of our revenue ads comes from national advertising and 85 per cent is local,” said Dubois.
Credit: Abraham Akot

30. Where Should You Search For the Info?
4/19/2017
The Research Process
Research Question
Sub Questions
Who Might Have the Info?
Where Should You Search For the Info?
SEARCHING
Evaluating
Writing 30

31. Writing - Citing Your Information Sources
4/19/2017
Writing - Citing Your Information Sources

32. First Steps to BUS 360W Wiki SFU Library Website
The library’s home page:
Click on “Browse research guides”

33. Click on Business Administration,
-then on Course
-then on BUS 360

34. BUS 360W Research Guide Wiki

35. Reference & Research Assistance
4/19/2017
Reference & Research Assistance
In-person, Telephone, & Virtual Ask Us Now Reference Service
SFU Burnaby
Yolanda Koscielski:
SFU Surrey
Greg Tourino:

36. Objectives:
Gain an understanding that there is a huge world of information out there between the polar opposites of good (usually academic) and poor
Learn to evaluate any piece of information for recency, reliability, and relevance (the three R’s)
Review some basic search strategies
Know how to get help/additional resources