How to Research a Company   Tags: business, companies  

This guide gives you some of the basics on how to research a company. The resources listed on this page include LRC databases, websites, online business periodicals, and a list of keywords/subject headings you may want to utilize in your search for company information.

After you click on a database, ebooks, or Noodletools link, you will be asked for the following information:

Username: 7-digit TCL ID number

Password: first initial of first name + last three digits of Social Security number (example: John Smith, SSN 1234567, Password: j567)

If you need to narrow down your results in the databases, or if you want to research a particular topic (such as the financial crisis), try using the following subjects and keywords in your searches. 

Subject Headings

Troubled Asset Relief Program; Financial Services Industry; Banks and banking; Business failures; Financial Management; Economic assistance, domestic; Savings and loan association failures; Subprime loans; Bailouts; Bankruptcy; Financial crises; Corporate reorganizations; Business cycles

Additional Keywords

Cost structure; Earnings trend; Earnings forecast

If you would like to research a company receiving Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds, visit this page from the online Wall Street Journal:

Participants in Government Investment Plan (Interactive Graphic)

You may also do a Google search for the term "list of TARP recipients."

Access the ELECTRONIC DATABASES via the databases link on the Learning Resource Center’s home page, or click here.

• BUSINESS AND COMPANY RESOURCE CENTER – Provides company profiles, news, rankings, histories, SIC and NAICS codes. In addition, there are links to full-text articles on each company in reference to management, strategy & planning, operation & technology and more.

• BUSINESS SOURCE PREMIER - Great source for full-text articles about companies found in trade publications, business magazines and scholarly journals. Also includes very detailed company profiles and a SWOT analysis that covers strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

• ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER – Good source for more general information about companies. Will include current newspaper and magazine articles about challenges companies are encountering. (View two short demonstrations of this database: Academic Search Premier 1 and Academic Search Premier 2. Videos may take a moment to load.)

In addition to these resources, try doing a general search for a particular company. Some company websites include annual reports, which provide financial data and information on how the company is structured.