Find three business websites that provide business information such as company or industry news, trends, analysis, facts, or performance data. Using the criteria discussed under "Evaluating Sources" on page 366-367, evaluate the credibility of the information presented at these websites.

biem as a question, such as How can we improve customer satisfaction?" or "Does to reach at the end of the process. You may find it easier to phrase the what specific information you need to find. Your next task is to dig deeper to discover the Your problem statement frames the purpose of your research, but it doesn't usually tell you information gaps that need to be filled through research. You or someone in your company may already have some of the information you need, and you don't want to waste time or For instance, the question "How can we improve customer satisfaction is too vague because many separate factors contribute to customer satisfaction. To get useful informa- tion, you would break this topic down into specific issues, such as product reliability and customer service skills. Digging further, you may discover that you don't need to research product reliability because the company already tracks data on product repairs. However, if no one has ever measured the employees customer service skills, you would identify tive side, independent sources communicating through blogs, wikis, Twitter, user-generated content sites, and podcasting channels can provide valuable and unique insights, often from experts whose voices might never be heard otherwise. On the negative side, these nontra- used in traditional publishing. You cannot assume that the information you find is accurate, ditional information sources often lack the editorial boards and fact-checkers commonly objective, and current. Answer the following questions about each piece of material: Does the source have a reputation for honesty and reliabilityt Naturally, you'll feel more comfortable using information from an established source that has a reputation Apple's new TV system pose a competitive threat to us!" IDENTIFYING INFORMATION GAPS -h by identifying at gaps in your money gathering information you already have that as a definite information gap. ave enoug aswer every to mind, so must. PRIORITIZING RESEARCH NEEDS Prioritizing your research needs is important because you won't have the time or money to answer every question you might have. Moreover, if you'll be using interviews or surveys than people are willing to give. One simple way to prioritize is to divide your questions tions. If you start with a technique such as information gap analysis, you will get a clear idea of the information you truly need to collect. JECTIVE research, luate, locale, ton sources Conducting Secondary Research With a clear plan and careful prioritization, you're ready to conduct research, and the first step is to see whether anyone else has already done some or all of the research you need. Consulting research that was done previously for another purpose is considered secondary research. The sources for such information include print and online periodicals, online databases, books, and other research reports. (Some companies specialize in reports on particular industries, companies, technologies, market regions, and other subjects.) Don't let the name secondary mislead you, though. You want to start with second- ary research because it can save you considerable time and money, although you may have to pay to see someone else's results. In contrast, primary research (see page 372) is new research done specifically for the current project. forts gather Bon that Sllected for conducting st. EVALUATING SOURCES No matter where you're searching, it is your responsibility to separate quality information from unreliable or misleading junk to avoid corrupting your results. Social media have com carefully and poten Finding Information at the Library Public, corporate, and university libraries offer an enormous array of business books, databases, newspapers, periodicals, directories, almanacs, and government publications. Some of these printed sources provide information that is not available online, and some of the online sources provide information that is available by subscription. Don't assume that you can find everything you need through your own online research. by ve webpages to read a conveniente TW for accuracy Bur don't let your guard down.completely, even the finest reporters and editors can make mistakes. For sources that are new or relatively unknown, your safest MOBILE APP bet is to corroborate anything you learn with information from several other sourcet. The Instapaper more Is the source potentially biased? The individual or organization providing the infor mation might have a particular bins or point of view regarding the information and When you're explongs to its context. Such bias is neither inherently bad nor unethical (unless it is being inten want to collect photo tionally hidden), but you need to be aware of it to interpret the information you find. What is the purpose of the material? Was the material designed to inform others of new research, advance a position, or stimulate discussion? Was it designed to pro mote or sell a product? Be sure to distinguish among advertising, advocating, and informing Is the author credible? Find out whether the person or the publisher is known and respected in the field. Is the author someone with hands-on experience in the subject area or merely an observer with an opinion? Where did the source get its information! Many sources of secondary information get their material from other secondary sources, removing you even further from the original data. Can you verify the material independently? Verification can uncover biases or mis- takes-which is particularly important when the information goes beyond simple facts to include projections, interpretations, and estimates. If you can't verify critical Let your readers kno information, let your audience know that. unable to verify critic Is the material current? Make sure you are using the most current information avail of information obtain research able by checking the publication or posting date. Is the material complete? Have you accessed the entire document or only a selection from it? If it's a selection, which parts were excluded? Do you need more detail? Are all claims supported with evidencet Are opinions presented as facts? Does the writer make broad claims, such as "most people believe...," without citing any sur- veys to prove his or her point? Do the source's claims stand up to logical scrutinyFinally, step back and ask whether the information makes sense. If that little voice in your head says that something sounds suspicious, listen! You probably won't have time to conduct a thorough background check on all your sources, so focus your efforts on the most important or most suspicious pieces of information. LOCATING SOURCES Even if you intend to eventually conduct primary research, start with a review of any available secondary research. Inside your company, you might be able to find a variety of documents prepared for other projects that offer helpful information. Be sure to ask whether your company has a knowledge management system or some other repository for research results. (See "Managing Information" on page 379 for more on this topic.) Out- side the company, you can choose from a wide range of print and online resources, some of which are included in Table 13.1 on the next page. (The list in this table represents a tiny fraction of the secondary resources available; ask a reference librarian for advice on researching specific business topics. For instance, if you want to know more about a is specific company, one of the first things you'll need to find out is whether the company public (sells shares of stock to the general public) or private. Public corporations, which are required to submit extensive financial reports to government agencies, usually have more information available than private companies. biem as a question, such as How can we improve customer satisfaction?" or "Does to reach at the end of the process. You may find it easier to phrase the what specific information you need to find. Your next task is to dig deeper to discover the Your problem statement frames the purpose of your research, but it doesn't usually tell you information gaps that need to be filled through research. You or someone in your company may already have some of the information you need, and you don't want to waste time or For instance, the question "How can we improve customer satisfaction is too vague because many separate factors contribute to customer satisfaction. To get useful informa- tion, you would break this topic down into specific issues, such as product reliability and customer service skills. Digging further, you may discover that you don't need to research product reliability because the company already tracks data on product repairs. However, if no one has ever measured the employees customer service skills, you would identify tive side, independent sources communicating through blogs, wikis, Twitter, user-generated content sites, and podcasting channels can provide valuable and unique insights, often from experts whose voices might never be heard otherwise. On the negative side, these nontra- used in traditional publishing. You cannot assume that the information you find is accurate, ditional information sources often lack the editorial boards and fact-checkers commonly objective, and current. Answer the following questions about each piece of material: Does the source have a reputation for honesty and reliabilityt Naturally, you'll feel more comfortable using information from an established source that has a reputation Apple's new TV system pose a competitive threat to us!" IDENTIFYING INFORMATION GAPS -h by identifying at gaps in your money gathering information you already have that as a definite information gap. ave enoug aswer every to mind, so must. PRIORITIZING RESEARCH NEEDS Prioritizing your research needs is important because you won't have the time or money to answer every question you might have. Moreover, if you'll be using interviews or surveys than people are willing to give. One simple way to prioritize is to divide your questions tions. If you start with a technique such as information gap analysis, you will get a clear idea of the information you truly need to collect. JECTIVE research, luate, locale, ton sources Conducting Secondary Research With a clear plan and careful prioritization, you're ready to conduct research, and the first step is to see whether anyone else has already done some or all of the research you need. Consulting research that was done previously for another purpose is considered secondary research. The sources for such information include print and online periodicals, online databases, books, and other research reports. (Some companies specialize in reports on particular industries, companies, technologies, market regions, and other subjects.) Don't let the name secondary mislead you, though. You want to start with second- ary research because it can save you considerable time and money, although you may have to pay to see someone else's results. In contrast, primary research (see page 372) is new research done specifically for the current project. forts gather Bon that Sllected for conducting st. EVALUATING SOURCES No matter where you're searching, it is your responsibility to separate quality information from unreliable or misleading junk to avoid corrupting your results. Social media have com carefully and poten Finding Information at the Library Public, corporate, and university libraries offer an enormous array of business books, databases, newspapers, periodicals, directories, almanacs, and government publications. Some of these printed sources provide information that is not available online, and some of the online sources provide information that is available by subscription. Don't assume that you can find everything you need through your own online research. by ve webpages to read a conveniente TW for accuracy Bur don't let your guard down.completely, even the finest reporters and editors can make mistakes. For sources that are new or relatively unknown, your safest MOBILE APP bet is to corroborate anything you learn with information from several other sourcet. The Instapaper more Is the source potentially biased? The individual or organization providing the infor mation might have a particular bins or point of view regarding the information and When you're explongs to its context. Such bias is neither inherently bad nor unethical (unless it is being inten want to collect photo tionally hidden), but you need to be aware of it to interpret the information you find. What is the purpose of the material? Was the material designed to inform others of new research, advance a position, or stimulate discussion? Was it designed to pro mote or sell a product? Be sure to distinguish among advertising, advocating, and informing Is the author credible? Find out whether the person or the publisher is known and respected in the field. Is the author someone with hands-on experience in the subject area or merely an observer with an opinion? Where did the source get its information! Many sources of secondary information get their material from other secondary sources, removing you even further from the original data. Can you verify the material independently? Verification can uncover biases or mis- takes-which is particularly important when the information goes beyond simple facts to include projections, interpretations, and estimates. If you can't verify critical Let your readers kno information, let your audience know that. unable to verify critic Is the material current? Make sure you are using the most current information avail of information obtain research able by checking the publication or posting date. Is the material complete? Have you accessed the entire document or only a selection from it? If it's a selection, which parts were excluded? Do you need more detail? Are all claims supported with evidencet Are opinions presented as facts? Does the writer make broad claims, such as "most people believe...," without citing any sur- veys to prove his or her point? Do the source's claims stand up to logical scrutinyFinally, step back and ask whether the information makes sense. If that little voice in your head says that something sounds suspicious, listen! You probably won't have time to conduct a thorough background check on all your sources, so focus your efforts on the most important or most suspicious pieces of information. LOCATING SOURCES Even if you intend to eventually conduct primary research, start with a review of any available secondary research. Inside your company, you might be able to find a variety of documents prepared for other projects that offer helpful information. Be sure to ask whether your company has a knowledge management system or some other repository for research results. (See "Managing Information" on page 379 for more on this topic.) Out- side the company, you can choose from a wide range of print and online resources, some of which are included in Table 13.1 on the next page. (The list in this table represents a tiny fraction of the secondary resources available; ask a reference librarian for advice on researching specific business topics. For instance, if you want to know more about a is specific company, one of the first things you'll need to find out is whether the company public (sells shares of stock to the general public) or private. Public corporations, which are required to submit extensive financial reports to government agencies, usually have more information available than private companies