MGT 313: Human Resources Management
Searching Strategies- Article Databases
- Best Practices Database
- Books
- Citation Help
Steve Cramer
UNCG Business Librarian
smcramer@uncg.edu
336-256-0346
AIM: stevebizlib
1. Searching Strategies
What's a database?
- A searchable collection of articles, company data, industry analysis, etc.
- Most are paid for by the library (databases are expensive).
- Web-based, 24/7 access.
- Also available from off-campus, using your Novell/e-Spartan login:
How do I get to databases?
Five basic techniques for searching databases for articles:
1. Identify the main concepts or keywords of your search question.
2. Combine keywords with "AND"
ex: mentoring AND employee retention
3. Search for synonyms with "OR"
ex: diversity OR multicultural
4. Using parenthesis, you can use OR and AND at the same time.
ex: (diversity OR multicultural) AND mentoring
5. Truncate words that have various endings
ex: mentor* and manage*
When to use Journal Finder
- Available from the library homepage or directly from most databases.
- It tells you if we have online access to a journal, magazine, or newspaper.
- It also tells you if the library has the paper version.
- Below is an example of a Journal Finder link from Business Source Premier:
2. Article Databases
Business Source Premier
- Our largest database for business articles.
- Covers over 8,200 journals, magazines, and newspapers.
- Covers 1984-present, with earlier coverage for hundreds of top business journals.
- More info
PsycInfo
- The main database for psychology research.
- Also a great source of research on organizational behavior.
- Includes links to full text.
- More info
Academic v. Popular v. Trade/Practitioner
| |
Academic Journals |
Popular Magazines |
Trade Magazines |
General
appearance |
Plain, sober, serious; may have graphs or charts, but few pictures; long articles with footnotes
|
Glossy paper; lots of colorful ads & photos, short articles
|
Glossy paper; business-to-business ads; heavily illustrated; short articles |
| Audience |
Professors, students, researchers
|
General public
|
Professionals in an industry |
| Authors |
Professors, researchers
|
Reporters
|
Specialized reporters |
| Publishers |
Academic associations or commercial publishers |
Media conglomerates |
Professional associations or commercial publishers |
Citations/
Footnotes? |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Peer-reviewed? |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Examples |
Journal of Management, Managerial Finance |
Business Week, Fortune |
Advertising Age,
Chain Store Age |
But how do you tell if an online article is academic?
- Consider the the name of the journal or magazine.
- Are there footnotes?
- Is the article long and detailed?
- Is it written at an advanced level? (i.e. large vocabulary, complex sentences or thoughts, etc.)
Three examples of online articles: academic or not?
- Trends in U.S. economics majors: Why the decline in the 1990s?
- All the right moves
- Members' salaries still increase
3. Best Practices Database
Best Practices
- Provides detailed summaries and case studies of best practice research conducted for major corporations.
- Covers human resources (note the section on the left under "Browse Database"), business operations, customer service, e-commerce, sales and marketing, and knowledge management.
- Searchable by company, industry, and topic.
- More info
Example reports:
- Benchmarking Corporate Diversity & Inclusion Programs: Measuring Program Effectiveness
- Campus Recruiting: Managing University Relations
- Matrix of Leadership Development Strategies
- Leadership Spotlight -- Federal Express
- Linking Communications, Employee Evaluations, and Pay-For-Performance
4. Books
Library Catalog
Keyword searches examples
- background check$ AND employees
- (salaries OR compensation) AND performance
- diversity in the workplace AND mentor$
- downsizing AND organizational change
- communication in organizations AND leadership
Subject term examples
Sometimes, the subject terms used by the catalog aren't common business terms. Here are some useful subject terms you can use alone or with other terms ADDed.
- Personnel management [instead of human resource management]
- Management
- Organizational behavior
- Employee selection
- Employee retention
- Employee motivation
- Diversity in the workplace
5. Citation Help
