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ONLINE DATABASES 75

APPENDIX

Section 1
SOME ONLINE DATABASES USEFUL
FOR BUSINESS RESEARCH

ONLINE DATABASES

Databases contain raw data stored on disks or CD-ROM. Computerized databases
that can be purchased deal with statistical data, financial data, texts, and the like.
Computer network links allow the sharing of these databases, which are updated
on a regular basis. Most university libraries have computerized databases per-
taining to business information that can be readily accessed.
Online services such as America Online, CompuServe, Prodigy, Delphi, and
Microsoft Network provide, among other things, facilities of the electronic mail,
discussion forums, real time chat, business and advertising opportunities, stock
quotes, online newspapers, and access to several databases. Some of the databases
useful for business research are listed below.

1. ABI/INFORM Global and ABI/INFORM provide the capability to search
most major business, management, trade and industry, and scholarly journals
from 1971 onward. The information search can be made by keying in the
name of the author, periodical title, article title, or company name. Full texts
from the journals and business periodicals are also available on CD-ROM and
electronic services.
2. INFOTRAC has a CD-ROM with expanded academic, business, and invest-
ment periodicals index covering over 1,000 periodicals in social sciences and
business that are updated monthly.
3. American Science and Technology Index (ASTI) is available both online
and on CD-ROM, and indexes periodicals and books.
4. The Business Periodicals Index (BPI) provides an index of more than 3,000
business and management periodicals, and is available online and on CD-ROM.
5. Human Resources Abstract is a quarterly abstracting service that covers
human, social, and manpower information.
6. The Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) is available both online and
on CD-ROM. This indexing service of books, periodicals, business articles,
government documents in business, and so on, is a useful source of reference.
7. The Wall Street Journal Index is available in full text by using the Dow
Jones News/Retrieval Service. This index covers corporate news as well as
general economic and social news. The Dow Jones News/Retrieval Service
offers full texts of articles.