On Trial

This month, the Ross Pendergraft Library is trialing many new databases up for purchase consideration for next year.  Now is the time for you to test drive and give your feedback on the resources important to you.

BizMiner – TRIAL EXPIRES OCT. 22

BizMiner produces industry statistical reports, offering industry financial analysis benchmarks for more than 5,000 lines of business and industry market trends on thousands more. … These financial and industry market trend reports are used by business valuation professionals, accountants, and business owners.

Have a business plan you need to write?  Use this tool to gather market information on thousands of industries at the national, state, and city-level.  Need to know what it takes to open a hamburger restaurant in Russellville?  Look up annual sales, market volume, employment, productivity and more:

Screenshot of Bizminer report for hamburger businesses in Russellville

Early American Newspapers, Series 1 (1690-1876) and Series 6 (1741-1922)

This trial includes full text, digitized access to nearly 1,000 titles including the Weekly Arkansas Gazette (1819-1876) and Arkansas Gazette (1987-1908).  Series 6 is currently the ONLY way to access earlier editions of the state’s newspaper without using microfilm.  This resource is valuable for finding primary sources to the historical events that shaped our country and region.  The database is searchable by keyword or users can browse by newspaper title, place of publication, article types, and languages.  Once a newspaper article is selected, users will view the original, digitized version of the newspaper (includes photographs, advertising, and more).

Screenshot of Weekly Gazette showing map of new Iron Railroad passing through Arkansas

Take a trip through Arkansas history with this important resource!  But hurry!  It expires October 31st, 2018!

English Reports (HeinOnline)

Looking for early English Law?  The English Reports delivers exact page images of the original bound reprint edition, containing more than 100,000 cases, together with the Indexes and Book of Charts. This series includes the nominate reports or common-law rulings from various courts in England from the Middle Ages to the 1860s. The reports themselves were published in the early 20th century and would fill multiple shelves.  However, you can access this entire collection online using multiple navigation tools, such as a Case Locator, Chart Tool, and an Advanced Search feature enhance the ease of access to specific cases. Also included in this collection is the Statutes of the Realm (1235-1713), along with Pre-1865 Law Reports.

Screenshot of English Reports interface

Review and judge this database until November 5th.

Seldon Society Publications and the History of Early English Law (HeinOnline)

This library includes the Selden Society Annual Series, Selden Society Supplementary Series and the Centenary Guide to the Publications of the Selden Society published in 1987. The Seldon Society dedicates itself to the study and publication of English legal history. It also includes more than 220 English Legal History Classics including abridgments, digests and dictionaries. Moreover, you will be able to access early English case law and link to other online publications in early English history.

Screenshot of title page of early English text

Perufe thif collection of fine Englifh legal hiftory before it expiref on November 5th.

Like them?  Hate them?  Make a case for these trial databases at askus@atu.libanswers.com.  You can also reach us via text, phone, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or in person at the Ross Pendergraft Library.   Remember, your feedback determines what resources we purchase and what we don’t.  So let us know!

On Trial: Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print

From now until Dec. 14, take a look at the best resource for finding the right test and testing instruments for your research: Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print.

This online resource contains a bibliography to all known commercially available English-language tests currently in print.  It also features full-text reviews for more than 13,000 tests in psychology, business, education, and leadership.  This is the most comprehensive, interdisciplinary reference tool for any researcher interested in tests, measurement, and assessment.

To get started, search the database by keyword, test name, test category, purpose, and more.  Results can be limited by whether or not a review is available, subject, date of publication, and publisher.

Screenshot of test results

Each entry will feature a description of the test, prices, scores, population, purpose, and—in most cases—a comprehensive review of the test to help you determine its effectiveness, uses, and potential pitfalls.

screenshot of concussion vital signs entry

Currently, the library has Mental Measurements Yearbook and Tests in Print in book form in the Reference Collection.  The online version pairs the listings of all Tests in Print with the reviews of all published volumes of Mental Measurements, making this a one-stop shop for comprehensive test information without ever having to leave your home or office.

With the online version, you can search across all volumes and all 13,000 reviews with keywords and subject searches.  You can also capture and import reviews and content through the familiar set of tools common to all our EBSCOhost products: save, email, permanent link, and import into Refworks.

If you are not sure where to begin in your quest for tests, take a look at this research guide about Tests and Measures.  It includes information about other resources for tests as well as handy hints for finding unpublished & non-commercial tests.

Does Mental Measurements measure up?  You be the judge!  Let us know by texting us at 479-802-4876 or emailing the collection liaison for Behavioral Sciences and Business, Angela Black, at ablack9@atu.edu.   Hurry, the trial ends on Dec. 14th—help us test out this potential resource!

Mental Measurements Yearbook from EBSCO on Vimeo.

On Trial

This week only, the Ross Pendergraft Library is hosting a database trial for Marketline Advantage.

Picture of MarketLine Advantage search page

This collection of business resources include:

  • Databases enabling users to create customized tables and reports, including market share, forecasts, country statistics, and investment information.
  • Current & in-depth country reports using PESTLE & PEST analysis
  • 6,600 EXTENSIVE industry profiles which include market value, market volume, and market share.
  • 100,000 company profiles, many with SWOT analysis and financial overviews
  • More coverage of international economies and industries
  • Over 450 case studies in business
  • “Ask an Analyst” service—ask business analyst expert questions and get a response within 48 hours

One of the best features of this database is the ability to create customized reports on business statistical data.  Below is a generated graph of nominal GDP for the United State, China, and Mexico between 2006-2016:

A graph demonstrating nominal GDP for China, Mexico and the U.S. It displays the GDP growth rate as well as the GDP in trillions

MarketLine Advantage. (2017). [Line chart on Country Statistics Database, Feb. 14, 2017]. Country Statistics Database. Retrieved from https://advantage.marketline.com/PremiumTools

If you aren’t sure what statistics you need, browse the country, industry, and company reports to quickly gather specific information you need:

Table of key U.S. fundamentals, including GDP, unemployment rate, and more

For business students wanting to pour over in-depth statistics and economic ratios or just looking to gather quick facts, take advantage of the current trial and tell us your thoughts.  Do you like it? Love it? Hate it? Confused by it? Let us know at askalibrarian@atu.edu. Your feedback is vital to shape the kind of databases and collections the library acquires.  If there’s something we don’t have and you think we should, let us know that, too.  We want to be sure we are getting the right tools to ensure academic success of our students, faculty, and staff.

If you want to take Marketline Advantage for a spin, you should hurry!  The trial ends on Friday, February 17th.

Going, going, gone

You only have two more days to test the new BP Global Energy Data Visualization Tool.  The Library is currently conducting a trial of this product which maps major energy developments from the last 27 years.  The trial ends on Wednesday.

bp

Explore oil, natural gas, coal, and alternative energy production by country or region.  Chart how production, capacity, or consumption has changed over time with a sliding timeline bar.  An interactive globe will take you around the world with a swipe of a mouse.  The tool includes a separate chronology section to explore major energy developments over time with pictures and a commodities filter to narrow or broaden your results display.

The page also include links to the Statistical Review of World Energy for 2014.  From there, view PDFs and Powerpoint slides on the major facts and figures for energy production in the last year.

Take it for a test drive and let us know what you think at askalibrarian@atu.edu.

 

Statista Trial

Looking for industry reports, company data, and market forecasts?  The Library is currently hosting a trial of Statista–a statistical database containing more than 1,000,000 statistics on more than 80,000 topics, from over 18,000 sources.

This database includes industry reports, as well as current company information, arranged largely in simple, easy-to-understand charts and graphs.  To use Statista, begin with a keyword search.  Results can include topic pages, industry reports, and “dossier” reports consisting of brief Power Point presentations summarizing the key facts of your topic.  Statista also provides you with an encyclopedia of statistical terms and a collection of infographics for quick, visually appealing snapshots of complex data.

Give it a try today and let us know what you think at askalibrarian@atu.edu.  We rely on your feedback to help determine what to add to the library’s buffet of databases, so please drop us a line to let us know if you love it/hate it/feel “meh” about it.  This trial ends on October 3rd, so take it for a test-drive soon.   For this and other Library trials, see our Trial Database Page.

Infographic: Engineering is America’s Highest-Earning Major | Statista

You will find more statistics at Statista