Entrepreneurship
Guide to research strategies and resources for Entrepreneurship research
Getting Started
Think about what you are trying to research in entrepreneurship. Are you interested in learning about the efficacy of small business grants? Do you want to learn about venture capital funding cycles? Or are you interested in diving deeper into industry projections for data mining algorithms? Deciding on your research topic will give you a jumping-off point to dig deeper.
For more information about finding your research topic, see Choosing a Research Topic in our Research Essentials Guide.
Once you have your research topic, it's time to start your research. Determine some keywords that describe the most important concepts for your topic, and use those keywords to search for articles, books, or other materials that cover your topic.
Searching is a process of trial and error, so be prepared to use a few strategies when finding materials. Using Boolean operators along with your keywords, such as AND or OR, can also help you refine your search.
For a deeper dive into finding sources for your topic, see Finding Books and Articles in our Research Essentials Guide.
As you find materials to help you in your research, you may start to find that you are drifting away from your original research topic. That's okay! This can be a great chance to refine your topic. For example, if you start out researching the viability of solar panel start-ups in New York, but wind up becoming more interested in writing about leveraging solar panel subsidies as you read, that can turn into a great opportunity to pursue a topic that interests you more.
At this point it is also a great idea to sit back and take stock. Always remember to evaluate your sources, and reach out if you still need help.
Key Databases & Websites
- ABI/INFORM Complete This link opens in a new window
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Business related articles from journals as well as trade publications, dissertations, conference proceedings, market reports and wire feeds. - Business Source Elite This link opens in a new window
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This database provides full-text coverage of business, management and economics journals and periodicals. These publications cover topics such as accounting, banking, finance, international business, marketing, and sales. - Gale Business: Entrepreneurship This link opens in a new window
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Gale Business: Entrepreneurship connects researchers with real business plans and case studies, how-to guides, and popular journalism concerning entrepreneurship topics of interest. Many articles linked are only available as citations. - Small Business Collection This link opens in a new window
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Ideal for business schools and entrepreneurs, Small Business Collection is updated daily and provides insights, tips, strategies, and success stories. Users find more than 500 subject-appropriate, active, full-text periodicals, including: Beverage Industry, Black Enterprise, Economist, Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, HR Magazine, Real Estate Weekly, Restaurant Business, and Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. - Gale Business: Insights This link opens in a new window
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Company and industry profiles including SWOT reports, market share and financial reports, industry rankings, products and brands, marketing data, and more. Contains articles and abstracts from journals and news sources. - Academic OneFile (Gale) This link opens in a new window
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Articles from journals, magazine, newspapers, trade publications and some ebooks covering multidisciplinary subjects. - CountryWatch This link opens in a new window
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Reports on political, business, demographic, cultural, and environmental information and statistics on countries around the world. Also includes daily news coverage by country, comparable country data sets and regional maps. - Leadership and Management (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new window
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Focus on articles concerning leadership, management, training, and other topics related to management.
- First Research Industry Profiles This link opens in a new window
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Industry profiles that includes an overview, the competitive landscape, financials, industry indicators, sales and marketing, and more. - Business Source Elite This link opens in a new window
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This database provides full-text coverage of business, management, and economics journals and periodicals. Business Source Elite also includes MarketLine Profiles, which provide a comprehensive industry profile including a market value forecast, category, geography segmentation, and market share. To access MarketLine Profiles:
Type in "industry profile" in the first box and the industry you're researching in the second box, e.g. dairy. - Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
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Go to the Industry Analysis tab. It includes a profile of the current environment & market trends and competitive company data for U.S. and global regions.
- U.S. Economic Census Data TablesData derived from 2017 U.S. Economic Census, illustrating industry trends and projects. Economic Census conducted every five years; watch the website for publication and analysis of 2022 materials.
- U.S. Census Bureau - County Business PatternsCBP is an annual series that provides subnational economic data by industry. This series includes the number of establishments, employment during the week of March 12, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll.
- North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) CodesThe North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics - Industries at a GlanceA brief overview of the industry, workforce and earnings statistics, industry-specific pricing information and workplace trends.
- NYC Open Data: Business DataVaried data sets from NYC Open data covering a wide swath of regulation and business registration data.
- ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry This link opens in a new window
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Journals and other sources ranging from current news to professional and academic journal articles covering the trends and history influencing important accounting, tax, banking, and financial issues of the day. - EDGAR: SEC Search Portal This link opens in a new windowProvides public access to the full-text of documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These include annual reports on form 10-K, quarterly reports on form 10-Q, etc.
- Key Business Ratios This link opens in a new window
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Mining information from the Dun & Bradstreet (now a subsidiary of Mergent, Inc.) database of financial information on 60 million+ companies from 209 countries around the world, Key Business Ratios (KBR) can be used to assess a firm's strengths and weaknesses relative to competing firms or an entire industry. - OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window
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OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) iLibrary is OECD’s Online Library for books, papers and statistics and the gateway to OECD’s analysis and data. Indexes 480 complete databases with 4.5 billion+ data points produced since 1998.
- PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
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Users can access thousands of U.S. data indicators to perform demographic and socioeconomic analysis, from a neighborhood census block group up to a national level, or create custom regions, for research and studies. - Statista This link opens in a new window
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Find statistics, consumer survey results, and industry studies. Categorized into 21 market sectors, the platform provides direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets.
Data sources include market research reports as well as trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases. - CountryWatch This link opens in a new window
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Reports on political, business, demographic, cultural, and environmental information and statistics on countries around the world. Also includes daily news coverage by country, comparable country data sets and regional maps. - Sports Market Analytics This link opens in a new window
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Sports Market Analytics is an online, continuously updated nationwide sports marketing analytics database with four reporting formats to accommodate user needs: Single Sport Analytics, Subject Analytics, Sport Summaries, and Sports Venue Analytics. It offers an all-encompassing perspective on the sports business, drawing upon syndicated and custom proprietary market research, industry reports, and licensed industry articles.
- Google Patent SearchFull text searchable U.S. and international patents
- U.S. Copyright OfficeSearch the Copyright Public Records Catalog online. 1978 to present.
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - Trademark SearchSearch database for trademark registrations and applications by mark, owner, or serial/registration number with Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS). The site includes FAQs, tutorials, and videos.
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - Patent databaseDivided into separate databases for patent applications and awarded patents.
- USPTO - Inventor & Entrepreneur ResourcesEducational resources and assistance from the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office.
- NY Department of State RecordsNew York Department of State's Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code. The Division examines, files, and maintains numerous documents vital to business and state government including state and local laws, oaths of office, trademarks, certificates of incorporation, and Uniform Commercial Code Article 9 financing statements.
- Iona University Libraries Copyright & Fair Use Research GuideIona University Libraries' comprehensive guide to copyright law and fair use. Tailored to faculty work, but includes additional online resources, videos, and clear definitions of Fair Use.
- News (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new window
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Provides access to more 1,000+ major U.S. regional, national and local newspapers as well as leading titles from around the world. - Newspaper Source This link opens in a new window
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Provides full-text of 200+ regional, national, and international newspapers. The database also includes transcripts from major television and radio broadcasts. - The New York Times (1980 - Current) This link opens in a new window
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Often considered the official U.S. newspaper, the NYTimes publishes the complete text of important documents, speeches and presidential press conferences. - US Newsstream This link opens in a new window
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US Newsstream enables users to search the most recent premium U.S. news content, as well as archives which stretch back into the 1980s featuring newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites in active full-text format. - Wall Street Journal This link opens in a new window
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The WSJ is considered the US's preeminent publication for business news and information on financial markets worldwide. Content available from 1984 - Current.
- ABI/INFORM Dateline This link opens in a new window
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Articles and content from magazines, newspapers, and wire services covering local and regional business news about companies, local markets, employment opportunities, data on benefits and compensation, corporate strategies, etc. - Barron's This link opens in a new window
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This premier business publication's detailed indexing helps users quickly find the news information they need. Content available from 1988 - Current. - Barron's Free Pass This link opens in a new windowThis free pass to Barron's generously provided by a donation from the Carpentieri family allows not only full-site access to Barron's, but also a number of subscription benefits like webinars and networking events. Students and staff should sign up using their "iona.edu" email address.
- Small Business Association Loan ProgramsFind loans from the SBA, check for Lender Matches, and learn about the terms of different SBA loans.
- Angel Capital AssociationMember directory of Angel Capital Association with information about various funders.
- The Capital NetworkNon-profit dedicated to creating equitable funding ecosystem.
- Small Business Association Office of Veterans Business DevelopmentInformation on small business support for veterans, including continued education programs, funding, and support networks.
- Small Business Association Create a Business PlanIncludes business plan templates, tips, and resources for developing both traditional business plans and leaner start-up business plans.
- BPlansWebsite includes sample business plans, tools, guides, and practical advice on planning and sustaining a business.
- Peterson's Test and Career Prep (Gale Presents) This link opens in a new window
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This career exploration resource helps students and job seekers search thousands of college and graduate schools, identify scholarships, take practice tests, create resumes, and explore careers. - Skillport (Books 24x7) This link opens in a new window
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Ebooks and streaming video from the following collections: BusinessPro, covering business skills, management and strategy; Executive Summaries; and IT and Desktop Videos, which are short, 3-5 minutes in length, on-demand instructional videos covering a variety of topics geared toward learners that already have some familiarity with the software or hardware.
Key Subject Journals
Digital Business Magazines & New York Times
- Flipster Digital Magazines This link opens in a new window
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Digital newsstand that offers a browse-able access to popular magazines such as Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Fortune, and The New Yorker.
Magazines can be downloaded to Android™ phones and tablets, Apple® phones and tables, and Kindle Fire tablets for offline reading. - The New York Times Academic Pass This link opens in a new window
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The Academic Pass provides access to NYTimes.com, NYTimes.com smartphone and tablet apps, and NYTimes In Education.