ACC220 Financial Accounting Fundamentals II
Resources for Corporate Research Project
An online version of this guide is available at:
Or, follow these links from the library’s home page:
Librarian Web Pages - Connie McDowell - Click here for class resources
Finding Background Information about Your Company
Company Web Site
The web site for your company is a good resource. For history and background, look for a link that says "About Us" or "About <company name>." For financial information, look for a link that says "Investor Relations" or "Financial Information." Can't find your company's web site? Try the Seattle Times NW 100 on the online version of this guide.
Mergent Online Database
Mergent (formerly Moody's) is a database available through the Seattle Public Library that provides a wealth of information on U.S. and foreign public companies. Types of information include company histories, financial data, ratios, SEC filings, news, Annual Report to Shareholders, etc. Mergent provides a variety of reports and allows you to create custom reports, which can be downloaded as Excel files, Word documents, .pdf files or HTML files. For a concise view of your company, the tearsheets are especially valuable. You can access Mergent from anywhere, provided you have a library card for the Seattle Public Library.
Business & Company Resource Database
This database is available at both the Seattle Public Library and the King County Library System. To access it, you must have a library card from either of those libraries. Business & Company Resource provides financial information, company profiles and histories, industry news, brand information, rankings, investment reports, chronologies and magazine articles.
EDGAR Database
The EDGAR Database at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) contains the SEC filings that public companies are required to submit. These filings contain very detailed information on companies, including financial data, a thorough description of the company, legal issues, stock ownership, executives officers and salaries, etc. There are many different types of SEC filings. The most useful are the 10-K, which is an annual report and a 10-Q, a quarterly report, and the Proxy Statement DEF 14A, which contains information on executive compensation.
Factiva Database
Factiva is a database available through the King County Library. It provides "business and news information from Dow Jones Interactive and Reuters Business Briefing, continuously updating newswires, company reports, historical market data, photographs from Reuters and Knight-Ridder, and web content.
Business & Industry Database - Seattle Public Library
Business & Industry is a database available through the Seattle Public Library that provides articles about companies and industries. You can access Business & Industry from anywhere, provided you have a library card for the Seattle Public Library.
Reference Books with Company Profiles
The following reference books (located on the main floor of the library) contain profiles of U.S. companies. Your company may or may not be included:
Corporate Directory of US Public Companies / REF HG4057.A156468
Hoover's Handbook of American Business 2. Volumes / REF HG4057.A28617
Puget Sound Business Journal. Book of Lists / REF HF5068.P8P8
Finding Financial Information on Your Company
The following databases contain financial data on public companies. Connect to them through the online version of this guide.
Mergent Online
Seattle Public Library
This is the best database for finding financial information on your company; you must have a Seattle Public Library card to use it.
Business & Company Resource
Seattle Public Library & King County Library
Factiva
King County Library
Company Web Site
For financial information, look for a link that says "Investor Relations" or "Financial Information." Here you will find SEC filings, earnings information, stock prices, etc.
Other Web Sites
Consult the online version of this guide for links to web sites providing financial and other information about your company.
Finding Articles about Your Company
To find articles about your company, for example, articles about diversity or corporate culture, try searching some of the periodical databases available at the NSCC library and other libraries, such as Seattle Public and King County. At North, good databases to try are ProQuest Direct, Ethnic NewsWatch and ABI/Inform. These are available from the library’s home page. Refer to the handout on searching the ProQuest databases.
At Seattle Public Library and King County Library, tryBusiness & Company Resource.
Reference Books at the NSCC Library
Accountant's encyclopedia / REF HF5621.P7Accountant's handbook / REF HF5621.A22 1991
Blackwell encyclopedic dictionary of accounting / REF HF5621.B54 1998
Company Profiles for Students / REF HG4057.A27
Corporate Directory of US Public Companies / REF HG4057.A156468
Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries / REF HC102.E54 2000
Encyclopedia of business / REF HF1001.E466 1995
Encyclopedia of busine$$ and finance / REF HF1001.E467 2001
Encyclopedia of small business / REF HD62.7.H553 1998
GAAP / REF HF5616.U5G33 2001
Hoover's Handbook of American Business 2. Volumes / REF HG4057.A28617
Puget Sound Business Journal. Book of Lists / REF HF5068.P8P8
RMA Annual Statement Studies / REF HF5681.B2R6
U.S. industry profiles : the leading 100 / REF HD30.27.U7x 1995
U.S. industry & trade outlook / REF HC101.U54
Reference Books at Other Libraries
Mergent Annual Bond Record (Formerly Moody's Annual Bond Record)
- Central (downtown) branch of Seattle Public
- Foster Business Library at UW
Value Line Investment Survey
- Central (downtown) branch of Seattle Public
- Bellevue branch of the King County Library
- Foster Business Library at UW
Questions? Call Connie at 527-3612 or email at:
North Seattle Community College Library