Template: Journalism Innovation paper
Consider filling out the template: Journalism Innovation Template (cut and paste into your own Google or Word doc) to collect research.
Publication Locations & Types
Use directories to discover what already exists in a market area (there are some online portals to newspapers but they're chock full of ads and often incomplete). This should help you answer why your business is needed; is there a space for this business; and what are current journalistic offerings.
- SRDS Media SolutionsFind media in your designated market area.
- Editor & publisher newspaper data book. We have this in print behind the Research Help Desk. Use it to identify dailies and community weeklies.Call Number: Reference Stacks PN4700 .E42ISBN: 1930732651Publication Date: Annual
- Charity NavigatorCreate a free account to access 990 forms. Try search for a specific nonprofit (ex. Pro Publica) or for the phrase: non-profit journalism
The library has indexes to progressive, environmental, sports, gender and ethnic presses you can explore:
- Ethnic NewsWatch (ProQuest) Collects full-text articles from the ethnic, minority, and native press, including top scholarly journals on ethnicities and ethnic studies. Contents include African American, Arab, Middle Eastern, Asian American, European, Jewish, and Native American publications. Contents: Full-text articles from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journal. 1990-present; plus historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959-1989.
- GenderWatch (ProQuest) Supports gender and women's studies, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender research. Contents: Citations and full-text articles from academic, radical, community, and independent presses. 1970-present.
- LGBTQ+ Source (EBSCO) Formerly known as LGBT life with Full Text, this database provides scholarly and popular LGBTQ+ publications. Contents: Full-text articles, primary sources, monographs, magazines, and newspapers and a specialized thesaurus.
- SPORTDiscus with Full Text (EBSCO) Covers sports, sports medicine research, physical fitness, exercise, physical education, kinesiology, coaching, leisure studies, and occupational therapy. Contents: Full-text journal articles, abstracts, detailed records for sports-related video, and searchable cited references.
- GreenFILE (EBSCO) Contains abstracts of journal articles on the environment including related topics such as agriculture, health, law, education, and technology. Contents: Abstracts of journal articles.
- Alternative Press Index (EBSCO) Produced by the Alternative Press Center, this bibliographic database contains citations from international alternative, radical, and left periodicals, including works by journalists, theorists, and writers from a wide variety of concentrations within the fields of alternative and cultural studies. Contents: Citations for journal, newspaper, and magazine articles. 1991-present.
The EBSCO Alternative Press Index is by The Alternative Press Center, an organization that promotes alternative presses that was founded in 1969. You can access an Online Directory from their website.
Company Description
Consider what companies already exist.
- NOLO Press: Make sure your proposed business name is available by Richard Stim, Attorney
- Best Web Hosting Services updated annually
- Examine the About page of a competitor. ex. Philadelphia Tribune (African-American press in a large city) or In These Times (an indy press about democracy & economic justice)
- For apps, search Google Play and Apple's App Store.
- Business Insights (Gale) (Formerly known as Business Insights: Essentials)Contains detailed company and industry news and information including company profiles, brand information, rankings, investment reports, market research reports, SWOT reports, company histories, and more.
Contents: Company and industry information, articles, and statistical data.
Sample search: Philadelphia Inquirer
- Nexis Uni (LexisNexis)Use the Menu to Access the Company Dossier
Sample search: company("medianews group")
Website: MediaNews Group brands
- Hoover's In-depth Company RecordsGives a good overview of the company including company history for publicly traded companies.
Product
Search these sources for similar products
- Nexis Uni (LexisNexis)Search the news for similar products.
Sample search: hlead(app and news and sports)
Search PR Newswire and Businesswire for press releases from companies.
- PR Newswire (Nexis Uni)1980+ Aggregated press releases from companies and organizations.
Sample PR Newswire search: "news app" and boston
- Business WireBusiness press releases
For Business Source Premier and ABI/Inform try searching by NAICS code plus keywords such as "new product" or innovation.
In EBSCO, you can combine Business Source Premier with Communication Source, search Newspapers as a Subject and a keyword in TX all text.
- Business Source Premier (EBSCO)Covers all areas of business.
Contents: Full-text articles, books, news industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses, working papers, and more.
Sample search BSP: IC 511110 AND TX ( "application software")
Sample search BSP + CS: SU newspapers AND TX "new product" or innovation
- ABI/INFORM Collection (ProQuest)This collection, comprised of ABI/INFORM Global, Trade & Industry, and Dateline, contains resources covering accounting, marketing, sports and business, and economics.
Contents: Full-text articles, dissertations, working papers, periodicals, country- and industry-focused reports, case studies, and market information.
Statista and Pew can offer data and analysis.
- StatistaEasy to find statistics on companies, products and industries.
Sample Statista search: "news apps"
- Pew Research Center: Media & NewsIncludes the annual State of the News Media & data sets.
Competiton
Search by industry for similar companies (other papers in your niche market, region, or size). Some of this research is reflected in the work you needed to do to formulate your Company Description, above.
- North American Industrial Classification System (N.A.I.C.S) CodesFind the NAICS number that corresponds with your industry. You can search by Industry in the business databases. SIC is an older industry code. Try searching: Newspaper
Another way: Use the Company Dossier under the menu of Nexis Uni. Search for a similar company. Look at the NAICS codes on the company profile.
NAICS search for Newspaper
- Business Source Premier (EBSCO)You may want to search by industry using the NAICS code.
Sample search in BSP + CS:
SU newspapers AND TX ( competition or "market share" or "market segmentation" ) AND "united states"
- ABI/INFORM Collection (ProQuest)This collection, comprised of ABI/INFORM Global, Trade & Industry, and Dateline, contains resources covering accounting, marketing, sports and business, and economics.
Contents: Full-text articles, dissertations, working papers, periodicals, country- and industry-focused reports, case studies, and market information.
Marketing Plan: Analysis
Create a SWOT analysis & list your SMART goals. Consider who your target audience is.
- U.S. Census BureauContents: Social, demographic, and economic data about America and the American people.
- Data USAThe most comprehensive visualization of U.S. public data. Data USA provides an open, easy-to-use platform that turns data into knowledge. The software code is open source - users can build custom applications by adding other data.
- Simmons Insights (MRI-Simmons)Contains U.S. adult (18+) consumer data on product and brand usage, spending behavior, and media habits. Users can create custom reports to analyze demographic and/or psychographic characteristics of product users and their media behavior.
Note: Access is limited to 5 users at a time.
Need search tips? Take a look at our YouTube video and the Simmons Insights (formerly Simmons OneView) Help section of our Marketing: Statistical Sources Guide.
Model Plans:
- Look at the Team 3 Consulting for Sal's Shoe Store as an example in addition to Prof. Frisch's corresponding lecture notes.
These are guides on conducting internal and external audits by the Business Librarian, Jim Bondra.
- P.E.S.T.E.L. Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Environmental, Legal
- Porter's Five Forces (Rivalry Among Existing Competitors, Threat of New Entrants, Bargaining Power of Suppliers, Threat of Substitute Products or Services; Bargaining Power of Buyers)
- S.W.O.T. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
- Business Plans
Operational Plan
- American Press Institute's Key Topics tab (audience, metrics, fostering innovation & business models)
- NiemanLab's Business Models
- Columbia Journalism Reviews's Business of Journalism (there is an interesting article on news deserts, Spr 2017)
- Editor & Publisher (journalism trade publication)
- Poynter's Business & Work
Sample search in Business Source Premier + Communication Source:
Management & Organization
Search for articles on this topic in the one of the following databases:
Sample search in Business Source Premier + Communication Source
SU newspapers AND SU ( operations or organization or management )
Startup Expenses
Use the Small Business Administration's website, below, and my Library Guide page for News Labs (many are foundation based and offer grants) to start
- Business Plan Resources from SCORESCORE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship.
Articles on Accounting and Cash Flow
Articles on Financing and Capital
Financial Projections Template (Excel)
Appendix / Reference List
- See the APA page in the left menu
- Consider saving research in Zotero free citation software
