BUSI 110 - Business I: Fundamentals

It can be beneficial to look at the official web presences for your selected company, for example:

• Core business web site  -- find basic facts, announcements, reports, etc.
• Web store -- analyze product offerings and how they are presented
• Social media outlets - how is the company engaging with its customers?

However, be sure to review this information with a critical eye. Naturally companies want to present themselves as positively as possible, so will gloss over their shortcomings, legal, ethical and financial problems, etc.

When looking at this information, ask yourself:

• How factual is this information?
• What are the sources for these facts?
• Who at the company is providing this information?
• Is the company legally obligated to provide this information?
• What is the purpose or message?

External news articles and reports about your company will provide alternative viewpoints, which will help you develop a well-rounded analysis.

Courtesy of Wayne State University Library

Popular

• Audience: General
• Purpose: To entertain, sell products, or share news
• Format: Short and usually illustrated
• Sources: Quotes are usually attributed to the speaker, but few sources will be directly credited beyond this

Trade

• Audience: Professional
• Purpose: To keep professionals informed about news, trends, and practices in their field
• Format: Various article lengths with some industry jargon
• Sources: Quotes and sources are usually given attribution in-text, but are rarely cited separately

Scholarly

• Audience: Academic
• Purpose: To inform and advance scholarship
• Format: Longer format, often with field-specific language and limited illustrations
• Sources: Scholarly articles always cite their sources in footnotes and/or bibliographies