Library Guides: MBA Program: Websites

Evaluating Website Content

"Is this a valid resource for my research needs?" Investigate all websites for accuracy, authority, currency, coverage, and objectivity.

Website Evaluation Quicksheet

Select Websites

This award recognizes three websites annually that are highly relevant to business reference. Complete list available from the BRASS Best of the Best Business Websites Award site.

American FactFinder (.gov)
A United States Census Bureau resource that provides survey data on people, communities, housing, businesses, and industries. The "Guided Search" function makes datasets and tables easy to find. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2016 recipient.
Bankrate (.com)
"Provides free rate information to consumers on more than 300 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, new and used automobile loans, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans and online banking fees." BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2009 recipient.
BigCharts (.com)
Stock charts, screeners, interactive charting and research tools from MarketWatch. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2010 recipient.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (.gov)
"The principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy." From the U.S. Department of Labor. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2011 recipient.
Data.gov
"The home of the U.S. Government's open data." Search from a variety of topics and programs for downloadable state and federal databases, maps, tables, mobile applications, and other resources. Good for general economic data as well as information on industries and segments. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2016 recipient.
Doing Business (.org)
"The Doing Business project provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 189 economies and selected cities at the subnational and regional level." From The World Bank. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2013 recipient.
Entrepreneur (.com)
Articles, videos, tools and services related to business topics. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2014 recipient.
Entrepreneurship (.org)
Resources for entrepreneurs from The Kauffman Foundation. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2014 recipient.
Federal Reserve Economic Data - FRED - St. Louis Fed (.org)
"Download, graph, and track 240,000 US and international time series from 76 sources." BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2012 recipient.
globalEDGE (.edu)
A source for global business knowledge. Created by the International Business Center at Michigan State University. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2012 recipient.
Intellectual Property Basics (.edu)
Bryce Pilz, a Law Professor at the University of Michigan delivers this series of short videos designed to guide entrepreneurs through the important concepts of intellectual property during their startup. The series of 3-5 minute videos cover over 60 topics, including patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2015 recipient.
Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (.gov)
"Produces new, cost effective, public-use information combining federal, state and Census Bureau data on employers and employees under the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership." Part of the Center for Economic Studies at the U.S. Census Bureau. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2011 recipient.
National Association of Home Builders (.org)
"NAHB is a trade association that helps promote the policies that make housing a national priority." BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2011 recipient.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (.gov)
A guide to career information about hundreds of occupations from the U.S. Department of of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2013 recipient.
Patent Lens (.net)
A free public resource for patent system navigation worldwide. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2015 recipient.
SCORE (.org)
Non-profit organization dedicated to helping small businesses through education and mentorship. Support from the U.S. Small Business Administration. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2014 recipient.
SEC EDGAR (.gov)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's database (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system, a.k.a. EDGAR) for public company filings. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2016 recipient.
Small Business Administration (.gov)
The U.S. SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2009 recipient.
UNdata (.org)
Search and download a variety of statistical resources of the United Nations Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2010 recipient.
United States Patent and Trademark Office (.gov)
An agency of the Department of Commerce. Learn about and search for patents and trademarks. BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2015 recipient.
World Bank Data (.org)
"Free and open access to data about development in countries around the globe." BRASS Best of the Best Business Web Resources Award 2013 recipient.

Government resources are generally authoritative and reliable sources of information.

A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies (usa.gov)
A directory of federal agencies from the official U.S. government website.
American FactFinder (census.gov)
American FactFinder provides access to data about the United States, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. The data in American FactFinder come from several censuses and surveys.
BusinessUSA (usa.gov)
Sections include: Start a Business; Access Financing; Explore Exporting; Grow Your Business; Find Opportunities; Learn About New Health Care Changes; Browse Resources for Veterans; Learn About Taxes and Credits; Help with Hiring Employees
FDsys (gpo.gov)
Find government publications from the Government Printing Office's Federal Digital System.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov)
Sections include: Starting & Managing; Loans & Grants; Contracting; Learning Center; Local Assistance; and, SBA Direct.
United States Patent and Trademark Office (uspto.gov)
Patents; Trademarks; Intellectual Property Law and Policy

Select local resource sites.

Salisbury, MD Area Chamber of Commerce (.com)
Offers business support and information about the area.
Wicomico County Quick Facts (census.gov)
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau (a great place to look for demographic information).
Choose Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development (.gov)
Offers a wealth of information on Maryland and business.
Maryland State Data Center (.us)
Coordinated by the Maryland Department of Planning and official partner with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Maryland Small Business Development Center (.org)
Provide advice, consulting and support to entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state. Part of a national SBDC network that helps over 500,000 U.S. businesses annually.

Social media sites for businesses or brands.

Facebook for Business
How to use Facebook for business marketing
Google + Brands
Sections include: The Basics; Creating Conversations; Getting Noticed; and Case Studies
Instagram for Business
Share your brand's unique point of view with Instagram
LinkedIn Small Business
Small business resources to help you get more out of LinkedIn
Twitter for Business
Grow your business with Twitter
Social Media Management Dashboard - HootSuite
Manage social networks, schedule messages, engage your audiences, and measure ROI right from the dashboard.
Yelp for Business Owners
Yelp provides a free suite of tools to showcase your business and connect you to the Yelp community.

MBA Program: Websites

Evaluating Website Content

Select Websites

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