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Engineering Entrepreneurship

Prepared by Cynthia Cronin-Kardon
Lippincott Library

This guide is an overview of secondary sources of information available in the library, or electronically via Lippincott's and the Science & Engineering Libraries' Web pages.

The Company

Executive Biographies

Who is the company head(s). What is their background, education, past work experience, and product invention. In addition to the sources listed below, do a patent search by the inventor's name to see what other products they have patented and for what companies.

Bloomberg, available only at Lippincott Library or Huntman Hall. Includes biographies of management as well as links to news stories about individuals.

D&B Million Dollar Directory allows you to search by executive or search the executive section of the database by keyword such as "Wharton".

Lexis/Nexis Academic Index is another source for executive biographies. Search by executive name for articles abbout this individual.

Hoover's also provides executive biographies.

The Company

. It is much easier to find information for publicly traded companies. If your are research a private company, the best way to get information is to search for articles about the company. You will want to find out about the company' history and financial well-being. What other products does it make? Who does it partner with? What do the analysts say.

Factiva covers news as well as company information. You can search for articles back to the early 1980's.

Sample Search: Click on the "Search" tab. Search by a company name. Change the date range to "all dates". Add a keyword
Sample Search: Click on the "Company Markets tab". Search by a company name or ticker. Information includes current headlines, share price information, peer comparisons, and financials.

Hoover's provides company histories, financial snapshots, competitors and other comapny information.

Mergent Manuals include detailed company histories including acquisitions, mergers and divestitures. These were previously called Moody's Manual and go back to the early 1900's.
Current volumes are located at the Lippincott Library Reference area. Older editions are in the Lippincott Peck Collection.

Investext includes analyst reports back to 1982. This is the best source for older analyst reports. Search by company name.

Orbis connects you to company financials, peer comparisons and Datamonitor Reports.

Sample Search: Search by a company name.
Sample Results: Use the tabs at the top of the page to link to financials, comparison reports. Click on the red arrow to access the Datamonitor reports.

PROMT includes many trade publications and covers new product announcements, marketing strategies, and other information. Search by a company name, such as Imaging Dynamics.

SDC, available only in Lippincott Library, provides detailed information about IPOs, Mergers and Acquistions, and any VC funding.

Thomson Research includes listing of complete company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For many companies filings may go back to the mid-1980s.

Sample Search: Search by a company name or ticker. Select a filing, such as the 10-K or annual report. Check the "Management Discussion" as well as Items 1 and 2 of the 10-K to learn about the company's management plan and growth strategies.

THE IDEA - THE PRODUCT - THE INDUSTRY

Applied Science and Technology Index This is a good place to find trade and industry publications, including product evaluations (use Document Type to limit to this.) Use the Subjects Tab to look up database specific descriptors.

Sample Search: RFID OR Radio frequency identification systems
Sample Title: RFID: Wall-Mart Has Spoken. Will You Comply?

Business Monitor International. Information on Global Markets.

Sample Search: Select a Service: Pharmaceuticals. Select a Geography: North America. Click go. Then click Industry Forecasts.
Sample Title: Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Forecast - Q2 - 2005.

Business and Industry. Good place to find new product introductions and industry trends. Use the menu options to set up your query. Product Codes let you search by the product. Use the Look Up feature to locate the correct code. Use the search menus

Sample Search: Words: Brand security or counterfeit* Select an Industry: Pharmaceutical: technology
Sample Title: RFID Use Urged for Pharmaceutical Industry.

Business Source Premier. Includes Industry Reports for about 1500 industries.

Sample Search: In keyword, type "SO Industry Yearbook" or "industry profiles"and pharmaceut*.
Sample Title: Global Pharmaceuticals Nov. 2004.

Factiva. Includes over 9000 publications, including Mergent Industry Reports. Use the Intelligent Indexing to focus your search.

Sample Search: counterfeit* and prevent*. Select Industry: Pharmaceuticals./
Sample Title: Onsale Drug sales alert..
Sample Search: Keyword search: sn=mergent and biotechnology
Sample Title: Hosptials and Healthcare. North America.
Hint: Click on the + at the bottom of the article to find subject headings.

Orbis. Contains Datamonitor Industry and Company Reports, international scope.

Use Expert Search. Click on the red arrow at the top of the page. Click Industry tab and select "alphabetical list" or click Company and type in a company name.
Sample search: Pharmaceuticals (in alphabetical list)
Sample Title:(1 of 28)United States: Pharmaceuticals

Standard & Poor's Market Insight. Industry reports and more.

Sample Search: Click on Industry. Textiles.

Patents

Searching the current patent literature will give you an idea of similar technologies in existence and the companies that produce them. If there are several patents in existence for related technologies, then maybe your idea is not new. Check the claims information in existing patents to make sure your idea is not infringing on those patents. Patents also give you a large amount of technical information, with detailed descriptions and diagrams. Operational information, along with names of founders and competitors, can often be gleaned from patents.

If you are doing a patent search as preparation to filing a patent application, it is critical to consult a patent attorney and not just rely on searching the following resources.

Derwent Innovations Index (DII):
DII allows you to search against enhanced titles and abstracts, as well as the Derwent Manual and Derwent and International Patent Classification (IPC) codes for patents from 1963 to the present from 40 major patent-issuing authorities. You can use the assignee field to search for a competitor's patents.

Sample Search: (RFID or radio frequency identification) and drug test* in Topic
Sample Title: Disposable container maintenance/tracking/identification method in drug testing industry, involves separating radio frequency identification device from vial for reuse, after scanning RFID

Derwent Coding and Classification Look-up

Kind Codes. Status of the patent (application, examined, granted, etc.)

International Patent Classification (IPC) codes

The U.S. Patent Office:
Search for patents from the USPTO from 1790 onward. Pre 1976 you can only search by patent number or class and patents are only available in TIFF page image format. Patents from 1976 - can be searched in a variety of ways including full text and are available full-text.
Please note that there are 2 separate databases here, one for Issued (granted) patents and one for Applications (from Mar 15, 2001 forward.)
Information and a link to download the TIFF Viewer (http://www.uspto.gov/patft/help/images.htm#not) required to view all images.

Sample Search: (RFID or "radio frequency identification") and drug test$ in All Fields
Sample Title:

U.S. Patent Manual of Classification (http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/) A hierarchical list of classes and subclasses by number.

U.S. Patent Classification Index (http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/uspcindex/indextouspc.htm)
An alphabetical list of terms cross referenced to the specific classes and subclasses used to categorize patents. Note: Browsing is more effective than searching

Esp@ce.net:
Read and print the abstracts, descriptions, and claims of world and United States patents, as well as those from various European countries.

For further information about patents and searching them, have a look at this British Library patent searching guide or consult Danianne Mizzy

 

THE MARKET / MARKET PLACE: CUSTOMERS AND COMPETITORS

If you have a very new product, searching an existing one that is similar may give you an idea of the market and the competitors.

Customers

Mintel Reports Market research reports. Users are required to set up a personal profile to use.

Sample Report: U.S. Attitudes toward health and pharaceuticals. 2005

MRI+. Consumer Surveys. Buying habits and medial preferences. First time users must register.

Sample Search: Click on MediaMark Reporter. Choose a Report volume and a Report. Or search by keyword.
Sample Title: Tooth Whiteners (not toothpaste)

Simmons/Choices III (CD-ROM available in Lippincott Library).
Choices III is a consumer survey produced by the Simmons Market Research Bureau. It is used to develop profiles of consumer buying habits and usage of various products, and to detail consumer media preferences. It includes U.S. adults age 18 years and older.

Sample data: 15% of adults make sure to exercise regularly. 31% exercise 3 times per week or more.

Sourcebook America (CD-ROM available in Lippincott).
Includes demographics for Zip Codes and Counties, offering more than 150 characteristics.

Surveys by The Strategist. Search Franklin, the online catalog

Sample Search: Use Advanced Search. Search for Strategist in Author
Sample Title: The American marketplace : demographics and spending patterns / by the New Strategist editors.

Market Research

Lengthy reports on various markets:

Business Insights. International market research reports on the subjects of consumer goods, energy, financial services, healthcare and technology

Sample Search: Fitness.
Sample Report: Indentifying the Health Conscious Consumer...

Datamonitor Reports: Industry or Company
Orbis. Contains Datamonitor Industry and Company Reports, international scope.
Use Advanced search. Click on the red arrow at the top of the page. Click on Industry or Company Tab. For Industry use the "alphabetical list."
Sample search: Healthcare (in alphabetical list)
Sample Title: (94 titles in total) Drug Delivery in the U.S.

Factiva Contains Datamonitor Company Profiles, Market Research Profiles and Datamonitor News and Comments
Use the Intelligent Indexing for Source and search for Datamonitor. Select the category that you want.

Sample Search: Select: Datamonitor Market Research. In the free text box type in "cancer and drug delivery". You can also use the Intelligent Indexing to limit by Geographic region.
Sample Title: United States - Drug Delivery - Competitive Landscape.

Sample Search. Select Datamonitor News and Comment. In Free Text box, type "antigens".
Sample Title: Immunicon and Pfizer estend tumor R&D agreement Dec. 2004

Business Source Premier also includes Company Reports.
Sample search: Click on Company Profiles. Type in Company Name: Amgen.
Sample Title: Amgen, Aug 2004 (71 pages).

Euromonitor's Global Market Information Database. Examines consumer market sizes and profiles. Includes statistical data and market reports.

Sample Search: Select U. S. for "geography". Select Consumer Products --OTC
Sample Title: OTC Healthcare in The United States / Country Report / 19 September 2005.

eMarketer. eMarketer includes industry reports, company articles, market projections and analytical commentaries. It aggregates analyst's marketplace forecasts and numbers for technology adoption. It also has a valuable email newsletter, providing daily notices of new industry numbers.

Faulkner's Advisory for IT Studies. Reports on areas of interest to IT, communications managers, and specialists in the areas of computer and communications technologies.

Forrester. Requires registration. Technology and market research company that provides information on technology's impact on business and consumers.

Sample Search: Click on Find Research. Select a topic --Consumer Products

Gartner IntraWeb. Current reports on the high tech industry market. (Note: You will need to login using your PennKey user name and password.)

Mergent Industry Reports are accessible through Factiva. Use the Intelligent Indexing to limit your search to "source=mergent".

Competitors

Hoover's Online This database gives you a company history and, among other things, a list of competitors, parent companies of competitors.

Sample Search: Search by Industry Keyword--biotechnology
Shows largest competitors first.

CorpTech. Also available in CD-ROM format in Lippincott Library). A Database Search Aid is available for the CD-Rom product.
Company and product information for 50,000+ U.S. high tech manufacturers, developers and services, including U.S. divisions of foreign firms. Most are privately held or subsidiaries.. It will also give you a profile and a link to competitors. Using "Product Finder," you will find a list of profiles of companies already in a particular marketplace.

ReCap (Lippincott Library only). Directory information on the biotech industry, including clinical trial info.

Thomas Register is the most comprehensive online resource for finding companies and products manufactured in North America. (Requires free registration)

Analyst Reports

Reports on publicly traded companies. Also reports on industry sectors.

Thomson One Analytics. (First Call)

Search by Company OR
Use the Screening tab and choose Research
Select Criteria: All First Call, Date range. Highlight an industry (medical supplies) and run search.

Reuters Research On-Demand. Includes many foreign companies and industries.

Click on Search to set up search criteria

Competitive Intelligence - Strategy - Risks

If you can identify a company which is a major company in your industry, search for that company and its strategies. Otherwise search by keywords or a product brand. For the textile industry try products such as lycra or goretex.

ABI/Inform - Proquest

Sample Search: radio frequency identification and (pharmac* or drug* or medicine)
Look at the suggested topic and publications to redirect your search.
Sample Title: FDA Opens Door to RFID Packaging.

Business Source Premier

Sample Search: Search by company--Invista
Sample Title: Coolmax socks the mass market.

Business & Industry

Search by key word (high tech) and industry code:22000
Sample Title: Performance Fabrics go Mainstream. This article lists many companies and their market strategies.

Livedgar searches company filings with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). Public companies are required to provide filing. Great source for licensing agreements, product development, market strategy.

Sample search: Use Global Search option. Type in keywords and use proximity operators: genetic engineering w/10 licensing. Combine with other keywords such as strategy or litigation.

Development and Operations

Ei Compendex provides comprehensive coverage of the broad subject areas of engineering and applied science from an international collection of journals, conference proceedings, and some technical reports.

INSPEC provides coverage of physics, electrical engineering, electronics, communications, control engineering, computers and computing, robotics, and information technology from an international collection of journals, conference proceedings, technical reports, dissertations, and book chapters.

American Wholesalers & Distributors Directory
Lippincott Library Reference Stacks HF5419 A647

Financial Planning

To find out what kind of investment is needed to go to market, look at what other companies have done. You can check balance sheets of industries or companies.

Industry Financials and Ratios

D&B Key Business Ratios.
[Also available in print in Lippincott Library, HA 214.D814]

Annual Statement Studies (RMA).
HA 214 R54 Lippincott Library Reference Desk

Almanac of Business and Industrial Financial Ratios.
HF 5681 R25 T68

Financial Studies of Small Business
HD 2346.U5.F55a

Company Financials

Use these databases to find SEC Filings and financial data. Filings will offer company assets and liabilities in dollar figures, income data, operating expenses, sales, etc. S-1s will give you prospectus/founder information; 10-Ks offer annual accounting; proxy statements include executive compensation; annual reports often include management discussion.

Factiva.
[Click on Companies/Markets and search by ticker symbol or company name.]

LIVEDGAR

ORBIS

Sample Search: Far Eastern Textile
Check out company financials. Look at peer group analysis.

Thomson Research

Raising Capital - Venture Capital

Venture Xpert Web

SDC Platinum.
Lippincott Library and Wharton labs.

Galante's Venture Capital & Private Equity Directory.
HG 4961 V36 2004 (RD; Also CD-ROM)

Useful Print Resources - Business

Small Business Source Book. Excellent directory for small companies; great for identifying competitors.
Lippincott Library HD 2346 U5 S66 2002 (RD)

Consumer Behavior. Wayne D. Hoyer, Deborah J. MacInnis.
Lippincott Library HF 5415.32 H69 2001 (RD)

International Directory of Company Histories.
Lippincott Library HD 2721 I58 1988

New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century. Timmons & Olin.
5th Edition (1999) Lippincott HD 62.5 T55 1999

Product Design and Development. Ulrich & Eppinger.
3rd Edition (2004) Lippincott Library HD 31 U47 2004
2nd Edition (2000) Lippincott Library Reserve and Stacks HD31 .U47 2000

For additional books consult the library's online card catalog, FRANKLIN, using the keywords "consumer behavior";"entrepreneurship"; "marketing research", "supply chain management", etc.

Useful Print Resources - Engineering

The following are just a handful of the print resources available in the Engineering Library which you can use. If you need something more specialized, please contact the subject Librarian.

All I Need is Money: How to Finance your Invention. Jack Lander
Engineering HF5415.153L36 2005

Creating Breakthrough Products. Jonathan Cagan and Craig M. Vogel.
Engineering Reserve HF5415.153 C34 2002

Engineering Your Start-Up: A Guide For the Hi-Tech Entrepreneur. Michael L. Baird.
Engineering Reserve HD 62.37 B35 1992
A useful guide which includes a section on defining your product and marketing and competitive analysis.

Essentials of Patents. Andy Gibbs and Bob DeMatteis.
Engineering T211 G53 2003

New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century. Timmons & Olin.
5th Edition (1999) Engineering HD 62.5 T55 1999

The Engineer Entrepreneur. Daniel T. Koenig.
Engineering Circulation Desk TA 190 K63 2003

Patent Fundamentals for Scientists and Engineers. Thomas T. Gordon and Arthur S. Cookfair.
2nd Edition (2000) Engineering Reserve T339G67 2000

See related Research & Wharton Course Guides on Lippincott Library's homepage:
     Industry Studies - U.S.
     Entrepreneurial Decisionmaking
     Entrepreneurship and Small Business

Lippincott Library is the business library of the University of Pennsylvania's the Wharton School; it is located in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center at 3420 Walnut Street, 2nd floor west.

The Engineering Library can be found on the 2nd floor of the Towne Building, Room 217, at 220 South 33rd Street.

This guide is located on the Lippincott Library Website at http://gethelp.library.upenn.edu/guides/business/engentre.html

Send any questions concerning this page to Cynthia Cronin-Kardon, Lippincott Library, Head, Document Delivery [croninkc@wharton.upenn.edu]
or Doug McGee, Engineering Librarian [dmcgee@seas.upenn.edu] Or call the Lippincott Reference Desk at 215-898-5924, or the Engineering Library at 215-898-7266.


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