copyright © president & fellows of harvard college ann cullen, knowledge and library services,...
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Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College
Ann Cullen, Knowledge and Library Services, February 2009
Using Online Research for Analyzing Opportunities
First consider general trends
Where would you go to find information on key trends and disruptors that
signal opportunities or threats? Resources that I used for this:
Article Databases• Factiva • ABI/Proquest
Factiva - Search strategy used - wc>500 and hlp=((landfill gas*) or (commercial grade waste gasification) or (lfg power))
ABI/Proquest - Search strategy used - (landfill gas*) OR lfg OR (waste gasification)
Article Searching Tips
What I learned while searching
• Common term for this technology is
Landfill Gas (LFG)• Needed to include a review of waste
management industry
Analyze the relevant industries
S&P NetAdvantage Industry Survey - "Environmental and Waste Management" October 2008
S&P Netadvantage Industry Survey - "Electric Utilities" August 2008
Thomson Investext - "How to Play Obama's Green Theme" 1/16/09, Ben Isaacson, Scotia Capital
Locate Market Research
• MarketResearch.com - "Renewable Energy Investment in the U.S." Packaged Facts, 11/1/2007
• Tablebase – “Green price stability: new approaches account for the economic benefits of renewables” Source: Public Utilities
Fortnightly, 147 (1): 42, January 2009.
Then lots of additional great data for free on web
• Government sponsored websites• Non-profit initiatives• Grass-roots community efforts• Industry Association sponsored
Examples of interesting ones found
Landfills/Waste Management:• International Landfill Inventory and Economic Data –
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/economics/international.html
• How Landfills work - http://science.howstuffworks.com/landfill8.htm Landfill Gasification:• Landfill Methane Outreach Program - http://www.epa.gov/landfill/index.htm
• Landfill Gas Web Site - http://www.landfill-gas.com/
Cleantech/Renewables:• Energy Information Administration - Renewable and Alternative Fuels • Data - http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html
Examples of interesting ones found (cont.)
Regulatory:• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)
- http://www.naruc.org/about.cfm• FERC Energy Innovations Group –
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/energy-innovations.asp
• Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) – http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm?EE=0&RE=1 – State by statereview of renewable energy legislation and programs in the US
More resources listed on class hand-out.
First consider general trends
Where would you go to find information on key trends and disruptors that
signal opportunities or threats? Resource that I used:
Article Database• Business Source Complete• ABI/Proquest
Search strategy used – “construction industry" and software
What I learned while searching
• AEC not a commonly used acronym, found searching
on terms “construction or building industry” was best
way to target relevant industry overview• Terms "Tablet PC" more commonly used than
"Tablet-based PC"
Analyze the relevant industries
Business Source Complete - "Construction & Engineering Industry Profile: United States”, Jul 2008, Datamonitor
S&P NetAdvantage Industry Survey - "Computers: Software",
Oct. 2008, Zaineb Bokhari
• S&P NetAdvantage Industry Survey – “Homebuilding”, Jan. 2009,
Kenneth Leon
• First Research - "Commercial Construction Contractors"
Locate Market Research
Tablet PC:• Forrester – “Key Wireless Trends That Will Shape Enterprise
Mobility In 2008” February 8, 2008, by Chris Silva, Benjamin Gray
with Simon Yates, Rachel A. Dines
• Frost & Sullivan – “World Quarterly Retail Systems Outlook on
POS; Handheld Terminals and Tablet PC Markets” - Q4 2007,
11 Jun 2008
Non-residential Construction:• Onesource - "Nonresidential Building Construction" Freedonia,
June 2008
Didn’t find as much data for free on web
• Different sort of industry
• Not directly connected to a public agenda
Examples of data found
U.S. Housing/Building Statistics:• 2009 US Statistical Abstract - Construction and Housing –
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/construction_housing.html
Trade Association Websites:• American Institute of Architects - http://www.aia.org/• American Council of Engineering Companies - http://www.acec.org/• Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - http://www.abc.org/• Associated General Contractors of America - http://www.agc.org/
More resources listed on class hand-out.
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