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Teaching Entrepreneurship Research Skills to Students: Best Practices from 3 Entrepreneurship Librarians

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Mary Scanlon

This document summarizes best practices for teaching entrepreneurship research skills to students from three entrepreneurship librarians. It discusses designing effective research assignments by establishing clear learning objectives and incorporating librarians early in the process. It also recommends requiring students to use authoritative sources like IBIS World and Census data, and working these sources into grading rubrics. The document notes that secondary research has limits and primary research may be necessary. It concludes by outlining benefits of partnering with librarians, such as providing integrated research sessions tailored to course needs.

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Teaching Entrepreneurship Research Skills to Students: Best Practices from Three Entrepreneurship Librarians Mary G. Scanlon, Wake Forest University Steve Cramer, UNC-Greensboro Diane K. Campbell, Rider University
Agenda 1. Designing the most effective research assignments: Mary 2. Requiring students to use the best and most authoritative research sources: Steve 3. The limits of secondary research and when primary research is necessary: Steve 4. Inviting your business librarian to provide active learning research workshops at the point of need, plus research consultations with students as follow-up: Diane
1. Designing Effective Assignments
Start with the end in mind What are your learning objectives for the research project?
Establish Learning Objectives Learning objectives Observable Measurable
Learning Objectives If something isnt a learning objective, dont expect it of students. Example: if the objective is for students to analyze financial statements, provide them. If the objective is to have students find and analyze financial statements, then teach them where and how to locate and download them.
Learning Objectives Consider the following: Skills Process Knowledge
Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Creating Evaluating Analyzing Applying Understanding Remembering
Project Design Incorporate your librarian into the development phase
Instructional Activities Who will teach or demonstrate all of the skills required for the assignment? In what format? How will you provide support to students while theyre working on the project?
Assessment Determine levels within each learning objective category and develop your grading rubric as you design the assignment For instance: Must have Good to have Above and beyond
Congruency is the Key
2. Requiring Students to Use the Best Sources
Requiring students to use the best and most authoritative research sources A. Examples of best sources by topic B. Selling their value to students C. Working best sources into a grading rubric
Defining best sources Currency Level of detail (examples: levels of geography; industry & market segmentations) Authoritative Customizable (ex. statistical data) Mappable
Examples of best sources by topic Industry analysis (reports and/or statistics): IBIS World First Research Plunkett BizMiner Census (Economic Census; County Business Patterns) Industry ratios & financial benchmarking RMA eStatement Studies Duns Key Business Ratios BizMiner Census (Economic Census; County Business Patterns) PrivCo
Competitive intelligence ReferenceUSA Hoovers PrivCo Annual reports to shareholders & 10-Ks Market reports Mintel Euromonitor
Market data & mapping (demographics, psychographics, consumer spending) SimplyMap DemographicsNow Business Decision Census (American Community Survey) BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
Two multi-purpose databases: Business Source (Ebsco) ABI-INFORM (ProQuest) Both provide: A huge collection of popular, trade, and academic journals covering all business topics, industries, corporate trends, etc. Collections of industry and company reports
Selling their value to students Using these sources will save you time Why? They are designed for projects/research like this They collect relevant analysis, trends, and statistical data into one place You can usually download the information as PFDs, Word documents, or spreadsheets
Emphasize customization. Examples: You are required to define your local industry size, local market size, local competitors, etc. Mapped data can be more illustrative, interesting, and convincing than data in a paragraph or a table.
Use professional terminology. Not library research but: 汲Big data analysis tools 汲Competitive intelligence 汲Proprietary subscription tools And Business Librarian = research consultant
Show the high cost of individual reports from business databases (free to students) to corporate users: One IBIS report: $1,020 One Mintel report: $3,995 One Euromonitor report: $2,650 Prices from http://www.marketresearch.com/
Show examples of database content (your librarian can help with this). IBIS and SimplyMap
Working best sources into a grading rubric Example from my ENT 530 capstone description: Using a variety of relevant, high-quality sources, including data: 22 points. Maximum points awarded for covering all the relevant topics listed above using most of the core sources highlighted throughout the semester, including Economic Census data and/or other Census business and industry data. All your sources need to make sense for your proposed business idea dont include off- topic information or sources.
3. The Limits of Secondary Research
The limits of secondary research and when primary research is necessary: Steve, where can I look up the market size or sales demand of rugby cleats in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem urban area?
4. Partner with your Librarian
Partnering with the business librarian to: Adapt business research sessions to course needs Consult at the time of syllabus creation Collaborate on assignment design Assess information literacy in business research And more
Integrated Research Sessions in an Entrepreneurship Intro Course Add to course learning management system (ex: Canvas) Active learning with hands-on practice in all sessions First session on industry resources Second session on demographics Third session on competition Personal consultation with each team by the librarian
Integrated Research Session in an Entrepreneurship Capstone Weekly team meetings in the library for the first half of the course Review of market research from intro course Addition of sessions on pricing & promotion, real estate & purchasing, and wages Two to three additional sessions of hands-on work for the teams with the librarian as consultant
Benefits for all Students can research in greater depth, and will spend time on analysis rather than searching--leading to higher quality work Students experience the process of information gathering and learn a model appropriate for entrepreneurs Feedback from the class/faculty member means evidence for acquisition of better resources
Questions?
Contacts Mary Scanlon: scanlomg@wfu.edu Diane Campbell: dcampbell@rider.edu Steve Cramer: smcramer@uncg.edu

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Teaching Entrepreneurship Research Skills to Students: Best Practices from 3 Entrepreneurship Librarians

  • 1. Teaching Entrepreneurship Research Skills to Students: Best Practices from Three Entrepreneurship Librarians Mary G. Scanlon, Wake Forest University Steve Cramer, UNC-Greensboro Diane K. Campbell, Rider University
  • 2. Agenda 1. Designing the most effective research assignments: Mary 2. Requiring students to use the best and most authoritative research sources: Steve 3. The limits of secondary research and when primary research is necessary: Steve 4. Inviting your business librarian to provide active learning research workshops at the point of need, plus research consultations with students as follow-up: Diane
  • 4. Start with the end in mind What are your learning objectives for the research project?
  • 5. Establish Learning Objectives Learning objectives Observable Measurable
  • 6. Learning Objectives If something isnt a learning objective, dont expect it of students. Example: if the objective is for students to analyze financial statements, provide them. If the objective is to have students find and analyze financial statements, then teach them where and how to locate and download them.
  • 7. Learning Objectives Consider the following: Skills Process Knowledge
  • 9. Project Design Incorporate your librarian into the development phase
  • 10. Instructional Activities Who will teach or demonstrate all of the skills required for the assignment? In what format? How will you provide support to students while theyre working on the project?
  • 11. Assessment Determine levels within each learning objective category and develop your grading rubric as you design the assignment For instance: Must have Good to have Above and beyond
  • 13. 2. Requiring Students to Use the Best Sources
  • 14. Requiring students to use the best and most authoritative research sources A. Examples of best sources by topic B. Selling their value to students C. Working best sources into a grading rubric
  • 15. Defining best sources Currency Level of detail (examples: levels of geography; industry & market segmentations) Authoritative Customizable (ex. statistical data) Mappable
  • 16. Examples of best sources by topic Industry analysis (reports and/or statistics): IBIS World First Research Plunkett BizMiner Census (Economic Census; County Business Patterns) Industry ratios & financial benchmarking RMA eStatement Studies Duns Key Business Ratios BizMiner Census (Economic Census; County Business Patterns) PrivCo
  • 17. Competitive intelligence ReferenceUSA Hoovers PrivCo Annual reports to shareholders & 10-Ks Market reports Mintel Euromonitor
  • 18. Market data & mapping (demographics, psychographics, consumer spending) SimplyMap DemographicsNow Business Decision Census (American Community Survey) BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
  • 19. Two multi-purpose databases: Business Source (Ebsco) ABI-INFORM (ProQuest) Both provide: A huge collection of popular, trade, and academic journals covering all business topics, industries, corporate trends, etc. Collections of industry and company reports
  • 20. Selling their value to students Using these sources will save you time Why? They are designed for projects/research like this They collect relevant analysis, trends, and statistical data into one place You can usually download the information as PFDs, Word documents, or spreadsheets
  • 21. Emphasize customization. Examples: You are required to define your local industry size, local market size, local competitors, etc. Mapped data can be more illustrative, interesting, and convincing than data in a paragraph or a table.
  • 22. Use professional terminology. Not library research but: 汲Big data analysis tools 汲Competitive intelligence 汲Proprietary subscription tools And Business Librarian = research consultant
  • 23. Show the high cost of individual reports from business databases (free to students) to corporate users: One IBIS report: $1,020 One Mintel report: $3,995 One Euromonitor report: $2,650 Prices from http://www.marketresearch.com/
  • 24. Show examples of database content (your librarian can help with this). IBIS and SimplyMap
  • 25. Working best sources into a grading rubric Example from my ENT 530 capstone description: Using a variety of relevant, high-quality sources, including data: 22 points. Maximum points awarded for covering all the relevant topics listed above using most of the core sources highlighted throughout the semester, including Economic Census data and/or other Census business and industry data. All your sources need to make sense for your proposed business idea dont include off- topic information or sources.
  • 26. 3. The Limits of Secondary Research
  • 27. The limits of secondary research and when primary research is necessary: Steve, where can I look up the market size or sales demand of rugby cleats in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem urban area?
  • 28. 4. Partner with your Librarian
  • 29. Partnering with the business librarian to: Adapt business research sessions to course needs Consult at the time of syllabus creation Collaborate on assignment design Assess information literacy in business research And more
  • 30. Integrated Research Sessions in an Entrepreneurship Intro Course Add to course learning management system (ex: Canvas) Active learning with hands-on practice in all sessions First session on industry resources Second session on demographics Third session on competition Personal consultation with each team by the librarian
  • 31. Integrated Research Session in an Entrepreneurship Capstone Weekly team meetings in the library for the first half of the course Review of market research from intro course Addition of sessions on pricing & promotion, real estate & purchasing, and wages Two to three additional sessions of hands-on work for the teams with the librarian as consultant
  • 32. Benefits for all Students can research in greater depth, and will spend time on analysis rather than searching--leading to higher quality work Students experience the process of information gathering and learn a model appropriate for entrepreneurs Feedback from the class/faculty member means evidence for acquisition of better resources
  • 34. Contacts Mary Scanlon: scanlomg@wfu.edu Diane Campbell: dcampbell@rider.edu Steve Cramer: smcramer@uncg.edu

Editor's Notes

  • #8: find 3 peer-reviewed journal articles read and integrate the content from 5 sources into your paper demonstrate knowledge about the topic Trends impacting an industry, risks facing a company, etc.
  • #10: Determine which of you will teach which elements Determine what resources are available to satisfy your objectives Include research ethics into the assignment: citing sources Determine the librarians available to support your class: one-shot, individual or team meetings, multiple individual meetings, participation in CMS, blog posts, discussion boards
  • #11: You? Librarian? Guest speaker? In-class? Out of class workshop? Video? Office hours yours and the librarians? Email? Individual research sessions?
  • #17: Librarians can provide guides with links to best sources by topic Not trying to be complete here Certainly Google searching, social media, news sources have important roles too