Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Database of the Month: ReferenceUSA

June 12th, 2018

Welcome to Database of the Month, a feature from the Parrish Library. Each of these monthly snapshots will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This month’s database is ReferenceUSA brought to you by Infogroup.

Link: http://guides.lib.purdue.edu/businessdatabases is the alphabetical list of the databases specially selected for those in a business program of study. Access the databases off-campus with your Purdue login and password.

Focus: ReferenceUSA offers several searchable database modules containing detailed information on more than 14 million U.S. businesses and employers; 89 million U.S. residents; 855,000 U.S. health care providers; 1.5 million Canadian businesses; and 12 million Canadian residents.

Tutorial: Click here see the basics of searching ReferenceUSA.

Start with this hint: Search by company name using “Quick Search” feature to find a list of executives or the CEO of a company. When looking at a list of companies, click on the blue arrow to the right to find the corporate office of the company you’re looking for.

Why you should know this database: ReferenceUSA’s U.S. Businesses database is enhanced with more than 24 million phone calls per year and includes company name, business title, business type, sales volume, employee size, year established and more. ReferenceUSA can also be used to find industry profiles, job listings, and competitors.

Interested in Company Directories?  

Some other databases you might want to check out, are:

• Uniworld, up-to-date multinational business contact information with listings in over 200 countries. Includes information on American firms operating in foreign countries and foreign firms operating in the United States.
• D&B Business Browser, aggregate database of company, business news, and industry information.
• Plunkett Research, offers business intelligence, industry trends, statistics, market research, and company lists. Detailed industry reports, company profiles, and numerous statistics are available.

Database of the Month comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact parrlib@purdue.edu. Also let us know if you know of a colleague who would benefit from this monthly feature.

Since usage statistics are an important barometer when databases are up for renewal, tell us your favorite database, and we will gladly promote it. Send an email to parrlib@purdue.edu.