# 4. Selecting sources

Where you search defines what you will find. Statistical data on consumer expenditure, for example, can be found in a different source than information on the market for retail food in the Netherlands.

The ‘type’ of information you are looking for correlates with the information source.

This means that in order to answer your research question(s), you will have to search for information in different types of sources.

Start with sources offered by the library!

The library has selected multiple sources for you, based on quality and the structured way in which these sources offer information.

You can reach the library website from home. If you want access to one of the sources, you will be asked to login with your RUAS-account.

On the library’s website you will find:

- The START search bar
- Information sources: an overview of all databases the library offers
- Information sources per study programme: an overview of databases selected for your study programme.

International Business & Masters: If you select Information Sources per Study Programme in the drop-down menu, and then select your study programme, you will find information sources categorised by type of business information underneath the tab Weblinks. Weblinks offers not only the regular library databases, but also weblinks to free, high quality, information sources selected by the library.

...and remember: Not all information will be available in the library's databases. Occasionally you will find that parts of the information are (already) available within the organisation and sometimes you will just have to get creative. Keep in mind, if you can't find the required information in literature you may need to conduct field research to gather the information.

Tips!

- Identify the sources you need. Start with 3 or 4 core sources for your (sub-) topic and build from there. You can also add the sources to your mindmap.
- Use the form search strategy business information to keep track of your search strings and search strategy.

In the following sub-chapters, you will find information sources per type of information.