Business Librarian
How to Use This Guide
This guide suggests resources that will be useful in researching an innovative proposal for students in Prof. Reding's MGT 320 courses.
All teams should begin by reviewing the Industries page. Then use the menu to explore the guide's other pages to find relevant library databases about Buyer Trends and New Products.
Each page will recommend library databases that can be used to inform your decision making throughout this project. Tutorials show how to search effectively in that database.
Feeling overwhelmed by the research process? That's normal! Schedule a consultation with Prof. Price or one of our Peer Research Advisers to learn tips for researching smarter.
If we're Using AI for this Assignment, What Do We Need to Know?
Your AI tool was trained using publicly available information
That means that information that is locked behind subscriptions or paywalls - such as many scholarly journal articles and almost all industry reports or market research reports -- weren't use in the AI tool's training materials and won't be factored into or cited in its responses to your prompts. It's easy to assume that AI tools know "everything" but that isn't true, at least not yet.
Be aware of your AI tool's Knowledge Cutoff Date
AI tools have access to information only up to a specific date, called the knowledge cutoff date. When using an AI tool for research, it's essential to identify this cutoff date and supplement the AI outputs with more up-to-date sources.
To test the knowledge cutoff date, ask the AI tool. Or ask whether a recently deceased celebrity is alive. Note: Microsoft Copilot, the JMU approved generative AI tool, doesn't have a knowledge cutoff date.
AI Is Getting Smarter — and Less Reliable
Researchers Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld & Joanne Lipman (2025) say: "The more that these models are “trained” on incorrect information — including misinformation and the frequent hallucinations they generate themselves — the less accurate they become. Essentially, the “wisdom of crowds” is turned on its head, with false information feeding on itself and metastasizing."
Not all information can be uploaded to an AI tool
Some of the companies that sell business information are strict about how there information can be used in AI tools. Pay attention to the guidance on the pages of this research guide. And ask Prof. Price if you're unsure if your proposed usage might be illegal.
Acknowledge how you use AI in your work
When using generative AI tools for course assignments, academic work, or other forms of published writing, you should give special attention to how you acknowledge and cite the output of those tools in your work. Learn more about Citation & Attribution of AI.
Connecting from off-campus
JMU students, faculty & staff can use electronic resources when working off-campus via one of these methods.
Have a Tech Issue?
Check our Notices & Alerts
Responsible Use of Business Databases
As students, you are not permitted to use JMU resources to benefit your current employer or for freelance work. Doing so could result in JMU Libraries losing access to these resources for future students.
Uploading Reports or Data to AI Tools:
Most of our business databases, including Mintel Academic and IBISWorld, prohibit the uploading of PDFs of their reports or copied-and-pasted content into any AI tool like Perplexity, ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.
Review Responsible Use of Business Databases to learn how to responsibly use library resources in compliance with our license agreements.