Legal Research Guide

• FindLaw Consumer Protection - "Contains valuable resources pertaining to the many legal issues facing consumers. Here, you'll find useful resources on consumer protection issues such as identity theft, sales contracts, credit discrimination, fraud and more. Learn about how to manage your credit score, how to read the fine print on a gift card, the importance of choosing a secure email password and more consumer protection issues."
• FindLaw Small Business Center - "Provides information and resources for small business owners, and help for entrepreneurs seeking to get a business idea off the ground. Here you can get information on choosing and forming the right legal structure for your business, legal tips on day-to-day business operations, an overview of employment law issues, and much more."
• Legal Information Institute - Not-for-profit group from the Cornell University Law School working to promote open access to law, worldwide, for free by publishing law online, creating materials to help people understand law, and making it easier for people to find the law.

Comprehensive Sites

• Essential Links - Taxes - Lists major tax sites, places to go for tax information, commercial tax sites, and international taxes.
• USTaxCenter - A consumer-oriented source with answers to general tax questions and links to many other tax related sites.
• Legalbitstream - "Tax law research website that provides searchable databases of United States federal inome tax and estate tax law. Databases include complete and timely updated Internal Revenue Service documents and caselaw opinions from all federal courts that issue federal tax law guidance. Caselaw and IRS documents (i) contain formatting substantially similar to the original source materials, (ii) include all tables, images, appendices, and exhibits, and (iii) include formatting which permits all text, tables and graphics to print without cropping at the right page margin, which make Legalbitstream stand out among other services."
• Tax, Accounting and Payroll Sites Directory - Includes pointers to general tax sites and accounting sites.
• WorldWideWeb Tax - This site aims to serve as the most comprehensive online source for a broad range of tax information. While the site does offer a for-fee e-file service, it also features a wealth of free information, including IRS forms, IRS instructions, IRS publications, IRS tables, IRS rate schedules, IRS charts, and IRS worksheets. Also included are FAQs, tips and strategies, state tax information, and a glossary of tax terms.

Specific Sites

• Bankrate.com - Tax rates and advice for federal and state income and other taxes.
• California Tax Forms, Instructions, and Publications - State of California Franchise Tax Board's site withtax forms and instructions, calculators and tables, law changes, and much more information.
• Internal Revenue Service
• Tax Code, Regulations and Official Guidance - From the IRS.
• Tax History Project - Site provides scholars, policymakers, students, the media, and citizens with information about the history of American taxation. The project pursues its mission through a program of web-based documentary publication and original historical research.
• Tax Research at the HSU Library - Use this site for specific assistance on doing tax research at the HSU Library.
• Tax Statistics - Wide range of tables, articles, and data that describe and measure elements of the U.S. tax system produced by the Statistics of Income Division and other areas of the IRS.

• Annual Reports at Yahoo - This free service by Yahoo Finance provides you with quick access to annual reports and other information on over 3,500 companies.
• Business Filings Databases - Updated - This is a compilation of all the state locations for sources of information on corporate and business filings.
• Corporate Watch - Web site dedicated to observe transnational corporations at the local, national, and international levels and to provide readers with information to investigate and analyze corporate activity.
• Forbes lists - On this site you can find the various lists that Forbes compiles including the lists for the top domestic companies, best small companies, and world's largest companies.
• Fortune 500 - Fortune Magazine's annual list of the top 500 U.S. companies ranked by revenues.
• Hoovers Online - Includes links to company web sites as well as company profiles for privately held firms and publicly traded companies. [For HSU only, Hoover's Company Record covers more than 40,000 public and non-public companies in addition to providing in-depth industry and company information.]
• The Inc. 5000 List - Inc. Magazine’s list of the country’s fastest growing private companies.
• Public Register's Annual Report Service - Free annual reports of public companies trading on the NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX, OTC and TSX exchanges. See also their green alternative, The Public Register Online, the largest free directory of over 5,000 online annual reports or 10-K presenations available on the web.
• U.S. Securities and Exchange - EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system) - "All companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free. Here you'll find links to a complete list of filings available through EDGAR and instructions for searching the EDGAR database."

• County Business Patterns - Government reports organized by industry code that provide statistical data.
• Current Industrial Reports - Government reports about specific industries and sub-industries. Provides statistics and detailed tables regarding sales and production.
• ThomasNet - ThomasNet is powered by Thomas Register of Manufacturers. Register for free to search 155,000 U.S. and Canadian companies to find industrial products and services; Thomas Global which is an up-to-date directory of worldwide industrial Information from over 700,000 suppliers in 11 languages from 28 countries. Other information; Industrial market trends.
• Yahoo - Industry - Has pointers to news articles about many different industries.

• Accounting Terminology Guide - The New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA) General Committee on Public Relations prepared this glossary as an educational tool for journalists who report on and interpret financial information.
• AICPA Online - This site is maintained by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and provides a searchable collection of accounting information. Particularly useful are the links to CPA Links, which lists numerous general sites of interest to CPAs; the Students section, which offers information about the profession and research tips; the Educators section, where you can find information on curriculum-related programs and services; and Resume Match, a useful area for the job seeker. The search engine is rather limited and it is best to read the instructions provided in order to formulate a good search of the site.
• RAW - Rutgers Accounting Web - Includes accounting resources on the web, listings of accountants, accounting standards by FASB and GASB, international accounting information, etc.
• Pro2Net - A comprehensive online resource for professionals in accounting, financial services, human resources, insurance, and law. A "Resource Library" features tax and financial listings from state, federal, and international institutions, as well as selected fulltext news articles. There is also a link to "Find an Accountant" that includes more than 100,000 U.S. accounting firms, and is searchable by person's name, firm name, city, state, or industry focus. The "Career Center" allows you to search by firm or location, and students may find the browsable list of professional resumes useful.
• Tax and Accounting Sites Directory - A comprehensive index of web-based tax and accounting resources. The directory is designed to be a starting point for people who are searching for tax and accounting information, products, and services.
• Yahoo's Accounting Listings - Nice general listing of accounting information. It includes pointers to companies, courses, as well as specific accounting sites.

• The Gallup Organization

• Marketing Virtual Library - Annotated guide to marketing resources. Areas covered include advertising, starting and running a business, careers and employment, consumer issues, legal information, electronic commerce, public relations, and selling and sales management. Additionally database, direct, international, and Internet marketing are covered as well as market research.
• Ad*Access - The Ad*Access Project, funded by the Duke Endowment "Library 2000" Fund, presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955. Ad*Access concentrates on five main subject areas: Radio, Television, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene, and World War II, providing a coherent view of a number of major campaigns and companies through images preserved in one particular advertising collection available at Duke University.
• Ad Council: Campaigns That Have Made a Difference - This site highlights Ad Council public service advertising campaigns (PSAs) from 1942 to the present. Includes descriptions of campaigns for wars (such as "Loose Lips Sink Ships" and Rosie the Riveter), forest fire prevention (Smokey Bear), child abuse prevention, domestic violence awareness, and more. Provides images of print ads and video clips of TV commercials.
• National Retail Federation - This site's mission is "to advance the interests of the retail industry through advocacy, communications and education."

Large & General Sites

• Business USA - New site from the Federal Government - "A product of collective thoughts and inputs from the following agencies who have pledged their commitment to making this site a one-stop shop for everything related to business in the USA." Agencies include Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and more.
• Doing Business on the Internet - Library of Congress Internet Resource Page which lists general sources for doing business on the Internet. Internet business directories, Internet service and consultants for business.
• Edward Lowe Foundation - Their mission is to champion the entrepreneurial spirit by providing information, research, and educational experiences which support small business people. They have a searchable full-text small business database which can be browsed by category or by subject.
• FindLaw Small Business Center - One of the most comprehensive legal resources on the Internet providing information and resources for small business owners and help for entrepreneurs seeking to get a business idea off the ground. Get information on choosing and forming the right legal structure for your business, legal tips, an overview of employment law issues, and more.
• Idea Cafe - Idea Cafe creator Francie Ward aims for a "fun approach to serious business" in this colorful small business resource site. Advice and articles on financing a business, starting a business, running a business, using new technologies, and communicating effectively with employees and clients are provided.
• Office of Women's Business Ownership - Prepared by the Small Business Administration to help women entrepreneurs start or expand their businesses.
• Sample Business Plans - Every good business starts with a plan--more specifically, a business plan. If you're thinking of starting a business, but don't know the difference between an executive summary and a start-up summary, you'll want to take the crash course this very helpful site provides. Peruse over 500 sample business plans to get a general idea of what your pitch should include, then move on to the extensive tutorial section to help craft your own. Pointers, suggestions, dos and don'ts are all included. You'll also find tutorials for marketing plans, lessons on cash v profits, and a couple dozen helpful links. A fantastic resource and a definite bookmark for the entrepreneurial minded.
• U.S. Small Business Administration - SBA.gov provides a wide variety of information of interest to not only the prospective small business owner, but to people who already are operating a small business. You can find pointers to sources of financing, business plan samples and forms, managing a small business, and business opportunities.
• Women-Owned Business - Yahoo! Directory of various web-based sources of information for and about women in business.
• Yahoo's Small Business - Nice pointers to many sites of interest to people setting up small business.

State Information

• California Business Programs - From the California Secretary of State, this site lists all the information needed to start a business in California. It includes information on statutorily required filings, trademarks, service marks, UCC financing statements, and Notary Public Commissions.

Local Information

• Humboldt Economic Index - Produced by the Economics Department at HSU, this site contains both current and historic data on various indicators of economic activity in Humboldt, e.g., median home prices, unemployment rate, etc.
• Northcoast Small Business Development Center - This site is dedicated to helping both current and prospective small business owners learn about how to set up a business in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. For personal assistance and for quick one stop answers to your business related questions, use BizNet.
• Redwood Region Economic Development Commission - This site lists various ways to find information on how to do business in Humboldt County.

• Country Commercial Guides - These guides are prepared annually by United States embassies together with other government agencies and include information on the economic trends and outlook, political environment, market for U.S products, trade regulations, investment climate, trade financing and travel in the CCG. An appendix containing the country's main economic indicators is also included in the report.
• DoingBusiness - Doing Business is a site prepared by the World Bank which measures regulatory costs of doing business in over 175 countries. There is also information on starting a business; hiring and firing workers; enforcing a contract; getting credit; closing a business; and economy characteristics.
• Economic Commission For Latin America and the Caribbean - This is the web site for the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). It is the public record of its work, including press releases, interviews, speeches, op-ed pieces, and statements of the Secretary-General, as well as PDF versions of nearly all its publications in both English and Spanish. Some of the publications available at this site include the Statistical Yearbook, Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, and Foreign Investment in Latin America.
• The Forbes List of the World's Biggest Public Companies - Forbes magazine's list list of the top ranking international companies. Companies can be searched by name, country, or industry type. Company listings contain contact information and website addresses, and of course, the numbers: basic revenue, assets, market value, and stock price and earnings information.
• globalEDGE - Created by the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University, this website "provides international business and trade information on over 200 countries, the 50 U.S. states, as well as nearly two dozen industry sectors, and many of the world’s trade blocs."
• International Monetary Fund - This site contains significant amounts of information about the organization, international monetary cooperation, and member countries. There are links to IMF research and statistics, sections on how the IMF gets and lends its money, as well as monthly and quarterly statistics on IMF financial transactions.
• Trade Data Online - "Provides the ability to generate customized reports on Canada's and U.S. trade in goods with over 200 countries." Search by product or industry. The data is provided by Statistics Canada and by the U.S. Census Bureau.
• ViewsWire - This database is produced by the Economic Intelligent Unit Economist Group and provides information about multinational business. It includes rankings of countries for "e-business readiness" as well as data on the political, economic, and business environment in 187 countries. Free, but registration is required to access the content.
• WTO & GATT Research - This guide from the New York University Law Library "presents the essential sources for researching the former GATT system and the current system under the Uruguay Round agreements and the World Trade Organization."