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Facilities and Transportation

Course Number: BU845

Subject: Business

Welcome to BU845 course guide! It is created to help you with your study and research on transportation and warehouse facilities. Please click on the links below to navigate each section of this guide for details of resources and search strategies.

Searching in Omni

You may use Omni (the library catalogue) to search for print and electronic books, articles, working papers, dissertations, and much more.

  • Go to the library homepage
  • Type in the title of the book or article or keywords into the search box under Omni
  • Click on Search Omni
  • Conduct Omni Advanced Search which offers you more options for search (by keyword, title, author, publisher, subject, etc.)
  • On the result page you may refine results by publication type, publication date, subject, language and more, or only show peer-reviewed documents. Consult Getting started with Omni for guidance.
  • You can request Print material from partner university libraries in Ontario through Omni. Consult Omni FAQ for more information.
Finding Articles in a Specific Journal
  • Go to the library homepage
  • Click on Search for journal titles below the search box under omni
  • Enter in the journal title (or keyword if you are not sure about the exact title of the journal) in the search box
  • Click on the journal title that matches
  • If it is available online, select the databases with the right coverage (look at the years) listed in the "Available from" field. Search the article title using "search within this publication" feature, or browsing by volume and issue number depending on which database you have access to.
  • If it is a print journal, look under Location of Item for more information such as call number, availability, and the library that owns the journal.
Searching for Articles in a Database
  1. To access a database:

◦ Go to the library homepage

◦ Click on Search resources (databases by title and description) below the omni search box

◦ Enter in the database name in the search box under Name, description

◦ Click on Filter and select a database that matches

◦ Off-campus Laurier Network Login will be required for authentication

2. The following keywords will help when researching topics on the theme of transportation, logistics and inventory:

logistics, transport*, traffic, outsourcing, third party logistics, 3rd party logistics, TPL, reverse logistics, freight forwarder, freight carriers, delivery of goods, shipment, shipping, inventory, warehouse, warehousing, etc.

3. Key databases for searching for journal articles on facilities and transportation:

Contains scholarly, trade, and news titles, many of which are available in full-text. Search with keywords related to your research. You may limit search to full text and filter by subject, geography, date, etc. located on the left side of the search result page. 

Comprehensive database, with citations and full-text content, for leading business journals including scholarly, trade, popular and news titles. Search with keywords related to your research. On the search result page, click on Subject: Thesaurus Terms on the left side to filter your search by subject. You may also limit search to full text and filter by geography, date, etc. located on the left side of the search results page.

A single-access search gateway to the full text of online journals published by several major academic journal publishers. Search with keywords related to your research. Click the link to subject terms below an article title to find more articles grouped under a specific subject quickly.

Allows users to search for scholarly articles, conference proceedings, and books. You can set up your own personal Google account and set Google Scholar preferences on your home computer. When off campus you will see "Get it @ Laurier" links to some of the contents on Google Scholar. It means you can search Laurier's journal subscriptions through Google. You don't have to sign in with your Laurier account each time.

4. Search Tips:

  • Boolean Operators: AND OR NOT

AND requires all terms joined by it to appear in the document which narrows your search. E.g. container terminals AND optimization; OR requires at least one of the terms joined by it to appear in the document in any order which broadens your search. e.g. transport routing OR scheduling; NOT excludes documents containing the term(s) following it. e.g. intermodal transport NOT policies

Watch the video tutorial: Better Searching Using AND, OR, NOT

  • Truncation symbols *

enable you to search for variations of a word. Enter the root of a word and put the truncation symbol at the end. Examples: transport* = transportation, transporter, transporting, etc.

Watch the video tutorial: Better Searching Using Truncation

  • Wildcard symbols ! ?

substitute a symbol for one letter of a word; useful if a word is spelled in different ways, but still has the same meaning. Example: Labo?r = labour, labor

  • Quotation marks “ ”

require words to be searched as a phrase, in the exact order you type them. Examples: “lead time”, “supply chain management”, “distribution center”.

Industry Information

You may use the following resources to find information on transportation industries including overview, financials, trend, market share, competitors and much more.

Provides Canadian, US and Chinese industry reports containing trends, statistics & analysis on market size, market share of major companies, industry growth rates, major market segments and key external forces affecting supply and demand within the industry. Enter industry keyword (e.g. transportation, logistics, storage, warehousing, etc.) or company name into the search box.

Provides industry reports on transportation industries. Enter keyword e.g transportation, logistics, etc. into the search box at the top of the main page.

Provides industry reports on the transport sectors including Porter's Five Forces Analysis. SWOT profiles may be available for companies. To find the reports, Click Browse by Industries and select Transport and Logistics from the industry list. Refine your search by keywords, sector, geography, and date.

Information on logistics and supply chain management is found in the Services Industries section under Industrial Category tab. The Industry Profile tab provides statistics, economic overview, and major trends analysis of freight transport and logistics industry. 

 Enter keyword e.g transportation, logistics, etc. into the search box at the top of the main page, and then filter the results by publication type, subject, etc.

 Click on the Investext tab. Click Industry in the Select Criteria box and then "use industry lookup". Select industries related with transport and click Submit.

Contains industry reports on the transportation and warehousing industry. Click Browse at the top, then select the link for Industries under Proquest One Business Featured Content. Scroll down to find Transportation and Warehousing Industry. 

 Provides industry profiles. Under the Companies tab, click on Industries under Search Profiles, enter keyword e.g. logistics, transportation, etc. into the search box and click Search.

Data & Statistics

Provides statistical data by industry. Type transport into the search box to bring up a list of relevant industry sectors and NAICS codes. Clicking either the NAICS code or industry name will direct you to more details such as establishments, financials, company directories, etc.

         A compilation of sources for Canada, USA, and international coverage.

Associations

Transportation Associations - Canada

Transportation Associations - US and World

Warehousing Associations

A professional organization focused on warehouse management and its role in the supply chain. The Resource Center tab contains information on warehouse certification and case studies, links to government agencies, associations, trade press/media and much more.

It provides news, educational events, certification and government/regulatory policies. The Library tab includes documents covering cases, handbooks and proposals, etc. 3PL Americas – IWLA’s quarterly magazine is worth reading as well. 

Web Resources

Features logistics news, directories by industry sectors including warehouses and distribution centers, tools and links to websites on various modes of transport including air, sea, rail, and truck.

An inter-governmental organisation within the OECD system. It acts as a think tank for global transport policy issues. The website provides publications, statistics, and updates covering topics such as aviation, road transport, rail transport, infrastructure, etc.

Contains estimated freight costs by shipping direction and country name under the Offers tab. Directories of companies by industry are available under the Companies tab.

Provides good resources on topics related to inventory management. You will learn about best practices, stock control techniques, and have access to the inventory turnover ratio calculator. 

Offers information on different sectors in the digital supply chain, supply chain risk management, procurement, and logistics. Provides a great source of news, company reports, and videos.