SAGE Business Researcher

SAGE Business Researcher is an online periodical from SAGE Publications first launched in 2015. It presents one online issue every other week (i.e., 24 issues per year). These focus on specific areas within business and/or management and how they are impacted by current world events. They also point users to reliable resources for additional inquiry. Each issue contains a report (which examines a certain topic in-depth), short articles (which briefly explore and explain issues related to a topic), data (which is in the form of tables and graphs), and expert views (i.e., pro/con arguments or interviews with industry experts on a topic impacting business and/or management).

The browsing and search mechanisms in this database are generally effective and easily understandable. There are two browsing options (by topic and content type), a single search bar, and an advanced search. While both of these search mechanisms are useful, the former is frequently more effective than the latter. The results lists generated by this database are understandable and easy to navigate. It can be subscribed to or purchased, and pricing depends on FTE, with a substantial discount available for public libraries. As a consequence the price can vary greatly. This database’s subscription cost is not excessive, regardless of that variability, at least for those public libraries eligible for the above mentioned discount. That isn’t true for other libraries however! Their price is approximately six times higher, ranging in price from almost $2,000 for a subscription to close to $4,000 for a purchase, and these are only starting costs.

SAGE Business Researcher is, for all of its positive qualities, a single online periodical that has produced fewer than two years’ worth of issues. For that reason, the substantially higher cost for those libraries not eligible for the discounts makes this resource possibly prohibitively expensive. Potential subscribers should contact SAGE Publications for more specific pricing. This database’s contract provisions are very basic, and present little cause for concern. As with all contractual agreements however, potential subscribers or purchasers should review it carefully before proceeding with it. This database is a good source for information on business and management, but is certainly not the only one. Potential competitors include Emerald Full Text, Business Source Premier (from EBSCO), and Business Knowledge Research (from the Conference Board), among others. As a consequence, potential subscribers or purchasers should consider not only the cost of this database, but whether other resources might better meet their need for business and management materials.