Q. How do I find white papers and/or case studies related to technology evaluation?
Outlined below are strategies for locating case studies and white papers related to technology evaluation, implementation, deployment, lessons learned, etc.
Library Resources for Case Studies
- Visit the FAQ on Finding Case Studies to learn how to find business case studies. Note: there may/not be any technology-related case studies available in the sources described but it is worth checking.
- Specific to case studies in IT and technology, the library has online full-text access to the Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research from 1999-present. The following is the description of the journal from the publisher's website:
The Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research (JITCAR) publishes case-based research on the application of information technology and information systems to the solution of organizational problems. Research articles may focus on public, private, or governmental organizations of any size, from start-up through multinational. JITCAR seeks case examples from countries of all types – advanced, newly industrialized, developing, or under-developed. The research can focus on any type of application, issue, problem or technology, including, for example, artificial intelligence, business process reengineering, cross-cultural issues, cybernetics, decision support systems, electronic commerce, enterprise systems, groupware, the human side of IT, information architecture, joint application development, knowledge based systems, local area networks, management information systems, office automation, outsourcing, prototyping, robotics, security, social networking, software as a service, supply chain management, systems analysis, telemedicine, ubiquitous computing, video-conferencing, and Web 2.0.
Library Resources for Research Reports
The library's database subscriptions do not contain content from Forrester, Gartner, or IDC. However, Refinitiv is a great research tool and has reports that may be helpful. If you have not used Refinitiv before, visit this page to register an account.
Outside Resources for White Papers
Outside of the Pepperdine Libraries resources, there are a number of sites that appear to be free but often require registration. I am listing some of them below. Though they are helpful for providing the benefits of particular technology products, they are going to be biased in their representation of a product or tool as they are often used as marketing or promotional material for a specific product.
- There is a site called Find White Papers which is pegged as finding technology research for business professionals. While I can't vouch for the content provided, it does cover a wide range of areas including enterprise applications, IT management, and storage. It appears that access is free but users must provide a valid email address.
- Another site that specializes in white papers is Tech Republic. Tech Republic identifies itself as the largest database of white papers and case studies anywhere. It is part of CNet networks and requires free registration.
- IEEE Spectrum White Papers (https://event.on24.com/event/11/54/67/rt/index.html?eventid=115467&sessionid=1&key=B723484B60AF8483BDC9E07BA41129A8&eventuserid=18316439) also appear to be freely available from the link I've provided.
- Whitepapers from MacAfee focuses on security solutions and McAfee anti-malware products.
- Computerworld Magazine also has whitepapers that are free with registration. Note: Computerworld Digital Magazine is also available in full-text through our Business Source Premier library database.
- Bitpipe bills itself as the enterprise IT professional's guide to information technology resources and provides white papers. It requires free registration.