Description of the Project
Overview
In Accounting 1140 you will be introduced to the elements of a company's financial statements and related disclosures in the annual report. The annual report is a primary source of information on a company's performance. However, there is a wealth of other information on a company's performance.
This project will provide you with an opportunity to evaluate the financial condition of a company based not only on the financial statements found in the company's annual report but also on outside sources of financial information about a company and its performance.
Sections of the project
You will select a publicly-held company and study the consolidated financial statements and other disclosures in the company's annual report. You will then compare and contrast that information with other financial information about the company such as analysts' reports and magazine/newspaper articles available on the College of DuPage Library's business databases.
This project will consist of 5 sections:
- Section 1 - Selecting a publicly-held company
- Section 2 - Summarize company operations
- Section 3 - Researching what outside analysts are saying about the company
- Section 4 - Studying various sections of the company annual report
- Section 5 - Evaluating company performance
Submission instructions
- This project should be submitted to me by the deadline date listed on your syllabus.
- The project will include a written paper and a complete copy of your company's annual report.
- Your paper should be typed - double-spaced - with an appropriate cover page and a bibliography in MLA format (see Citing sources below for more information).
- You may deliver your project to my mail box in the Business & Technology Division, Office IC 2026 on the main campus or you may mail it to me @ College of DuPage, Business & Technology Division, Attn: Maureen McBeth, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.
A COD Library card
- To use the Library databases from off campus, you will need to have a COD Library card.
- You will be asked to enter your last name and COD Library bar code when you try to access any of the Library databases from off-campus.
- If you do not have a COD Library card, complete the Online Student Library Card Application.
- Your barcode # will be sent to you via email within two working days.
Citing sources
At the conclusion of your project, you will need to create a list of all the resources that you used for your research including the company web site, the annual report, and any of the business databases that you accessed. Use MLA format for these citations.
- Go to Research Help/Citing Sources on the Library web site for information on citing sources.
- There are also selected examples of business citations @ http://www.cod.edu/library/libweb/Wagner/Business/GeneralBusiness/CitationExamples.doc.
Course Librarian
- Judy Wagner, Business Librarian, is available to answer questions you might have about resources for this project.
- Contact her via e-mail or work phone @ 630-942-2021.
- You can also call the Library Reference Desk @ 630-942-2021 or refer your question to the Ask A Librarian online service.
