Reference no: EM132919345

To satisfy this requirement we will focus on the following:

1. Using a discipline-specific research tool, mechanism, or strategy to address an information need.

2. Applying discipline-specific evaluation criteria to an information source.

Background

You are the co-owner of a medium sized company (10 employees) that sells commercial 3D printers and printing parts. Your company has revenues of almost $40 million dollars a year. Increasingly, customers have been asking that you allow bitcoin as a payment method. Some of these customers are overseas. While you know some of your competitors use it, all you know about it is what you've seen in the news: that's its popular, volatile, potentially low cost, and may have security issues.

Given that you don't know much about bitcoin, you have decided to do some research on this topic. This assignment will require you to document the search process you use in order to find relevant information.

Your first task: decide what information you really need in order to properly evaluate this idea.

Step 1: Identify the information needed.

There are many possible business ramifications to adopting bitcoin, but to begin with, at least, you want to limit your focus to your 3 most important issues. Examples might include: understanding how block chain technology works; what are the security risks; how bitcoin exchanges and wallets work in terms of transaction costs; the law as it relates to cryptocurrencies; what is behind the demand for bitcoin payment support; or how to set payment terms to minimize risk or maximize revenue.

Depending on your major you might be more interested in e.g. marketing issues, or finance issues, so your top 3 may be quite different to a classmate's. What is important is that you can articulate what it is you want to know.