Content last reviewed:
Finding an MNC
- Fortune Magazine Top Global 500 companies
- World's Biggest Public Companies- Forbes Magazine
Tips for Company Information:
Look for a SWOT analysis:
- Go to Business Source Complete and search for your company name. Scroll down and limit by SWOT Analysis.
- Go to Passport. Select Companies from the top tab and key in your company name. Select the relevant segment and open the profile. Look in the table of contents for a SWOT analysis.
Look to the company's website for valuable information: Read the Management Discussion and Analysis - (MD&A) section of the Annual Report or 10k. Read the letter to the shareholders from the CEO in the company's annual report.
Search NAICS 2017 from Statistics Canada or the US Census Bureau to get the NAICS code for an industry.
Global (includes Canadian data)
- Mergent Online
- Factiva
- Bloomberg See our help guides for instructions and tips.
Company data, Industry profiles and reports
- Business Source Complete - search your topic, product, company or industry.
- Mergent Online - when connected, select the Report Search tab from the menu. Select industry of interest and then geographical region.
- Factiva - mouse over Companies/Markets from menu bar at top of page, select Industry. Select industry from the list provided. Published profiles are found under Analysis and Profiles from menu on left.
- Passport - Mouse over Industries from the top tabs, select an industry and then choose a geography.
Industry Information from the Canadian Government
Tips for Industry information:
Look for valuable information and data from trade associations
Google the industry + country or region + association
Telecommunications Industry Associaton (US)
Telecommunications Industry Association (Europe)
Association of Asia Pacific Airlines
Look for information a government department regulating an industry.
Google the Industry + country + regulator
Research Starting Points
- Passport - Get country reports for Industries, Economy, Business Conditions, Environment, Consumer Behavior and Demographics. Get company and market information.
- Business Source Complete - Get country reports, industry reports and trade journal articles.
- globalEdge
- Nexis Uni - Get country, industry and company reports.
- Doing Business from the World Bank
IGO Data Sources
- The World Bank (Search by Country/ World Development Indicators Databank)
- OECD iLibrary
- UN Data
- UNCTADSTAT
Social Environment
Population Statistics
In Passport search by country
From the top tool bar select
>consumers
>population
>country reports
The Related Statistics provides census data. Select time series, by year - choose relevant years and click on Apply.
- World Bank Search by Country
- World Bank Data - World Development Indicators
Education Statistics
- Education Statistics (EdStats) from the World Bank
Cultural Environment
- In Passport, select Consumers and explore under headings Households and Lifestyles.
- globalEdge, select country to see languages, ethnic groups, religions as well as links to other sources.
- globalEdge - provides information on business culture by country
- Hofstede Centre - provides country-based cultural analysis, comparisons and scores.
Economic/Financial Environment
- EIU.com - provides economic and financial data
- Conference Board of Canada
- World Economic Forum The Global Competitiveness Report
- globalEdge - select country, economy
- World Bank Search by Country
- World Bank Data - World Development Indicators
Political Environment
- EIU.com provides political structure (look under Summary)
- globalEdge includes political structure, international relations and international organization participation in the Government section.
- Trade Commissioner Service
- Export Development Canada (EDC) - India Trade Example
- Canadian Trade Investment Profile
- Business Development Bank of Canada
Legal Environment
- World Fact Book by the CIA includes information on country legal systems.
- globalEdge - Look for the Country Commercial Report.
Technological Environment
Look for data and information that will help you examine and analyze one of two variables:
- Technologies USED by the industry you are analyzing e.g. fracking by oil and gas
- Technologies that are essentially substitutes for the products provided by the industry being analyzed e.g. online advertising with Google and Facebook displacing print advertising at Postmedia
Sources -
- 10K Reports or Corporate Disclosure documents to find technologies used by companies within your industry.
- Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) section of a company's 10K will identify threats from other industries.
- Passport - ranks countries by technology - go to Consumers, Digital Consumer
- search relevant keywords in the search box for trends and new products. - Industry trade magazines and trade associations websites
- Google the industry + country + associations to find trade associations
- Search Business Source Complete for articles published in trade magazines
- Search relevant keywords in the search box in Passport for trends and new products
- for example, search 3D printing, payment methods, drones, etc.
- Articles may also be found in Canadian Business & Current Affairs, Ei Engineering Village, Factiva and Industry Week
-
Global Information Technology Report (World Economic Forum)
Geographic/Natural/Ecological Environment
- EIU.com - search Natural Resources in the search box and select country on left.
- Passport
- World Resource Institute
- Environmental Performance Index
Global country ranking on environmental performance from Yale University. Click on a country for details.
Search for News, Magazines and Trade Journal Articles
- Factiva excellent source for international business news
- Business Source Complete
- Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database
- Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO)
- PressReader pdfs to more than 2300 newspapers from 97 countries in over 55 languages
- PAIS International (Public Affairs Information Service)
- Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Specific Publications
- Bloomberg News
- Forbes
- Fortune
- The Economist
- Wall Street Journal
- The Globe and Mail
- National Post Online (Includes the Financial Post)
Canada
Relationships
Global Affairs Canada
Trade - Opening New Markets - Trade and Investment Agreements
Canada's State of Trade
Country Information
Risk
Export Development Canada - Country Information
Economic Analysis and Research see in particular the Country Risk Quarterly
Maps
Map of disputes between WTO Members
International Trade Centre - Trade Map - see also Countries and Territories, download the PDF
Resource Trade Earth - shows areas of fastest increase or fastest decline
Canada's Trade Flows
Statistics
Trade Data Online
United States
Relationships
U.S. Dept. of State - Bilateral relations fact sheets
Investment Climate Statements
Office of the United States Trade Representative - Trade Agreements, Countries and Regions, Issue Areas
International Trade Administration
Country commercial guides
Data & Analysis
Map and Statistics
Trade Stats Express
International Perspective
World Bank
Doing Business provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 183 economies. Each economy is ranked according to 10 sets of indicators. These are combined into an overall "ease of doing business" ranking.
World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) to view trade flows
Writing Tutorial Service (WTS)
Citing your sources
It is essential to understand how and when to use citations in your essays and projects to ensure the Academic Integrity of your work. Good help is available! Use the style the professor says to use - it may be different for different classes.
- Research and Citation - Guides to citation styles from OWL.
- Citing Your Sources - Carleton's general guide to resources on all the main styles including video links.
- APA Citation for Business Resources - York University
- Citation Guide - prepared by the Harvard Business School
- The Chicago Manual of Style Online
- Citing Data & Statistics
Citation Management
- Citation Management Tools
- Zotero Guide - Ryerson
- Zotero Guide - U of T
