To make informed decisions in business, it is necessary to conduct business research. Business literature research is a way of doing business research.
What will you learn from this training?
This training is focused on expanding your information literacy skills in doing business literature research. You will learn how and where to search strategically for business information.
Who is this training for?
This training is intended for all students who need to do business literature research on a topic, industry or market and requires previous knowledge and skills. These can be acquired by doing our online Literature Research Training.
In this training you will learn:
What business information entails
How to use different search methods (recap)
How to select sources for the different types of information
How to approach the different types of business research
This is how it works
This training contains 4 modules.
You can work your way through the modules from beginning to end or go directly to the module you need. Click the ‘Next’ button on the bottom of this screen to start.
1. What is business literature research?
Business research focusses on both the internal and the external environment of a business.
The internal business environment consists of data created by the company and for the sole use of the company, such as company strategy plans, business models, marketing plans etc. You may research the internal business environment to exhibit the inner strengths and weaknesses of an organisation.
The external business environment consists of 4 elements that influence a business’s strategy, results and performance from the outside. These elements are:
Market forces
Industry forces
Key trends
Macroeconomic forces
Business literature research is focussed on researching business theories, business topics and the external business environment.
When doing business literature research, you will find that business information can be found in a variety of information sources. The type of information needed is generally leading in selecting the appropriate information source.
In general, business information can be divided into one or more of the following types of information:
Business theory & topics
Industry information
Market information
Business statistics & datasets
Business news
Trend information
Company information
Country information
Marketing information
Please note: Not all information will be available in the library's databases. Occasionally you will find that parts of the information are available in the organisation you work for and sometimes you will just have to get creative. Keep in mind, if you can't find the required information in literature you may need to conduct field research to gather the information.
2. Searching strategically
Have a search strategy or plan
Well begun, is half done. This is also true when you are looking for literature for your study assignment, research or thesis.
Researching the business environment requires a research strategy, critical thinking, creativity and an open mind.
A good research strategy is based on your research questions and your research objectives.
Once you have formulated your research questions, both your main research question and your sub-questions, you can start putting together your search strategy.
The base of your search strategy is shaped by subjects derived from your main research question and your sub-questions. For each of these subjects you need to collect search terms/keywords.
A good search strategy is made up by the following components:
The collection of search terms (Keep in mind synonyms, jargon and related subjects)
The identification of relevant sources
The creation of search strings that will lead you to the best results (using phrase searches, Boolean operators, parenthesis etc.)
The identification of Industry or statistical classification codes (if and where applicable)
When building your search strategy, you might benefit from using the Form Search strategy business information. You can open this form by clicking this link.
Tips!
Be aware: there is not always an (exact) answer to each of your questions. Sometimes you will have to come up with an acceptable alternative.
Keep an eye open for relevant search terms
Be creative in your overall approach
3. Recap search methods
As you will have learned from the online training Literature Research, it is not very effective to enter random search terms in any given database.
To find specific information on your subject, you will have to combine your search terms into a “search string”.
Use AND to narrow down your search results and retrieve records containing all of the words it separates.
Use OR to broaden a search and retrieve records containing any of
the words it separates. used for synonyms, related terms, plural/single and different ways of spelling
Use NOT to narrow down your search results and retrieve records that do not
contain the term following it. In Google you have to use a dash
(-) instead of NOT.
Building a search string
Building search strings is done by using one or more of the techniques above and combining them using parentheses. This allows you to search with a combination of (Boolean) operators.
Example(s):(”food retail” OR supermarkets) AND Netherlands NOT hypermarkets.
Tip! Type AND/OR/NOT in capitals. Using capitals identifies the term as a Boolean operator and will increase the readability of your search string.
4. Selecting sources
Where you search defines what you will find. Statistical data on consumer expenditure, for example, can be found in a different source than information on the market for retail food in the Netherlands.
The ‘type’ of information you are looking for correlates with the information source.
This means that in order to answer your research question(s), you will have to search for information in different types of sources.
Start with sources offered by the library!
The library has selected multiple sources for you, based on quality and the structured way in which these sources offer information.
You can reach the library website from home. If you want access to one of the sources, you will be asked to login with your RUAS-account.
Information sources: an overview of all databases the library offers
Information sources per study programme: an overview of databases selected for your study programme.
International Business & Masters: If you select Information Sources per Study Programme in the drop-down menu, and then select your study programme, you will find information sources categorised by type of business information underneath the tab Weblinks. Weblinks offers not only the regular library databases, but also weblinks to free, high quality, information sources selected by the library.
...and remember: Not all information will be available in the library's databases. Occasionally you will find that parts of the information are (already) available within the organisation and sometimes you will just have to get creative. Keep in mind, if you can't find the required information in literature you may need to conduct field research to gather the information.
Tips!
Identify the sources you need. Start with 3 or 4 core sources for your (sub-) topic and build from there. You can also add the sources to your mindmap.
In the following sub-chapters, you will find information sources per type of information.
4.1 Business topics
The search for a specific business/business management topic encompasses theories, concepts, models and their implementations.
Examples of business topics are:
E-commerce
Brand awareness,
Customer journey
Process optimalisation
Process management
Change Management
Employee branding
Circular business models
Performance management
Soft controls
Marketing communication strategy
Workplace diversity
Leadership
The library offers a broad collection of databases that can be used for researching a business topic, but we have a few favorites (in alphabetical order):
Google Scholar
With Google Scholar you can search for academic articles. If you use Scholar via the library website, you will not only find links to free Open Access articles, but also to part of the paid content.
START
Search through the entire physical and (most of the) digital collection for (e)books, journals and articles.
A complete overview of relevant databases for researching a business topic can be found in the category “Business Books and Journals” on the tab Weblinks of the Information sources per study programme -> RBS -> IB
4.2 Company information
The most common form of business research is the search for company information. You may search for company information for several reasons, including:
Obtaining contact information and/or a description of a company
Researching company news
Researching competitors
Retrieving financial data to decide whether or not to invest in or do business with a company
Preparing for a job interview
Company information can be found in a variety of sources, depending on the type of information you are looking for. E.g. company news in news sources; subsidiaries, branches and locations in official registries; company financials in sources containing annual reports.
Keep in mind that:
All companies are registered with an official registry / chamber of commerce. Reporting and filing requirements for companies differ from country to country and also vary depending on company size and legal form.
Information about public companies (publicly traded on various stock exchanges) is often the easiest to retrieve since they have an obligation to file. Information about private companies is more difficult as they are not held to the same reporting standards as public companies.
To search strategically for company information we suggest the following sources:
The Company Website
Sometimes, it's simple – just type the company name in the search bar of a browser (E.g. Google).
On a company website, look for Links to:
Investors' information – for annual reports / financial statements
About the company – for mission, product description
Corporate/company overview – for a brief history of the corporation
Company news – for press releases, earnings announcements
Keep in mind that both the company website and the annuals reports are partly written from a promotional perspective by the company itself. This is also true for company responsibility reports.
Databases
Company.info
Database containing company information relating to Dutch organisations and foreign organisations with Dutch branches. This information originates from the Dutch Chambers of Commerce and other sources. Includes the following: Annual results and ratios, Annual reports, Address and organisation details, Management details, Press reports, Details of the most important competitors and > 2,000 full text market reports.
EMIS
Emerging Markets Information System. EMIS contains country analysis, company analysis, market analysis and news on emerging markets.
MarketLine
Marketline provides market, branch and country reports – to be consulted by region or country – and often includes prognoses. In addition, this source includes SWOT, 5-forces and PESTLE analyses.
Look for Company Case Studies for an in-depth analysis of successful and unsuccessful company strategies.
Look for Top Companies Chartbooks for a benchmark of leading companies through a variety of financial metrics.
One Business
With One Business you search multiple business databases through one central interface. It contains articles as well as e-books, video's, (market) reports and various news sources.
Statista
Statista's Company DB provides insights into over 15 million companies.
External Sources
Annual Reports
Boasting the most complete and up-to-date listings of annual reports on the internet, AnnualReports.com provides instant access to annual reports in their actual format in one single location.
EDGAR
The SEC’s EDGAR database provides free public access to company information (listed companies only), allowing you to research a company’s financial information and operations by reviewing registration statements, prospectuses and periodic reports.
The database contains 10-K, 20-F, proxy statements, some annual reports, and other financial statements of public companies filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Available form types can be found via the link on the website.
Register of financial reporting (Authority for the Financial Markets – NL)
Annual and semi-annual financial reports of listed companies whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market and whose home Member State is the Netherlands. All AFM registers can be found via: https://www.afm.nl/en/professionals/registers
ResponsibilityReports
Boasting the most complete and up-to-date listings of responsibility reports on the internet, ResponsibilityReports.com provides instant access to responsibility reports in their actual format in one single location.
SEDAR (Canadian Securities Administrators)
"All Canadian public companies and investment funds are generally required to file their documents in the SEDAR system.
For additional information on a company’s environment, check under 4.3 Searching for Country and regional information.
Tips!
Be sure to use the official name of the company
If the company is a personal name or includes initials, e.g. Walt Disney or H. J. Heinz, look under each part of the name. Not all sources are consistent in how names are treated
If you are researching a subsidiary, expand your research to include the parent corporation
Very small or very new companies may not appear in the standard sources. Look for news articles and a company website.
4.3 Country and regional information
Country information refers to the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental structure of a country.
Country or regional reports are important because its content can help you determine if the following may be of influence on your research:
Government or industry regulations affecting operations
Current or pending legislation that will be affecting operations
Economic indicators that can affect operations
Existing market barriers
To search strategically for country information we suggest the following approach:
Depending on your (research) assignment you need do decide what kind of country or region information you need. If you need to analyse the external environment of your company you might want to start with a general PESTLE from Marketline, and then specify it to your specific circumstances.
If you are considering expanding your business internationally you might want to look into country risk reports and the business culture practices. This information can be found in e.g. Marketline and EMIS but also at the many different external sources listed here.
It might also be interesting to research the (consumer) market of the countries you are considering. Insights in your consumer preferences and demands and your possible competitors can be valuable information in deciding if and where you should export.
Databases
EMIS Professional
Emerging Markets Information System. EMIS contains country analysis, company analysis, market analysis and news on emerging markets.
MarketLine Advantage
Marketline provides market, branch and country reports – to be consulted by region or country – and often includes prognoses. In addition, this source includes SWOT, 5-forces and PESTLE analyses.
One Business
With One Business you search multiple business databases through one central interface. It contains articles as well as e-books, video's, (market) reports and various news sources.
External sources
CIA World Factbook
Information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
IMF
International Monetary Fund publications. Access IMF Publications including: World Economic Outlook, Global Financial Stability Report, Fiscal Monitor, Regional Economic Outlooks, Annual Reports, Country Reports, Policy Papers and Working Papers.
OECD
Many free publications with country information are available.
A complete overview of relevant sources for researching a country can be found in the categories “Country Information", "Statistics (international)" and "Statistics (regional)" on the tab Weblinks of the Information sources per study programme -> RBS -> IB
4.4 Industry and market information
Although the terms industry information and market information are often used interchangeably, industry and market reports do have different focuses.
Industry reports focus on:
who creates the product or service
the companies that make up the supply chain and the things that could impact it
Market reports focus on:
who ultimately buys or uses the product or service being created
what will impact customer demand and preferences
Some databases include both industry and market reports (e.g. EMIS and MarketLine). These reports complement each other by providing different points of view on the same topic. Some reports may also contain both industry and market information.
To search strategically for industry and market information we suggest the following approach:
Start with industry reports
Industry reports provide written overviews, statistics, and give you a sense of where the analyst thinks the industry is headed. New, niche, and disruptive industries are often harder to find represented in existing reports.
You can supplement your industry report(s) with MarketLine’s value & supply chain reports and/or industry case studies and other EMIS data and reports.
For more information on MarketLine’s value & supply chain analysis reports, see under 4.4.1.
Next search for market reports
Market reports focus on consumer aspects, such as consumer behaviour, often focusing on these aspects in the broader sense, such as the consumer aspects in a particular country, region or age group (e.g. Euromonitor), sometimes focusing on the consumer aspects of a particular industry (e.g. MarketLine and EMIS).
Lastly look for supplementary and/or alternative sources
If you have not been able to find reports for your industry or market, or if you want to supplement the information you have found with additional data, news etc., you can explore the supplementary sources and/or the alternative sources under 4.4.2 and 4.4.3
For more information about supporting tools for industry & statistical research, see 4.4.4
Tips!
Search for information about industries by selecting: Information Sources per Study Programme in the drop-down menu, and then select your study programme – IB, for example – and then selecting Industry information underneath the tab Weblinks. These information sources contain industry and market reports.
Clearly identify the industry you are researching.
Think about alternative names for describing the industry. E.g.: you may find information about the shipping industry under: shipping, marine freight, transport & logistics, dry bulk, wet bulk, tankers etc.
Be aware that industry reports are not always available for niche industries
If you cannot find an industry report for your niche industry, consider researching the broader industry. E.g.: if you are researching white asparagus, you may also want to research the broader fruit & vegetables industry.
Use industry classifications and/or official statistical classifications(if available)in addition to your free text search
The use of classifications is most common in industry databases and statistical databases.
An Industry classification organises companies into industrial groupings based on similar production processes, similar products, or similar behaviour in financial markets.
4.4.1 Value and supply chain analysis reports
Value and supply chain analysis reports (in this format) can be found in MarketLine.
Company value chainreports cover the various business activities and processes involved in creating a product or performing a service.
Screenshot MarketLine - Tesla Inc.: Value chain analysis. Value chain overview
Industry supply chainreports give a physical representation of the various processes involved in producing goods (and services), starting with raw materials and ending with the delivered product.
Screenshot MarketLine - Global car manufacturing industry. Complete supply chain: overview
4.4.2 Supplementary sources
If you want to supplement the information you have found with additional data, news etc., you can explore the following supplementary sources:
Statistics
Statista
Statistics on many topics, industries, and markets. Use the Source tab to track down more data. Statista is a good source to determine market size, company/brand market share and consumer behaviour and brand preference data. Statista can also be used to search for market data and statistics on advertising and media, including advertising spending globally.
UN Comtrade
UN Comtrade is a repository of official international trade statistics and relevant analytical tables.
MarketLine
Marketline also contains statistical information. You can either use their Industry Datafiles or their Industry Statistics. Use the Databases pull down menus to access these.
Euromonitor
Go to the Consumer tab and enter your choices in the Explore Statistics box. Households, income and expenditure, population and some sustainability statistics are available
EMIS Industry statistics (manufacturing, not consumption)
Select Industry Statistics and Forecasts from the Industries tile.
Nationmaster
International Open Data source that provides unique views of content. All statistics on this site are cited. You can check the authenticity and authorship via the "Source:" field, found below each graph or ,when viewing country statistics, via the "View with citations" link below the bottom of the page.
Note: A complete overview of statistical sources can be found in the categories "Statistics (international)","Statistics (regional)" and "Statistics (national)" on thetab Weblinks of the Information sources per study programme -> RBS -> IB
MarketLine Theme Reports
Looks into topics or megatrends set to have far reaching impact on the world around us. E.g.: Coronavirus (COVID-19), Ukraine Conflict or Robotics
Industry News & Publications
Check news and trade outlets (i.e. Candy Industry, Food Manufacture, Food Management etc.). This can supply you with the latest news on an industry, company etc. You can search via the databases below or look for a specific publication on the Internet.
If all the available databases cannot provide you with the industry & market research you are looking for, it is time to get creative. Below we provide you with some alternative sources for your research.
Industry Associations
Industry associations clearly benefit from collecting data about their industry. Many industry associations collect industry statistics, maintain directories, publish white papers and research reports, and organize conferences and trade shows. Industry experts may be identified through these organisations. Industry associations are also more likely to provide more detailed product & consumption information, even for niche markets.
Search the Internet for your industry or product in combination with association.
Example(s):
confectionery AND association
This search will show you results for:
The National Confectioners Association – NCA
International Confectionery Association – UIA
Professional Manufacturing Confectioners Association
The Bakers and Confectioners Association (UK)
CAOBISCO (Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe)
Etc.
Look for sections called: "news," "research," "resources," "library," or "data".
Consultancy firms
Use Google to find reports from consultancy firms and/or banks, both for industry and market information.
Example(s):
McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/all-research
Featured topics: Productivity, Competitiveness, and Growth; Labor Markets; Financial Markets; Urbanization and infrastructure; Technology and Innovation; Natural Resources
KPMG: https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights.html
Industries: Asset Management; Automotive; Banking and Capital Markets; Chemicals; Consumer & Retail; Energy; Financial Services; Government & Public Sector; Healthcare; Life Sciences; Industrial Manufacturing; Infrastructure; Insurance; Media; Mining; Private Equity; Real estate; Sport; Technology; Telecoms; Transport & Leisure
BCG: https://www.bcg.com/en-nl/
Industries: Aerospace and Defense; Automotive Industry; Consumer Products; Education; Financial Institutions; Health Care; Industrial Goods; Insurance; Oil and Gas; Power and Utilities; Principal Investors and Private Equity; Public Sector; Retail; Technology, Media, and Telecommunications; Transportation and Logistics; Travel and Tourism Industry
Industry classifications are used to classify economic activities. This can be done in a variety of ways.
At the top level, industries are often classified into economic sectors: primary (extraction and harvesting of natural resources), secondary (construction, manufacturing and processing) and tertiary (services).
Below the economic sectors are more detailed classifications. They commonly divide economic activities into industries according to similar functions and markets and identify businesses producing related products.
Industries can also be identified by product. E.g.: construction industry, chemical industry, petroleum industry, automotive industry, electronic industry, hospitality industry, food industry, entertainment industry etc.
Many more industry classification exist, but NAICS (used by US Federal statistical agencies) is one of the most well-known and well used industry classifications. Although NAICS was developed to replace the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system, some databases still use the SIC classification, e.g. EDGAR.
Note: Some databases (also) use database-specific classifications. EMIS uses both the NAICS classification and their own classification of industries.
Statistical classifications
Statistical classifications are used to produce reliable, comparable and methodologically sound statistics.
HS code (Harmonized commodity and coding System).
Harmonized System (HS) Codes are commonly used throughout the export process for goods. The Harmonized System is a standardized numerical method of classifying traded products. It is used by customs authorities around the world to identify products when assessing duties and taxes and for gathering statistics.
SBI-code (in Dutch)
The Dutch SBI-code is national statistical code that is, amongst others, used by the Central Bureau of Statistics (database Statline), the Dutch Chamber of Commerce and the database CompanyInfo.
4.5 Marketing information
Marketing information refers to information about creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging products and services that achieve customer interest and satisfaction in order to get a competitive advantage. Different types of marketing information can be found at the following sources:
Databases
One Business
With One Business you search multiple business databases through one central interface. It contains articles as well as e-books, video's, (market) reports and various news sources.
Statista
Statistics on many topics, industries, and markets. Use the Source tab to track down more data. Statista is a good source to determine market size, company/brand market share and consumer behaviour and brand preference data. Statista can also be used to search for market data and statistics on advertising and media, including advertising spending globally.
External sources
AMA (American Marketing Association)
The American Marketing Association strives to be the most relevant force and voice shaping marketing around the world, an essential community for marketers.
Datareportal
Datareportal offers data on consumer online adoption per country as well as a global overview. Next to data and insights on adoption of different devices it also provides data on buyer behaviour.
Google Trends
Google Trends is a useful tool that publishes aggregated search data. It has a myriad of uses for researchers, marketers, planners helping them understand audience search behaviour segmented by country, time and Google index.
Hootsuite social media trends
Note: (Some) information is available on the website. Full report can be downloaded for free After registration
Marketingsherpa.com
Marketing Sherpa, Inc. is a research firm publishing case studies, benchmark data, and how-to information for marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. In addition to in-depth interviews and surveys, they publish industry-wide data.
Het arrangement Training Business Literature Research is gemaakt met
Wikiwijs van
Kennisnet. Wikiwijs is hét onderwijsplatform waar je leermiddelen zoekt,
maakt en deelt.
Dit lesmateriaal is gepubliceerd onder de Creative Commons Naamsvermelding 4.0 Internationale licentie. Dit houdt in dat je onder de voorwaarde van naamsvermelding vrij bent om:
het werk te delen - te kopiëren, te verspreiden en door te geven via elk medium of bestandsformaat
het werk te bewerken - te remixen, te veranderen en afgeleide werken te maken
voor alle doeleinden, inclusief commerciële doeleinden.
Paul H. Selden (1997). Sales Process Engineering: A Personal
Workshop. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press. p. 23.
Paliwoda, Stanley J.; Ryans, John K. (2008). "Back to first principles". International Marketing – Modern and Classic Papers (1st ed.). p. 25. ISBN978-1-84376-649-0. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
Van dit lesmateriaal is de volgende aanvullende informatie beschikbaar:
Toelichting
This training is focused on expanding information literacy skills in doing business literature research. Students will learn how and where to search strategically for business information.
Leerniveau
HBO - Master;
HBO - Bachelor;
Eindgebruiker
leerling/student
Moeilijkheidsgraad
gemiddeld
Trefwoorden
business information, information literacy, literature research, search methods, search techniques
This training is focused on expanding information literacy skills in doing business literature research. Students will learn how and where to search strategically for business information.
