Research Guides: Researching a Company, Product, Service, or Industry: Home

This guide was created to help you research a company, product, service or industry accurately and efficiently. Finding accurate information is a key component for any successful business venture, so we have compiled a list of resources to aid you in your search.

But remember when investigating any company, product, service or industry, it is important to look at the BIG PICTURE, as well as the details specific to your particular business, product or service.

When conducting advanced business research it is important to also take into consideration these key factors:

Locate your company, product or service within the larger industry by finding and using the NAICS code to find out specific information about your industry.

Use library resources to help you find industry reports, company reports, and/or articles related to your topic.
Be creative! Use other resources to find specific information about financials, market size and share, demographics, and/or consumer behaviour.

If you have any questions please contact our staff at the reference and research desks and we will help you further.

Key Databases

When conducting advanced research in business be sure to make use of these trusted databases. Remember, you may have to use a variety of sources to find the information you are looking for.

Business Source Complete (EBSCO)
Magazine and journal articles on all aspects of business and management. Also includes company and industry profiles, SWOT analyses and market, country and product reports.
CBCA Business (PROQUEST)
Full text access to Canadian magazines and journals on business, management and related topics.
IBISWorld
IBISWorld produces and publishes over 400 Canadian and 1,300 US Industry Reports at the 5-digit level of the NAICS code. IBISWorld research reports contain trends, statistics & analysis on market size, market share of major companies and industry growth rates. Major market segments are identified and also those key external forces affecting supply and demand within the industry. Performance analysis includes emerging industry trends as well as recent production performance.
Nexis Uni (+ QuickLaw)
Access to 5,600 news, business, legal, medical and reference sources. Now includes QuickLaw with access to Canadian Court cases, tribunals and arbitration decisions.
Passport GMID (Euromonitor)
This international database provides access to market reports that analyze consumer and service industries across 80 countries. Also includes company profiles. Industries covered include Apparel, Consumer Finance, Consumer Foodservice and Travel & Tourism.
Scott’s Ontario Directories
Search company information on 75,000 Ontario companies, by product type, industry classification number, company name, geographic and demographic characteristics.
Usage Tip: To save, print or e-mail documents, select Output Manager, Profile Print.
Statista
Statistical data and analysis of business, industry, product brands, market share, media, and social scientific topics, obtained from both private and public sector sources, and covering all regions of the world.
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada produces statistics on Canada's people, economy, and industries. It track trends and offers authoritative data on labour, demographics, cost of living, census data, industry, and much more!
Vividata (formerly PMB)
Information on Canadian market and consumer behavior with profile data for over 3,500 products and services in the Product Data section.

**This guide was created by Teresa Iaizzo, Reference & Instruction Librarian (Part-time).