Case analysis is enriched by external relevant research. Successful case analysis will draw on many different types of publications including company profiles, market research, consumer surveys, business and trade news and scholarly research.
This page lists the databases that offer data and analysis most pertinent to the cases assigned in this class.
Research is iterative and there is no one "right" way to get started. That said, almost every case presentation will likely be enhanced by pulling the backgrounders listed below. For best results rely on multiple sources.
- Get industry or market research reports
- Get company reports
- Get country economic & business environment reports
- Search and browse news about subject firms, industry and country economic/business conditions
- Search scholarly article databases for best practices and evidence based practice
Some of these databases are challenging to navigate. Save time and effort, book an appointment for a research consultation or email me with your research questions.
market research
Consumer product categories (soft drinks, apparel, grocery, tourism, mobility) are well covered in market research databases and aim to uncover emerging trends and opportunities. Additionally, see International Industry Reports databases below.
Passport (Euromonitor International) Limitations on UseProvides lifestyle statistics and reports, market data and analysis, and market forecasts for selected countries. Includes 6-year historic market size data for selected consumer products plus 5-year forecasts.
Mintel Insights & Analytics Limitations on UseOffers product and industry market research reports covering U.S. and international marketplaces. Each report combines data and analysis of the competitive landscape, supply chain, market-share size and trends, and consumer profiles. Analytics advance search monitors new product activity in consumer packaged goods markets worldwide.
StatistaStatistics with pointers to trade association and other credible data sources.
Statista Consumer Insights TutorialPresents international consumer survey results on a broad range of topics.
eMarketerOffers data and reports related to digital marketing. Topics include advertising spending, digital marketing, social media, media usage, e-commerce, email marketing, and device usage. Coverage is global.
International company & Industry reports
EMIS Intelligence (Emerging Markets Information Service)Delivers company and industry information together with relevant news, research, and analytics for developing markets.
D&B HooversOffers public and private company and industry information including company profiles, market research reports from Marketline, Freedonia, Euromonitor, and RMA updated with recent news, executive profiles, and analyst reports.
MarketLine Company Profiles (EBSCO)Offers detailed reports on U.S. and foreign companies in a wide range of industries. These reports provide a description of the business, company history, key personnel, products, services, and competitors. MarketLine Industry Reports are available from the D&B Global Business Browser database.
NetAdvantage (Standard & Poor's Capital IQ)Offers market information, company quotes, equity index information, industry information (including the S&P Industry Surveys), and economic data.
Country level profiles
Country economic reports are also available in ABI Inform, Business Source Premier and EMIS.
A to Z International BusinessOffers country guides for doing business, reference materials relevant to importing, exporting and global business, and primers for understanding a range of topics related to international business.
Economist Intelligence UnitFeatures a single unified platform delivering country and regional reports and comparable data for over 200 countries. Politics, economics, the business environment and sector and industries are explained and forecasts presented. The data tab delivers time series on national accounts, monetary, demographic, trade, employment, debt & spending indicators to name a few.
Global EdgeGlobal business knowledge site providing access to authoritative data from Michigan State University.
business news
In addition to the news subscriptions listed here, take advantage of the Bloomberg terminals in the Gmelich Finance Lab and Falvey Library.
Factiva (Dow Jones)Provides access to international, national and local news sources. Many different news media such as newspapers, magazines, wires, blogs and transcripts are aggregated in English and foreign languages. The content is current and archival. Industry, company and market profiles are also provided.
Financial Times Limitations on Use Access InstructionsProvides full access to the web edition which features the same content found in the print edition plus additional multimedia features, company tear sheets, interactive charting, a dictionary of financial terms, and recruitment tools. Digital access to the print edition is available via ABI/Inform and Nexis Uni.
Subscription courtesy of Villanova School of Business.
Subscription courtesy of Villanova School of Business.
ABI/INFORM Collection (ProQuest)Provides access to scholarly journals, dissertations, working papers, key business and economics periodicals, and country- and industry-focused reports.
Nexis Uni Limitations on UseFormerly known as LexisNexis Academic. Provides full text access to national and international newspaper and magazine articles and news transcripts, business, company, and industry information in the U.S. and abroad, and legal documents, including U.S. Federal and State court cases, and law reviews. Coverage varies.
Business Source Premier (EBSCO)Provides access to a wide range of academic business journals and trade magazines. Topics include management, marketing, finance, economics, and management information systems. Full text access may be embargoed for up to three years. Coverage goes back to 1965.
Access World News (NewsBank) TutorialProvides full text access to national and international newspaper articles and radio and television news transcripts. Many newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, offer full-image “page view” format. Includes user-friendly subject browse feature, as well as full text searchability. Coverage varies.
scholarly research
It's hard to think of a topic not addressed in the scholarly literature. The databases listed here are good places to find research papers on business aspects of your case learning objectives including the following: brand portfolio strategy, environmental impacts & sustainability, country political and economic risk assessment, exit strategy.
Google ScholarGoogle Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. Scholar search tips
Scopus (Elsevier)Provides citations and abstracts to peer-reviewed journals, books, and conference proceedings in all major disciplines. Provides information on citing and cited references for each article.
ABI/INFORM Collection (ProQuest)Provides access to scholarly journals, dissertations, working papers, key business and economics periodicals, and country- and industry-focused reports.
Business Source Premier (EBSCO)Provides access to a wide range of academic business journals and trade magazines. Topics include management, marketing, finance, economics, and management information systems. Full text access may be embargoed for up to three years. Coverage goes back to 1965.
Oxford Bibliographies (Oxford University Press) TutorialPresents peer-reviewed, annotated bibliographies and expert commentary on current scholarship in selected disciplines. Villanova University has access to the following bibliographies: African American Studies, Art History, Atlantic History, Biblical Studies, British and Irish Literature, Buddhism, Cinema and Media Studies, Classics, Communication, Criminology, Environmental Science, Geography, International Relations, Islamic Studies, Latin American Studies, Management, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Renaissance and Reformation, and Victorian Literature.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and ManagementPresents essays of 15-30 pages written by academic subject experts on a range business and management topics such as international business, theory, research methods, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, marketing, negotiation and strategy.
