Company Research: Best Bets
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new window Provides company data for public and private companies, both US and international. Excellent source for company profiles and financial information.
- NetAdvantage This link opens in a new window Robust resource for public company profiles, market, and financial information and analysis and private company directory data.
Your Librarian
Getting Started with Company Research
This page lists databases and reputable news sources for finding company information. This page lists databases and news sources where you can locate:
- Company Profiles
- Company Directories
- Company News & Journal Articles
- and more
Looking for company financials? Check out the Financial Information section of this guide.
Preparing for Your Search
What is the complete, official name of the company? Keep in mind that a company's common name (for example, McDonald's) may not be its official name (McDonald's Corporation). When possible, use the company's complete official name as your search term.
Is the company a subsidiary? A company is a subsidiary when it is partially or wholly owned by another company. A common example is Google and YouTube, which are subsidiaries of Alphabet, Inc. In some cases, company information for a subsidiary will be published or indexed under its parent company.
Is the company public or privately held? Publicly held companies in the United States are subject to regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and a great deal of information is available on both the open web and in subscription databases. Privately-held companies do not typically provide the same level of detail to the public. Check out the database descriptions below to see which contain information about private companies when beginning your search.
How much information is needed? Every database is different - some provide directory-type information like phone number and address, while some can help you locate years of financial records. Defining the type of information you need can help you select the right source.
What is the complete, official name of the company? Keep in mind that a company's common name (for example, McDonald's) may not be its official name (McDonald's Corporation). When possible, use the company's complete official name as your search term.
Is the company a subsidiary? A company is a subsidiary when it is partially or wholly owned by another company. A common example is Google and YouTube, which are subsidiaries of Alphabet, Inc. In some cases, company information for a subsidiary will be published or indexed under its parent company.
Is the company public or privately held? Publicly held companies in the United States are subject to regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and a great deal of information is available on both the open web and in subscription databases. Privately-held companies do not typically provide the same level of detail to the public. Check out the database descriptions below to see which contain information about private companies when beginning your search.
How much information is needed? Every database is different - some provide directory-type information like phone number and address, while some can help you locate years of financial records. Defining the type of information you need can help you select the right source.
Databases and Sources of Information for Company Research
Company Profiles
Some databases provide detailed reports and profiles on companies. These profiles serve as overviews of a specific company and are useful starting points with useful data and high-level information to guide deeper searches and research.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from thousands of scholarly business journals, magazines, and trade journals from the fields of marketing, management, accounting, finance, and economics. Plus company and industry profiles, SWOT analyses, country economic reports, financial data, and investment reports. - Entrepreneurial Studies Source This link opens in a new window
Entrepreneurial Studies Source covers the latest insights in entrepreneurship and small business ownership, It offers hundreds of full-text journals and books, plus more than 15,000 company profiles and videos. - GuideStar This link opens in a new window
GuideStar gathers, organizes, and distributes information about U.S nonprofits. Searching features include geography, organization type, and financials. - Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowCompany data for U.S. and international public and private companies. Includes industry reports for North America, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Latin America by country and region; U.S. executive profiles; equity research reports; and more.
- NetAdvantage This link opens in a new windowUpdated daily. Provides a comprehensive, professional source of investment information and analysis on industries and companies. Full text coverage includes stock, bond, and mutual fund guides and reports; earnings and dividends reports; comprehensive company information; industry surveys for 52 major U.S. industries; and directories of companies, executives and security dealers
- Statista This link opens in a new window
Providing statistical data for over 170 industries in 50 countries.
Company Directories
Specialized business directories can provide lists of companies that operate in a specific industry or geographic area. Directories can be useful for screening companies and identifying competitors. Public and private companies are included in business directories, usually with more limited information about private companies.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowCompany data for U.S. and international public and private companies. Includes industry reports for North America, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Latin America by country and region; U.S. executive profiles; equity research reports; and more.
- Reference Solutions This link opens in a new window
Directory information for over 80 million businesses in the U.S. and Canada, customizable by type of business, geographic location, size of business, and sales. Data also available on more than 270 million consumers. - NetAdvantage This link opens in a new windowUpdated daily. Provides a comprehensive, professional source of investment information and analysis on industries and companies. Full text coverage includes stock, bond, and mutual fund guides and reports; earnings and dividends reports; comprehensive company information; industry surveys for 52 major U.S. industries; and directories of companies, executives and security dealers
- Gale Directory Library This link opens in a new window
Provides access to both Gale's Brands & Their Companies and Ward's Business Directory of US Private & Public Companies. The former lists manufacturers and distributors from small businesses to large corporations, from both the public and private sectors. Provides complete coverage of U.S. consumer brands; manufacturers, importers and distributors; and companies that are out of business, as well as brands that are no longer in production or are now considered generic. The latter profiles over 100,000 U.S. companies, 90 percent of which are private. Intended for librarians, executives, students, analysts, marketers, and other professionals who require current company and industry profiles.
Company News and Journal Articles
News and scholarly articles can provide additional details on business activities or financial situations that you discover elsewhere. Set up news alerts for the company you are researching to stay aware of new developments that might impact your research.
- Access World News Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Research diverse perspectives, topics and trends that align with curricular areas such as Political Science, English, Sociology, Humanities, Business, International Studies and more. Features reliable, credible information from a wide variety of international, national, and local news sources. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device. - Bloomberg Businessweek Archive This link opens in a new window
Complete digital version of the Businessweek backfile from 1929-2010. - Business Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Business Abstracts with Full Text contains full-text articles from key publications and provides product evaluations, interviews, biographical sketches, corporate profiles, obituaries, surveys, statistical rankings, book reviews and reports. Access is provided to more than 118 journals and indexes more than 300 more.
SEARCH TIP: Search a company's name or ticker symbol, then limit the Source Types to Magazines and/or Trade Publications.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowArticles from thousands of scholarly business journals, magazines, and trade journals. Search a company's name or ticker symbol, then limit the Source Types to Academic Journals, Newspapers, Magazines, and/or Trade Publications.
SEARCH TIP: Search a company's name or ticker symbol, then limit the Source Types to Academic Journals, Newspapers, Magazines, and/or Trade Publications.
- Dayton Daily News (OH) Collection This link opens in a new window
This collection provides access to Dayton Daily News content going back to 1990. - Entrepreneurial Studies Source This link opens in a new windowEntrepreneurial Studies Source covers the latest insights in entrepreneurship and small business ownership, It offers hundreds of full-text journals and books, plus more than 15,000 company profiles and videos.
- New York Times Online This link opens in a new window
Current access to the digital edition of the New York Times. Requires individual login and password set up. Access for UD faculty, staff, and students only. - Ohio Local Newspapers Collection This link opens in a new windowThis collection provides access to newspapers from across the state of Ohio. Holdings vary from title to title.
- Regional Business News This link opens in a new window
Regional Business News provides full-text to more than 290 regional business publications for the United States and Canadian provinces. Users can search newspapers, magazines and other resources from trusted news sources. More than 7000,000 TV and radio transcripts are available. - Wall Street Journal Online This link opens in a new window
Requires individual login and password set up. Access for UD faculty, staff, and students only. Business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City.
Company Information on the Open Internet
Company information can be found in a variety of forms and locations, including the open web. Although publicly traded companies will generally provide their financial reports on their websites, it is important to remember that most of these websites are used for marketing and not designed for research.
Company Websites
- Annual Reports: Many companies publish their annual reports on their website. These are typically found in the section of a company website that contains information for investors.
- Example: Netflix Investor Relations
- Leadership Information: Company websites are often a good place to find current information about a company's executives and key employees. These are often found on the website's "About" or "Leadership" sections
- Example: Waste Management Leadership
