Uncover Business Insights: Your Non-Business Guide to Essential Research Databases
Even if you're not studying business, understanding companies and industries can be crucial for your academic journey and future career. Whether you're a nursing student researching pharmaceutical companies, a journalism student investigating corporate practices, or an engineering student seeking internship opportunities, business databases offer a wealth of information that you won't find through simple Google searches.
Why Use Business Databases?
Unlike freely available information online, business databases often contain proprietary data that is meticulously collected, analysed, and updated by experts. This includes:
- In-depth Company Financials: Get access to detailed financial statements, annual reports, and financial ratios to assess a company's financial health and performance.
- Industry Reports & Analysis: Understand market trends, competitive landscapes, and future outlooks for specific industries.
- Company News & Profiles: Stay up-to-date on the latest developments, press releases, and executive changes within companies.
- SWOT Analyses & Case Studies: Gain insights into a company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as well as learn from real-world business scenarios.
Examples of How Non-Business Students Can Use Business Databases:
- Nursing Students: Research pharmaceutical companies to understand their financial performance, drug development pipelines, and ethical practices.
- Journalism Students: Investigate corporate controversies, environmental impact, or labour practices by accessing company reports, news articles, and legal filings.
- Engineering Students: Research potential employers to learn about their company culture, financial stability, and industry reputation.
- Social Science Students: Analyse the impact of companies and industries on society, the environment, and the economy.
Key Business Databases to Explore:
- Gale Business Insights: Provides comprehensive company profiles, industry reports, news, and SWOT analyses.
- ProQuest One Business: Offers a vast collection of company and industry information, academic journals, news articles, and case studies.
- FAME: Focuses on UK and Irish companies, offering in-depth financial data, company profiles, and industry analysis.
- Marketline: Provides global market research reports, company profiles, and country analysis.
- Mintel: Provides reports on market research and consumer behaviour, attitudes and trends.
- Statista: A vast repository of global statistcs on almost every topic.
