TWU Libraries

  

Finding Information on Companies/Corporations

Here are different databases and sites with resources for researching companies in the U.S. and abroad. Simply return to the TWU Libraries Business & Economics Research Guide for other topics.

Topics


SIMPLE WEBSITE SEARCHING
Search the free websites selected for this page at the same time. Enter your search term(s) in the box
[ex. "annual reports"]:

Quick guide to Business Databases - Company Information

What do you need?

Company Profile

Financial Data

Investment Analysis

History

Journal Articles

Market Reports / Industry information

Market Share

SWOT analysis

For more details about each database - Databases for Company Information

Company Resources on the Internet

Finding Information on Companies

Tracking down information on businesses can be a tedious and time-consuming process. The TWU Libraries have many resources to aid you in your search. The vast amount of information on the Internet has made this task easier, but information from the web requires more evaluation than library resources. With so many resources at your disposal, it is important that you keep accurate records of which items you have used during your search.

Basic information about a business is helpful in determining what information you will find and which resources to use. The most important two pieces of information about a company that have a direct impact on the availability of information about it are:

  • Is the company publicly or privately owned?
  • Is the company a subsidiary of a larger corporation?
  • Many resources only provide information about publicly-owned companies: those companies listed on one of the major stock exchanges. Public companies are required to submit reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports often are used as the basis for company descriptions in business reference sources. The full SEC reports themselves are available separately.

Privately-owned companies are not required to submit reports to the SEC and information about their financial and operational conditions is often difficult to find. Few business reference sources provide company profiles of privately-owned businesses beyond basic information. Information often must be pieced together from various news sources.  Information from the Internet, used with careful evaluation, is often the best source for information about privately-owned companies.

Subsidiaries pose additional problems. It may be necessary to search for information on the larger corporation to find information about the subsidiary.

Financial information about the subsidiary many not be separated from its parent company.

There are many types of information available about companies including:


Internet Directories for Companies

Company Profiles provide summary information about the financial and corporate health of companies. These often include information about a company's historical development, its subsidiaries, its branch corporate offices, its stock performance [for publicly-held corporations], its corporate structure, and its finances.  Business & Company Resource Center, LexisNexis Academic - Company Dossier, LexisNexis Academic - Company Profiles and Mergent Online provide company profiles that include current financial information.  Business Source Complete (Enhanced Search Interface) provides company profiles also.


Corporate Annual Reports are important sources of information about companies. Many company web sites provide their annual report. Look for investor information. Databases like LexisNexis Academic - Company Dossier, LexisNexis Academic - Company Profiles and Mergent Online provide access to the SEC Edgar Database that includes SEC filings. These are companies that are required to file and most are US public companies. This is the authoritative source for these documents.

Other sources for Annual Report data

Industry reviews can be used to identify major companies in a particular industry, the overall business climate in which they function, and their relative impact on the industry.  Business & Company Resource Center and Business Source Complete (Enhanced Search Interface)  both provide industry reports.  

  • Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys
    MAIN REFERENCE HC 106.6 .S74

News sources and journal articles are important sources of information about privately-owned companies and add significant details about recent company developments for publicly-owned companies. Additional articles about the industry in which the company operates also may mention the company.

Important Journals for company research:

Other sources for News and Journal Articles

Databases for Company Information

  • Business & Company Resource Center  information button
    Plus – Quick company profile; market share information; industry information; financials can be downloaded
    Minus – Financial data is mostly stock related; some information is dated

  • Business Source Complete information button  and  Business Source Complete (Enhanced Search Interface) information button
    Use the Enhanced Search Interface to retrieve Company Profiles, Industry Profiles and Market Research Reports.
    Plus – Best source for full text articles; SWOT analysis. 
    Minus – Financial information limited

  • LexisNexis Academic - Company Dossier information button
  • LexisNexis Academic - Company Profiles information button
    Plus – Wide coverage, especially International and news sources
    Minus – Too much data and too many sources, although the Company Dossier via Business Search helps

  • Mergent Online (Moody's Manuals)   information button
    Plus – Trusted data that can be easily downloaded
    Minus – Only US Public Companies (TWU subscription)

  • Emerald Management Xtra (Full Text) information button
    Plus – Scholarly and international coverage in full-text
    Minus – Limited number of journals

  • Newspaper sources
    Regional Business News information button
    InfoTrac Newspapers  information button
    NewsBank Full Text Texas Newspapers information button
    Newspaper Source  information button
    Plus – Sometimes only source for privately owned companies
    Minus – Most full text is html rather than images of the original article

    • Company Resources on the Internet

    Annual Reports

    Company Research  - Tutorials

    These tutorials may lead you to databases and other resources not available from the TWU Libraries.


    Company Research


    Corporate Governance

    Directories

    Financial Data

    Library Databases For Financial Data

    Mergers and Acquisitions

    News sources and journal articles

    Library Databases for News and Journal Articles

    Non-Profits


    Library Resources

    Print and Other Library Sources

    • Berkman, Robert I. The skeptical business searcher : the information advisor’s guide to evaluating Web data, sites, and sources. MAIN: HF54.56 .B4685 2004

    • Farr, Rick C. Business research: an informal guide Menlo Park, Calif. : Crisp Publications, 1994 (e-book)
      Foundation Directory
      MAIN REFERENCE AS 911 .A2 F65

    • Modern methods for business Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum, 1998. (e-book)

    • Research Centers Directory in Gale's ready reference shelf

    • Shelly, Susan.  Search smart and get ahead: find all the information you need. New York : Learning Express, 2000. (e-book)

    • Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys
      MAIN REFERENCE HC 106.6 .S74

    • Super Searchers Do Business: the Online Secrets of Top Business Researchers
      MAIN: HD 30.4 .B377 1999
    • The Value line investment survey.
      MAIN RESERVE  HG4501.V26

    Texas Business Sources
    Texas Woman's University Denton Campus Texas Woman's University Dallas Campus Texas Woman's University Houston Campus Texas Woman's University - Denton, Dallas, Houston