BUS 495 & MG 495: Team Project Research Guide

Overview

Use the online and library resources outlined in this guide to research a specific country or region. Using resources found in this guide can help you identify some of PESTLE components for your specific market.

Business Source Ultimate offers country reports detailing economic analysis, business risk, government & politics, GDP, industries, employment, and more. Pay attention to report dates. If you are looking for a PESTLE analysis on your country, MarketLine reports (found in this database) will often use this format. 

1. Type the name of your country in the search box. 
2. Scroll down the search options to “Publication Type” and select “Country Report” from the drop-down menu. 
3. Click Search

1. Select World Edition 
2. Enter a country in the search box or use the interactive map  

This database carries Dun & Bradstreet RiskLine reports, which provide country insights and in-depth coverage of the core components of risks and opportunities associated with doing business in a given country. 

1. Click the “Country Insight” tab
2. Select region or expand a region to select a country 

You can view a short video on this process below:

1. Hover over “Reports” and select “Country Reports” 
2. Browse or filter by country or region 

Pro Tip: You can also find relevant external assessment data in Statista's other specialized reports, such as their "Politics & Society," "Digital & Trend," and "Consumer" reports. Try exploring some of these reports as they relate to your business or topic.

Country profiles covering history, politics, and economic background of countries and territories.  

GlobalEdge is an openly available, online database managed by Michigan State University. It compiles statistical data for countries around the world. In addition to statistics, historical, economic, and political conditions are available. 

1. Click the “Global Insights” drop-down menu 
2. Select “By Country”  

US Perspective

Produced by US Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook presents data and information about countries around the world from a US perspective.

Popular among students conducting PESTLE analyses, this tool is great if you are researching how to expand a US-based business to a new country or market.  

This resource can be used for finding background information on the political and economic environment of a particular country.

Canadian Perspective

Use Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service website to research business opportunities in specific countries. You can also browse by sector to find new markets and growth possibilities. 

When conducting your analysis, you may want to look at specific states or regions within your own country. Here are some resources we recommend for the United States and Canada.

United States

Canada