Business Research Tutorial

For anyone considering doing business in a foreign country, it is imperative to conduct advance research in order to learn about the country: its culture, its economic system, its business practices and regulations, etc.

You can find country information in the following databases:

• ABI/INFORM Collection
• Business Source Ultimate
• Gale Business: Insights
• Nexis Uni
• Statista

Print books in the Library's catalog (USMAI Book Search) and ebooks in ebook databases such as EBSCO eBooks contain country information as well.

A variety of country information is also available on the free Web.

Click on the links above to learn how to find country information in each of the sources listed.

Login to ABI/INFORM Collection.

First, click on the icon of three horizontal lines toward the top left-hand side of the page.

Next, click on the Browse link from the resulting sub-menu.

On the Browse page, scroll down to the "Country Reports" section to see available country reports.

Login to Business Source Ultimate.

Enter a country's name in the search box toward the top of the page and then scroll down the page to the Publication Type section, where you can select Country Report.

Login to Gale Business: Insights.

Click on the Browse All Countries/Territories button toward the bottom of the page, enter a country or territory’s name in the search box, and then click on the country’s or territory’s name on the search results page.

Login to Nexis Uni.

Click on the Market Insight link from the menu bar toward the top of the database's home page.

Click on the link for Selected Country Reports and then select a report category of interest. You can then enter a country name on the resulting search page.

Login to Statista.

Enter a country's name in the search box on the database's home page.

You can use the options under the "REFINE YOUR SEARCH" heading on the right-hand side of the search results page to limit your results by content type, industry, publication date, etc. 

Alternately, click on the Insights link from the menu bar toward the top of the database's home page and then click on Explore Market Insights from the resulting drop-down menu.

On the Market Insights page, scroll down to the "Topics" section and click on the Global Indicators button.

On the Market Insights: Global Indicators page, scroll down the page and click on a country's name to pull up country information with regard to socioeconomic indicators (education, employment, etc.), consumption indicators (disposable income, etc.), health indicators (health financing, health determinants, healthcare resources), etc.

You may be able to find additional country information in the databases listed above and in other UMGC library databases (Academic Search Ultimate, Dissertations & Theses Global, etc.) by conducting a keyword search for a country's name, along with a keyword search for an aspect of the country that you're interested in studying (e.g., japan AND "business etiquette").

There are numerous print books available in USMAI Book Search, the UMGC Library catalog, that discuss how to do business in other countries. These include:

• Doing business anywhere: The essential guide to going global
• the Doing business in [country name] series
• Doing business internationally: The guide to cross-cultural success
• Global business etiquette: A guide to international communication and customs
• Global business today
• Kiss, bow, or shake hands: Courtrooms to corporate counsels
• The legal risk management handbook: An international guide to protect your business from legal loss
• Management across cultures: Challenges, strategies, and skills

You can find additional country information in print books in USMAI Book Search by clicking on the Advanced search link for the catalog. On the advanced search page, enter a country's name in the "Enter a search term" area and use the drop-down field selector menu to search for the country name in the subject field. Then enter additional terms of interest in the other "Enter a search term' area.

There are numerous ebooks available in EBSCO eBooks that discuss how to do business in other countries. These include:

• Breaking through culture shock: What you need to succeed in international business
• Bridging the culture gap: A practical guide to international business communication
• The changing landscape of global businesses: Principles and practices
• The competitive challenge of emerging markets: China and India
• Countries and their cultures
• Global business: An economic, social, and environmental perspective
• Global innovation: Developing your business for a global market
• International business in a VUCA world: The changing role of states and firms
• Mind your manners: Managing business cultures in the new global Europe
• World business cultures: A handbook

You can find additional country information by using the Library's ebook databases to search for a country's name and other terms of interest (e.g., japan AND "business etiquette").

There are numerous free websites that contain reliable country information, including:

• BBC Country Profiles
  This site provides access to the "history, politics and economic background of countries and territories."
• Census Bureau International Data Base
  This site from the U.S. Census Bureau provides a variety of demographic data (fertility rates, mortality rates, migration rates, etc.) for countries and certain world regions.
• CIA World Factbook
  This site from the Central Intelligence Agency provides information about the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, etc. for more than 250 countries.
• Deloitte International Tax Source
  Consulting firm Deloitte's site provides access to tax rate information and country tax highlights for more than 130 jurisdictions worldwide.
• Department of State Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets
  This site from the U.S. Department of State provides access to numerous country profiles, each of which contains links to sources of additional information.
• Doing Business
  This site, maintained by The World Bank Group, provides information about "business regulations and their enforcement across locations" in various countries and regions. To use the site, select a country from the Select a subnational report menu on the site's home page.
• Export Solutions
  This site, presented by the International Trade Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, presents data about U.S. exports and imports of goods by product and partner.
• globalEDGE
  This site, maintained by Michigan State University, provides statistical data and other information (economic, historic, cultural, etc.) for 200+ countries.
• International Monetary Fund
  The IMF website provides access to reports and data related to countries' finances. See especially the Countries link and/or the Data link toward the top of the page.
• International Trade Centre
  The website of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations, provides information for various world regions, countries, and territories. The Resources link toward the top of the page provides access to useful tools, publications, etc.
• Lex Mundi Country Guides
  The Lex Mundi Country Guides series provides access to reports covering legal and business infrastructures in more than 100 jurisdictions. Reports are prepared by members of the Lex Mundi global network of law firms.
• OECD iLibrary
  This site includes books and reports as well as statistics and other data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and various other agencies. Click on the Browse by Country link and/or the Browse by Theme & Country link toward the top of the page.
• Population Reference Bureau
  This site provides "population, health, and environment indicators for more than 200 countries and territories."
• Santander Trade Markets
  This site provides access to information about the economy, politics, and trade profile of more than 160 countries. Information is provided about countries' consumers and how products can be distributed in a country, etc. Note that only some content is freely available; other content is restricted to Santander N.A. clients.
• UNdata
  This site, created by the United Nations Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, provides access to millions of data points on a wide variety of topics from national and international databases.
• U.S. Commercial Service Country Commercial Guides
  This site, offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides access to reports about various countries' market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business customs.
• World Bank Countries and Economies
  This site provides access to a variety of information, including world development indicators, financial information, and climate data. Search results can be exported in different formats.