1. Strategies for Electronic & Mobile Business
Commerce 4KH3:
Strategies for Electronic & Mobile Business
Innis Library (Business)
KTH-108
Welcome.
This session will focus on research resources that support
the coursework in Commerce 4KH3: Strategies for Electronic and Mobile Business. 1

2. Session Outline Key secondary sources for your e-business plan
Where to find information on …
industries
companies
consumers
media & advertising
There are many free and fee-based research resources that can help you develop your e-business plan for this course.
This session will focus on selected subscription databases available through McMaster libraries.
It will identify those databases that contain information on industries, companies, consumers, media and advertising - all of the key components required for a marketplace analysis.

3. Accessing Databases library.mcmaster.ca > Databases tab
Browse by Subject Area or Search by Database Name
All of the Library’s subscription databases should be accessed through the Library’s home page at library.mcmaster.ca
There are many different ways to access the databases on the Library’s website, but the most straightforward method is to select the Databases tab.
To browse databases by broad subject areas like Business, select a subject from the first box , a drop-down menu, then click GO.
To search for a specific database, such as IBISWorld, go to the second box, type in the database name and click GO.
From the Results list, click on the database name to connect to the resource on or off-campus.
You should be prompted to key in your MAC ID.
Once you’ve input your credentials, you should be able to access the database and its contents.
If you experience any connection difficulties, please contact the Library for assistance.

4. Sample Industry Listing (U.S .Specialized)
IBISWorld
Contains over 1,000 U.S., 425 Canadian & 73 global industry reports
Search for keyword(s) or browse report titles
Most reports cover industries at the 5-digit NAICS level
Specialized reports cover industries at the most granular level (U.S. only)
Sample Industry Listing (U.S .Specialized)
One of the largest providers of industry information is IBISWorld.
This database covers all types of industries at a fairly narrow level.
Most of the reports describe industries according to the North American Industry
Classification System or NAICS.
You can browse a list of U.S., Canadian and global industry reports or
you can search for your keyword(s) across all reports.
In IBISWorld, many of the e-related industry reports are only available
for the United States, but some of the content may still be
applicable to the Canadian market.
If an exact industry report doesn’t exist for your e-business, be prepared
to extrapolate the information from a related industry or market.

5. IBISWorld - Sample Industry Report
Mouse over report tabs and click headings to jump to sections within report
Typical Report
Structure or
Table of Contents
All industry reports in this database are written by expert analysts at IBISWorld and are updated at least once per year.
Each report consists of 30 to 40 pages of key statistics and analysis on market characteristics, current and forecast performance, products and markets, competitive environment, major companies, operating conditions, and more.
These are all topics that should be addressed in your e-business plan.
Covers industry size, characteristics, trends, growth, regulations and more.

6. Passport Worldwide industry info on a variety of products & services
Covers B2C industries for over 200 countries
Passport, produced by Euromonitor International, is a global market intelligence database that primarily covers business to consumer industries in over 200 countries.
Expert analysts at Euromonitor compile statistics and reports on industries, consumers, companies, cities, countries (or economies) worldwide.
Content in Passport can be retrieved by inputting keyword(s) in the search bar in the top right, or it can be accessed by using one of the many drop-down menus available on the home page or main toolbar.
Displayed on the slide is the Industries menu with a list of industry categories covered in the database.
Each category will contain more specific industry reports for individual countries.
For example, Retailing includes separate reports on Direct Selling in Canada and Internet Retailing in Canada.
Each category breaks down into narrower topics e.g., Retailing contains reports on Direct Selling, Home Shopping, Internet Retailing, Vending, and more for individual countries.

7. Passport Sample Search Results for e-commerce Results presented in two columns - Statistics - Analysis
If a keyword search is performed in Passport, the results are presented in two columns, one lists statistics, the other analysis.
To refine the results in the analysis column, many filters can be used such as lifestyles theme, geography, analysis type, and date.
As the By Analysis menu illustrates, Passport includes a wide variety of material including briefings, reports, profiles, datagraphics, podcasts, and videos.

8. Passport - Sample Industry Content
Channel Data
section
typically includes
industry sales
company shares,
brand shares,
distribution and forecast sales.
Displayed is a typical country report for an industry in Passport.
It includes a mix of textual analysis and data, along with related statistics and reports.
These reports usually identify growth drivers, the state of the current competitive landscape and trends in the market – insights which can all be incorporated into your e-business plan.
The Related Statistics section allows you to interact with the data by adjusting variables like time period and geography – ultimately creating a table of statistics customized to your specifications.
If you find an industry country report that is very relevant to your e-business, be sure to explore the Related Industry Reports and More Related Items sections since it can lead to other useful information.
Statistics section allows you to customize the numbers by a variety of criteria.
Reports include links to other potentially relevant /related content within Passport.

9. Passport Worldwide demographic & psychographic info on consumers
Passport can also be a rich source of data on global demographics, as well as consumer types, habits, preferences and attitudes.
Select Consumers from the main toolbar and explore the options in the Digital Consumer and Lifestyles sections.
The analysis in this area may help you determine which customers to target for your product or service.

10. Passport - Sample Consumer Content
The detailed reports, opinions and multi-media content contained in the Consumers section of Passport should provide useful customer commentary for virtually all types of businesses.

11. Thomson ONE (aka Investext)
Includes analyst reports on companies & industries worldwide
Reports can include
company overview
key facts
history
major products & services
financial analysis
SWOT analysis
top competitors
company view
and more …
More expert analysis on global companies and industries can be found in a database called Thomson ONE.
This database includes full-text research reports written by analysts at leading investment banks, brokers and independent research firms.
Research contributors include CIBC Capital Markets, HSBC Global Research, Morningstar, Wells Fargo and hundreds more. 
To find these reports in Thomson ONE, go to Screening & Analysis in the main toolbar and select Research from the menu.
An advanced search screen will appear where you can input a company name or keyword(s).
These analyst reports can be a great source of competitive intelligence.
They often include background information on a company, a financial analysis, an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses and its position in the marketplace.
These reports are often used to make investment decisions, but can also be used to develop strategies that will allow your e-business to compete effectively with other companies in the same industry.
Sample Analyst Report
NOTE: T1 only works with Internet Explorer. Accessible via the DSB Virtual Lab & Library’s website. Simultaneous User Limit = 5

12. International statistics on a wide variety of topics
Statista
International statistics on a wide variety of topics
Statista is a database that contains over one million statistics on thousands of topics from a variety of reputable sources – some of which are publicly available and some of which are proprietary.
Find statistics using the search bar in the top right, or browse the categories in the Statistics drop-down menu.
The Media & Advertising section should prove particularly useful when developing the marketing and sales strategy for your e-business.
Some of the data may help you identify which media channels would be most effective for your target market.
The statistics are presented in a variety of formats, but analytical commentary is limited.
The sources of information are clearly identified and links for further reading are typically included.

13. International market and country reports
Statista
International market and country reports
In addition to statistics, Statista also contains market outlooks, dossiers, industry reports, and infographics. 
The Digital Markets menu highlights industries such as e-commerce and e-services, categories which should include content applicable to all types of e-businesses.

14. Factiva & Lexis/Nexis Academic
Worldwide news & company databases
contain 1000s of international newspapers such as the Globe & Mail, Financial Times, New York Times and Wall Street Journal
Factiva > Search
Lexis > Search by Subject or Topic > News menu - All News
contain company profiles for public & private companies worldwide; include competitors, financials, ratios and current news
Factiva > Companies/Markets
Lexis > Search by Subject or Topic > Companies menu - Dossier (Company, Executive, & Industry)
Factiva and LexisNexis Academic are two newspaper and company databases that are also worth exploring.
The latest business news and trends will often be reported in newspapers like the Globe and Mail, Wall Street Journal, and others.
Hundreds of news sources from around the world can be searched simultaneously in these two databases.
Today’s news will be available in full-text, as will older stories dating back to the 1990s.
Unlike news sources on the open web, you won’t have to contend with paywalls and article limits in Factiva or LexisNexis.
In addition to the news content, both Factiva and LexisNexis contain international company profiles, mostly on publicly traded companies, but also on some private companies.
The path to the company content in each database is outlined on the slide.

15. Factiva & LexisNexis - Company Content
via Factiva
via LexisNexis Academic
Displayed is the profile content for the same company in each database.
Both Factiva and LexisNexis include news articles on the company, financial results, and key competitors.
The legal and intellectual property information regarding a company is unique to LexisNexis.
Much of the content is factual, rather than analytical, but can be useful for developing a business description, financial plan and overall strategy for your e-business.

16. Web of Science
Indexes key scholarly journals (from 1976 to current) in a wide range of subject areas (e.g., business, psychology, IS, etc.)
Database contains articles from some of the most prestigious academic journals. Can be used to support your ideas, opinions & recommendations.
If you need more evidence or research to support your e-business plan, try using an article database such as Web of Science.
This is a multi-disciplinary database that indexes articles from over12,000 scholarly journals, most of which are peer-reviewed.
Search for your keywords and you may find a journal article or two that will lend authoritative support to your ideas, opinions and recommendations.
If there is an article of interest, select the get it icon to retrieve the full-text.

17. Commerce 4KH3 Research Guide http://libguides.mcmaster.ca/commerce4kh3
The preceding databases are just a sample of the research resources available through McMaster libraries.
Additional resources are included in a research guide developed specifically for this course.
This guide can be accessed by going to the Library home page library.mcmaster.ca and selecting the Research Guides tab.
From there, select the Course Guides link, choose the Commerce category and pick Commerce 4KH3 from the list.

18. Research Help @ Innis Face to Face:
Drop by the Service Desk or book an appointment with the Business Librarian
Phone:
ext Innis Service Desk
ext Business Librarian
Live Chat:
Should you have any questions about your research, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the research team at the Innis Library.
We can be reached in person, by phone, by , or live chat. Specific contact details are noted on the slide.
Good luck with your research.
We look forward to seeing you in the library!