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Document Types for Business Research
A non-exhaustive guide to sourcing strategic, financial, and competitive intelligence.
Company Profiles
Detailed snapshots of specific firms.
Use for:
Competitor analysis,
understanding corporate structure,
and history.
Examples:
•
Quaintel:
Apple Inc. Strategic Insights
•
PrivCo:
St. Louis Cardinals Financials
•
S&P:
Alphabet Inc. Profile
SWOT Analysis
Strategic framework reports.
Use for:
Identifying internal
Strengths/Weaknesses and external
Opportunities/Threats.
Examples:
•
Global Markets Direct:
Apple Inc. -
Financial and Strategic Analysis
Industry Reports
Macro-analysis of a sector
(NAICS codes).
Use for:
Market sizing, supply chain
trends, and Porter's 5 Forces.
Examples:
•
IBISWorld:
Report 33411a:
Computer Manufacturing in the US
Business Press & Articles
News, periodicals, and
academic proceedings.
Use for:
Current events, qualitative
trends, and specific case studies.
Examples:
•
Wall Street Journal:
The Underdogs
(MLB Analysis)
•
Proceedings:
Career Intervention
for Boomers
Stock Reports
Investment-grade analysis
for public entities.
Use for:
Buy/Hold/Sell ratings, price
targets, and shareholder sentiment.
Examples:
•
S&P Stock Reports:
General Electric
•
Value Line:
Agilent Technologies
Company Websites / Primary
Direct communications and
regulatory filings (10-K).
Use for:
Official data, CSR initiatives,
and investor relations.
Examples:
•
Ford:
Report on Climate Change Impact
•
Microsoft:
Annual Report
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Company reports
Newspaper articles
from the time
Research Data
Diaries / Photographs
Personal Correspondence
Books
Journal Articles
Government
publications
Documentaries
Recent Popular Articles
Textbooks
Encyclopedias
(Wikipedia)
Dictionaries
Bibliographies
Handbooks
Increasing proximity to the subject
Increasing time to publish
When considering
and permitted to
use
generative AI (GenAI) ask
YES
Unsafe to use
GenAI
Use GenAI with acknowledgment
NO
NO
YES
Possible to use GenAI, with care & acknowledgment
review all
AI
output for bias,
accuracy, and
common sense
CC-BY Helena Marvin
adapted from Aleksandr Tiulkanov
YES
NO
Unsafe to use
GenAI
Do you need to
retain full copyright
over the
material?
NO
Are you able
and
willing to
take
full
responsibility
(legal, moral, fiscal, etc.)
for missed
inaccuracies?
YES
Do you have
the expertise to verify
that the output
is accurate?
Does it matter
if the output is true?