This is a selected guide for research on Company Information in the McFarlin Library Collection.
There are many tools available for doing company research. Basic search strategies are needed for locating company background such as corporate structure, history, mission and objectives, services and products, and financial background.
The strategies will focus on researching public companies. Finding information on smaller private companies can be more difficult. Wherever possible, suggestions for finding information about private businesses will be included.
The majority of businesses in the U.S. are privately owned and are not legally required to disclose information to the public. Since only publicly held corporations must disclose information to the public, only a very small percentage of American businesses can be readily researched.
Finding information about companies is basic to business research. Good background research allows informed decision-making for assessing competitors, analyzing companies for investment, and evaluating potential employers.
Consider the following outline for beginning company research:
| Identify the company or companies |
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| Mission and objectives of the company |
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| Internal operations of the company |
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| External environment of the company | ||||||||
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The following steps will help organize the research process:
