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An Overview of Major Market Research Databases

Julia A. Martina
a
University of Toledo,

Online publication date: 12 November 2009

To cite this Article Martin, Julia A.(2009) 'An Overview of Major Market Research Databases', Journal of Business &
Finance Librarianship, 14: 4, 360 — 365
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 Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship, 14:360–365, 2009
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0896-3568 print / 1547-0644 online
DOI: 10.1080/08963560802693011

An Overview of Major Market

Research Databases

INTRODUCTION

Library patrons regularly request market research reports. The many requests
for help finding this information that come through the business librarian
listserv BUSLIB-L demonstrate the frequency of this need. In fact, many of
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the resources in this review have often been recommended by BUSLIB-L

posters. Although frequently the market research information patrons might
want does exist, it is often provided by research companies with which
many libraries do not have relationships. The difficulty, perhaps even im-
possibility, of borrowing market research reports through interlibrary loan
and accessing them in general business databases or through the free In-
ternet requires many libraries to purchase these specialized reports through
database subscriptions or one-time purchases.
This review attempts to summarize the content of many of the large
market research packages. Numerous databases provide this information to
companies and organizations. This review focuses on some of the largest
providers with a wide breadth of industry coverage and is not meant to be
comprehensive. A few databases that are more focused on traditional indus-
try analysis have been included, such as IBISWorld and BizMiner, because
of their especially broad industry coverage. Entries are listed alphabetically
by vendor.

DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT

BCC Research. Market Research Report Subscription.

http://www.bccresearch.com
The subscription database includes 2,000+ reports, with 110 to 130 new
reports each year. Each report ranges from 150 to 250 pages and falls under
the broad categories of advanced materials (ceramics, composites, coatings,
optics), advanced transportation technologies, biotechnology, chemicals, en-
ergy and resources, engineering, environment (waste, water, air), food and
beverage, fuel cells and battery technologies, health care, information tech-
nology, instrumentation and sensors, manufacturing, membrane and sep-
aration technology, nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, plastics (polymers,

360
 Database Reviews 361

specialty textiles), safety and security, and semiconductor manufacturing.

Though offering fewer new reports per year than Gartner, this company in-
cludes many of the very popular science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) industries.
BizMiner. BizMiner Academic.
http://www.bizminer.com
BizMiner follows 300 U.S. markets and 17,000 lines of business. The
Standard Plan contains 63,000 reports, and the Premium Plan contains 2.5
million reports. Reports range from 5 to 10 pages. Report types include
the industry financial series, startup and sole proprietorship profit and loss
series, U.S. market research series, local market research series, local market
vitality series, and area demographic series. Except for definitions of terms,
BizMiner reports only contain data and charts (for approximately the last 5
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years). Unlike most industry and market reports, an analysis of the industry
is not included. However, the state- and metro-level data is unique and
particularly valuable for small business studies.
Dun & Bradstreet. First Research and Hoover’s.
www.dnb.com
First Research offers approximately 700 reports covering a wide variety
of industries, primarily in the United States and Canada. Reports range from
20 to 25 pages. Hoover’s offers company profiles on 40,000+ companies
that include histories, news, financials, Security and Exchange Commission
(SEC) filings, and executive biographies. Limited profiles are available for 21
million businesses. D&B’s combination of Hoover’s and First Research can
provide a good starting point for company and industry research.
eMarketer. eMarketer Total Access Subscription.
http://www.emarketer.com
eMarketer offers market research and trend analysis on Internet, e-
business, online marketing, media, and emerging technologies. It focuses
primarily on the United States with significant coverage in 23 other countries
including the United Kingdom and the large developing economies. Data
is aggregated from more than 3,000 government sources, associations, and
primary research firms to create 100 to 118 reports a year, averaging in length
from 18 to 40 pages (Baker, 2007).
Euromonitor. Global Market Information Database (GMID).
http://www.euromonitor.com/GMID.aspx
GMID includes 15,000 industry, country, and consumer lifestyle reports.
Also included are more than 4 million statistics on industries, countries,
 362 Database Reviews

and consumers. The primary focus is consumer products. The database

is divided into two components, which may be purchased separately.
The Reference component focuses on country environments and consumer
statistics, whereas the Markets component focuses on country market in-
sight reports. The 1,545 country market insight reports cover 80 countries
and include information on key sectors, company shares, brand shares,
distribution channels, and forecasts (Camacho, 2007; Hines, 2006; Levy,
2004).
Forrester. Role View Member Seat.
http://www.forrester.com
Forrester’s research focuses on how consumers and businesses use tech-
nology and how businesses can implement technology. Approximately 1,500
reports of 10 to 25 pages in length are added to the database of information
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technology (IT) and market research each year. Subscriptions also include
analyst time and event tickets.
Freedonia Group. Freedonia Focus.
http://www.freedoniagroup.com
Freedonia Focus offers access to approximately 400 US, Chinese, and
global reports in the broad industry areas of automotive and other trans-
portation, building materials, chemicals, consumer goods, electronics, en-
ergy, food, agriculture and tobacco, industrial components, life sciences,
pharmaceuticals, medical, machinery, metals and minerals, packaging, pa-
per, printing and publishing, plastics, rubber, services, textiles, apparel and
leather, wood, and furniture and fixtures. Reports are approximately 20 pages
in length and cover market size, product segmentation, market segmentation,
product forecasts, market forecasts, industry composition, market leaders,
and business trends. These reports should not be confused with Freedonia’s
full-length industry studies (Davis, 2008).
Frost & Sullivan. University Partnership Program.
www.frost.com
Frost & Sullivan offers hundreds of new reports per year, each of which
generally ranges from 100 to 130 pages. These are the same reports that are
sold to corporate clients. Major areas of interest include aerospace and de-
fense, automotive and transportation, chemicals, materials and food, energy,
environment, building controls and personal protective equipment, health
care, industrial automation and electronics, information and communication
technologies, and professional services. Although offering fewer new reports
per year than Gartner, this company includes the major STEM industries and
the more traditional manufacturing industries.
 Database Reviews 363

Gartner. Gartner’s Core Research.

http://www.gartner.com

Gartner offers more than 50,000 documents with 8,000 to 10,000 new
reports per year. Reports range from 2 to 300 pages. Gartner has breadth
and depth including banking and investment services, education, energy
and utilities, government, health care providers, insurance, manufacturing,
media, and retail. Subscription also includes analyst time and event tickets.
In terms of sheer volume, Gartner’s Core Research is probably the largest
database. It was also one of the most frequently recommended services by
fellow business librarians.

IBISWorld. Industry Intelligence.

www.ibisworld.com
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IBISWorld includes 700+ industry reports at the 5-digit North American

Industry Classification System (NAICS) level. Most of the research is focused
on the US industrial and service industries, though there are global reports
for some industries. Each report is approximately 35 pages and includes
the sections definition, key statistics, market characteristics, segmentation,
industry conditions, industry performance, key competitors, key factors, and
industry outlook. Also included are six page profiles on 8,000+ public com-
panies and 2-page economic and demographic data reports (Beach, 2007;
Brynko, 2006; Davis, 2008; Highsmith, 2006).

MarketResearch.com. MarketResearch.com Academic.

http://www.academic.marketresearch.com

MarketResearch.com is known as a large aggregator of market research

reports to consider for one-time purchase. Their academic version primarily
comes from five different publishers and focuses on consumer goods, life
sciences, industry, materials and chemicals, finance, publishing and media,
and telecommunications and information highway. Other publisher lines
may be added to customize the package. The standard database package
includes 17,000 reports with 200 new reports added last year. Some reports
are embargoed for one year. Reports often range from 200 to 300 pages (Le
Beau, 2005).

Mintel. Market Research Reports.

http://reports.mintel.com

Mintel offers 750+ reports, most about US and UK consumer markets.

Reports are extensive, often more than 100 pages including sections such as
Scope & Themes, Executive Summary, Market Size & Segmentation, Supply
Structure, Advertising & Promotion, Retail Distribution, Ownership, Intent to
 364 Database Reviews

Purchase, Spend, Product Age, Product Satisfaction, and Future & Forecast
(Camacho, 2007; Davis, 2008).

Plunkett Research. Plunkett Research Online.

http://www.plunkettresearch.com

This database provides access to 32 industries, including market research

and trends, 10,000 company profiles, statistics, company contacts, and asso-
ciations. The database duplicates the information provided in the Plunkett
Almanacs, each of which represents an industry and its companies in one
very accessible volume. Another option is to purchase a select number of
print sources such as Plunkett’s Renewable, Alternative & Hydrogen Energy
Industry Almanac or Plunkett’s Biotech & Genetics Industry Almanac.

Research for Libraries. Business Insights.

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http://www.r4l.info/products/businessinsights.htm

Information comes from parent company Datamonitor. The database

consists of approximately 500 reports with 80 added each year. Concentration
is in the automotive and logistics, consumer markets, energy and utilities,
financial services, health care, and technology sectors. Reports range from
150 to 250 pages.

Research for Libraries. MarketLine.

http://www.r4l.info/products/marketline.htm

Information comes from parent company Datamonitor. Included are

2,600 U.S. and international industry profiles of 20 to 30 pages and 24,000
company profiles. A small percent of these are included in Ebsco’s Business
Source Complete/Premier database (Camacho, 2007; Geck, 2006; Gust, 2007).

THE BOTTOM LINE

All of the listed databases offer valuable market research materials. Individual
needs and budgets will determine the selection of specific resources.

REFERENCES

Baker, A. (2007, June). eMarketer: The first place to look [Review of the database].
Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship, 12(4), 65–69.
Beach, R. (2007, July). IBISWorld. Charleston Advisor, 9(1), 42–43.
Brynko, B. (2006, October). IBISWorld: A pioneer in business data. Information
Today, 23(9), 30.
 Database Reviews 365

Camacho, L. (2007, December). Market research databases: Comparison of Mintel

reports academic, market line business information center, and global market
information database [Review of the databases]. Journal of Business & Finance
Librarianship, 13(2), 157–161.
Davis, J. (2008, March/April). A web of industry overviews [Review of databases
from The Freedonia Group, First Research, Inc., Mintel International Group,
IBISWorld, Snapdata International Group, and Plunkett Research, Ltd.]. Online,
32(2), 26–31.
Geck, C. (2006, July/August). MarketLine business information center. Choice:
Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, 43(11/12), 1974–1975. Re-
trieved December 12, 2008 from http://www.cro2.org/default.aspx?page=
reviewdisplay&pid=3207173.
Gust, K. (2007, April). MarketLine Business Information Centre. Charleston Advisor,
8(4), 27–29.
Highsmith, D. (2006, April). IBISWorld industry and market research [Review
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of the database Industry Intelligence]. Choice: Current Reviews for Aca-

demic Libraries, 43(8), 1382–1382. Retrieved December 12, 2008 from
http://www.cro2.org/default.aspx?page=reviewdisplay&pid=3206358.
Hines, T. (2006, September). Global Market Information Database (GMID). Journal
of Business & Finance Librarianship, 12(1), 77–81.
Le Beau, C. (2005). MarketResearch.com. Choice: Current Reviews for Academic
Libraries, 42, 177–177. Retrieved December 12, 2008 from http://www.cro2.
org/default.aspx?page=reviewdisplay&pid=3253877.
Levy, J. (2004). [Review of the database Global Market Information Database]. Choice:
Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, 41, 158. Retrieved December 12, 2008
from http://www.cro2.org/default.aspx?page=reviewdisplay&pid=2692794.

Julia A. Martin
Business and Economics Librarian
University of Toledo
julia.martin@utoledo.edu