Business and Government Research

Study smarter. Research effectively. Your guide to library tools and research skills for finding business and government research.

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Getting started with company research

Photo: Pixabay, CC0 License, Free for personal and commercial use


1) Consider what type of company information you need. You will probably want a range of information, which may include any of the following: 

  • Company profiles
  • News and articles
  • Financial information, including annual reports,and share prices                        
  • Ownership structure
  • Mergers and acquisitions activity
  • Case studies involving companies
  • Historical information
  • Consumer information and market share

2) Then choose your sources using the information below.

  • Information available depends upon the company's status - public or private, large or small, and whether its activities are mentioned in magazines/newspapers.
  • By law, large public companies are required to produce an annual report. In New Zealand, small private companies are harder to research (especially if you're looking for financial information), but the Companies Office is a good place to start.
  • The news media are often the most easily accessible sources of information about a company. Look for media coverage of a company in press releases, and news and feature articles in the magazines, newspapers, periodicals, and journals that cover the industry.

3) For further help in choosing the best source to use, see these two guides:

New Zealand sources

Global sources