Data Sources for Business Ph.D. Students: Home

Search Tips: 

• Add in search terms like “data” or “statistics”
• Look up unfamiliar terms. 
• Are there synonyms that people might use?  Mean=average, toilets = sanitation
• Always read the methodology for any data that you find. 

This guide is specifically about Data Sources. Don't forget that we have other research databases on the MCOB Library's website: 

https://www.southalabama.edu/mcoblibrary

Who might collect the data? 

• Governments
  • The U.S. Government is the largest publisher of information in the world.
  • Try searching for the name of the Country and Statistics (or Data).
• Organizations
  • The United Nations is a great source of info about different countries.
  • The OECD is an intergovernmental organization of 38 member countries that gather and share data. 
• Private entity
  •  Banks, Insurance, Global Management Firms  
• Industry Association/Organization
  • Great source of information but sometimes it is limited to members only. But if a membership fee is reasonable, it might be worth joining. Sometimes the info is available for free on their website. 
• For-profit publisher
  • All of the Library databases from publishers like Standard & Poor's, Mergent, Dun & Bradstreet, etc.

Evaluate the source before using it: 

Are they reliable? 

Are they an expert in their field? 

Is the data current? 

Is there bias? 

Where did they get their data from? 

Is it original research?  If not, do they cite where it came from?

If you can't find what you need, contact Amia! I'm always happy to consult with students and talk about research strategies and possible sources of information.