Research Guide
The Corporate Watch DIY Guide to
How to research companies
Contents 2 Introduction
How to use this guide Golden rules of research Structuring your research
11
Getting a basic overview of the company
The Annual Report The company website Industry sources SEC records
3
Information Sources
NGOs Libraries - Local libraries - University libraries - Copyright and specialist libraries The Web - Search engines - Useful web techniques The Media - Media sources on the web - CD-Roms and indexes Industry sources - Company sources - Trade associations and professional institutes - Trade journals - Market research - Business directories - Business websites - Analysts' reports Government sources - Quangos - Using company registrars - Regulators Interviews
12
How to find out about a company's…
Offices/sites Directors Shareholders Strategy and prospects Analysts Advisors Political links Public relations Environmental policy Funding of research
4
13 14
5
6 7 8 9
15
16
'Digging the Dirt'
Activist websites Alternative media Government sources Mainstream media Other sources Reliability of information Further reading And finally…
10
www.corporatewatch.org.uk
The Corporate Watch DIY Guide to H o w t o r e s e a r c h c o m p a n i e s
May 2002
Introduction
If you're campaigning against a company, the success or failure of your campaign will crucially depend on the information at your disposal. Whether you want to visit the company's office, target its directors or shareholders, or produce hard-hitting leaflets or reports, you will need to know your way around a few basic resources.
This is actually easier than most people think. For example, people often phone Corporate Watch asking for the addresses of a company's sites in their area, but they hadn't thought of looking in their phone book! So this basic guide on how to research a company is an attempt to break down the mystique surrounding research. Anyone can find out
How to research companies
Contents 2 Introduction
How to use this guide Golden rules of research Structuring your research
11
Getting a basic overview of the company
The Annual Report The company website Industry sources SEC records
3
Information Sources
NGOs Libraries - Local libraries - University libraries - Copyright and specialist libraries The Web - Search engines - Useful web techniques The Media - Media sources on the web - CD-Roms and indexes Industry sources - Company sources - Trade associations and professional institutes - Trade journals - Market research - Business directories - Business websites - Analysts' reports Government sources - Quangos - Using company registrars - Regulators Interviews
12
How to find out about a company's…
Offices/sites Directors Shareholders Strategy and prospects Analysts Advisors Political links Public relations Environmental policy Funding of research
4
13 14
5
6 7 8 9
15
16
'Digging the Dirt'
Activist websites Alternative media Government sources Mainstream media Other sources Reliability of information Further reading And finally…
10
www.corporatewatch.org.uk
The Corporate Watch DIY Guide to H o w t o r e s e a r c h c o m p a n i e s
May 2002
Introduction
If you're campaigning against a company, the success or failure of your campaign will crucially depend on the information at your disposal. Whether you want to visit the company's office, target its directors or shareholders, or produce hard-hitting leaflets or reports, you will need to know your way around a few basic resources.
This is actually easier than most people think. For example, people often phone Corporate Watch asking for the addresses of a company's sites in their area, but they hadn't thought of looking in their phone book! So this basic guide on how to research a company is an attempt to break down the mystique surrounding research. Anyone can find out