Library Databases

Published: January 11, 2023

Updated: January 11, 2023

The Expensive World Of Business Information

Believe it or not, you cannot find everything on Google! Have you ever done an online search and found the perfect industry report only to find that it costs over $5,000? Did you know that libraries pay for many expensive databases that could be helpful in your secondary market research?

Search engines like Google can only provide direct access to freely available information. Most of the web, including business information, lives in databases behind expensive paywalls. This paywall-protected section of the Internet is known as the deep web. Fortunately, some libraries pay to subscribe to databases so they can provide free access to their patrons — and many business databases can contain useful information such as articles, market research, and company reports.

There are several strategies you can use to access relevant business information on the deep web. First, we urge you to look up what business resources your local public or academic library can provide access to. Each database has its own arrangement, with unique interfaces and search features. It helps to know the structure and search terms of the specific database you are working with in order to retrieve effective results.

Also, it is important to know that library databases are restricted by specific usage agreements. It can help to consult with a librarian if you have trouble navigating a specific database. They may also be able to help you find comparable information elsewhere. Libraries with robust business collections might have useful e-books, directories and trade journals. As you conduct your secondary market research you will likely need to consult both free and deep web resources.

For more information about how and why to use business databases, check out our video tutorial, Module Four: Conducting Your Industry Research.

UBC Library Business Databases

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you may have access to business databases through the David Lam Management Research Library and Canaccord Learning Commons through the links below.

Full Listing By Title or Full Listing By Subject

There are two different ways to identify databases: Use "by title" if you already know the name; otherwise you can search the list "by subject" to find starting places for undertaking market research, finding articles or researching companies. To learn more about how you can access library resources if you are a community user or temporary visitor, check out the UBC Library Community Users & Visitors Guide. Community users and temporary visitors may have additional access restrictions to specific databases because of license agreements.

Provincial Library Database Partners

How to access: Check out the database list and note the License Participants to find out which institutions have access. Otherwise, contact your local post-secondary library to see what they offer.

BC Electronic Library Network (ELN) Research Databases

ELN licenses databases with partner academic libraries. These include LexisNexis, Canadian Newsstream, Hoovers, CBCA Business, ABI/INFORM Complete and others that may be of interest to business researchers.

ABI/INFORM Collection

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.

Created by ProQuest this database contains full-text articles from over 1,000 business magazines and journals that track business conditions, trends, management techniques, corporate strategies, and industry-specific topics.

(2022, Oct 10). Web development market [2022-2029] size, share, growth | demand insights, on-going trends, key players, segmentation, revenue and gross margin, key findings, recent developments and forecast research | industry research biz: Web development market report focuses on the web development market size, segment size (mainly covering product type, application, and geography), competitor landscape, recent status, and development trends. furthermore, the report provides detailed cost analysis, supply chain. NASDAQ OMX's News Release Distribution Channel. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2022, Feb 04). Global website builders industry worth $2.7 billion by 2026 - COVID-19 pandemic transforms the web development industry. NASDAQ OMX's News Release Distribution Channel. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2019, Aug 14). The best custom website design companies from around the world, according to DesignRush: DesignRush discovered the top website design and development agencies who can build custom platforms for businesses of all industries, successfully solving online solutions and fostering business growth. PR Newswire. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2021, Oct 12). Intetics new slide website sets the standard of excellence across the web development industry winning 3 WebAwards 2021 in 3 categories: Intetics new slide website sets the standard of excellence across the web development industry. the awardee of 3 WebAwards 2021 and a winner in 3 categories, Intetics Inc. is a leading global technology company providing custom software application development. PR Newswire. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2020, Jun 12). The top small business & custom website design and development companies, according to web design agency rating platform: WebDesignCompanies.com identified the top companies that have the skills and experience to help brands with small business and custom website design and development. PR Newswire. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
Jeon, M. M., & Jeong, M. (2017). Customers' perceived website service quality and its effects on e-loyalty. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 29(1), 438-457. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2022, Sep 18). WP creative shakes up web development industry with customer-centric rebrand. PR Newswire Asia. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2022, Jul 26). Cloudmellow expands into the Atlanta market through the acquisition of award winning website design and digital marketing company, the creative momentum. PR Newswire. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2022). Adrants: Role of ecommerce and web development in the growth of business. Chatham: Newstex. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
Ivan, I., & Despa, M. L. (2016). Estimating maintenance cost for web applications. Informatica Economica, 20(4), 34-43. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2021, Sep 21). Nebula academy creates momentous job opportunities and recognized by newsweek as a top coding school: Nebula Academy, a national provider of workforce training programs that includes full stack web development, tech support and tech sales, announced their recognition in newsweek as a top coding school. PR Newswire. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.
(2021, Sep 20). Coforma designs multilingual together.gov website for family reunification task force: Veteran, minority, and immigrant-owned small business Coforma provided UX design, content strategy, and front-end development for the together.gov website to help the family reunification task force bring families separated by the zero tolerance policy back together again. PR Newswire. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM database.

Mergent Online

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.

Provides access to US and international public company data. This database also contains data on companies that were acquired, went bankrupt, liquidated or merged out of existence from 1995 forward. Users can compare companies and export data into programs like Excel.

Squarespace, Inc.

BCC Research Centre

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource. Otherwise, contact your local library to see if they provide access.

Publishes 250 reports annually that are complete with market intelligence, five-year forecasts, statistical and analytical data, key players, market share, industry structure and dynamics, and technological shifts and trends.

BCC Publishing. (2021, February). Web Content Management: Global Markets. [Report Code IFT217A]. BCC Research Centre. Retrieved from BCC Research Centre database.
BCC Publishing. (2019, September). Content Delivery Networks: Global Markets. [Report Code IF095B]. BCC Research Centre. Retrieved from BCC Research Centre database.
TBRC. [2018, January]. Software and BPO Services Global Market Briefing 2018 Report. [Report Code MKB109B]. BCC Research Centre. Retrieved from BCC Research Centre database.

Business Source Ultimate

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource. Otherwise, contact your local library to see if they provide access.

Includes financial data, books, videos, company profiles, SWOT analyses, industry profiles, country reports, market research reports and case studies. Also includes information on industry trends, forecasts, outlooks, competitors, how to run a specific business and much more.

Kay, M. (2021). How to Write a Website Design Brief. Information Today, 38(6), 34–35.
Nielsen, K. (2020). Less Is More: Optimizing websites Through Design. Dealer Magazine, 27(4), 34. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Stolle, M. (2020). Website design, refresh and redesign — should you DIY or outsource to an expert? Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker, 672, 75–76. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Jongmans, E., Jeannot, F., Liang, L., & Dampérat, M. (2022). Impact of website visual design on user experience and website evaluation: the sequential mediating roles of usability and pleasure. Journal of Marketing Management, 1–36. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Molinillo, S., Aguilar-Illescas, R., Anaya-Sánchez, R., & Liébana-Cabanillas, F. (2021). Social commerce website design, perceived value and loyalty behavior intentions: The moderating roles of gender, age and frequency of use. Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services, 63. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Hsieh, H. C. L., & Yang, H.-H. (2020). Incorporating gamification into website design to facilitate effective communication. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 21(1), 89–111. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Grange, C., & Barki, H. (2020). The Nature and Role of User Beliefs Regarding a Website’s Design Quality. Journal of Organizational & End User Computing, 32(1). Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Wright, L. B., Haug, J. C., & Huckabee, A. (2019). Blueprint for Retail Website Design: Attracting and Retaining Millennial Online Shoppers. Journal of Internet Commerce, 18(2), 170–196. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Graham, T., & Henman, P. (2019). Affording choice: how website designs create and constrain “choice.” Information, Communication & Society, 22(13), 2007–2023. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Wilson, N., Keni Keni, & Pattyranie Tan, P. H. (2019). The Effect of Website Design Quality and Service Quality on Repurchase Intention in the E-commerce Industry: A Cross-Continental Analysis. Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business, 21(2), 187–222. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Haq, N. U., Raja, A. A., Nosheen, S., & Sajjad, M. F. (2018). Determinants of client satisfaction in web development projects from freelance marketplaces. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 11(3), 583–607. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.
Louf, L. (2018). Freelance Web Developer: How to be Well Protected? PM World Journal, 7(1), 1–10. Retrieved from Business Source Ultimate database.

First Research Industry Profiles

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, or faculty you can access many of these reports through ABI/INFORM and/or Business Market Research Collection (Proquest).

Covers over 900 industry segments. Updated on a quarterly basis, these industry profiles contain critical analysis, statistics and forecasts to help you engage key prospects, coach key clients, and deepen customer relationships. You can search for reports by NAICS, SIC or keyword or browse by category.

(2022) Development Tools, Operating Systems, & Utilities Software - Quarterly Update 10/31/2022. Fort Mill, South Carolina: Mergent. Retrieved from First Research Industry Profiles.
(2022) Computer Software - Quarterly Update 12/5//2022. Fort Mill, South Carolina: Mergent. Retrieved from First Research Industry Profiles.

IBISWorld Industry Reports

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.

IBISWorld research is an independent, professional publisher of high-quality market research reports. These reports analyze the underlying structure and external forces that drive an industry.

Egan, S. (2022, February). Web Design Services in the US. US SPECIALIZED INDUSTRY REPORT OD4586 | TECHNOLOGY. IBISWorld. Retrieved from IBISWorld database.
Al Bari, S. (2022, May). Website Creation Software Developers in the US. US SPECIALIZED INDUSTRY REPORT OD5816 | TECHNOLOGY. IBISWorld. Retrieved from IBISWorld database.

Marketresearch.com/Freedonia Focus

How to access: Check your local public or academic library to see about access. If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.

While you can search this website only some Canadian libraries provide full-text access to the market research reports on industries and demographics for North American industries. They can range from 50 to 400+ pages in length, and contain charts, tables, and graphs, and key facts. Marketresearch.com has varied industry coverage and includes US and international information.

Freedonia Focus Reports. (2022, August). IT Services: United States. Marketresearch.com Academic. Retrieved from Marketresearch.com Academic database.

Business Market Research Collection (Proquest)

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.

Business Market Research Collection brings together four sources to help students more easily conduct the research they need to produce business plans, marketing plans, startup plans, market growth analysis, and strategic and financial plans. Includes access to: Hoover's Company Profiles, OxResearch, Barnes Reports, and the older Snapshots Series, which includes market research overviews on over 40 industries and 40 countries to 2008.

(2022) Development Tools, Operating Systems, & Utilities Software - Quarterly Update 10/31/2022. Fort Mill, South Carolina: Mergent. Retrieved from First Research Industry Profiles.
(2022) Computer Software - Quarterly Update 12/5//2022. Fort Mill, South Carolina: Mergent. Retrieved from First Research Industry Profiles.

Statista

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.

A simple to use statistics portal that integrates statistics from thousands of sources, on topics related to business, media, public policy, health and others. Statistics can be exported in PPT, XLS, PDF, and PNG formats. Some basic content available for free.

Vailshery, L. S. (2022, September 6). Total number of web developer and digital interface designer jobs in the United States 2022-2032. CompTIA. Retrieved from Statista database.
Valishery, L. S. (2022, August 9). Most popular frameworks among web developers worldwide 2022. Statista Research Department. Retrieved by Statista database.

WARC: World Advertising Research Center

How to access: If you are a UBC student, staff, faculty or in-person library visitor you can access this resource.

WARC has case studies from major companies and advertising agencies, as well as articles from leading advertising journals and unpublished papers. It also includes company profiles, advertising spending statistics, and demographic and economic data.

(2021). Ping: Chief Identity Champion. WARC Awards for Effectiveness. Retrieved from WARC database.
Furmidge, L. How to align sustainability, e-commerce, and great user experiences. WARC Exclusive. Retrieved from WARC database.
Ewer, K. (2017, September). How to use design in today’s fragmented media mix. WARC Best Practice. Retrieved from WARC database.
Sedona, J. How to measure design’s contribution to brand growth. WARC Best Practice. Retrieved from WARC database.

Newspapers and News Sources - UBC Library Research Guide

How to access: The guide can be viewed through the link below. Individual resources and databases will have different access requirements.

UBC Library has an excellent collection of current and historical newspapers from B.C., Canada, and around the world. UBC affiliates will have access to these resources.

Arendt, J. (2019, May 30). Web design a constantly changing field for johnson. Summerland Review. Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.
Casey, Q. (2015, Dec 22). Reimagining web design; PageCloud's goal: Render the likes of WordPress obsolete. The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.
(2021, Jun 22). Nixa named for best web development firm in Canada for 2021. Canada NewsWire. Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.
(2021, June 25). Electronic Coating Technologies unveils new brand identity & website introduces modern logo, improved collateral, and enhanced website design and functionality. National Post (Toronto). Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.
CIPR communications wins two web marketing association WebAwards in 2021 for website development in collaboration with indigenous clients in the tourism sector. (2021, Sep 28). Canada NewsWire. Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.
Lindzon, J. (2021, July 21). I want to be a front-end developer. What will my salary be?: Front-end developers are the go-to people for website design, coding language translation. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.
(2021, February 21). Digital design and web development skills can make it easier to land a job over the next few years. National Post (Toronto). Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.
(2021, July 27). Cloudbeds launches websites, A complete website design and development solution provides independent hoteliers inviting, informative, and intuitive websites to attract guests and increase revenues by up to 20% with direct bookings. National Post (Toronto). Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.
(2019, Dec 16). 2 in 3 companies in Canada plan to expand creative teams in first half of 2020, survey finds. Canada NewsWire. Retrieved from Canadian Newsstream database.