How To Research Countries - Statistical And Market Data

The Internet has become a truly International Network connecting people from all over the world. Many Web sites have a global emphasis and this is particularly true for businesses who appreciate the advantages of the global marketplace.

Statistical Data

For statistical data on countries a good place to start is The United Nations Web site. Their InfoNation is an easy-to-use, two-step database that allows you to view and compare the most up-to-date statistical data for all the Member States.

Go to Global Internet Statistics (by Language) to find out the latest estimated figures of the number of each online language population.

PopNet - The Source for Global Population Information provide access to a superb repository of demographic information. Go to their keyword search and type 'statistics' to get an excellent and comprehensive list of sites giving international statistics. Their list of suggested keywords gives you an idea of what else they have to offer ('Demographic Statistics', 'Development', 'Economics', 'Education', 'Emigration', 'Employment' and 'Environment' are just a few of them).

Market Data

When looking global or country-specific market data, it is worth looking at the standard, well known provider of market research.

Go to any of the following sites and use search terms that include names of specific countries. You will almost certainly find reports relevant to your needs:

Market Research 'Meta-Providers':

• MindBranch (was Publications Resource Group) offer more than 6,000 reports, newsletters, directories and databases from 250 top-tier partners in all industries. Their site has a keyword search engine and a category-based subject list; it also offers press releases.
• International Market Research Mall (IMR MALL) are a very good site for finding research from more than one publisher. They allow online viewing of reports from more than 50 sources.
• allNetResearch
• Market Research.com bring together reports from 230 publishers of market research data, and, like the Publications Resource Group, their site has a keyword search and subject list.

Market Research Companies:

• Nua are an innovative Internet consulting and development company whose Internet Surveys are well worth a look.
• Jupiter Communications are an authority on Internet commerce. They offer research studies for sale and the option of joining an online forum to hear from skilled analysts in the industry.
• Frost & Sullivan are a customer-focused market consulting firm. They have offices all over the world.
• Forrester is a leading independent research firm that analyzes the future of technology change and its impact on businesses, consumers, and society.
• DATAMONITOR give market data and expert analysis.
• Find/SVP offer quick and long term strategic consulting and market research.
• Key Note bring you market research reports written by specialists.
• EuroMonitor provides global consumer market and business intelligence.

The Market Access Database, a European Commission site, is aimed at exporters. It has a database of commentary and market data on a variety of sectors in each of the European countries, together with general information about trade in the country concerned. This can be found in the Sectoral and Trade Barriers Database. Here you can search by Country, Sector or Measure to find information. The Market Access Applied Tariffs Database is also useful for finding information on tariffs for specific products from their list of over 80 countries.

MORI (Market & Opinion Research International) make available a large number of their market research reports. Using country names as part of your search query you will find many surveys giving information about different countries, including plenty with a global perspective.

Other Resources

Intellifact.com are a global business information portal. Research any company in the world - just type in the name of the company in the search box and hit 'get'. Search also using the subject list; by Industry, Region or Function. They also provide market research, stock research, and business tutorials.

The Union of International Associations (UIA) provide subject-based links to a vast array of international resources. They are a non-profit clearing house for information on over 20,000 international organizations.

Europe Online's Guide Page is a good portal for access to sites dedicated to each country in Europe. The links on each page enable you to get quickly to useful sites full of information about all aspects life in any European nation.

Sites Maintained By Individuals

Although it is good to concentrate on companies who specialise in providing market and statistical data, it is also worth looking at information provided by individuals, especially academics. There are many researchers on the Internet who bring together pages of links to Web sites which can be of great value to other researchers. Such pages serve as excellent starting points for focussed, research-oriented browsing, and are a valuable asset to those who use them.

Here are some good sites to visit for global research information:

• Paul R. Hensel is the Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at Florida State University. His Web site has an array of useful pages covering:
  • International Organizations
  • International Political Data
  • Foreign Governments and Politics
  • International Law
  • International Security
  • Demographic Topics

  Each pages has numerous links to sites giving research papers and statistics, and there are also links to many world organisations who also provide useful information.

Languages

When dealing internationally on the Internet, nine times out of ten you'll be reading and conversing in English. However, this is not always possible (and in some cases it is more polite to use the local language of the country you are dealing with). The chances are, though, that at some point you will come across a language barrier but do not despair - there are sites on the Web that can help you out

TravLang's 'Foreign Languages for Travelers' is an incredible online resource. You have to pay for some of their services, but their online translating dictionaries are free. Type in any word and get an almost instant translation in thirty or more languages. (They also have a very useful currency converter.)

If you're just needing help with certain European languages, AltaVista have a useful site called the Babel Fish. Just paste your text into the form provided, or type in your URL, and the site will translate to and from English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. Don't expect too much from this translation: it is little more than a look-up in a dictionary, but it is better than nothing.

On an Italian government Web site the statement, "Da quest'anno i contribuenti possono presentare la dichiarazione dei redditi ed effettuare i versamenti utilizzando Internet" can be found.
What does this mean in English?

What is the telephone number of Portugal's national airline?