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SWOT Research

This research guide will help students find information needed for a SWOT analysis. It includes databases, websites and videos showing how look for the different factors.

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Where can I find a published SWOT analysis?

Where can I find a published SWOT analysis?

Note: A published SWOT analysis may be a good starting point for your company analysis. But please DO NOT simply copy and paste information from a published SWOT or SWOT graph/ chart. To do so would be plagiarism.


Your analysis should be in your own words based on the information you find in your research.

However, if you're looking for some inspiration to get started, the databases below contain SWOT's that have been created for publicly traded companies.

  • Business Insights - From the main page in Business Insights, select a company or search for the name of your company. There are Company Profiles for 400,000+ companies, and the largest 1000 public companies have a SWOT analysis right next to the Company Overview.
  • ProQuest Central - From the main search page in ProQuest Central, type the name of your company and SWOT into the search bar. From the results, choose the relevant record.

What is a SWOT?

What is a SWOT analysis?

A SWOT analysis is an evaluation of the internal and external environments of a company, organization, or nonprofit. SWOT analyses are often used to create strategic business plans.

  • Internal factors are generally classified as strengths or weaknesses.  
  • External factors are typically considered to either be opportunities or threats.

The four factors together: Strengths + Weakness + Opportunities + Threats,
make up a SWOT analysis. 
 

To find information for a SWOT, you will need to analyze articles, data, financial reports and surveys from a variety of credible sources.

Review the pages of this guide to see what to find and where to find it for each of the different areas of your SWOT analysis.

    

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about SWOT Research

How to Create an Original SWOT vs Using 3rd Party SWOTS