FAQ: How do I find information for a PEST analysis in the library?

A PEST analysis looks at the political, economic, sociocultural, and technological factors that are affecting a company or that could affect it. The additional L and E in PESTEL/PESTLE stand for legal and environmental/ecological factors. Please see the PEST – Done Right! eBook chapter for more information.

Since our library databases do not offer many PEST analyses, you’ll need to create your own PEST analysis by consulting a variety of sources in order to learn as much as possible about the company and the environment in which it operates.

Recommended Databases

• MarketLine (Explorer) has country profiles (with in-depth PESTLE insights) for over 50 different countries, as well as company and industry profiles. Once the database opens, click "Explorer" under Cross Industry Intelligence Centers. Then, click on the "Companies" menu across the top of the page. Search for your country, and then from the Country report, click on "Related Reports" from the options on the left. From the list of reports, look for the "Country Analysis Reports: In-depth PESTLE Insights" report.
• A to Z World Business has country business guides for 100 different countries.  Use the navigation links on the left side of the country profile OR use the search icon on the top right to look for keywords in a specific country report.
• Statista has over 150 Country Outlooks with key economic and social indicators, as well as company and industry dossiers.
• Euromonitor Passport has over 200 country reports, offering information on politics and economy, as well as company and industry profiles.
• IBIS World has industry reports. Type in your industry name into the search box and you'll see a list of possible industry reports that are relevant. 
• In Mergent Intellect, scroll down the homepage and you will see the "First Research" link in the bottom left corner. Click the Submit button on the left side to access their information.  First Research has over 500 industry profiles.
• Mintel has industry reports that are especially useful for understanding consumer behavior and demographics for a particular market. This would be a good resource for researching the sociocultural factor.
• ABI/INFORM Collection and Business Source Ultimate have articles from business publications. Try searches for your company name AND political (or one of the other elements from the PEST acronym). If you do not get any results, expand your search to the industry name AND political.

If you still need assistance after trying these suggestions, please contact the Reference Desk and we can offer additional suggestions.