Why doesn’t the business library have IBISWorld? I keep coming across it when I am researching for class projects and the company I interned at had it. I know that some of my friends who are attending other MBA programs have access to it as well. It would be great if the library could get GBS access.
Yes, IBISWorld is a very popular database and we get this request from other students as well. GBL has evaluated this resource many times and, unfortunately, we continue to have concerns about several factors: the quality of the content and the high cost to subscribe. Regarding the content, you may have noticed that IBISWorld does not specifically cite where they get their information from. Part of what you are being taught in the business school is the importance of evidence-based data for supporting recommendations; that data must be good data, from reliable sources. When we evaluate databases we consider the sources the vendor is using for its analysis, and we look for those sources to be clearly cited throughout the content so that you can increase your awareness of where to turn for good data. Resources that do not cite their sources do not meet this very important threshold and, unfortunately, IBISWorld fails the test.
However, we do subscribe to many excellent databases that meet and exceed the information found in IBISWorld.
For broader industry backgrounds:
For consumer and industrial-focused market research reports which provide industry and competitive intelligence:
We hope that this explanation helps you to understand why we have chosen not to invest in IBISWorld and how you can find similar and better information tapping into the range of resources that are available to you through the business library.