Resource Guides: Library Guide: Research for Public Relations (PRC 5504): Home

Overview

Hi, I'm Sandra Herber, the librarian for Media Studies at the Lakeshore campus.

Welcome to your Library Guide for PRC 5504 (Research for Public Relations)

In the left-hand column you will find ways to connect with me and a copy of the PowerPoint I used in class

In the main area below you will find links to the key Library tools and training videos on how to use them.

For your Secondary Research Project, I recommend that you look for:

target market information in Vividata and Statista

industry research (for example, information on competitors) in Passport, IBISWorld, Statista and MarketLine
information on media consumption in Vividata, Statista and Media Technology Monitor
company research in Passport, Statista and MarketLine
current perceptions of your product/brand through a search in Canadian newspapers in Canadian Newsstream or American newspapers in USNewsstream

If you're having trouble with your research, you can email me at sandra.herber@humber.ca or you can book an appointment with me through my appointment calendar.

Links to the Library Databases You Will Need

Target Market - Consumer Behaviour/Demographics

Vividata This link opens in a new window
Contains Canadian consumer spending, media habits, and psychographics based on the Survey of the Canadian Consumer.
Media Technology Monitor (MTM) Reports This link opens in a new window
Contains reports and data analysis from a survey of 12,000 Canadians' media habits, technology ownership and use conducted by CBC-Radio Canada since 2004.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Contains statistics, charts, tables, and public opinion polls on marketing, demographics, consumers, communication, technology, politics, health, and leisure.

Industry Research

IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Contains reports on Canadian industries. The industry reports include industry performance, outlook, product, markets, competitive landscape, major companies, and operating conditions.
Passport This link opens in a new window
Contains Canadian and international company and industry reports on consumer goods and services. (Note for Mac users: there are known issues if you access the portal with Firefox. Please use a different browser.)
GlobalData Explorer This link opens in a new window
Formerly known as Marketline, this database contains Canadian and international company reports, industry reports, country reports, and influencer reports.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Contains statistics, charts, tables, and public opinion polls on marketing, demographics, consumers, communication, technology, politics, health, and leisure.

Media Consumption

Vividata This link opens in a new window
Contains Canadian consumer spending, media habits, and psychographics based on the Survey of the Canadian Consumer.
Media Technology Monitor (MTM) Reports This link opens in a new window
Contains reports and data analysis from a survey of 12,000 Canadians' media habits, technology ownership and use conducted by CBC-Radio Canada since 2004.

Company Research

Passport This link opens in a new window
Contains Canadian and international company and industry reports on consumer goods and services. (Note for Mac users: there are known issues if you access the portal with Firefox. Please use a different browser.)
GlobalData Explorer This link opens in a new window
Formerly known as Marketline, this database contains Canadian and international company reports, industry reports, country reports, and influencer reports.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Contains statistics, charts, tables, and public opinion polls on marketing, demographics, consumers, communication, technology, politics, health, and leisure.

Media Monitoring

Canadian Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Contains articles from national and local Canadian newspapers. Includes The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the Vancouver Sun, among others.
U.S. Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Contains national and local U.S. newspapers. Features The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, and Chicago Tribune.

Vividata Videos

The Library has three Vividata videos:

Introduction to Vividata
Creating a Table in Vividata
Reading a Table in Vividata

They will play, one after the other, in the frame below.

Note: There have been some updates to the Vividata interface since these videos were created (the tables have been simplified) but the videos are still relevant and helpful.

Vividata: Mini Course on Target Market

Company and Industry Research Videos

the Library created this series of videos on company and industry research:

Company Research: Introduction to the Series
Company Research: Google and Wikipedia
Company/Industry Research: MarketLine and Canadian Newsstream
Company/Industry Research: IBISWorld and Passport

The videos will play one after another in the frame below

Created - January 2022

This content was created in January, 2022. To get updates for this material, contact Sandra Herber at sandra.herber@humber.ca

Library Guide: Research for Public Relations (PRC 5504)

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PowerPoint Used in Class