This guide is targeted at Brock University students, faculty, and staff who are conducting research in order to analyze the external operating environment of an organization as part of the strategic planning process, or as part of a marketing situation analysis. You may work through the guide step by step, or jump to the section that is most relevant to your research task. Each step points to key intelligence sources (e.g. licensed resources) available to you as Brock University students, faculty, or staff, as well as open access sources which are available to anyone.
1. The Intelligence Cycle
2. Visualizing External Factors
3. The Macro Environment
4. The Operating / Industry Environment
5. Evaluating sources
6. Academic Integrity
7. Competitive Intelligence Certification & Resources
8. Get Help / Book a Consultation