COMM 3062: Integrated communication planning
2. Plan your search
Before you start searching for information think about your organisation
For this example we are using Boost Juice
| Is your organisation: |
| 1. Australian or international? Boost Juice is Australian |
| 2. Private, public or non profit? Boost Juice is private company |
| 3. What industry? Boost Juice falls under the 'Miscellaneous Food Stores' industry |
| 4. Owned by a parent company? Yes, owned by a parent company - Boost Juice is a subsidiary of Retail Zoo Pty Ltd |
Tips:
- Visit your organisation's website and spend time exploring. Look for things like 'about us', 'our story', 'our company' to find out more.
Public versus private companies:
Public companies are listed and traded on a stock exchange whereas private companies are not listed. Also, public companies must provide annual reports to the public which makes them easier to research.
Not sure if it is public or private?
- Do a web search for your company's website. They often provide information about themselves under a section such as 'About us'.
- Search for the company on the Australian stock exchange.
Company and Industry Information- quick guide
The library has a range of search tools, such as company and industry databases, to help you locate relevant information. Here are some key databases you can search:
Find company information |
||
| Are you looking for? | Is the company...? | Try these databases: |
| Australian | Public |
|
| Private | ||
| Government bodies Non-profit organisations |
||
| International (may contain some Australian content) |
Public |
|
| Private | ||
Find industry information |
|
| Are you looking for? | Try these databases: |
| Australian |
|
| International (May contain some Australian content) |
|
For more information on how to search the specific databases go to the Company and industry information guide.
Key news databases
To find media coverage about your organisation or the industry you are researching try searching in one of these databases:
SWOT analysis
SWOT Analysis is a model that analyses an organisation's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It can help identify what the organisation is doing well and what needs improvement.
Have a look at these sites for help with conducting a SWOT analysis:
- SWOT analysis guide (University of California)A PDF guide to using SWOT analysis
- SWOT analysis video (AssistKD)A short (4:39 min.) video from which introduces the concept of the SWOT analysis and how it influences understanding of the strategic position of an organisation.
Statistics and social media reports
Statista: The Leading Statistics Portal includes:
- Industry statistics from market, trade, scientific, and government sources
- Free to publish charts in presentations, website and marketing materials
- Infographics and downloadable diagrams
- Social Media - Statistics & Facts including a dossier on social media usage worldwide available to download
Watch the Statista Tutorial on Search Functionality
(opens in new window)
Social Media Reports
Further assignment help
The Student Engagement Unit has created a suite of resources called Study Help that can help you understand different assignment types and study skills.
There is also a Writing your assignment page that can also assist you with interpreting your topic and planning your search
Studiosity offers assistance with academic writing, referencing, maths, business studies and more. Use the online chat or submit work for feedback.
Support material
There are many free websites you can use to create professional looking content quickly.
Canva allows you to create your own designs or use one of the large variety of templates including:
- flyers
- newsletters
- marketing proposals and much more
For more info try a Tutorial
TIP: Avoid using images or templates with a $ or 
crown icon as they are not free
Referencing support
Referencing Roadmap (Harvard)
Help with the Harvard UniSA referencing style. Find in text-citations and reference examples, from different sources such as articles, books & chapters, websites, and more.
Other referencing support tools:
- Referencing hub
Information around what is referencing, paraphrasing, referencing rules, referencing styles and Academic Integrity. Also includes a link to the Harvard Referencing Guide UniSA (pdf).
- Referencing forum
Discuss referencing, exchange advice and post questions and answers about referencing (facilitated by Student Engagement Unit).
Referencing software (EndNote)
What do you do with all those references you have found?
Use a bibliographic management software to store, organise and cite your references. The Library supports the bibliographic management tool EndNote. There are also many free systems available.
Watch Managing Your References to decide which tool is best for you to get started.