Pacific business
Key databases | Journals | Theses and dissertations | Business directories
Key databases
- ABI/INFORM
In-depth coverage of a large number of business journals, magazines and newspapers. - Asia-Studies Full-Text Online
Reports published by APEC and leading research institutes. - Australia & New Zealand Newsstream
A selection of full-text newspapers and newswires from Australia and New Zealand covering regional and international topics. - Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre
Academic journals, magazines, newspapers, newswires, reference books and company information from Australian, New Zealand and selected overseas magazines. - Business Source Premier
An extensive business research database offering information in nearly every area of business including management, economics, finance, accounting and international business using both scholarly and popular sources. - Factiva
Global news, business news, company news and industry information content. - Informit
A multidisciplinary suite of New Zealand and Australian full-text databases from which single or multiple databases can be searched. - International Financial Statistics (IFS)
From the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and containing time series of financial and macroeconomic data for over 200 countries and areas. - Newztext Plus
Full text of some of New Zealand's news and business publications. - PINI
Pacific Islands publications, including newspapers and reports. - Project Muse
Full-text books and scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences.
Journals
- Development bulletin
From the Australian Development Studies Network. - Pacific Islands monthly
Indexed in the Index New Zealand: INNZ database. Also indexed in Trove. - Finding New Zealand business magazines and newspapers
Library guide for New Zealand journals. - Asia Pacific business review
- Asian-Pacific law and policy journal
Online journal dedicated to issues facing Asia and the Pacific Rim maintained by the School of Law at the University of Hawaii. - Business pasifika: a monthly look at business in the Pacific community
- The Contemporary Pacific
An interdisciplinary publication on Pacific studies and contemporary issues in the Pacific region. - Graduate Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies
A peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal with graduate student contributors from the University of Auckland's Faculty of Arts. - He Puna Kōrero: Journal of Maori and Pacific development
From the School of Maori and Pacific Development, University of Waikato. - Islands business
Online full text issues from May 2005 in PINI database. Print copies start from 1978 and can be found under the following titles: - Journal of Asia-Pacific business
Contains mainly Western Pacific Asian research. - Journal of the Asia Pacific economy (JAPE)
- NZ Pacific Navigator
From the Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission, ceased in July 2010. - Pacific Economic Review
Covers all areas of economics, particularly analysis of economic issues, in the Asia Pacific area.
Theses and dissertations
- Theses and dissertations
Search for University of Auckland theses, and for theses and dissertations from universities throughout New Zealand and the world. - Bibliographic index of Pacific theses in New Zealand universities
Provides a list of theses to 2009.
Business directories
- Universal business directory Asia-Pacific (1987-1996)
Universal business directory for Pacific Islands (1956-1986)
Historic directories held in storage and available on request. - Katalyst Business
International business directory containing information on a company's executives, brief financials, branches, localities, a list of products and services, and trade and brand names. - Papua New Guinea business information and street directory
- Fiji
- Kingdom of Tonga
- New Caledonia
- Niue
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Vanuatu
Economic overviews | Country information | Market intelligence | Trade and investment
Economic overviews
- Business Source Premier
Contains Pacific Islands country reports from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in London, examining and explaining the issues shaping countries: the political scene, economic policy, domestic economy, sectoral trends, and foreign trade and payments. - EIU Viewswire
Part of ABI/Inform, provides brief overviews for countries. General topics covered include business, economy, politics, finance, regulations and risk wire. - Factiva
Contains company profiles and news articles from the Asia Pacific region. Tip: change the search interface from the default Free Text Search to Search Form to build searches and limit to the Pacific Islands region if desired.
Country information
- CIA World Factbook
Current basic information on social, economic and political indicators. - The Pacific
From the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), includes Pacific Islands country factsheets and country profiles. - Country Information topic guide
Developed by the Business Librarians, this resource provides an extensive range of sources for country information.
Market intelligence
- Passport
Provides basic details about the geography, political situation and current business trends in each country. Tip: select the option Countries & Consumers in the Find Analysis box on the landing page. - Business Monitor International
Use a keyword search for Pacific Islands or individual countries.
Trade and investment
General
- Trade and Investment
From the Australian Government's DFAT, includes information on foreign affairs and trade relationships with Pacific Island nations. - Pacific Islands Trade and Invest
Part of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, this agency aims to develop and promote industry and business in 14 Pacific Island countries, focusing on export facilitation, investment and tourism promotion. - Globalisation, trade and investment subject guide
Provides information on trading agreements and blocs, and includes a section on Asia Pacific.
Development banks and finance ministries
Development banks of each Pacific Island country contain substantial trade and investment information.
Ministries of Finance are also primary sources of business and economic information on Pacific Island countries (e.g., Western Samoa).
Cook Islands
Fiji
Samoa
- Government of Samoa
- Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour
- Ministry of Finance
- A guide to investment
Western Samoa. Department of Trade, Commerce and Industry (1997). - Samoa investment treasure islands
Western Samoa. Department of Trade, Commerce and Industry (2000-01). - Western Samoa: a nation in transition
Hong Kong: Asiamoney (1995).
Solomon Islands
- Invest in Solomon Islands
Foreign Investment Division, Department of Commerce, Trade and Industries.
Tonga
Vanuatu
- Invest in Vanuatu
Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority.
Search tips | Company reports and profiles | Setting up a business in the Pacific | Financial information | Investment | Ownership | Taxation | Pacific law
Search tips
- Company information can be sourced from a variety of places so you may need to look at a number of resources.
- Confidentiality or commercial sensitivity are the most likely reasons for some information being unavailable.
- For small and most unlisted companies in the Pacific Islands information is very limited, particularly financial information.
- Also check databases which index journals and newspapers, such as Factiva, ABI Inform or Business Source Premier.
You can often piece together information about a company by analysing information from journal and newspaper articles. - Try a Google search.
Company reports and company profiles
- Mergent
Includes annual reports in PDF from 1990 onwards. Also provides company synopsis, history, joint ventures, subsidiaries, long term debt, executives, and news. - Business Source Premier
Visit Company Profiles to view a list of company names listed alphabetically, with complete reports available in PDF.
Setting up a business in the Pacific
- Doing Business from the World Bank contains useful guides including Starting a business in Samoa and in Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, and the Solomon Islands. Information includes registration and set up time needed to establish a company in a Pacific Island economy. The Law Library section covers legislative requirements. A current list of contact people and organisations is available with each guide.
- Pacific Island Trade & Invest, an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, develops, grows and promotes industry and business in all 14 Pacific Island countries in export, investment, tourism and creative arts across international markets.
Financial information
- Datastream
Listed companies in the Pacific region back to 1973.
Investment
- South Pacific Stock Exchange (SPSE)
Currently the only licensed securities exchange in the Fiji Islands. Includes Stock Exchange Listing Rules and announcements.
Ownership
Taxation
- Paying taxes
Reports produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the World Bank, investigating and comparing tax regimes across 189 economies worldwide, including Pacific countries. Uses company case studies, and ranks them according to the ease of paying taxes.
Pacific law
- Ahmadu, M. L. & Hughes, R. A. (2006). Commercial law and practice in the South Pacific. London: Cavendish.
- Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PacLII)
Collection of statutes, judgments, and secondary legal materials from Pacific Islands countries. - Law of the Pacific Islands: A guide to web based resources
By Ruth Bird (2002). - Samoa Parliament
Contains Acts and legal documents. - Journal of South Pacific law
Send Money Pacific
Compares money transfer fees and rates, created through a joint Australian and New Zealand Government-led initiative.
Microfinance
Searching for information on microfinance? Try these keywords in the Catalogue:
- Economic assistance Oceania
- Microfinance Pacific
- Microfinance Oceania
Microfinance initiatives
Women in business
- South Pacific Business Development
A network of microfinance organizations working in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga dedicated to eradicating poverty by empowering women in poor rural villages with the opportunity to start, grow and maintain sustainable, income generating micro-enterprises. - Pacific Women in Business
Supported by the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) members of the 14 Forum Pacific Island countries. - Women in Business Development Incorporated (WIBDI)
Works in partnership with Oxfam. Includes reports on women's business activities in Pacific Island countries.
Education and training
- Pacific Archive of digital data for learning and education (PADDLE)
University of the South Pacific. - Pacific Business Trust coaching
- Pacific Entrepreneurship Literature Review
Prepared for the Research and Evaluation Unit (RIMU) of the Auckland Council by Dr Claire Gooder. - Pacific Perspectives
Pasifika learner success in workplace settings – thematic literature review. - Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL)
An independent, nonprofit serving the educational community in the United States-affiliated Pacific Islands, the continental United States, and countries throughout the world. - Chambers of Commerce around the world
Includes Pacific Island countries.
- World Development Indicators
Compiled by the World Bank, provides a listing of economic, social and employment related data for countries including Pacific Island nations. - Asian Development Bank
Includes the ADB's Statistical Database System Online. - ESCAP Statistical Database
Provides statistical information regarding development issues at a regional level. Produced by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). - Statistics for Development Division
Pacific Islands demographic, economic and social indicators data from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). - Samoan Bureau of Statistics
A one-stop statistics shop for publishing essential macroeconomic data, critical for monitoring economic conditions and policies.
New Zealand | Pacific | Universities
New Zealand
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manages New Zealand's bilateral and multilateral relationships in the South Pacific region. This includes political and economic relations, trade relations, defence and regional security, environment and fisheries management, and disaster relief assistance. Reports and guides like the Exporting fruit and vegetables to New Zealand: A guide for Pacific Island producers are part of this assistance. - New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE)
Includes Export opportunities in Australia Pacific. - New Zealand Pacific Business Council (NZPBC)
Articles and news available, however, some content is members only. - Pacific Business Trust
Annual report, community news and events. - Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
Promotes the development of Pacific peoples in New Zealand.
Pacific
- Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Contains economic and statistical information, and details of ongoing ADB development projects in the Pacific Islands. - Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Comprises 16 independent and self-governing states in the Pacific. The Forum is established by a treaty between its members as the region’s premier political and economic policy organisation. - Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
Works in partnership with its members, other organisations and donors to deliver priority work programmes to member countries and territories. - South Pacific Tourism Organisation
Information on Pacific tourist markets and investment. - Where we give aid - Australian Government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Links to overviews of aid programmes for individual Pacific Island countries, and to a general overview of Australia's pacific regional aid programme.
Universities
- School of Economics at the University of the South Pacific
Working papers, articles, and refereed publications. See the two-part report Economic Impact of Natural Disasters on Development in the Pacific: Research Report (Vol. 1) and Economic Assessment Tools (Vol. 2). - Center for Pacific Island Studies at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa
The University of Hawai'i's Shidler College of Business also hosts the Family Business Center and the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship. - Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP)
Part of the East-Wester Center in Hawaii, PIDP conducts activities to advance and enhance the social and economic development in the Pacific. Of particular note for Pacific business resarchers is:- Pacific islands report - routinely reports on political events, economic developments, and social issues in the Pacific.
- Pacific Islands report news and information links - a comprehensive list of Pacific media (news, journals, radio and tv) and useful organisations.
- Pasifika project
A series of Pasifika papers commissioned by the Chief Executives of the New Zealand Public Service and hosted by the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies at the Victoria University of Wellington. Topics include the Pacific Island economy in New Zealand, the economies of the islands themselves, trades, borders, and migration. - Centre for Maori and Pacific Development Research (CMPDR)
Part of the University of Waikato's Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao - School of Māori and Pacific Development. Includes the online journal He Puna Kōrero: Journal of Maori and Pacific Development. - College of Asia and the Pacific
Australian National University.
Search strategy | Where to search? | Building on your research
Search strategy
- Analyse your research question. Identify the important concepts within the topic.
- Choose keywords that describe the concepts and/or terms.
- Determine whether there are synonyms and related terms that should be included in your search.
- Search using various combinations of the keywords/concepts, synonyms and related terms.
Subject headings
These are standard terms for particular topics or subject matter you can use to search the Catalogue.
To locate items tagged with a subject heading:
- Try a keyword search and look at the Details of a relevant item. To view other items with similar subject matter, click on any terms listed as Subjects.
- If you know a specific subject heading for a topic, use an Advanced Search for the exact phrase in the subject field.
Subject headings relevant to Pacific business research:
- Oceania economic conditions
- Oceania commerce
- Pacific small business, Pacific entrepreneurship, Businessmen Oceania
- Pacific Islanders Commerce New Zealand
- Oceania Social Life and Customs
- Pacific Area
- Pacific Islanders New Zealand Social Life and Customs
- Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia
- Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea
Tips:
- Use Islands of the Pacific rather than Pacific Islands. Also try searching for Islands of the Pacific commerce.
- Use Oceania for an overview of the region, or try Oceania economic conditions.
Where to search?
- The Catalogue finds books, journal titles, theses, multimedia and images, journal, magazine and newspaper articles. For a more targeted search, try searching within subject databases.
- To find out whether an item is held elsewhere in New Zealand search Te Puna, the National Union Catalogue.
- For detailed information on searching see the Business Information Skills Online tutorial and access other tutorials and guides via Study skills.
Building on your research
Additional strategies you can use to build on information you already have. Start with a book or article that is relevant to your research topic:
- Look at the list of references to find further relevant research.
- Words used in the text of your book or article provide useful new terms to use when searching for more literature.
- Search the Library databases for more publications by a particular author.
- Search for citations to your original book or article. You can do citation searching on:
Some databases, such as Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar, also link to related articles.
Sage Research Methods offers information on getting started with your research including various methodologies which can be applied in Business and Economics studies.
APA
The Business School uses APA style for referencing.
Journal of the Polynesian Society referencing style
Support
- Referencing
Access a range of tools and support material to assist your referencing work.
Examples
- Quick©ite
Use this interactive tool to view examples of references.
Covers a range of styles used at the University of Auckland.
Last updated : 28 November 2022
