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Sources of Information for SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is a method that examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by a company, an idea or a situation. It is a strategic-planning tool that provides information--helpful in matching resources with capabilities--to address a given problem. According to "Successful Tourism Marketing: A Practical Handbook," SWOT analysis allows team leaders and managers to think strategically about a problem and its solution.

  1. Primary Sources

    • A primary source of information, or an original source, is closest to an idea, period or person being studied. It is the original source of information about a situation. A primary source includes first-hand observations, numerical data that analyzes relationships among events, people and the environment, and a report that details original ideas and findings. Primary sources of information are gathered through interviews, observations, questionnaires and surveys. They are also retrieved from an archive, which is a collection of written records. Archives hold information pertaining to geographic locations, organizing principles, material technologies and relationships between humans and non-humans. An example of a primary source in the arts discipline is an original artwork.

    Secondary Sources

    • A secondary source of information is one that is already in existence or has been produced by others. Any information that is retrieved by an individual or a firm that is not its own is considered a secondary source. These sources provide data on current economic trends, local competitors, financial forecasts and outlooks, changes (increases and decreases) in population and demographic information. Examples of secondary sources include local business reports, general business publications, reporting services, chamber of commerce publications, biographies, encyclopedias, bibliographies and review articles. An example of a secondary source in the arts discipline is an article that critiques a piece of art.

    Tertiary Sources

    • According to "Library and Information Science," tertiary sources combine information from primary and secondary sources. Examples of tertiary sources include chronologies, dictionaries, almanacs, guidebooks and some encyclopedias. Tertiary sources are often used to locate relevant primary and secondary sources. Information gathered from tertiary sources highlights strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing an organization or a situation. Tertiary sources include condensed, easy-to-read and reformatted secondary sources. An example of a tertiary source in the arts discipline is an art index.

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