The use of tools for obtaining data from publicly accessible sources for the purpose of competitive intelligence in enterprises

english

2021

volume 23, issue 4

competitive intelligence   Open Source Intelligence   public sources   systematic literature review   tools

Univerza v Mariboru, Fakulteta za varnostne vede
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Purpose: Article seeks to determine the state of affairs of research in using tools to obtain data from public sources for competitive intelligence activities. The author wishes to offer an overview of what already exists and shed light on areas that merit further research efforts. Design/Methods/Approach: A systematic literature review was made using the PRISMA method in the Scopus and IEEE Xplore databases. The review included 23 articles published between 2011 and 2021. Findings: Over the past decade, the practice of obtaining data from publicly accessible sources has developed extremely rapidly, and this can be attributed mainly to the rapid advances in technology, the digitalisation the operations of organisations, and to the immeasurable quantities of data that appear every day on the internet. New fields are emerging in obtaining data from publicly accessible sources, and more effective tools are being developed to automate processes. Existing studies highlight the importance of competitive intelligence activities by means of obtaining data from publicly accessible sources for organisations. At the same time, they identify a lack of trained personnel and adequate software systems for optimal business use. Practical Implications: The findings of this article offer an insight into research of competitive intelligence activities and highlights the research gaps and formulates starting points for future research. Originality/Value: The article is the first systematic literature review in obtaining data from publicly accessible sources for the purpose of competitive intelligence activities to support better decision-making in business environments.

13.06.2022