Best business + strategy research sources
The top business-strategy + economics-research sources on the SourceScore Index — Brookings, NBER, KFF, McKinsey, BCG, Gartner, and more.
- 1A·86
Oxford-affiliated research organization publishing data + visualizations on global problems; CC-licensed.
SourceScore A · 86Discipline 92Modern Reference 90Velocity 76 - 2A·85
Nonpartisan research organization; survey + demographic + media research since 2004.
SourceScore A · 85Discipline 92Modern Reference 86Velocity 78 - 3B·84
Nonprofit health policy + journalism org; primary-source health-policy data + KFF Health News.
SourceScore B · 84Discipline 90Modern Reference 86Velocity 78 - 4B·83
Nonprofit policy research org; defense + health + education research since 1948.
SourceScore B · 83Discipline 90Modern Reference 84Velocity 76 - 5B·83
U.S. policy research think tank; centrist credibility + public-policy research since 1916.
SourceScore B · 83Discipline 88Modern Reference 84Velocity 80 - 6B·82
U.S. foreign-policy think tank; publishes Foreign Affairs + research on international issues since 1921.
SourceScore B · 82Discipline 88Modern Reference 82Velocity 78 - 7B·78
BBC's research division publishing peer-reviewed-style technical papers + open-source projects.
SourceScore B · 78Discipline 84Modern Reference 82Velocity 70 - 8B·75
McKinsey & Company's research arm; widely cited in business press despite client-conflict caveats.
SourceScore B · 75Discipline 70Modern Reference 75Velocity 80 - 9B·73
Zillow's research arm publishing primary-source housing market data + research.
SourceScore B · 73Discipline 80Modern Reference 76Velocity 70 - 10B·73
Boston Consulting Group's publications; strategy-research authority since 1963.
SourceScore B · 73Discipline 70Modern Reference 73Velocity 75 - 11C·69
IT industry research firm since 1979; Magic Quadrant + Hype Cycle frameworks widely cited.
SourceScore C · 69Discipline 65Modern Reference 60Velocity 80 - 12C·64
Commercial market + consumer data aggregator; cites primary sources but often paywalled second-hand data.
SourceScore C · 64Discipline 70Modern Reference 56Velocity 65
The SourceScore Index combines all three sub-scores. You can also see this list sorted by just one of them, which can change the order and the source at the top.
Why these 12 sources
Business research has a credibility range from peer-reviewed academic (NBER) through think-tank (Brookings) to consulting-firm (McKinsey). The list below combines all those tiers, filtered by the SourceScore Index — the sources that pass the citation-quality bar regardless of their institutional type.
How this list is ranked
Selection criterion: Index score, filtered to Business + Research categories, descending. Every source on this page is hand-scored against the SourceScore methodology v0.1; tap any source to see its full breakdown across the three sub-scores and the overall Index. The list is regenerated automatically on every dataset update — no editorial promotion or reorder beyond the ranking signal above.
Frequently asked questions
Best business + strategy research sources?
By the SourceScore Index, the top 5: 1. Our World in Data (A 86/100); 2. Pew Research Center (A 85/100); 3. KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) (B 84/100); 4. RAND Corporation (B 83/100); 5. Brookings Institution (B 83/100). Each is hand-scored on Citation Discipline, Modern Reference, and Citation Velocity — full ranking + breakdowns below.
Which source tops this list, and why?
Our World in Data ranks #1, scoring A (86/100) on the SourceScore Index — the highest composite citation-quality score here. Oxford-affiliated research organization publishing data + visualizations on global problems; CC-licensed.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked by Index score, filtered to Business + Research categories, descending, scored against the SourceScore methodology v0.1 across Citation Discipline, Modern Reference (AI-era fitness), and Citation Velocity. Regenerated automatically on every dataset update — no paid placement or editorial promotion.