Skip to Main Content

Course & Subject Guides

Passport (Global Market Information Database) Guide

This guide will help introduce users to Passport, demonstrating how to find various types of information.

Specific Search Strategies

These example searches will show you how to find data for specific class assignments. Find your class in the above tabs.

Before you begin:

Review the videos found in the How-To section of this guide (use the tab to the left). These videos will help you navigate Passport and understand the screen layout.

Task: Compare literacy rates and government spending on defense in two countries.

Step 1: Begin Your Search

Start on the Passport homepage.

In the Search Full Tree box (keep Categories and Topics in the drop-down menu), click Go.

Step 2: Choose Your Category or Topic

Use the Plus Icon plus icon to expand the categories listed below.

To find literacy rates:

Economic and Consumer Topics > Business Dynamics > Education and Skills > Adult Literacy Rate

To find government spending on defense:

Economic and Consumer Topics > Economy, Finance and Trade > Government Finance > Government Expenditure > Government Expenditure by Function > Government Spending on Defense

Step 3: Select Geography

Press Next, or select the Geographies tab.

To select first country/geography

Eastern Europe > Russia

To select second country/geography

Asia Pacific > China

Press Search.

Options to manipulate the data are found in boxes to the left of the data tables. They include options to conver data (by currency conversions, growth) and by time series.
Step 4: Accessing the Data

Under Popular Statistics, select the first result.

Options to manipulate data, you can:
  • View years under Change Time Series.
  • Convert to a single currency under Convert Data to easily compare data from multiple countries and standardize your analysis.

Explore more options using the boxes on the left hand side of the data tables (see image --->).

For more information on manipulating the data, head to the Use and Manipulate Data page.

You can search by keyword in the search box labeled type a specific category or topic.

Tip: Once you are searching the Full Tree, you can perform a keyword search in the Type a specific category or topic to filter the available items box to help you identify your topic.