According to the Business Valuation Resources, "DealStats obtains transactions for the database via three tracks: (1) the BVR Contributor Network; (2) BVR personnel perform research at the Security and Exchange Commission's (SEC) website and collect details on acquisitions; and (3) BVR personnel perform research at the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) website and collect details on acquisitions. The BVR Contributor Network consists of business brokers, M&A advisors, and other business transaction specialists who have been involved in business transfers and who contribute details on their closed deals to DealStats.
The transactions DealStats receives from business brokers are typically private-company "Main Street" business transactions, and the private-company acquisitions collected from the SEC website, SEDAR website, or from M&A advisors are typically private-company merger and acquisitions (M&A) transactions. Many of the contributing business brokers are members of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and hold their Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) certification or are members of M&A Source and hold their Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI) certification. In every possible circumstance, BVR relies on audited financial information conforming to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). BVR personnel carefully review each transaction before it is included in DealStats.When a transaction is included in DealStats, information on the source is disclosed. If the deal was sourced from SEC filings or SEDAR filings, there will be information documenting which filings were used as well as a link to view the filings. If a business broker or M&A advisor contributed the deal, the transaction will list the contributor's name and firm and will provide a link to contact the contributor (unless the contributor asks that its information remain confidential)."