Industry Research: Where to Start
Industry research, like company research, includes looking at different aspects of an industry: major companies, market trends, market share, ratios, finances. We have several resources that will help you get an overview, but you will need to use multiple sources to get a full view of an industry.
Many of the resources used for company research are used for industry research. Industry and company research go hand in hand--you can rarely do one without the other.
- IBISWorldCovers more than 700 US industries. Each report includes key statistics, market segmentation, market characterization, industry conditions, key factors, competitors, and industry performance and outlook. Reports are up-to-date and include a recession update that analyzes how the current economic recession has affected the industry. IBISWorld is searchable by company name, industry keyword, or NAICS code.
- Business Source Complete [EBSCO]Industry information can be found in trade journals, industry reports, company reports, and country reports (among other things). Company profiles cover both private and public companies located in both the US and abroad. Industry profiles cover both US and international industries and include segmentation, competitors, and industry outlook. Smaller and emerging industries are often covered in trade journals.
- Current Industrial Reports (US Census Bureau) Provides monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity. Includes data on the production and shipments of selected products, organized by industry. The data are used to for economic policy and market analysis, forecasting, and decision-making in the private sector. The CIR's contain data only--no narrative or analysis.
- Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries Online [Gale]Covers smaller, newer industries. Some information may be dated. Searchable by keyword or SIC classification.
- Encyclopedia of American Industries Online [Gale]Provides industry information on more common American industries. Searchable by keyword or SIC classification.
- Mergent OnlineYou can search for public and private companies by SIC or NAICS code.
- Retail Sales (US Census Bureau) Concentrates on retail, but it does give an idea on what sectors people are spending money on. This give info on consumer behavior towards an industry.
How to Locate U.S. Industry Reports
Locating industry reports in Business Source Complete and IBISWorld.
Short videos (3 mins.) will open in a separate window.
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Spending Habits
- Who's Buying series (New Strategist Publishers) Who's Buying series from New Strategist looks at purchasing based on industry or product type. These titles are good for historic trends.
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Citation Guides, Writing & Tech Help
- APA 7th Edition Citation for Business Sources Alphabetized list of citations for business resources in APA style (7th edition).