Business & Economics Research Guide: Industry Research
NAICS & SIC Tutorial
IBISWorld Tutorial
How to Locate Int'l Industry Reports
This short video (3 mins.) will show you how to locate international business reports in Business Source Complete.
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Industry Classification Codes
What are industry classification codes? They are codes created by the US government used to collect industry-wide statistics. Many reference sources use them as a way to organize industry and company information. NAICS replaced SIC in 1997, but some sources use both, some still use SIC only
North American Industry Classification (NAICS)
Created by the Census Bureau in 1997, NAICS replaced the SIC. Each industry is assigned a unique number is a code used to identify and describe North American (US, Canada, and Mexico) industries. It is hierarchical and classifies each industry by broad group and then subdivides each into smaller, more specific classifications.
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
SIC system hasn't been updated since 1997, but you can still search the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) SIC search engine. SIC used to describe the structure of American industries. A hierarchical system, industries are organized into broad industry groups and then subdivided into smaller groups. Each industry carries a unique four-digit classification code ranging from 0100 to 9999. The SIC was replaced in 1997 with the North American Industrial Classification System but many sources still use the SIC. You can still search the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration (OSHA) for
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.
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IBISWorld Covers 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.
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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.
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Value Line Investment Survey Includes analyst opinions on 1,700 publicly-traded companies and full industry reports. Use Value Line to find info about the competitors in your industry.
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Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries Online [Gale] Covers smaller, newer industries. Some information may be dated. Searchable by keyword or SIC classification.
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Encyclopedia of American Industries Online [Gale] Provides industry information on more common American industries. Searchable by keyword or SIC classification.
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Mergent Online You can search for public and private companies by SIC or NAICS code.
International Industry Information
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Business Source Complete [EBSCO] Business Source Complete contains different types of international industry profiles and reports: Industry Profiles; Global Trade Perspectives; and Market Data at a Glance.
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