Research Guides: Company, Industry, Country Research: Industry Research

Industry Research Overview

Read reports in industry background databases such as IBISWorld.
Use article databases such as ProQuest ABI/Inform and Nexis Uni to find articles about the industry.
Use Google and other search engines to identify industry associations and other industry-related organizations.
Research the major individual companies that make up the industry.

Industry Research

Library Databases

ABI/INFORM Collection This link opens in a new window
From the top green banner, select: Browse. Under Industry and Market Research, select: First Research. Find your industry from alphabetical the list of industries provided.

Includes: ABI/INFORM Global, ABI/INFORM Trade and Industry, and ABI/INFORM Dateline.
Business Market Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Under Advanced Search, type in your industry, select Industry Report under Document Type.
IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Provides U.S. and global industry reports.
Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Retrieve a list of companies for your industry. Search by industry NAICS or SIC code.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Under the Menu drop down list, select Company Dossier. Type in your company and select your company. Then click on Industry Knowledge.

This is the database formerly called, Lexis Nexis Academic Universe.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Enter your search term or use the navigation bar to locate the desired industry or market. Then, the main screen shows the search results. The left-hand menu gives you choices to refine your search. The results (such as statistics, infographics, dossiers, etc.) are downloadable.

Web Resources

Annual Survey of Manufacturers (ASM)
The ASM provides the best current measure of U.S. manufacturing industry outputs, inputs, and operating status.
Business & Industry
Business, industry, and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
GlobalEdge
The Insights by Industry section includes overviews of a number of industries that link to related online resources, such as industry associations, top companies in each industry, and statistical data.
Industries at a Glance
Find a ‘snapshot’ of national industry data obtained from different Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys and programs.
Industry Trade Administration
Utilize the Data & analysis pull-down to access global industry reports and statistics.
Tradeworlds
U.S. Business Reporter

SIC and NAICS codes can be useful tools when doing research on an industry or looking into a company's competitors.They are American standard codes and they essentially classify the industry areas in which companies operate.

NAICS Example:

44 - Retail

448 - Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores

4481 - Clothing Stores

448140 - Family Clothing Stores

Web Resources

Library Databases

ABI/INFORM Collection This link opens in a new window
Under Advance Search, click on Look Up NAICS Code. Then type in your industry or browse by NAICS code.

Includes: ABI/INFORM Global, ABI/INFORM Trade and Industry, and ABI/INFORM Dateline.
IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Type in your industry to find the NAICS code for your industry. Or, under Industry Research, click on US Industry Reports (NAICS) and browse for your industry.
Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
In the Classification Search box, select either Primary SIC, Primary NAICS, or MIC and click on Use Lookup Code to browse by code.

Business resources identify industry competitors in different ways:

Top companies by sales/revenue
Major players by market share
Companies by industry code (NAICS, SIC)

These resources can help you find companies within an industry.

Library Databases

Business Market Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Under Advanced Search, type in your company and limit your search by Document Type to Company Profile. Within the company's profile, look for Competitor's List/Landscape.
Business Source Premier - Business search interface This link opens in a new window
Under Advanced Search, type in your company and limit by Document Type to Company Profile. Within the company profile, look for Top Competitors.

This is the business search interface for this resource.
IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Search for your industry, then within the industry's report, look for Competitive Landscape.
Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Type in your company. Click on your company, then click the Competitors tab showing list of companies, revenues, net income, assets, liabilities, PE ratio.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Choose Business from the menu (at the top of the page) and use the Company Dossier to "Create a company list."

This is the database formerly called, Lexis Nexis Academic Universe.

Monitor the industry

monitor current industry developments
identify industry trends
analyze the competition
locate statistical data and industry forecasts
examine the political, legal, technological and environmental issues that affect industry operations

Library Databases

ABI/INFORM Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides abstracts and full text of scholarly, trade, and professional business publications. Covers both US and international titles.

Includes: ABI/INFORM Global, ABI/INFORM Trade and Industry, and ABI/INFORM Dateline.
Business Source Premier - EBSCO search interface This link opens in a new window
Provides comprehensive access to trade,news, professional, and scholarly material from over 1100 titles.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Full-text database of thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, news wires, legal, and government sources. Dates of coverage and updates vary from title to title. Includes company and country profiles.

This is the database formerly called, Lexis Nexis Academic Universe.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Wall Street Journal This link opens in a new window
Full-text of the Wall Street Journal from 1889-1995.
Regional Business News This link opens in a new window
Local business news.
Wall Street Journal, Eastern Edition This link opens in a new window
Full text of the Wall Street Journal, Eastern Edition.

Industry News

Automotive

Airlines / Aviation

Aerospace / Defense

Banking and Financial Services

Biotechnology

Entertainment

Food / Beverage

Gambling / Casino

Healthcare

Mobile Communication

Oil / Energy

Real Estate

Industries are dependent on the economy at large. Governments collect a wealth of business and financial information at the national, international, and individual level. Many are available at the summary and micro-level segments. Of particular interest may be national census, banking, business, and consumer income and expenditure data collections.

Web Resources

Bureau of Economic Analysis - Industry Economic Accounts
In order to measure the importance of various industries to the U.S. economy, the Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes annual GDP data by industry and input-output (I-O)accounts that show how industries interact.
Economic Census
The economic census provides a detailed portrait of the United States' economy once every five years, from the national to the local level.
Federal Reserve District Banks Publications
National Bureau of Economic Research
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by Industry
Data on employment, productivity and wages by industry from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Start with the profiles found in the Industry at a Glance reports.
U.S. Census: Business and Economy
Statistics Portal to U.S. Census Bureau business and economic data including the Economic Census and tables detailing workforce dynamics, expenses and expenditures, inventories, sales, shipments and more.
U.S. Economy in a Snapshot
World Economic Outlook

Trademap
Trade statistics for international business development.
UN Comtrade

Know about a country's economic status, social climate, or technological capabilities.

BBC Country Profiles
Full profiles provide an instant guide to history, politics and economic background of countries and territories, and background on key institutions.
Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook
Country Commercial Guides - International Trade Administration
Market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business customs for more than 70 major markets.
GlobalEdge
For each country of the world, provides: history, government, economy, statistics, trade statistics, culture, risk, corporations, indices, resources, and US trade resources. Special tools include: Country Comparator, Country Rankings
U.S. State Department
This US State Department publication provides information on geographic entities and international organizations and is updated periodically.
World Economic Forum
Rankings and regional/country reviews with numerous tables and charts. Most recent years available online.

Company, Industry, Country Research

Industry Research Overview

Read reports in industry background databases such as IBISWorld.

Use article databases such as ProQuest ABI/Inform and Nexis Uni to find articles about the industry.

Use Google and other search engines to identify industry associations and other industry-related organizations.

Research the major individual companies that make up the industry.

Industry Research

Library Databases

Web Resources

SIC and NAICS codes can be useful tools when doing research on an industry or looking into a company's competitors.They are American standard codes and they essentially classify the industry areas in which companies operate.

NAICS Example:

44 - Retail

448 - Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores

4481 - Clothing Stores

448140 - Family Clothing Stores

Web Resources

Library Databases

Business resources identify industry competitors in different ways:

Top companies by sales/revenue

Major players by market share

Companies by industry code (NAICS, SIC)

These resources can help you find companies within an industry.

Library Databases

Monitor the industry

monitor current industry developments

identify industry trends

analyze the competition

locate statistical data and industry forecasts

examine the political, legal, technological and environmental issues that affect industry operations

Library Databases

Industry News

Automotive

Airlines / Aviation

Aerospace / Defense

Banking and Financial Services

Biotechnology

Entertainment

Food / Beverage

Gambling / Casino

Healthcare

Mobile Communication

Oil / Energy

Real Estate

Web Resources

Know about a country's economic status, social climate, or technological capabilities.