Identify relevant industry classification codes. With industry classification codes, such as NAICS codes, you can locate industry reports and articles. See the Identifying Industry Classification Codes box for industry code sources.
Find industry associations. Industry associations often gather industry statistics and data, create industry reports, and publish industry news and articles. This valuable industry information is sometimes made available to non-members either on the association's website or via the Libraries' research databases. Business Insights: Essentials, IBISWorld, and Plunkett are databases that are especially useful for locating industry associations.
Browse industry reports. The Libraries have several databases that provide overviews and in-depth industry information, such as IBISWorld and Business Insights: Essentials.
Read industry articles and publications. Discover industry articles and publications via your feed reader, industry associations, and by using the advanced search of business article databases, such as Business Source Elite and ABI/Inform, to search by NAICS code. See the Articles and News tab of the Business Information Guide for tips on article databases and feed readers.
For a demonstration of how some of these tips may be applied, refer to the Industry Research Video Tutorials.
With industry classification codes, you can find business statistics, compare companies within the same industry, and locate industry reports and articles.
Research Tip: If you are having trouble determining the appropriate NAICS or SIC codes, try looking up a few companies within your industry of interest in a company database, such as Business Insights: Essentials. Take a look at the industry codes associated with those companies and then go back to the industry classification system to review the official industry code definitions in order to determine which codes may be most appropriate for your research.
Top Three Database Recommendations for Industry Research:
Additional recommended databases for industry research:
Here are a few U.S. Census links that may help you when researching an industry.