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Syracuse University Libraries

Business Information Guide

Starting point for business and entrepreneurship research resources. Includes industry research, company research, market research, business case studies, and more.

Industry Research Tips

Recommendations for Industry Research

 

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 and IBISWorld are databases that are especially useful for locating industry associations. See Finding Industry Associations for more information.

 

Browse industry reports:

The Libraries have several databases that provide overviews and in-depth industry information, such as IBISWorld, Business Insights: Essentials, and the First Research module in Mergent Intellect.

 

Read industry articles and publications:

Discover industry articles and publications via your feed reader, industry associations, and by using searching with keywords or NAICS codes in business article databases, such as Business Source Elite and ABI/Inform. Visit 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 recommendations may be applied, refer to the Industry Research Video Tutorials.

Identifying Industry Classification Codes

With industry classification codes, you can find business statistics, compare companies within the same industry, and locate industry reports and articles.

Quick research tip: If you are having trouble determining the appropriate NAICS or SIC codes, try searching for a few companies within your industry of interest in a company database. Note 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.

Recommended Databases for Industry Research

Top Three Database Recommendations for Industry Research

Additional Recommended Databases for Industry Research

Census Resources

Here are a few U.S. Census links that may help you when researching an industry.

Industry Research Video Tutorials

Industry Research Videos

The following two industry video tutorials (which complement the Nuts and Bolts of Great Business Plans page of the Business Information Guide) are part of a series of four video tutorials developed by Business, Management and Entrepreneurship Librarian Stephanie JH McReynolds to support EEE 457 students as they develop their Capstone business plans. Although developed with EEE 457 students in mind, anyone who is interested in learning more about industry research resources offered by Syracuse University Libraries is welcome to view. If something interests you, please check it out. For instance, maybe you already know a lot about IBISWorld, but have never considered exploring the "First Research" industry research module in Mergent Intellect.

Video Chapters for Industry Research Part 1: Identifying Industry Codes:

  1. Introduction: Introduction and short description of North American Industry Classification (NAICS) codes. (38 seconds)
  2. Searching for Codes in NAICS: Tips for searching for NAICS codes in the North American Industry Classification System (6 minutes 42 seconds)
  3. Browsing for Codes in NAICS Reference Files: Overview of how NAICS Reference Files can be browsed to identify relevant codes that might otherwise be overlooked. (1 minute 17 seconds)
  4. Using Company Databases to Find NAICS Codes: Overview of how company databases can be used to find NAICS codes. (50 seconds)
  5. Searching ReferenceUSA for NAICS Codes: How to search in the company database ReferenceUSA to find NAICS codes. (5 minutes 19 seconds)

Video Chapters for Industry Research Part 2: Discovering Industry Research Reports and Data:

  1. Introduction: Intro and overview of NAICS codes (already identified) to use when searching in industry databases. (2 minutes 7 seconds)
  2. IBISWorld for Industry Research: How to find industry reports in IBISWorld using NAICS codes and keywords searches. (5 minutes)
  3. Business Insights: Essentials for Industry Research: How to find industry reports, industry associations, market share reports, and rankings in Business Insights Essentials using NAICS codes. (4 minutes 17 seconds)
  4. Mergent Intellect for Industry Research: How to find industry reports using NAICS codes and keyword searches in the "First Research" module of Mergent Intellect (2 minutes 54 seconds)
  5. Plunkett Research Online for Industry Research: NOTE: Syracuse University Libraries no longer provides access to Plunkett. How to find industry reports, market reports, and industry associations using NAICS codes and keyword searches in Plunkett Research Online. (2 minutes 16 seconds)
  6. Bizminer for Industry Research: How to find industry reports and ratios using NAICS codes and keyword searches in Bizminer. (2 minutes 32 seconds)
  7. Business Source Elite for Industry Articles: How to find articles relevant to an industry by using NAICS code searches and keyword searches in the business article database Business Source Elite. (5 minutes 51 seconds)
  8. Citing Business Resources in APA Style: Shows an example of how to find citation feature in article databases and demonstrates how to find recommended guide for citing other business resources in APA style. (1 minute 33 seconds)
  9. Finding Additional Data: Recommendations of resources for finding additional data, including Explore Census Data. (1 minute 42 seconds)

Finding 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 and IBISWorld are databases that are especially useful for locating industry associations:

Industry Associations in IBISWorld

Industry associations may be found in the "Additional Resources" and "Assistance" sections of industry reports in IBISWorld.

Industry Associations in Business Insights

Search Across All Association Directories

To search across all industry association directories and editions in Business Insights, follow these instructions:

  1. Enter a keyword in Business Insights that is relevant for your industry, such as energy. (Please note that NAICS code searches will not work when searching for association directories.)
  2. Then click on "Associations," under "Showing Results For."
  3. Under "Filter Your Results," you will have the option to select a certain "Publication Title," such as "Encyclopedia of Associations: Regional, State and Local Organizations" and/or "Publication Date."
  4. Please note that other directory-specific limiters, such as "Country/Territory" and "State" are only available with a "Publication Search," as described below.

Search Within the Current Edition of a Specific Association Directory

To search within the current edition of a specific industry association directory in Business Insights, follow these instructions:

  1. Go to "Browse" and then select "Publications" from the dropdown menu.
  2. In the "Publication Search" box enter the keyword associations and click "Search."
  3. Multiple editions of the following three industry association directories will be listed:
    • Encyclopedia of Associations: International Organizations
    • Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S.
    • Encyclopedia of Associations: Regional, State and Local Organizations
  4. In that list, click on each publication title to find the publication year in the publication description on the "About This Publication" page so you may select the most recently published editions of the three publications.
  5. On the "About This Publication" page for one of the directories, click on the publication title, such as "Encyclopedia of Associations: Regional, State and Local Organizations," which will bring you to a list and number of associations, such as "Associations (34,226)."
  6. Under "Filter Your Results" click on "Search Within" and then enter a term that may be relevant for the industry you are interested in, such as energy. (Please note that NAICS code searches will not work when searching within the association directories.)
  7. You may also use the limiters for "Country/Territory" and/or "State" under "Filter Your Results."

Additional Resources (in print)