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.
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 and IBISWorld are databases that are especially useful for locating industry associations.
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.
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.
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.
Here are a few U.S. Census links that may help you when researching an industry.
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.
IRS Corporate Financial Ratios
Encyclopedia of Global Industries