Industry Research

This research guide gives places to start for industry research.

• Industry Overviews, trends, and analysis - lists databases that provide industry profiles, trends, and analysis.
• Find Companies by Industry - databases that allow you to build lists of companies that operate in certain industries.
• Articles - find news coverage as well as has where to find trade publications for particular industries.
• Statistics - library databases and government resources that collect industry data.
• Financial Ratios - has databases and video guides to show how to find industry ratios
• Associations & Organizations - provides resources for finding trade associations

If you want to research companies, go to the Company Research Guide.

For more help, contact the business librarian.

Industry codes are numbers used to describe a company's line of business. You'll see the option to search by industry codes in many business databases, as well as U.S. Economic Census. The current standard for industry codes is the 6-digit North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) code. 

NAICS Codes Lookup

If you are researching an emerging industry or a very specialized industry it may be more difficult to locate industry overviews and other industry analysis. Some strategies you can consider using to find information:

• Look for articles in popular and trade journals (magazines and newspapers) that discuss this industry
• Consider what other industries are related to your industry. Are there industries that have a similar target market or supply chain?
• Consider researching the industries of your suppliers and your customers (if your customer is a business).
• Use frameworks such as Porter's Five Forces or PEST Analysis to guide you in researching your industry.

Please don't hesitate to contact your business librarian if you need assistance locating information.