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Business Research Guide

Industry Information 

Doing an industry analysis? You're in the right place! Use the resources below as a starting point. There is so much information out there, but it can be tricky to sift through! Feel free to schedule an appointment with your business librarian by clicking "Contact the Library" on the lefthand menu if you get stuck!

Industry Profiles

Prepackaged industry profiles give an overview of your industry. They provide market value, market forecasts, and sometimes even a Five Forces Analysis or SWOT analysis of leading companies. This is also a good way to find competitors within your industry. 

Industry Profiles in Business Source Complete

To find an industry profile in Business Source Premier: 

  1. Click the database link above or access BSP through the A-Z Databases page
  2. Click Industry Profiles below the search bar
    • Screenshot of business source premier search bar
  3. In the search bar, type your industry (or browse through the listing). Click on your industry (usually followed by "United States")
    •  Screenshot of results in Business Source Premier
  4. Choose the year (typically the most recent) for the industry report you want. 
  5. Once you arrive at the report click "PDF Full Text" to view the full report. 

If you have any trouble locating a profile for your industry, please use the "Contact Us" link in the top navigation menu on this page and we're happy to help find one!

NAICS Codes  

North American Industry Codes are the official system for classifying industries in the U.S. Knowing the NAICS code for your business or industry is a great tool as you research. Once you know your industry code, you can search resources like Business Source Premier, U.S. Department of Labor, and even Google based on this code. 

Using NAICS Codes in Business Source Premier

To lookup industry information using NAICS codes in Business Source Premier, follow these steps: 

1) Click the database link above or access BSP through the A-Z Databases page.

2) Click "Advanced Search" under the search bar

business source premier search bar

3) Scroll down to the section that says "Special limiters for Business Source Premier"

4) Enter your NAICS code in the box (you can hit "search" at this point or do #5) 

5) We also recommend limiting the document type that you want. In this example, I selected "Industry Overview" and "Industry Reports" only. If you don't check anything, the search will return all documents types. 

Special Limiters for Business Source Premier

6) Hit "search" to see results for your industry

Industry Trends & News

Your research will depend on your specific industry, but here are some good places to start to find the latest industry updates. 

Cartoon shield with two swords

Professional Associations

Professional organizations and associations often track industry trends and news. Some information may require membership, but a lot of information is usually still available for free. Consider to subscribing to the organization newsletter to get regular updates by email. 

  • To find an association in your industry: Google "[your industry] + association" (For example: Bison Farming Association).

 

Cartoon newspaper

Trade Journals

Trade journals publish articles written by experts in a particular industry. They often include emerging industry trends and players. There is typically an editorial board to vet the information and make sure it is up to date. Be aware: Some issues may be free online, but if you need an article that is not available for free - let the library know - we can order it through interlibrary loan for free. 

To find a trade journal on your industry: Google "[your industry] + trade journal" or "magazine"

Some common examples of Trade Journals include: 

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