Business Research Librarian
Industry Profiles
It is important to understand the industry within which a company is operating. Different industries have different threats and opportunities to consider: Pending legislation? High barriers to entry? Major competitors and market concentration? These issues can be addressed with industry research.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new windowAnalyst reports on over 700 U.S. industries providing current trends, statistics, competitors, and a 5-year outlook.
- First Research Industry Reports from ProQuestFirst Research industry reports are great prep for job interviews. Find out about 400 U.S. industries; reports include critical issues, opportunities,
executive insight, call prep questions and industry statistics.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowFind U.S and international industry profiles (example: Wine Industry Profile: Italy).
- Sports Market Analytics (formerly SBRnet) This link opens in a new windowInformation on the sporting goods and sports marketing industry. Demographics and financial reports.
- ABI/Inform Collection This link opens in a new windowPlunkett Analytics Reports offer comprehensive industry reports on over 300 industries. Search for Plunkett Analytics Reports and industry name or NAICS industry code.
Financial Ratios By Industry
- RMA Annual Statement Studies via IBISWorldFinancial Ratio Benchmarks from annual reports - locate under Key Statistics.
Financial Ratios By Company
- Morningstar Investing Center (formerly Morningstar Investment Research Center) This link opens in a new windowIndependent investment analysis of stocks and mutual funds.
Trade Associations
Trade associations, or industry trade groups, frequently offer valuable information, including industry profiles, analysis, statistics and consumer demographics, as free content. Try locating locating one of these trade associations by searching the Internet for "association" and the name of your industry or product group. Remember to consider other possible keywords. For instance, if your industry is "soft drinks," you might try using the word "beverage" to find the American Beverage Association.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new windowLocate the industry of interest. Find a list of industry associations under Additional Resources.
Industry Classification
The United States currently utilizes NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) as a numberial coding system to classify industries. Prior to 1987, the coding system was the SIC System (Standard Industrial Classficiation).
If you are unable to find or determine the correct primary or secondary industry code for a company, use either Mergent Online or Data Axle to determine the code by searching for your company name or a company in the same industry.
Porter's Five Forces
Using IBISWorld to find Porter's Five Forces:
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new windowComprehensive, and up-to-date research on over 700 industries, including statistics, analysis, and forecasts. 1999 - present