Industry Research: Best Bets
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new window Provides in-depth industry analysis for over 700 U.S. industries in all major U.S. industry sectors as well as global industry reports.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window Find industry profiles, research reports, and SWOT analyses from a wide range of scholarly and trade journals and magazines in the business disciplines.
Your Librarian
Getting Started with Industry Research
This page lists databases and reputable news sources for finding industry information. The section below includes UD's subscription resources and recommended sites on the open internet where you can locate:
- Industry Profiles
- Industry Financial Ratios
- Industry News & Journal Articles
- and more
Looking for detailed industry financials? Check out the Financial Information page.
Preparing for Your Search
Identify and clearly define the industry of interest. Many industries are made up of a blend of small and large companies, and some large companies operate in multiple industries. Begin by brainstorming keywords - and think about related terms. Databases may use different terms for the same or similar industry.
Look up industry designation codes. Many business databases can be searched by NAICS (rhymes with 'snakes') or SIC code. Searching with these codes can help narrow in on sources about a particular industry. To identify a NAICS code, search for an industry or company in one of these sources:
- NAICS Search: Search for an industry using a keyword or 2-6 digit code
- IBISWorld NAICS Code Lookup: Search for an industry using a keyword or 2-6 digit code
- SIC Manual: Browse or search for an industry using a keyword or code
- Reference Solutions: Locate the NAICS code for a company on its industry profile
- Ward's Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies: Locate the NAICS code for a company on its directory listing
What is a NAICS Code?
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal agencies in Canada, Mexico and the United States to classify businesses based on their type of economic activity. The system uses a hierarchical coding structure which becomes more specific with each additional digit.
Image Source: IBISWorld
- Sector: 2-digit code
- Subsector: 3-digit code
- Industry Group: 4-digit code
- Industry: 5-digit code
- National Industry: 6-digit code
NAICS codes are particularly useful for conducting business research, and several library resources can be searched by the code.
Databases and Sources of Information for Industry Research
Industry Profiles
Industry profiles contain overviews and analysis of a category of business. Some industry profiles will be very broad and some may be more specific. For best results, search with an industry classification code (NAICS or SIC) or industry keywords rather than a company's name.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from thousands of scholarly business journals, magazines, and trade journals from the fields of marketing, management, accounting, finance, and economics. Plus company and industry profiles, SWOT analyses, country economic reports, financial data, and investment reports.
- Entrepreneurial Studies Source This link opens in a new window
Entrepreneurial Studies Source covers the latest insights in entrepreneurship and small business ownership, It offers hundreds of full-text journals and books, plus more than 15,000 company profiles and videos.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new windowProvides in-depth industry analysis for over 700 U.S. industries in all major U.S. industry sectors. Global industry reports are particularly strong in the manufacturing sector. For best results, search with a NAICS code.
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Company data for U.S. and international public and private companies. Includes industry reports for North America, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Latin America by country and region; U.S. executive profiles; equity research reports; and more.
- Mintel Academic Access This link opens in a new window
Analyzes market drivers, sizes & trends, market segmentation, and consumer attitudes & purchasing habits for the US and European marketplaces. Use the Category dropdown menu to browse reports on industries in that category.
- SBRnet This link opens in a new window
Featuring the Sports Market Analytics Platform, this resource is a comprehensive platform of nationwide sports business analytics, using syndicated and custom proprietary research for professional and college sports, as well as sports participation and equipment sales information. Data is driven from consumer research, industry reports, and licensed industry articles.
- NetAdvantage This link opens in a new window
Provides a comprehensive, professional source of investment information and analysis on industries and companies. On the Industry Surveys page, select an industry form the dropdown menu.
- Statista This link opens in a new window
Providing statistical data for over 170 industries in 50 countries.
Industry Financial Ratios
Compare a company's financial ratios with the industry ratios and/or company ratios available in these databases. More sources of financial information and data are available on the Financial Information page.
- Bizminer This link opens in a new window
Startup and small business statistics, such as annual sales and market share, failure rates, & entrepreneurial activity rates. Reports available for states and local areas as well as the national level. Data includes access to 9000+ markets and more than 10 million companies.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Provides in-depth analysis of over 700 U.S. industries at the national and state level. Global industry reports are particularly strong in the manufacturing sector.
- NetAdvantage This link opens in a new windowProvides a comprehensive, professional source of investment information and analysis on industries and companies. On the Industry Surveys page, select an industry from the dropdown menu. Find financial information in the Comparative Company Analysis section of an Industry Survey report.
Industry News and Journal Articles
News and scholarly articles can provide additional details on industry data or financial situations that you discover elsewhere. Set up news alerts for the industry you are researching to stay aware of new developments that might impact your research.
- Access World News Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Research diverse perspectives, topics and trends that align with curricular areas such as Political Science, English, Sociology, Humanities, Business, International Studies and more. Features reliable, credible information from a wide variety of international, national, and local news sources. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
- Bloomberg Businessweek Archive This link opens in a new window
Complete digital version of the Businessweek backfile, with coverage starting at the magazine’s first issue in 1929 and ending in 2000.
- Business Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Business Abstracts with Full Text contains full-text articles from key publications and provides product evaluations, interviews, biographical sketches, corporate profiles, obituaries, surveys, statistical rankings, book reviews and reports. Access is provided to more than 118 journals and indexes more than 300 more. - Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from thousands of scholarly business journals, magazines, and trade journals from the fields of marketing, management, accounting, finance, and economics. Plus company and industry profiles, SWOT analyses, country economic reports, financial data, and investment reports.
- Dayton Daily News (OH) Collection This link opens in a new window
This collection provides access to Dayton Daily News content going back to 1990.
- Entrepreneurial Studies Source This link opens in a new window
Entrepreneurial Studies Source covers the latest insights in entrepreneurship and small business ownership, It offers hundreds of full-text journals and books, plus more than 15,000 company profiles and videos.
- New York Times Online This link opens in a new window
Current access to the digital edition of the New York Times. Requires individual login and password set up. Access for UD faculty, staff, and students only.
- Ohio Local Newspapers Collection This link opens in a new window
This collection provides access to newspapers from across the state of Ohio. Holdings vary from title to title.
- Regional Business News This link opens in a new window
Regional Business News provides full-text to more than 290 regional business publications for the United States and Canadian provinces. Users can search newspapers, magazines and other resources from trusted news sources. More than 7000,000 TV and radio transcripts are available.
- Wall Street Journal Online This link opens in a new window
Requires individual login and password set up. Access for UD faculty, staff, and students only. Business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City.
Industry Information on the Open Internet
While care needs to be taken when using resources on the open web, there are several sources of industry information that can be useful in industry research.
Industry Insights
- globalEDGE: globalEDGE is a web-based portal created by Michigan State University where you can find high-level resources, statistics, risk assessments, and events for 20 different industry sectors.
- Thomas Register: Thomas Register is an old standard for business reference, and is now freely available through its online service, ThomasNet. This site can be used to find and compare industrial manufacturers and services, but may require you to enter your contact information to view reports.
Industry Data and Statistics
- BizStats: BizStats is a free online source of business statistics. It has features for drilling down into industry-specific data
- Note: BizStats is a BizMiner product and uses the same data sources, but is less comprehensive. All UD students and faculty have access to BizMiner and, which has more data and reporting features and is likely a better choice for research.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis Industry Articles: Data and reports published by the BEA using U.S. Department of Commerce research
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Industries at a Glance: Find BLS data for over 100 industries, searchable by industry keyword or NAICS Code. Data includes workforce statistics, earnings & hours, workplace injuries, and workplace trends.
