Research an Industry

The following databases offer basic information on industries as well as information on specific industries, recent articles and press releases on industries and companies within the industry.

U.S. Census Bureau 1997 NAICS and 1987 SIC Correspondence Tables
Industry research is often much easier if you know the codes for your industry or product since a number of the databases are more easily searched by SIC or NAICS codes. The U.S. government collects a lot of industry information and they have a combined SIC and NAICS website to help you identify the codes you may need. The site allows you to browse by industry or code but also has a keyword search function.

U.S. Census Bureau 2007 Economic Census
The Economic Census provides a detailed portrait of the Nation's economy once every five years, from the national to the local level. Included are 651 reports broken down by industry (NAICS codes). Links to pdf copies of each complete industry report are available as well as separate links to the statistical data organized in tables.

S&P NetAdvantage
Contains electronic versions of the Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys. Best source for Industry overviews. Covers 52 differenct industries. Examples include Retail, Apparel and Footwear, Airlines, Computers, Biotech, Pharmaceuticals, etc. The reports are updated every 6 month. Information on the industry includes current trends; how the industry operates; key ratios and statistics for each industry, and how to analyze a company in a specific industry. Comparative financial data is included in a tabular format for the top companies in the industry.

Hoover's Online
In addition to profiling more than 50,000 public and private companies, each company profile also provides industry information and lists companies operating within an industry. This database can be searched by SIC code to identify companies within an industry. In addition to a brief industry description, Hoover's provides links to recent articles and press releases relevant to each industry.
 

Current Industry News: Trade Journals, Magazines, Newspapers and News wires

Business Source Premier
Though primarily known as a database that provides the full text for nearly 2,270 scholarly business journals (including the Harvard Business Review), trade journals and magazines covering subjects ranging from management, economics, finance, accounting, and international business - BSP provides access to industry reports as well as heavy coverage of the primary trade journals for different industries. Coverage: 1990-present; selected titles 1965-present.

Expanded Academic ASAP
Contains detailed information on U.S. and international companies, including histories and chronologies of major companies, as well as coverage of major U.S. and global industries including full-text essays, rankings, market shares, trade and professional associations, and statistical analyses.

General BusinessFile ASAP
Analyzes company performance and activity, industry events and business trends as well as the latest in management, economics and politics. Access to a combination of broker research reports, trade publications, newspapers, journals and company directory listings with full text and images available. Out of 1,300 titles included, 650 are available full text. Also includes more than 50,000 investment reports and PR Newswire stories for the most recent 30 days. Coverage: 1980-present.

LexisNexis Academic (news)
Covers national and international newspapers, business, trade, technical, and legal magazines, network news transcripts, newswires, European language news sources, as well as legal reports from federal and state courts, federal laws and regulations, and other government information. Most are available full text.

ProQuest
Full text for a wide range of journals, magazine, trade publications, and other periodicals.
 

Trade Associations

Gale Directory Library
Provides access and cross searching for various Gale online directories that have been purchased by the Library. A link to a list of available titles is available on the initial search page. This resource provides information on a wide range of different organizations, including trade associations.