How Do I Find Industry Reports?Industry reports are often described as industry profiles or industry overviews. They provide an excellent starting place for an industry analysis. Common elements of reports include: a definition of the industry, a description of the market, current trends, key competitors, how the industry operates, and external factors that may affect the industry, such as consumer behavior, laws and regulations, or the economy. Sometimes market share, market size, and forecasts can be found. Keep in mind:Some resources may define an industry in broad terms, such as retail or consumer electronics. Other resources may focus on more specific segments of an industry, like portable media players or cellular phones. Related industries may be of interest to you as well, for example, telecommunications or wireless phone services. Find industry reports in management databasesSearch the Business Source Complete database:
Find articles about an industryFinding articles related to your industry can help you get the most recent information available if an industry report wasn’t updated in the past year. It is especially useful if you are focusing on small segment of a larger industry or haven’t been able to find an industry report. Searching tips are listed after the databases. Keep in mind:Searching for articles in a database is a little different from using a search engine. You can often search in different fields like subject, abstract, title, or author. Always look for a Help or Tips button to find the best way to use the database. Key article databases: Business Source Complete Abstracts and full text articles from scholarly and popular business, law, and computer systems periodicals. ABI/Inform Trade and Industry Full text articles from business magazines and newsletters with a trade or industry focus. Includes industry news, product and competitive information, and marketing trends. Lexis/Nexis Academic Full text documents from over 5,600 publications including newspapers, magazines, and wire services. Search U.S. federal and state case law, legal news, law reviews, and international legal information on a variety of topics.
Find industry or business associationsAssociation websitessometimesprovide free resources related to the industry. Look for “research,” “resources,” or “publications” links. You can discover current trends by examining the headlines and freely available content of the website. Keep in mind: Find associations with a directory:
Need more help? Ask a Librarian! |
|