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How to Find Industry Information


Reports and Surveys



Industry information is complex and it sometimes can be difficult to find. It includes analysis of past trends and forecasts for the future. Because of the varied types of sources, it is important to use a multipronged strategy to find industry information.

The industry overview sources are extremely helpful for providing a snapshot of the industry. If you can't locate a particular industry, you may have better luck using trade periodicals. See News and Trade Periodicals.


gold triange Databases

gold triange Industry Analysts

gold triange Additional Sites

Databases


  • Only for Baker students Business and Company Resource Center
      Contains detailed essays from Gale's Encyclopedia of American Industries, Encyclopedia of Global Industries, and Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries. Additional market research reports on most industries from Datamonitor International.

    1. Start by clicking on Advanced Search BCRC Advanced Search

    2. In the Content Area box, use the down arrow to highlight: Industry Overviews
    3. Type your industry in the first search box. For example: electronics (Whether you are looking for a specific industry or any industry associated with a particular word, this is the procedure to follow).
    BCRC Industry
    4. Click on: Search.

  • Only for Baker students Business Source Premier - Business Searching Interface
      Business Source Premier provides an enhanced interface that makes it easier to locate industry reports. It offers 1,800 quality full text industry profiles (reports) from three different content providers. DataMonitor furnishes 1,600+ profiles, averaging 10-12 pages in length. Another 22 Industry almanacs are included from Plunkett Research, and more than 100 industry yearbooks from Global Insight.

    1. In the Browse area, select: Industry Profiles.
    BSP_industry_profiles

    2. In the Publications screen, type any word that describes your industry. For example, "airlines".
    BSP_browse_for_airlines


    • 3. As an alternative, you can search for a preselected industry. Select the industry tab and scroll down to the industry you are searching.
    BSP_browse_for_industry_airlines

    Only for Baker students Hoover's Industry Snapshots
    Includes current and future trends, key players, and industry links. This link will take you directly to the form which will search Hoover's Company and Industry Reports.

    1. This link will open in the Power Search screen, with Hoover's Company and Industry Reports already preselected in the Select Source Area.
    2. In the Add Section Search Area, in the Section box, use the down arrow to select the correct segment.
    3. Highlight the Industry segment.
    4. In the terms box, type the name of your industry. For example: motorcycle. Then, select: Add To Search.
    5. Once your search appears in the top Search Terms box, click on Search.
    6. From the results page, slide to the Navigation column on the left and click on the plus sign in front of the word, Industry
    7. Slide down and select the industry you are researching.
    8. You now have a list of companies with in-depth reports from Hoover's that do business in the industry you selected.
    		 LN.Hoover

Industry Analysts


"Business researchers have long valued analyst reports as high-quality sources of in-depth, detailed information and insights on companies, industries, technologies, and emerging trends."* At times, analysts may have conflicts of interest. We have seen several high profile stories that discussed concerns over the independence of industry analysts due to financial reltionships between IT analyst firms and the vendors they are supposed to be writing about objectively.

"As the industry consolidates and questions over the independence of analyst firms continue, some have turned to the Internet and alternative sources for industry analysis to at least supplement the analysts' advice."*
*From: The Information Advisor, April 2005
  • Blogs
    An increasing number of people have set up their own Weblogs to offer to offer up their own views and commentary on a particular indutry, IT solutions, technology, etc. While bloggers should not be viewed as a wholesale replacement for indutry analysts, they can provide a much faster take on industry developments, as well as what blogger David Sampson of Shared Spaces Research and Consulting calls the "passionate buzz" on a company or product, as opposed to the analysts' more formal reports.
    • Free web sites Sway:analyst relations, influencer marketing, and the business influence.
        From 2000 to 2011, The Directory of Analysts was part of Tekrati and Barbara French was its managing editor. Tekrati was the online guide to the IT and telecommunications industry analysts. It included 3 directories, 2 news services, a strategic consulting business, and tips, insights and commentary on the analyst business. By 2011, Tekrati had profiled some 650 analyst firms, published over 12,000 news posts, and hosted 150K to 250K unique visitors each year. Today, this directory is a personal curation project and part of Ms. French's personal blog.

  • Individual Investor Commentary Sites
    These are sites that aggregate opinions and commentary of individual investors in order to reach a grass-roots "word on the street" consensus, mainly on matters related to companies and their performance. An expample of this type of site is the free
    • Free web sites WhisperNumber.com
        This site solicits commentary and surveys 60,000 investors to come up with a group consensus on matters like company earnings expectations and to detect an overall market sentiment.

Additional Sites
The sites listed in this section vary in their depth of analysis. Some may prove more helpful than others.
  • Free web sites Current Industrial Reports
      From the U.S. Census Bureau. Features manufacturing, mining, and construction statistics.
  • Free web sites EPA Sector Notebooks
      Profiles of industries impacting air, water or land
  • Free web sites HighBeam Business: Industry Reports
      HighBeam Business is operated by The Gale Group, which is the publisher of the database, Business and Company Resource Center . You can get historical and statistical analysis on narrow industry slices, down to a four-digit SIC code. The data comes from well-known sources such as D&B, the U.S. government, and associations.
  • Free web sites Industry Week
      Well known industry magazine that covers news items on many industries. It's a good place to identify trends.
  • Free web sites International Trade Administration (ITA): Trade Development: Industry Analysts
      Trade Development is dedicated to enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. industry. With its access to information, government analysts are involved in strategic research and analysis. In addition to excellent reports and statistical graphs, you will find contact info for analysts specializing in a wide range of industries.