Industry Research - BUSI 110 - Business I: Fundamentals - Research Guides at Savannah College of Art and Design

Industry Research Strategy

It can be difficult to find reliable industry information. Use both the Web and library databases as your sources.

1. Use portal sites, such as government and industry association websites and news sites to find industry information, data, and statistics

2. When searching, it can be helpful to have the SIC and NAICS industry classification codes.

3. Find leading companies in the industry. Use their annual reports and SEC filings to find industry information.

4. If an industry is new or very specialized you may be unable to find information or market research about it. In this case, the best sources for information will be trade journals, industry/professional organizations, interviews, and articles. The library databases are an excellent starting-point for this type of research! Use the resources on the Business News tab.

Library Database - Business Source Premier

Use the links below to explore industry reports within the Business Source Premier.

TIP: Industry research is very broad. For example, if researching info about handbags, try using the keywords accessories, leather goods or apparel instead.

Business Source Premier This link opens in a new window
EBSCO database containing full-text journals, magazines, newspapers, and case studies as well as company, industry, market, and country reports.
Business Source Premier provides full-text articles back to 1886 for more than 2,000 journals, including full text for more than 500 peer-reviewed business publications. The database includes resources from the world's top management and marketing journals including Harvard Business Review, California Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Industrial & Labor Relations Review, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), Journal of Marketing, Journal of International Marketing and more. The database also includes other information sources such as country economic reports from the EIU, Global Insight, ICON Group, and CountryWatch as well as detailed company profiles for the world's 10,000 largest companies and Associate Press (AP) video content. For help using EBSCO databases, search SCAD Libraries' FAQ, or use the chat feature to contact library staff.

WARC

A marketing and advertising database with lots of information about companies, industries, markets and trends.

CASE STUDIES: Key examples of marketing campaigns and analysis of their effectiveness.
TOPICS: Explore industry and company insights.
TRENDS: Explore consumer, marketing and other trends.
NEWS: Locate short news pieces.

WARC This link opens in a new window
Database of research, case studies, and business intelligence in advertising and marketing from the United States and other major global markets.
WARC provides business intelligence, reports, case studies, news briefings, and more. WARCs industry, category, and consumer insights and best practices are used by advertising agencies and marketing professionals to optimize their operations for brand-building and effectiveness. The database provides access to over 18,000 case studies, the latest research from across the marketing industry, and best practice from leaders in marketing. For help using WARC, search SCAD Libraries' FAQ, or use the chat feature to contact library staff.

Passport (Euromonitor)

Euromonitor International This link opens in a new window
Passport by Euromonitor International is a global market research database that provides industry data, country reports, and global reports about strategies and markets, company profiles, articles, statistics, and presentations.
Euromonitor International contains market analysis, distribution patterns, and sales forecasts detailed in-depth analytic reports for both developed and emerging national markets as well as insights into consumer preferences and global market performance. This database includes information on national company and brand competition and market strategies in addition to analysis and profiles of the top international companies in the industry. Beyond reports, Euromonitor provides articles and presentations on key themes and discussion topics.

Industry and Market resources from the web

Audit Techniques Guides
Guides provide industry overviews and explain unique industry issues, business practices and terminology
Business.com
Find, compare, and research business-to-business (B2B) vendors
County Business Patterns
U.S. economic data by industry organized by state, county, zip code and metropolitan area
Economic Census
The government conducts this survey of industries every five years. The most recent is 2012.
Industry Overviews
Guides to some of the largest industries written by the IRS
Market Research from Export.gov
International market research for U.S. businesses. Required free user registration.
Nonemployer Statistics
U.S. economic data for self-employed workers
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
System used by Federal agencies in classifying businesses for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.
Select USA
SelectUSA seeks to highlight the many advantages the United States offers as a location for business and investment. Resources include a guide to incentives for business investment by state.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Organization dedicated to strengthening the competitiveness of the U.S. economy by supporting U.S. businesses.
U.S. County Business Patterns
Annual series that provides subnational economic data by industry. Businesses use the data for analyzing market potential, measuring the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs, setting sales quotas, and developing budgets.
Valuation Resources
Guide to business valuation resources, industry and company information, economic data, and more.
The Wall Street Journal
This important source for business news is available in print in the SCAD library in Savannah and Atlanta.