BUSINESS INFORMATION CENTER
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INDUSTRIES RESEARCH GUIDE
Use this research guide to find industry overviews and statistics. Specific company information can be located using the resources provided in the Companies Research Guide. For additional information, Ask a BIC Librarian.
INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
The federal government classifies manufacturing and service industries and assigns code numbers based on their primary business activities. These numbers allow similar companies to be grouped for comparison purposes. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) is more closely aligned with international codes. Finding these codes is an important first step in doing any industry research. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, although superceded by NAICS, are still used in some databases.
Hoover's Online Either use the "Browse Industries" link or search by industry keyword to see industries in a hierarchy, the corresponding SIC and NAICS codes, and leading companies in that industry. (SMU Community Only)
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) This site provides up-to-date information on the codes, a crosswalk to the SIC codes, and a searchable list of codes with definitions.
North American Industry Classification System: United States, 2007 (BIC and Fondren Library) Print manual which includes the NAICS United States structure, a FAQ section about economic classifications, and detailed industry descriptions.
Available in BIC Reference area.
View SMU Library Catalog record (Fondren).
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) System Search "This page allows the user to search the 1987 version SIC manual by keyword, to access descriptive information for a specified 2.3.4-digit SIC, and to examine the manual structure." Also available in print in BIC Reference.
Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 (BIC and Fondren Library) Print manual which includes information on industry groups.
Available in BIC Reference area.
View SMU Library Catalog record (Fondren).
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GENERAL INDUSTRY INFORMATION
Business & Company Resource Center Search for industries using SIC or NAICS codes. Find comprehensive and current overviews, associations, rankings, and market research. (SMU Community Only)
Business Source Complete Datamonitor industry reports are found here. Type "datamonitor" in the first search box, then put an NAICS code in the next search box and choose "NAICS code" from the dropdown menu. (SMU Community Only)
Career Guide to Industries This reference source created by the Bureau of Labor Statistics gives an overview of many industries from the view of a potential employee. Each overview includes working conditions, earnings, and outlook.
Global Market Information Database Highly international in scope, this database includes data on many countries including the United States. These reports focus on the business to consumer view of various industries and include market size, market share, sector forecasts, and consumer profiles. (SMU Community Only)
Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage Standard & Poor's creates Industry Surveys for a wide range of industries. Industry Surveys, updated every six months, include how the industry operates, key industry ratios, and how to analyze the industry. The industry references section includes publications, associations, and government departments. (SMU IP addresses only)
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NEWS AND ARTICLES
ABI/INFORM Database providing industry information gathered from a variety of business publications. Use the advanced search feature to search by NAICS code. (SMU Community Only)
Business Source Complete Select 'NAICS Code or Description' from the drop down menu to search numerous business publications for specific industry information. (SMU Community Only)
Factiva A good source for international coverage, Factiva allows users to narrow a search to a specific industry by expanding the 'Industry' section. (Cox School of Business IP addresses only)
Lexis-Nexis Academic Click on the 'Sources' tab and browse sources by industry. (SMU Community Only)
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STATISTICAL SOURCES
County Business Patterns This annual series provides subnational economic data such as the number and employee size of businesses by NAICS code.
Current Industrial Reports Government reports providing monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity. The primary objective of the CIR program is to produce timely, accurate data on production and shipments of selected products.
Economic Census The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the economic census every five years, in years ending in 2 and 7. These reports provide detailed statistics on fairly narrow industry groupings nationally and by state.
Industry Norms & Key Business Ratios (BIC and Fondren Library) Information on industry norms and key business ratios organized by SIC code.
View SMU Library Catalog record (BIC).
View SMU Library Catalog record (Fondren).
Market Share Reporter (Fondren Library) This source contains thousands of entries arranged by four-digit SIC code. An electronic version of this resource is available in the database Business & Company Resource Center by searching for a company or and industry, clicking on the 'Rankings' tab, and then clicking on the 'Market Share' sub-tab.
View SMU Library Catalog record.
Mergent Industry Review (Fondren Library) Offers comparative figures and rankings on companies and industry groups.
View SMU Library Catalog record.
RMA Annual Statement Studies (Fondren Library) Provides financial and operating ratios for businesses in hundreds of industries.
View SMU Library Catalog record.
STAT-USA "The State of the Nation" section contains information on topics such as retail sales, manufacturing and trade inventories and sales, industrial production and capacity utilization, and current industry reports. The "Globus & NTDB" section provides international trade statistics by industry.(SMU Community Only)
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ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Associations and organizations can be useful sources of information for all industries, but may prove especially helpful for small or niche industries. Associations often publish market research reports, briefings about legal and regulatory issues, and consumer or demographic profiles which give insight into the industry. The information is often freely available on the association's Web site. If there are not obvious links to information on an association's home page, look for sections titled 'research' or 'publications'. You may consider writing to them for information they may have that is not freely available online (be sure to mention that you are a student doing a class project and use your SMU e-mail address).
Associations on the Net A free resource of the Internet Public Library that offers a list of Web sites of business organizations and associations.
Associations Unlimited Search for information by association name, location, SIC code, or keywords. Find information for over 450,000 regional, national, and international organizations. (SMU Community Only)
Business & Company Resource Center Search by either company or industry and then click on the 'Associations' tab to see relevant association information. (SMU Community Only)
Google Directory A list of business associations sorted by industry.
Standard & Poor's Net Advantage From a specific Industry Survey, click on the 'Industry References' section to view links to associations and industry publications. (SMU IP addresses only)
WEDDLE's Association Directory Includes links to the Web pages of associations for a wide variety of industries, categorized by primary professional/occupational focus.
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Last Updated: 12/12/2007
