Start researching an industry by looking up a company engaged in the industry
If you don't know the NAICS/SIC or you're not sure what words will be used to name the industry, then start by looking up information about a specific company engaged in the industry. For example, industry resources might refer to:
- automobile industry
- car manufacturing
- motor vehicles
- transportation, highway--vehicles
- vehicles, motor--personal
and you might spend a lot of time hunting for the right words to describe the category. By looking up descriptive information for Ford Motor Company, you quickly discover:
- SIC
- 3711 Motor Vehicles & Car Bodies
- 5012 Automobiles & Other Motor Vehicles
- NAICS
- 336111 Automobile Manufacturing
- 336211 Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing
The same advice holds true when beginning a search for articles providing an overview of an industry or industry trends. Instead of trying to figure out what words will describe the industry, search for the names of three or four major companies engaged in the industry since they're highly likely to be mentioned.
Starting with a company also helps identify horizontal or vertical diversification
For example, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is involved in many different industry sectors, including:
- 452990 - All Other General Merchandise Stores
- 445110 - Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores
- 446110 - Pharmacies and Drug Stores
- 452111 - Department Stores (except Discount Department Stores)
- 452910 - Warehouse Clubs and Superstores
- 722110 - Full-Service Restaurants
If your intent is to research drug stores as an industry then you're probably not going to search for industry data about "warehouse clubs & superstores".
Quick Sources for General Information about a Company
- Business Insights (Gale) (1980+)A collection of company & industry information, including articles, financials, brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, and chronologies
(formerly Business & Company Resource Center) - GlobalData ExplorerInternational industry and company information, including SWOT profiles.
Additionally, some MarketLine reports are available via Business Source Premier. - Mergent Intellect by FTSE Russell
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Mergent products were integrated with FTSE Russell's on August 31, 2019. Some platforms have changed.
"Mergent Intellect is a highly flexible web-based application that features a deep collection of worldwide business information that enables companies to generate insightful business intelligence."
See video tutorials - NetAdvantage (S&P)Database for searching information on stocks, companies, industries and mutual funds. Access to nine of the most popular S&P publications including Stock Reports, Industry Surveys, Corporation Records, and The Outlook.
- Nexis Uni - Company Dossier
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Links to Nexis Business pages. Scroll down for Company Dossier options.
Search for information about specific companies, executives, or industries. Create a company list based on criteria such as NAICS industry classification or geographic location.
