Industry Overview Resources
When doing research on a particular company, it is often a good idea to do a little research on the company’s industry as well. By understanding a little more about the industry, you may be able to determine how well the company is doing as a whole, as well as how it is doing in its particular industry.
The library has some great resources for industry overviews and industry surveys. The Encyclopedia of American Industries is one source that is very useful in this area. Since this is an online encyclopedia, Ohio University students, faculty and staff can access this resource from anywhere. The book is organized in by SIC code and is in two volumes; Volume One is for Manufacturing industries, and Volume Two is for Services & Non-manufacturing industries. Articles in this book are generally of medium length (4-10 pages) and very easy to read. Each article contains an Industry Snapshot, Industry Organization and Stucture, Current Conditions (as of publishing in 2004), and Industry Leaders.
Another similar resource are the Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys. We have these surveys in print at the learning commons desk, and online as part of Market Insight. To get to the online surveys, go to Market Insight and then click on the Industry Tab within the database. Next, choose the appropriate industry from the drop-down menu. Please note that when looking at these industries, you may have to think in very broad terms. For example, if you need an industry survey for the paper clip industry, try looking in the office supplies section. Once you choose an industry, you will see a link to the Industry Survey on the left side of the screen. These industry surveys are generally 20-40 pages in length and are very up-to-date (they are updated every 6 months).
While these are just two of the more commonly used resources, you might wish to check out the Industry Information section of InfoTree for more options.
I'm Chad Boeninger and I write this blog for the students and faculty of Ohio University. I cover business research issues, databases and other resources, current business trends and topics, and much more.