Locating Information on U.S. Industries

Industry Classification Systems

NAICS, 2002 338.02012 Reference Mgmt/ Schaffner

Standard Industrial Classification Manual 338.02 U58s 1987
Reference Desk / Government Publications / Schaffner

North American Industry Classification Web Page Unrestricted
The new system, The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), provides common industry definitions for Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The Census Department's web page on NAICS includes a table comparing the older SIC system to NAICS.

Industry Surveys
Also check Nucat under subject or keyword for some individual studies on industries.

Business Source Premier NU Community
Full text and bibliographic information from regional, national and international business and trade journals. Industry and company profiles from Datamonitor, market research reports from MarketWatch and country reports from CountryWatch.

Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys L332.05 S785sd Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
A rich source for industry-level information. Overviews (25-30 pages in length) of 52 major industry groups in the U.S. Includes industry trends, how the industry operates, key ratios and statistics, how to analyze a company, a glossary, a list of publications and trade associations, and comparative company analysis. Surveys are updated twice per year. Also available online via Standard & Poor's Netadvantage (NU Community)

Gartner Intraweb NU Community
Provides product and market research reports for the information technology (IT) industry as well as reports on technologies used within various spheres of business and electronic commerce.

Business & Industry Database NU Community
Online index to business and trade journals, a majority in full text. Limit the Document Type to Industry Overview to retrieve trade journal articles covering industries. Limit to an SIC/Product code or to an Industry as well, for more precise retrieva

Mintel Market Research Reports NU Community
Market research and consumer intelligence reports for markets in the US, Europe, and some Asian countries.

MarketResearch.com Academic NU Community
Market research reports covering business services, consumer goods, food and beverages, demographics, heavy industry, life sciences and technology and media.

Investext Plus NU Community
Includes analyst reports on companies and industries from over 500 brokers worldwide. Also includes trade association reports from over fifty major industries.

Dun & Bradstreet / Gale Group Industry Handbooks Reference
Includes overviews of smaller industry groups within each volume as well as statistics, financial ratios, company listings and rankings, mergers and acquisitions, associations, consultants, trade journals and trade show information.

Construction and Agriculture L 338.47624 D897
Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals L 338.4766 D897
Computers & software and broadcasting & telecommunications L 338.47004 D897
Entertainment and Hospitality L 338.4779 D897
Insurance and health & medical services L 362.10973 D897

Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries L338.544 E56 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Similar to above, for new and emerging industries.

Hoover's Industries NU Community access to full site

Mergent's Industry Review (formerly Moody's Industry Review)
L332.05 M8169 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Covers approximately 140 industry groups and includes lists of top ranked companies within each industry according to key financial and investment criteria and comparative financial statistics such as earnings per share and stock price range. Also includes growth rates for top companies within each industry.

Plunkett's industry almanacs
Include overviews, industry contacts, career outlook, industry leaders, sales, and consumer information such as personal consumption. Certain almanacs also available on CD-ROM. Ask at Reference Desk.

Plunkett's entertainment & media industry almanac 2004 L 302.23025 P737 2004 Reference / Schaffner
Plunkett's financial services industry almanac L 332.10973 P737 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Plunkett's health care industry almanac L 338.76168 P737h Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Plunkett's retail industry almanac L 381.105 P737 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Plunkett's telecommunications industry almanac L 384 P737 Reference Mgmt

U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook L 330.973 U58u Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Covers global and domestic industry trends and future outlook for the following industries: natural resources, construction, industrial materials, manufacturing equipment, communicatons, consumer economy, health care, business and education services, and transportation. Also includes shorter overviews of narrow industries within each major industry. Also available online at http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/outlook/

U.S. Market Trends and Forecasts L338.544 U58 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Covers approximately 400 industries in the areas of leisure, business services, chemicals, consumer goods, food, household, medical equipment, office equipment, textiles, and transportation. Includes charts and graphs for market value, market sectors, market shares, and market forecasts.

News and Journal Articles

ABI/Inform (ProQuest version) NU Community
Indexes and abstracts of more than 1,800 business and management titles. The full text of the articles are included for nearly half of the citations in the database in a variety of formats, including text, text and graphics, and PDF. Under Search Methods, choose Guided and then choose a search by subject or product name under the drop-down menu. You may also search by SIC code in any search method by typing SIC(####). For example, SIC(4911) finds articles on the utilities/electricity industries. Identify SIC or NAICs industry classification codes from the NAICS website.

Business & Industry Database NU Community
Indexes and abstracts and from nearly 1,000 major U.S. and international trade journals, general business publications, and national & regional newspapers and newsletters. The full text is included for 75% of the articles. Limit search by industry or SIC codes.

Business Source Premier NU Community
Full text and bibliographic information from regional, national and international business and trade journals. Industry and company profiles from Datamonitor, market research reports from MarketWatch and country reports from CountryWatch.

Lexis Nexis Academic NU Community
Full text general, business, financial and legal news information service for several thousand publications. Go under the Business segment and choose Industry & Market to select an industry and related trade publications in which to search.

Factiva NU Community
Full text of U.S. and international research and news articles from newspapers, newswires, magazines, trade journals, and company and industry financial reports.

Industry Operating Ratios

In addition to some of the above-mentioned sources like Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys and Mergent Industry Review, the following sources provide operating ratios.

Industry norms and key business ratios L338.50973 I42 Reference Mgmt
Dun & Bradstreet publication covers 125 industries, arranged by SIC code.

Almanac of business and industrial financial ratios L338.50973 T864a Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Also available in CD-ROM, ask at Reference Desk.
Financial ratios derived from federal tax returns for approximately 200 industries.

Financial studies of the small business 658.1 F491 Reference Mgmt

RMA Annual Statement Studies L381.015 R642s Reference Mgmt/ Schaffner

Value Line Investment Survey L332.05 V215 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Reports on and rates stocks in around 100 industries. Includes Beta and analyses by industry.
(The expanded edition housed in Management Corner at L332.05 V2152)
Also available online at Value Line Investment Survey NU Community

Other Industry Statistics

Lexis Nexis Statistical NU Community
A good starting place for identifying statistical sources and retrieving some selected statistical tables. Abstracts and some full text of statistical publications, including those of the U.S. government, research firms, trade associations, university studies, and international agencies.

Statistics Sources L016.31 S7971 (Latest edition at Reference Desk) also at Schaffner
Arranged alphabetically by subject, also a good source to browse to identify relevant statistical publications.

Business Statistics of the United States 330.973 B9797 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner. Also located in Government Publications.
Historical data for nearly 27 industries, spanning 30 years for annual data, 4 years for monthly.

Censtats Unrestricted
Demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Includes Annual Survey of Manufactures, County Business Patterns, Occupation by Race and Sex, USA Counties, Zip Code Business Patterns, and International Trade Data, among other databases.

American Fact Finder (Economic Census) Unrestricted
Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Includes information from the Census of Manufactures (http://www.census.gov/ftp/pub/econ/www/ma0100.html), Census of Retail Trade, Census of Service Industries, and Census of Wholesale Trade. (These titles are also available separately in Government Publications or via the web. Presents data on retail, service, and manufacturing businesses by ZIP code; includes counts of establishments by SIC within ZIP code and by size class within SIC; also has total retail sales and service receipts by ZIP code.

Annual Survey of Manufactures Unrestricted
Also available in Government Publications C 3. 24/9-10:
Current Industrial Reports supplement the Census of Manufactures and the Annual Survey of Manufactures by providing current production and shipment data on industries and products in the United States. Try a title search in NUcat on Current Industrial Reports or check Statistical Universe for the fiche number.
Current Industrial Reports also available online.

Manufacturing & Distribution USA: industry analyses, statistics, and leading organizations
L338.4767 M2945 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Includes statistics, ratios, indices of change, leading companies, state and regional concentration and industry data by state.

Service Industries USA : industry analyses, statistics, and leading organizations
L338.40973 S491 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
same as above

Industry Research Using the Economic Census 338.0973 E197Zb Reference / Schaffner

Infrastructure Industries USA L338.0025 I43 Reference Mgmt
same as above

Information Finance and Services USA L 338.4021 I43 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Continuation of Service Industries USA.

Trade Associations

Information compiled by trade associations can be very useful. Along with the following resources, Standard & Poors Industry Surveys and Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources will identify relevant associations within an industry. ABI/Inform or Business & Industry database will include some full text publications published by trade associations. Lexis Nexis Statistical will also identify some trade association publications.

Investext Plus NU Community
Includes trade association reports from over 50 major industries.

Associations Unlimited NU Community
Search by subject to identify U.S. industry organizations.

Encyclopedia of Associations L 061 G151e Reference Desk / Schaffner

National Trade and Professional Associations L 381.006 N2793 Reference Desk / Schaffner

Additional Leads

Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources L 016.6584 E56 Reference Mgmt / Schaffner
Lists reference sources such as directories, handbooks, and statistics sources for specific industries.

Business & Technology Research Library's Industries Page Unrestricted

For further assistance, contact:

Carol Doyle
Reference and Instruction Librarian
Schaffner Library
(312) 503-6618
c-doyle4@northwestern.edu

schaffner-reference@northwestern.edu