Industry Research: Where to Begin

From Valuation Resources. "Provides sources for industry information, research, and analysis for over 400 industries. Individual guides for each industry list resources available from trade associations, industry publications, research firms and other sources which address subjects such as industry analysis, statistics, trends, and forecasts, financial information and financial ratios, compensation and salary surveys, and business valuation resources." Some content is fee-based, but much is provided at no charge. Outstanding and highly recommended.

From Polson Enterprises. "Major sources of information for over 100 U.S. industries". Links for an industry may include industry news, statistics, trade organizations and publications. Also includes some international content Also links to other industry portals. Excellent resource for quick information on many industries.

Maintained by the University of Texas at San Antonio, with support from the SBA and other affiliates. Serves as a clearinghouse for state Small Business Development Centers. "Industry Links" provides resources for 35 manufacturing/service industries. Also provides access to resources for 19 small business topics. Excellent; the great strength of this resource is the exceptional quality of links, many of which are not readily available elsewhere.

Provides detailed profiles of over 25,000 trade, fraternal and professional associations in the U.S. Includes contact information, founding data, activities/purpose, conferences, publications and more. Best resource of its kind.

Provided by the American Society of Associations Executives (ASAE). Searchable by association name, keyword. Browsable by city, state/province, country, organization type. Provides contact information. Updated daily.

From OpenSecrets. Provides campaign finance/lobbying information for over 200 industries, including "Top Contributors, 2013-2014". Provides retrospectivive infomation for election cycles since 1990. Very useful for determining political funding activities for many of America's industries.

From the "Corporate Research Project". This site is primarily for in-depth corporate research. "Part IV. Industry -Specific Sources" profiles 18 industrial sectors. Each sector links to the following: directories/data sources, trade associations, trade publications, labor unions, "watchdog" groups, regulatory agencies. Outstanding; highly recommended.

"This is your source for international business-related resources, statistics, risk assessments and events for 20 distinct industry sectors". One of the best places to find up-to-date news and analysis on industrial sectors on an international level. Outstanding and highly recommended; the place to begin for all aspects of international business.

From the Library of Congress's Business Reference Service Division. Examines basic online/print resources for beginning research on industries. Topics covered include basic strategies, classiffication codes, general resources, government sources and historical resources. Outstanding; one of the best general introductions to industry research; very user-friendly.

This library resource guide, created by Jim Bondra, Ithaca College Library, is a great resource for doing a step-by-step analysis of researching an industry. Outstanding.

From Investopedia.com. Offers an analysis of 14 industries (actually, they are "sectors"). Each industry has a General Overview, Key Ration/Terms, Analyst Insights, Key Links. Not extensive, but it does an excellent job for what it coverns.

This Research Guide from the University of Southern California (USC) Libraries examines resources of 19 industrial sectors. Each sector profile includes links to statistics/government information, trade publications and additional relevant reports and resources available for free from other online sources. Database industry reports are restricted to the USC community, but many are available from the JWU library. Outstanding; highly recommended.

From YourDictionary.com. Links by topic to dictionaries and glossaries for a variety of industries. Also links to resources for additional topics.

From "Polson Industries". This guide presents a "step by step process" for conducting industry research. Includes information on identifying trade organizations/publications/trade shows, patents/trademarks, legal/regulatory issues, industry history and more. Also provides resources on company and market research. Outstanding; one of the best general guides for the industry research process.

From Rutgers University Llibraries.

From Investopedia.com.

Provides information on the development of 14 industry sectors in America. Also links to industry-related topics (government regulation, select federal agencies, foreign trade, depressions/recessions/panics, infrastructure). Excellent resource; easy-to-navigate.

To access historical information on industries, click on "Industry Essays" (under "Industries" tab) to browse over 1,000 industries. Most (but not every) industry profile contains a "Background and Development" section which provides historical information. Also can be searched. Outstanding and easy-to-use.

From "Business History". Provides historical profiles over 80 American industries. Each profile has a very extensive chronology. Also provides links to business biographies, business/economic history and more. Bibliographies link to information about specific titles (most of which are available from Amazon.com). Outstanding; easy-to-use.

This free online directory of information is culled from Thomson-Gale's reference products. The "Encyclopedia of American Industries" section profiles hundreds of industries. The " Background & Development" section of profiles offers historical information about the industry. Comprehensiveness of content varies in length. Excellent resource, especially for information about industries not profiled or discussed elsewhere.