Industry Research

This guide highlights library and open resources that can help you with industry research. Use it to find reliable data and analysis that will help you gain an in-depth understanding of your industry.

Industry research looks at how an industry is organized, who its major players are, and what trends or challenges affect it. 

With these resources, you can:

• Understand how an industry is structured and how it operates
• Explore production, performance, and financial trends
• Identify major competitors and market share
• Track current issues and forecasts that may impact the industry

Industry research can take different forms depending on your goals. You might focus on:

• Structure - How the industry is organized, its size, segments, and supply chain
• Competition - Who the major players are, their market share, and how they compare
• Trends and forecasts - Past performance, current issues, and where the industry is headed
• Comparisons - Similarities and differences across industries

Use the tabs in this guide to explore databases, open resources, and strategies for finding industry information.

"suppliers to industry" by Digital Sextant is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 .

Breaking industry research into steps can help you organize your search, cover important sources, and put together a complete picture of the industry you are studying:

1. Define your industry - Start broad (ex. “energy”) and narrow down (ex. “solar power”) as you go.
2. Brainstorm keywords - List out related terms, products, and companies. Different words can lead you to different sources.
3. Identify key players  - Ask “who cares?” about this. Identify the people and organizations that care about this industry like companies, consumers, trade groups, and regulators.Their reports and data often give you strong leads.
4. Search across sources - Use article databases, industry databases, and the open web. Each will give you a different angle.
5. Keep track  - Keep notes on useful sources, statistics, and terms so you don’t lose them.
6. Stay flexible - If you start too narrow, you might miss something important. Be ready to broaden your search and circle back.

New to research and using library resources?

Here are some basics that will help you get started.

• Library Catalog - The online search tool for books, ebooks, and other materials the library owns. Think of it like Google, but just for the library’s collection. It searches nearly everything the library has access to.
  • Example: DELCAT
• Database -  An online collection of information you can search. Think of it like a massive Google Drive with many folders and files.
  • Example: Business Source Premier, where you can find articles, reports, and case studies about companies and industries.
• Journal - A publication that comes out regularly, like a magazine, but for research or professional news. Think of it like one folder in Google Drive with many files inside.
  • Examples: Harvard Business Review (professional/trade), Journal of Marketing (scholarly).
• Article - A single piece of writing published in a journal, magazine, or newspaper. Think of it like a single Google Doc or Sheet in a folder.
  • Example: An article in Harvard Business Review about business strategies.
• Keyword - The main word or phrase you use when searching. Think of it like a hashtag that helps you find what you’re looking for.
  • Examples: “Starbucks” (one word keyword), “fast food industry” (keyword phrase).
• Citation - The details that tell you where an article or report came from (author, title, journal name, date, etc.). Essentially, the academic version of a credit line.
  • Guide to citing sources