Get an overview of how an industry operates, the trends, and more. The most notable industry surveys are the S&P Industry Surveys through NetAdvantage.
Go to: the Industry Survey Locator- A database of industry surveys that appear in databases and other reference materials. A good first place to check for industry surveys and overviews.
Many Online Databases are included in the Locator:
IBISWorldThis link opens in a new windowComprehensive collection of Industry reports organized by NAICS code. Reports include competitive landscape, supply chain, statistics and key facts as well as information on key issues facing the industry. Includes U.S. Specialized Industry Reports and Global Industry Reports.
MarketLine (formerly Datamonitor) Industry ProfilesThis link opens in a new windowMarketLine (Formerly Datamonitor) Industry Profiles provide profiles on industries worldwide and are available through the Business Source Complete database. Each industry profile includes a market overview, market share, market size, leading companies in the industry and market forecasts. To locate an industry survey, type the industry name in the search box, select title from the drop-down menu and click on the Search button.
Mintel AcademicThis link opens in a new windowMintel reports provide information on markets for consumer products, travel, lifestyles, and leisure. Our subscription predominately covers products and markets in the United States. Each report combines data & analysis of the competitive landscape and consumer profiles.
Hoover's Industry SnapshotsThis link opens in a new windowProvides more than 600 industry snapshots from Hoovers Company and Industry Reports via Nexis Uni. The snapshots include the following industry information or links to relevant information: Description; Terminology; Associations & Organizations and Selected Resources.
The databases listed below are not available in the Industry Survey Locator, but will be very helpful for finding information on technology and healthcare industries:
Frost & SullivanThis link opens in a new windowFrost & Sullivan reports cover technology and market trends in various technology, energy and manufacturing related fields. In-depth market research and strategy reports with international coverage. Includes the following industry sectors: healthcare; communication technologies; industrial automation and electronics; energy and power systems; aerospace and defense; environmental and building technologies. These reports can only be viewed in html format.
Gartner ResearchThis link opens in a new windowGartner, Inc. is a well-known information technology research and advisory company that provides insights to help clients make informed decisions related to information technology. Reports contain research findings and advice on technology markets, topics, and industries. Gartner Research is provided to the BU community through BU’s Information Services and Technology’s subscription. Log in to the website using your BU login name and Kerberos password.
Industry Articles
Use the databases below to search for articles about companies and industries.
ProQuest One BusinessThis link opens in a new windowProQuest One Business combines multiple ProQuest business information databases including ABI-Inform, Accounting, Tax & Banking and Entrepreneurship and contains more than 130 million documents. Content in this database also covers over 2,400 journals and magazines, several hundred news sources, thousands of ebooks, videos and company, industry and country reports.
Business Source CompleteThis link opens in a new windowProvides bibliographic and full text content, including indexing and abstracts for scholarly business journals back to 1886 and full text journal articles in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, accounting, finance and economics. The database full text content includes investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses. Sources covered by this database include Economist Intelligence Unit country reports.
FactivaThis link opens in a new windowProvides worldwide full text coverage of local and regional newspapers, trade publications, business newswires, press release wires, media transcripts, news photos, business-rich websites, investment analyst reports, market research reports, country and regional profiles, company profiles, historical market data. Date coverage varies by publication.
Nexis UniThis link opens in a new windowNexis Uni is a source for newspapers and magazines, trade journals, wire services and transcripts, as well as legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790, and information on U.S. and international companies and executives.
For Questrom students: Click on link to establish an account; use a bu.edu email address. Once you create an account, go to FT.com and click on "Sign In" in the upper right hand corner to log in.
Mintel AcademicThis link opens in a new windowMintel reports provide information on markets for consumer products, travel, lifestyles, and leisure. Our subscription predominately covers products and markets in the United States. Each report combines data & analysis of the competitive landscape and consumer profiles.
Industry information arranged by NAICS code, including competitors, materials, statistics, inputs and outputs. The latest copy is at the Pardee Services Desk on the Reserve-Reference (High Use) shelves.
Provides a summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. The latest copy is at Mugar Library Reference.
Industry Financial Ratios
eStatement studiesThis link opens in a new windowContains composite financial data from over 250,000 anonymous financial statements of manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, service, and contracting businesses operating in industries. Designed to be particularly useful to lending and credit risk professionals who want to compare one company's performance relative to other companies in the same line of business.
Financial ratios for over 170 lines of business. Organized by NAICS code. Source of data is U.S. Federal tax returns. The latest copy is at the Pardee Services Desk on the Reserve-Reference (High Use) shelves.
Published annually by Dun & Bradstreet. Financial ratios for over 600 lines of business. Organized by SIC code. Data is provided by D&B’s financial information sources. The latest copy is at the Pardee Services Desk on the Reserve-Reference (High Use) shelves.
The latest copy is at the Pardee Services Desk on the Reserve-Reference (High Use) shelves.
SIC/NAICS Codes - Industry Classification
Mergent OnlineThis link opens in a new windowIn-depth company information and financials for international public companies. Allows you to export financials into Excel and create company comparisons using ratios and other financial metrics. Good source for annual reports and company 10K’s. Provides access to research reports written by analysts at leading investment banks, brokerage houses and consulting firms. Click on the Investext tab to access the analyst reports.