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Learn About Trends in a Industry
An industry is a group of businesses that are related in terms of their main activity, for example manufacturing cars or selling groceries (Source: OpenLearn, The Open University).
We can use industry reports to learn about:
- Forecasting 5-year demand for the industry's products
- Identifying external factors affecting firms collectively, such as supply chain issues or new government regulations
- Comparing financial performance against industry benchmarks
JMU Libraries subscribes to these tools to help us learn about our larger industry.
- IBISWorld This link opens in a new windowIndustry market research reports on more than 700 U.S. and Global industries; includes trends, statistics and analysis on market size, market share of competitors and industry growth rate.
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowIndexing and full text for periodicals and news sources covering all aspects of business, including business, country economic reports, company profiles, market research reports, industry reports, and SWOT analyses.
Need help using one of these databases?
Use the tutorials linked at the bottom of this page to get started.
Restrictions on AI usage
Market research reports are among the most expensive types of business information. The companies that provide our market research reports can be very strict about how their information can be used in AI tools.
IBISWorld prohibits the uploading of reports to third parties, including Copilot
Find an Industry Association
These groups might publish research about the state of the industry. Some industry associations only make research available to dues-paying members, however some content may also be freely available on their website that can help you learn more about trends facing this industry.
- Select USA: Industry spotlightsThis site from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce gives an overview of industry trends and lists trade groups.
- Directory of AssociationsAllows you to find websites for 36,000 associations worldwide.
Find Industry News or Trade Journals
Trade associations sometimes publish magazines or newsletters that discuss trends affecting companies operating in that industry.
These databases are your best bets for finding news specific to your industry:
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowIndexing and full text for periodicals and news sources covering all aspects of business, including business, country economic reports, company profiles, market research reports, industry reports, and SWOT analyses.
- Factiva This link opens in a new windowBusiness resources including full text periodicals, news photographs, company reports, and financial data.
Tips for Getting the Best Info from Recommended Databases
JMU Libraries has created several tutorials in Google Slides to help students use our specialized business resources.
Click on the name of the database to open the tutorial that shows how to search for data and cite the information you find in APA style.
- Doing Business Research: Using Business Source Complete
Tips for using the Business Source Complete database to find information about a company, industry or topic.
