Business Librarian
Start broad: Learn about your 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 services
- Identifying external factors affecting firms collectively, such as reduced donations because of a recession
- 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.
- 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 Marketing 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.
Find your industry associations
These groups might publish research about the state of the industry or toolkits to help your client succeed with marketing or recruiting.
Some industry associations only make research available to dues-paying members. If you are working with a local client, ask if they are a member.
- 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.
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