Business Librarian
Student consultation hours
Fall 2023 Semester
- 1-3 p.m. Mondays
- 3-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays
- Noon-1 p.m. Thursdays
Your choice: Meet in-person in Hartman 1060 or via Zoom
Note: These are my usual office hours. Some weeks, I might need to adjust these hours to visit classes or attend trainings.
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 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 windowContent type(s): Comprehensive analyst reports on 700+ U.S. industries
Dates covered: Current - Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Content types: Reports on selected global industries from MarketLine
Dates covered: 1922-present
Need help using one of these databases?
- Doing Business Research: IBISWorld
These slides show how to use the database IBISWorld. - Doing Business Research: Using Business Source Complete
Tips for using the Business Source Complete database to find information about a company, industry or topic.
Find your industry assocations
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.
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 window
- This link opens in a new window
Content types: Articles from specialized magazines, newsletters, and news sources
Dates covered: 1922-present - Factiva This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Content type(s): Articles from business news sources, trade magazines, and company filings
Dates covered: Current
- Doing Business Research: Using Business Source CompleteTips for using the Business Source Complete database to find information about a company, industry or topic.
