Finding Indusry Profiles

About Business Source Complete Industry Profiles

Industry profiles from Business Source Complete offer a great deal of data about an industry. A profile will typically include the following:

• Market Overview
• Market Data
• Market Segmentation (by category, geography; market share; market distribution)
• Market Outlook
• Five Forces Analysis (buyer power; supplier power; new entrants; threats of substitutes; degree of rivalry)
• Leading Companies
• Macroeconomic Indicators (e.g., country data)
• Industry Associations

Tips

• Check the date on the profile - while many are relatively current (within the last year), some are older, particularly in smaller markets, like Canada.

Method 1: Search by Keyword

1. On the Business Source Complete homepage, select 'Advanced Search.'

2. In the first search box, enter a search term for your industry (e.g., Semiconductors). In the second search box, type 'industry profile'.

3. After the results appear, choose a relevant report. To view the report, click the 'Access options' drop-down menu and select your preferred format (PDF or Online full text).

Method 2: Search using the NAICS Code

1. In Advanced Search, enter the NAICS code in the first search box. From the dropdown list of search fields, select 'NAICS Code or Description - IC' You can search for more than one code by separating them with the word OR (in all caps).

2. After selecting an article from the results, use the "Access options" drop-down menu to choose your preferred format (PDF or Online full text).

Method 3: Browse by Industry

When searching for an industry report by sector, it's helpful to understand how your industry might be classified within a larger umbrella category.

For example, a search for "semiconductor" may not immediately show results. However, if you think about its role, you can find it nested under a larger heading. Since semiconductors are vital components of technology, you should look under Information Technology. 

Under 'Explore Featured Content,' select 'Industry Reports.'

2. Select 'Industry Reports by Sector'.'

Navigate the classification tree by selecting the largest relevant heading (Information Technology.)

Within the umbrella heading, look under 'Sub-industries.' In our search example, 'semiconductor' is the second item on the list.

Once the page for 'Exploring: Semiconductors' loads, click 'View all results' to expand the list of articles.

Notes

• Take the title from the title page of the report, not the listing in the database. 
• Provide the URL of the publisher's home page (in this case Marketline). Do not provide the direct URL to the report
• Do not include the name of the database (Business Source Complete).
• Use hanging indents to format your references.