Industry analysis is focused on the status of an industry or an industrial sector (a broad concept like "manufacturing"). A complete industrial analysis usually covers the industry's recent performance, its current status, and its outlook. Many analyses include a combination of text and statistical data.
There are many sources of industry analysis: library subscription databases, investment firms, business and trade magazines, trade associations, and government agencies. If you need to conduct a thorough industry analysis, use a variety of sources.
Also called:
These are publications written for professionals working in particular industies.
Examples:
The articles from these magazines can include news, expert commentary, and statistics not available anyplace else.
Most industry magazines have some free content online, but the library's databases provide articles from thousands of these magazines in a single search.
Also called trade associations, these organizations can be an excellent source of industry information. An association might collect data not available from any other source. Try to identify the associations for your industry. Then try to find the association's homepage and publications.
Examples of associations:
Often, however, the best information is limited to members of the association.