Market Research Basics: Finding Industry Reports

Recall that industry reports are comprehensive accounts of a particular industry, containing a depth of information, facts and statistics (source). They usually include information about emerging industry trends, general financial statistics (e.g. operating costs, revenue, consumer spending), details about major companies, market share, and summary of supply and demand chains.

Industry reports are usually very expensive. A lot of reports that you find in a Google search can cost around $3000, just for one report! And, the credibility of those reports is hard to determine. Good news! You can access credible industry reports through the library's subscription databases. Here are some suggestions for you. Start here if you're from UNC. Start here if you're from a public library.

For more strategies to locate industry and market research information for free, read this article:

• "Market Research Reports: Creative Options for Locating Industry Insights & Data": https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/2024_fall_Klopper.pdf

Start Here with Public Library Access

ABI/Inform (UNC link; public library link)

If you're using public library access, First Research Industry Profiles in ABI/Inform are a good place to start researching U.S. industries. These reports are high-level overviews of U.S. industries. Click on the correct access link above and follow these instructions to find First Research Industry Profiles.

• Select “Publications” (to the right of “Basic Search”)

• Search for and select “First Research Industry Profiles”
• In the “Search within this Publication” field, enter in keywords for your industry and search
• This will produce a list of First Research Industry Reports on your industry.  To get more specific add keywords (ie “Restaurant” and “fast food”).

You can sort your results by date or relevance.

Business Monitor International Industry Reports, also in ABI/Inform, are have reports for industries in countries that are not the U.S.

• Select "Browse" (to the right of "Basic Search")

• Look under first heading "Industry and Market Research"
• Select "Business Monitor International (BMI) Industry Reports"

Entrepreneurship Database (UNC link; public library link)

Just-Series Market Research Reports in the ProQuest Entrepreneurship Database are another source of industry & market information.

• Select "Browse" (to the right of "Basic Search")
  
• Look under the first heading "Industry and Market Research"
• Select "Just-Series Market Research Reports"
• Browse by subject, industry, and title

Additional Search Tips for ABI/Inform & Entrepreneurship Databases

In both the ABI/Inform and Entrepreneurship Databases, you can use the Advanced Search page to find additional reports and articles.

For help on any datababase page, click on the question mark circle in the top right corner.

Advanced search features:

Both databases:

• Include one or more NAICS codes as search terms

• Select document types

Entrepreneurship Database:

• Select market segments to narrow your search

Start Here for UNC Library Access

UNC affiliates (students, faculty, staff) can access these databases for industry reports.

General Industry Reports

Get started with these general industry report databases.

Specialized Industry Reports

Sometimes you need analysis that is more specialized than what you find in IBISWorld. Check out these databases for specialized industry reports.

Localized Industry Reports & Information

Use BizMiner to create custom reports for industries in specific locations. You'll also find industry financial profiles that can help you benchmark your own venture against companies of similar size in your industry. This will help you better understand market trends. Check out the video tutorials from Ohio University and learn to use BizMiner effectively.