Business Resources

The NAICS Manual provides classification codes for U.S. Industries. These codes are used by Federal Statistical Agencies as well as many library databases to identify or limit to a particular industry or sector. NAICS is hierarchical -- the first two numbers identify the type of industry while subsequent numbers identify allow a narrower identification of a specific type of business. You can search the manual by keyword or browse through the list of codes to find the type of business you are researching.

The Standard Industrial Classification System was replaced by NAICS, but you will see many databases still using them for searching. Use them to identify specific industries for searching company information, marketing materials, journal articles, statistics, and more.

Key business ratios will assess how a business is doing. it compares one firm's strengths and weaknesses against competing businesses or the entire industry. Comparing changes in a business' ratios over time can highlight improvements in performance or problem areas that require attention. Calculating key business ratios that identify key relationships between financial data allows monitoring of the state of a business. Fourteen key business ratios cover all critical areas of business performance. Ratios are arranged by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes -- a four-digit number that classifies business establishments by defining the industries in which they do business.

Provides indexing and full-text articles for articles published in trade magazines and journals. You can use this database to research companies, products, industry trends, and more. You can also search this database as part of ABI/INFORM Complete.

Provides access to full-text peer-reviewed journal articles, trade publications, newspapers, newsletters, handbooks, investment reports, and more.

Business Source Premier is a good, all-around database that provides access to variety of content, including journals, newspapers, trade publications SWOT analyses, industry reports, and more. You can limit your search by company name or NAICS code. You can also set up alerts to let you know if new information is published on your company or topic.

ABI/Inform complete includes a wide-range of materials full-text articles from journals, trade publications, and news sources such as the Wall Street Journal. The database also contains specialized information such as company profiles, market information and analysis, economic data, working papers, and business dissertations.

Business Source Premier is a good, all-around database that provides access to variety of content, including journals, newspapers, trade publications SWOT analyses, industry reports, and more. You can limit your search by company name or NAICS code. You can also set up alerts to let you know if new information is published on your company or topic.

Includes information about individual companies and industries from a variety of sources including: scholarly journal and trade magazines, news sources, company profiles, industry rankings, product information, SWOT analyses, business associations, and more. You can search by subject, company name/ticker symbol, or by NAICS code or description. Includes information on U.S. as well as international companies.

Provides access to almost 1500 journals related to business. Each journal includes all issues going back to the first issue published, but many have a embargo date for the most recent issues. Go to advanced search and select 'Business & Economics' or a more specific topic such as 'Marketing' from the subject list below the search boxes. Click on the arrow to the right of the checkbox to see a list of titles and dates or to select specific titles to search.