Best Sources for Industry & Market Research
Do you need to research an industry for one of your classes? Or are you developing a business plan and need a better understanding of the market? Horn Library provides access to some key resources:
- Standard & Poors NetAdvantage — US industry overviews of major sectors, e.g. automotive, pharma, energy, beverages, telecom, etc. with strong emphasis on financials. This platform is also a condensed version of Capital IQ, so you can research the companies in your industry at the same time!
- IBISWorld — Covers US and some industries globally more specifically, aligned with NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes.
- Plunkett Research Online — US industry analysis and statistics on broad-based sectors like apparel, biotech, consulting, games/apps/social media, education & ed tech, sports, and more.
- BMI Research — Analyzes key industry sectors in each country from a perspective of political and economic risk.
- Forrester and Gartner — Go-to sources for IT-related research, B2B and consumer-focused technologies, and e-commerce.
- BCC Research — Global market research with focus on industrial and manufacturing sectors; key strength is detailed coverage of how technology is implemented across industries.
- Euromonitor — Global market research with primary focus on consumer markets by country.
- Mintel Reports — US & UK consumer-focused market research covering retailing, travel & tourism, lifestyles, consumer products.
- BizMiner — US industry ratios; can zero in on specific states or metropolitan areas.
- SMA Sports Market Analytics (formerly SBRNet) — statistics on sports participation, athletic sales, facilities, etc.
Access all these research resources via the databases page on the Library website. We also have an Industry Research Guide if you need to dig further and need more ideas where to find relevant information. Have any questions? Need help navigating the website or any of these resources? Email research@babson.edu or set up an appointment for a research consultation.