Tutorials, Guides, & How-to's

Guidelines (Summary):

1. Find SIC and NAICS codes for your industry. (Go!)
2. Locate an overview of the industry. (Go!)
3. Find and analyze statistics and financial data. (Go!)
4. Use periodical sources to update the information you have already found. (Go!)

Location Codes:

RD	Available at the Reference Desk
RS	Available in the Reference Stacks, 1st Floor
DBS	Online database accessible from this guide and also from the Library home page by selecting Databases
WWW	World Wide Web resource

Important Remote Access Information

Guidelines (Detailed):

1) Find SIC and NAICS codes for your industry.

SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) and NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) are systems for classifying business establishments. Businesses that are in the same line of work will share SIC and NAICS codes. NAICS is more current and is the system used by statistical agencies of the United States.

Location	Title	Call Number
RD	Standard Industrial Classification Manual	PrEx 2.6/2: In27/987 (Gov. Pub.)
WWW	Standard Industrial Classification Manual
RD	North American Industry Classification System	PrEx 2.6/4: 2002
WWW	2002 NAICS codes and definitions

2) Locate an overview of the industry.

Overviews can also be referred to as profiles or snapshots. While the information provided by each source varies, most overviews will contain narrative information about the industry's background and current state.

Location	Title	Directions / Call Number
RD	Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys (3 vols.)	HC 106.6 .S742
RS	Manufacturing & Distribution U.S.A. (3 vols.)	HD 9721 .M3495
RS	D&B Business Rankings	HF 4027.5 .D873
RS	Maufacturing Worldwide	HD 9720.4 .M36
DBS	Business & Company Resource Center	Select "Industry," then type in an SIC or NAICS or text description, then select "Industry Overview" tab.

3) Find and analyze statistics & financial data.

Location	Title	Directions / Call Number
RD	Statistical Abstract of the United States	C 3.134
WWW	Statistical Abstract of the United States
RD	Virginia Statistical Abstract	HA 686 .V57
WWW	Virginia Statistical Abstract
RD	Value Line Investment Survey	HG 4501 .V26
DBS	Business & Company Resource Center	Select "Industry," then type in an SIC or NAICS or text description, then select "Investment Reports"
RD	U.S. Market Trends & Forecasts	HF 5415 .U7
RD	Almanac of Business and Industrial Ratios	HF 5681 .R25 T68
RD	Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios	HF 5681 .R25 I52
RD	Robert Morris Associates (RMA) Annual Statement Studies	HF 5681 .B2 R6

4) Use periodical sources to update information you have already found.

Location	Title	Description / Directions
DBS	Factiva	Full text of nearly 8000 international business and general publications, including The Wall Street Journal from 1979 to the present. UPDATED DAILY. Use Intelligent Indexing™ to tailor search to specific industries.
DBS	ABI/INFORM	Article citations and abstracts from over 1800 academic management, marketing, and general business journals; over 800 of these are available in full-text.