Industry and market analysis
Checklist of publication types
Researching an industry or market for a product or service involves looking at a variety of information sources. You need a variety of sources to give a balanced view and also to give a more complete explanation of the industry. This checklist is not in any particular order, and you might find further categories to add to it.
Make yourself a worksheet to list the sources you might think you'll use and others you find along the way. Then list as many keywords and phrases that describe the information you are trying to find.
- You could also make a "wishlist" of information that you'd like. For example;
How many people aged 65 and over are there in Boroondara, and how does this compare to the national percentage? (Source ABS Census) - Sales and market share figures for iPhones. See Datamonitor Company Profile of Apple Inc EbscoHost
What was the global volume of sales of low/no alcohol beer for 2008 and how does this compare to the total sales of regular strength beer (Source Passport GMID)
Are there any standards for water tanks? Australian Standards Online
Has the product been patented? see Subject Starter Guide Patents
Newspaper and business press articles
Everyday, articles about industries, markets, consumer behaviour and the economy are written and published in all sorts of news sources, both online and in print, formal (such as newpapers) and informal (such as blogs). So this is a rich source for you to search for industry information.
Factiva is a database that archives millions of press articles from thousands of reputable sources, and you can search by keywords, industry categories and company names. See also the Newspapers and Current Events subject guide.
TVNews (Informit)
Australian television news, current affairs and selected documentaries from the free-to-air networks.
Trade and Industry Publications
Industry and trade associations can be a very useful source of information when researching an industry. Publications from trade and industry associations are indexed specifically in databases such as Business Source Complete and Factiva.
Consult the Directory of Australian Associations and/or Directory of Government and Business Associations to find out if the Industry you are researching has an association in Australia or to look for associations that are in your target market groups. For overseas industries, try Passport GMID, or search the Internet for one.(eg Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries )
Specific Industry Directories;
eg Black and White Data Book on the Australian Motor Industry
eg Retail World 's Australasian Grocery Guide
and more, check the Library Search
Statistics
Some statistics on Australian industries and markets can be found from the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) see the Topics @ a glance page and also the current Yearbook.
International statistics can be found in Passport GMID.
see also the Statistics Subject Starter Guide.
Company information
Company information is a key component of your research, see the Subject Starter Guide on Companies.
Industry and market overviews and swot analyses
Industry overviews are a ready made source of information. One example of a source of these are the IBISWorld Industry Market Research Reports. Swinburne subcribes to approximately 100 Australian industry reports through IBISWorld.
The complete database of IBIS industry reports can be viewed (in person, no printing or downloading) at one of the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development Business Centres.
PassportGMID also has industry overviews
You can browse a list of Industry Profiles for different countries in Business Source Complete, also.
Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry
includes links to state based, industry based and bilateral business councils, and industry associations.
VECCI Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce Economics and Research page
Australian Industry Group
represents employers in manufacturing, construction, automotive, telecommunications, IT, transport, labour hire and other industries
AcNielsen polls and reports. Reports about Australain and global consumer market trends.
International Market Research by Industry from New Zealand's Trade and Enterprise division
Government information
Government information is an important component of industry research. Try to think of the regulatory bodies that might be involved in helping or limiting your industry. There will be many different sources for government information, here are a few starting points below..
ABARE Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Australian Communications and Media Authority
The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE)
AusIndustry
Business Victoria
The Productivity Commission
Australian Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
AusTrade Industry and Country Information Market Research not just facts and figures this is an export focused "how to" guide from AusTradeIntellectual Property
Subject Starter guide on Patents
Publications from IP Australia. These free publiations will introduce you to basic intellectual property (IP) concepts.
Rankings and Ratios
- Finanalysis contains financial ratios for Australian listed companies and MINT Global contains ratios for international companies. You can find industry ratios in IBISWorld Industry Market Research Reports and Datamonitor reports (Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost).
- Rankings and supplements is a service produced by the McLennan staff at Melbourne Business School. It tracks thousands of rankings and special supplements conducted by firms such as KPMG and Fortune, as well as advertising and survey agencies.