Business Research Tips - Research Guides at California State University, Long Beach

SIC: Standard Industrial Classification (U.S. Department of Labor)
Last updated in 1987 and replaced by NAICS in 1997, SIC codes are 2-4 digit codes that define specific industries in North America.
NAICS: North American Industrial Classification System (U.S. Census Bureau)
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.

Try using one of the databases below to search for an industry by its NAICS code! For example, if you're researching the Coffee Shops industry, you would use the NAICS code 722515.

IBISWorld

This link opens in a new window

Step 1: Login to the database and locate the search bar.
Step 2: Enter the specific NAICS code for the industry you're interested in.
Step 3: Press Search
Step 4: Select a report from the search results list.

ABI/INFORM Complete

This link opens in a new window

Step 1: Login to the database and locate the search bar.
Step 2: Enter the specific NAICS code for the industry you're interested in.
Step 3: Change the field parameter in the dropdown menu adjacent to the search box from 'Anywhere' to 'NAICS Code - NAICS'.
Step 4: Press Search
Step 5: Select a report from the search results list.

Business Source Premier

This link opens in a new window

Step 1: Login to the database and locate the search bar.
Step 2: Enter the specific NAICS code for the industry you're interested in.
Step 3: Change the field parameter in the dropdown menu adjacent to the search box from 'Select a Field (optional)' to 'IC NAICS Code or Description'.
Step 4: Press Search
Step 5: Select a report from the search results list.

Recent Posts

How to find major companies in an industry

There are a number of databases you can use to find major companies in an industry. The information may vary from database-to-database because it comes from different sources.Search ABI/INFORM Complete ↗️This link opens in a new windowStep 1: Enter an industry name or NAICS code in the search box.Step 2: Scroll down the page to select 'Industry Report' from the 'Document type' menu.Step 3: Press Search. Industry reports retrieved by your search may include a list and/or discussion of major companies in the industry.Search Business Source Premier ↗️This link opens in a new windowThis link opens in a newStep 1: Enter an industry's name into a search box. Alternately, you can enter the industry's NAICS code into a search box and then use the drop-down menu next to the search box to change the selection from the default entry of 'Select a Field (optional)' to 'IC NAICS Code or Description'.Step 2: Next, scroll down the page to the Search Options section. In the 'Document Type' area, select 'Industry Overview'.Step 3: Industry overview reports contain a section that discusses major companies in the industry.Note: Your search results will be sorted by relevance by default, so you might want to click on the 'Relevance' link above your search results to change the sort order to 'Date Newest' instead so that you'll find the most recent overviews of your industry.Search IBISWorld ↗️This link opens in a new windowStep 1: Enter an industry's name in the search box.Step 2: The 'Major Companies' section of an industry report contains information about major companies in the industry (including their market share) and other notable companies in the industry.Search Mergent Online ↗️This link opens in a new windowThis link opens in a new windowStep 1: Click on the 'Industry analysis' tab toward the top of the database's home page.Step 2: Click on the 'Membership' link on the resulting page and then choose an industry from the list provided in order to see the leading companies in the industry.Note: Alternately, you can click on the 'Reports' link and then on the 'Industry' link and select an industry from the list provided in order to see a report that provides information about the leading companies in the industry....

How to use NAICS Codes

Every business and product is part of an industry, often identified by a specific industry code rather than just a name. These codes are standardized by the U.S. government through systems like the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). When exploring business databases, you can often search using these codes to get more accurate results. For the correct industry codes, refer to the SIC and NAICS sources provided.SIC: Standard Industrial Classification (U.S. Department of Labor)Last updated in 1987 and replaced by NAICS in 1997, SIC codes are 2-4 digit codes that define specific industries in North America.NAICS: North American Industrial Classification System (U.S. Census Bureau)The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.Try using one of the databases below to search for an industry by its NAICS code! For example, if you're researching the Coffee Shops industry, you would use the NAICS code 722515. IBISWorld This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowStep 1: Login to the database and locate the search bar.Step 2: Enter the specific NAICS code for the industry you're interested in.Step 3: Press SearchStep 4: Select a report from the search results list. ABI/INFORM Complete This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowStep 1: Login to the database and locate the search bar.Step 2: Enter the specific NAICS code for the industry you're interested in.Step 3: Change the field parameter in the dropdown menu adjacent to the search box from 'Anywhere' to 'NAICS Code - NAICS'.Step 4: Press SearchStep 5: Select a report from the search results list. Business Source Premier This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowStep 1: Login to the database and locate the search bar.Step 2: Enter the specific NAICS code for the industry you're interested in.Step 3: Change the field parameter in the dropdown menu adjacent to the search box from 'Select a Field (optional)' to 'IC NAICS Code or Description'.Step 4: Press SearchStep 5: Select a report from the search results list. ...

How to use NAICS Codes

Leave a comment