Guides: Industry Research: Home

Statement on the Educational Use of Databases

The use of McGill Library's professional business databases is limited to academic purposes. These databases are not to be used on behalf of external organizations or for commercial reasons.

Students completing internships may not access resources and reports on behalf of their employers.

Please refer to the McGill Library policy on electronic resources or to the licensing and conditions of use for further information.

Welcome

Welcome to the Industry and Consumer Research guide. Here you will find information on the resources available to you as a McGill Student to help in your business research.

Accessing Resources Off-Campus

Accessing Online Resources from the McGill Library
» with the EZProxy : use your email address and password
» with the VPN : download, install and activate (with McGill email address and password)

VPN Download

Cisco Secure Client
(Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android)

Start with Industry and Consumer Databases

IBISWorld
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Reports contain industry performance, competitors, competitive landscape, product and market information. Canada and US.
MarketLine Advantage
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Reports contain market segmentation, market outlook, and five forces analysis. International.
Passport
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Focus on consumer goods & services. Background, competitive environment, market shares, industry data, outlook and more. Has related company reports. International
License information can be found here: License Terms of Use
Mintel Academic
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Focus on consumer goods & services. Industry and market reports and trends, branding, and consumer information. Canada and US.
ABI/INFORM Collection (ProQuest)
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Comprehensive database of articles from key trade publications, scholarly journals, conference proceedings, market reports, etc.
Business Source Complete
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Comprehensive database of articles from scholarly and trade journals, working papers, as well as market reports and industry reports.
eMarketer
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eMarketer is a database that provides reports related to e-business in multiple industries. You can find articles, trend reports, and statistics.

Search for industry information within these other sources

Financial Performance Tool
Composite financial data, ratios, margin for small business (between 30K and 5 million in total annual revenues). Useful for determining costs in a given industry. Organized by NAICS (North American Industry Classification)

Gartner
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Platform for technology research publications and consultation services. McGill subscription contains access to research reports on knowledge and insight on IT trends, best practices, digital strategy, and governance and policy development.

Market Share Reporter
Presents market share data on over four thousand companies, and 2,500 products, facilities, and brands.
Search by either keyword or subject. Use Advanced Search to search by NAICS industry code.

Conference Board of Canada e-library
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Reports on 16 Canadian industries including mining, oil and gas, furniture, motor vehicles, food retail, wood products, paper products, computer systems, telecommunications.
Mergent Online
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Industry reports on 25 broad industries (ex, banking, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, retail, etc…). Click on Industry Reports tab, then select the industry you are interested in. International.
SimplyAnalytics (formerly SimplyMap)
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5 simultaneous users
Statista
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Business-related statistics from a wide range of sources. (International)
CB Insights
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Venture capital database of startups and private companies. Includes brief company description, financing details, and board members.
VPN for off-campus access. You will also need to create an account using your McGill email address.
Vividata
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A source of print and digital audience data for magazines and newspapers. Vividata is the amalgamated organization of media measurement bodies NADbank and PMB.

Industry News and Analysis

In cases where industry reports are not available, you will need to carry out your own research, bringing together articles or news items that provide you with information on the industry you are interested in.

For a list of the key databases to search for articles and news, see the Articles and News guide.

Industry Classification Codes

Industry classification codes are a numerical method of assigning companies to a category based on their business activities. In North America, we primarily use NAICS (North American Industry Classification System), a 6-digit code to categorize which industries a company is a part of.

You can use NAICS codes in many of our business databases to find reports, articles, and other valuable information. Visit the links below for more information on how to find a code.

NAICS Code Search
Search for the NAICS code for your industry by keyword.
NAICS Canada 2017
Official listing of the NAICS codes used by the Canadian government agencies.
SIC Code Search
Search for the SIC code for your industry by keyword.

Industry Research

Liaison Librarian for Management and Business