Electronic resources . . .

Plunkett Research Online
Access: Trexler Library Home Page (http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/) > Articles A to Z.
Contains reports of major changes at the industry level.

Business Source Elite
Access: Trexler Library Home Page (http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/) > Articles A to Z.
Contains the full text of trade journals and other business periodicals. Known for its subject indexing.

Simmons National Consumer Survey CD-ROM
NOTE : This is a CD-ROM, not online. To search, visit the Reference Desk in Trexler Library
Offers marketing data based on a semi-annual consumer survey of some 30,000 American consumers. The database allows cross-tabulation of demographic data with product lines and brand names.

A note on industry classification. . .

The U.S. government has created an industry classification system to help identify what it is that companies do, called the Standard Industry Classification (SIC). The Standard Industrial Classification is full described at Standard Industry Classification Search (http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html). A newer system called the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) now supplements the SIC. For more information on this newer system, visit the U.S. Census Bureau's NAICS page (http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html).

Many business information databases use this system to organize their information, allowing the user to more easily compare like companies. For example, both the Business Source Elite database employs both SIC and NAICS codes.