IBISWorld is an online resource that provides access to industry market research reports, company research reports, economic and demographic data and industry risk ratings (not included in academic subscriptions). For academic users, IBISWorld offers four subscription package options:
- 1.
Option 1. Industry Reports.
- 2.
Option 2. Industry and Company Reports.
- 3.
Option 3. Industry and Economic Reports.
- 4.
Option 4. Industry Reports, Company Reports and Economic Reports.
The strength of the resource is the Industry Reports which fill in a much needed gap in the business publishing arena because most other resources like Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage and Mergent Online, offer industry reports in broad categories and usually only include 30‐40 industries. Also, industry reports from other vendors also are not usually organized by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), whereas IBISWorld provides access to over 700 US industry reports classified using this system.
Most reports range from 25‐30 pages and are usually updated in four‐month intervals, depending on industry activity. Each is divided into eight sections, covering:
- 1.
key statistics;
- 2.
market characteristics;
- 3.
industry segmentation;
- 4.
industry conditions;
- 5.
key competitors and market share;
- 6.
performance analysis;
- 7.
key success factors; and
- 8.
five year forecasts and forecasts analysis.
The industry reports can be accessed through browsing by industry category or by using the search engine. The search engine allows the user to search by industry name, keyword and five digit NAICS code. Each report is available in MS Word or PDF.
The Company Research Report section is not as detailed as most other business publications, but does provide some useful information. This section contains 8,000 public company reports for domestic and international companies. The company reports provide information such as company contact information, list of personnel, annual and quarterly financials and business segments and NAICS code. The financials are provided by Hemscott. Each company report is cross‐indexed to the industry report and is available in MS Word. The user may search using the company name, ticker symbol, industry keyword and NAICS code. The user may also search by state and can browse using an A‐Z list.
The Economic and Demographic Data section provides useful information that includes world data, country resources, demographics, commodity prices and economic indicators. Each of these sections provides factors or “sensitivities” that may have an effect on an industry. For each factor or “sensitivity,” there is a link to industries that may be affected by this specific factor. These reports are available in MS Word and PDF.
The resource is very easy to use and the interface is well‐designed with a search box and tabs for navigating and browsing. Reports downloaded very quickly and no dead links were encountered. The search engine provided appropriate results very efficiently. Users can choose to search one specific section or the entire site. The interface also includes “footprints” so the user can easily return to previous sections. The resource includes a glossary of terms, but this is difficult to find.
One drawback to the design is a lack of help screens that could not be located by this reviewer even after a thorough search. There is a telephone number listed for assistance, but it is not a toll‐free number. A help screen would be an essential addition.
IBISWorld is an Australian company that has a good reputation in the business information arena, so the authority and quality of the reports are dependable. One issue with the resource is that the reports do not list or reference sources used during research and analysis.
However, in the FAQ section, the company states that “IBISWorld analysts use a variety of sources in their research ranging from government, company and industry association statistics, to company reports, surveys and personal contact. If you have questions on any of the data, please submit an inquiry your specific source question.”
As far as licensing is concerned, institutions sign a twelve month license and are allowed unlimited access. The license forbids external distribution of the reports.
In the final analysis this resource is highly recommended for universities and colleges. It fills a huge void in industry research and provides quality information.
