Reference at Newman Library

Updating Reports in IBISWorld

Because a student asked for an IBISWorld report we couldn’t find, I called our rep to ask about their updating and retention policy.  Industry reports in the U.S. Core collection are updated from two to four times a year depending on the volatility of the industry.  Changes in the industry environment or new government regulations will prompt an update.  Special “one off” reports or reports on new emerging industries are covered in the U.S. Special collection and these  reports are only updated by client request. If they are not actively used, these reports are taken down after 18 months. At Baruch we have access to both the U.S. Core and U.S. Special collections and the IBISWorld Global reports.

BPL5100 – Business Policy

Harry and I have met with several of the first summer session BPL5100 sections. Here is a list of some of the industries that have been assigned for the team presentations:

  • Beer
  • Biotechnology
  • Coal
  • Electric Utilities
  • Funeral Homes
  • Gaming
  • Life Insurance
  • Lodging
  • Pharmaceuticals
  •  Pipelines
  • Railroads
  • Toys and Games
  • Waste Management

Most of these industries are covered in the Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys. Others like toys and the funeral home industry can be found in Ibisworld. (Our trial runs through the end of the month.)  Government websites are good for coal and railroads and electric utilities. The Oil & Gas Journal is the key source for the pipelines industry.

Students need to include both a SWOT analysis and a Porter analysis in their presentations. Several of the classes have been encouraged to recommend international companies for investment. You should be seeing many of these students at the reference desk as the presentations are due the week of June 27th.