Skip to Main Content

Working with Industry 101

Resources for researching potential industry partnerships.

Working with Industry

Use the navigation menu on the left side of the screen to access the various sections of this guide.

As you reach out to potential industry partners, finding a good fit is part of the process. The resources on this library guide provide information to help you learn more about industries that relate to your research or innovation. This guide might also help you research specific information about the companies you want to partner with, including:

  • their values and mission
  • location and size
  • profitability and financials
  • research areas and degreed positions
  • alumni and relationships with academia

Company Basics: Public, Private, and Subsidiaries

When researching a company, it is important to know whether it is public, private or a subsidiary of a larger company.

Public companies sell shares of the company (stocks) to the general public, and are required to submit financial information and annual reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Public companies are generally easier to research as more public information is available.

Private companies do not sell publicly traded stocks and as a result, are not required to share as much information.  If a company name search in Nexis Uni Company Dossier does not provide any results, the company is almost certainly private.

Subsidiaries of public companies can be difficult to research because the parent company is not required to report on each of them individually. When researching a subsidiary, read carefully through reports about the parent company and look for references and information relevant to the subsidiary.

Database Tutorials

WSU Libraries, PO Box 645610, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-5610, 509-335-9671, Contact Us