A survey of SIC code searchable databases on Dialog

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes are a type of controlled vocabulary used by business searchers when searching for corporate and industry data. Two four‐digit versions of the SIC coding scheme are used on business databases available through Dialog. Some Dialog database producers have opted to create a variation of the codes for use in their products. With the impending eight‐digit SIC coding scheme from Dun and Bradstreet, it will become increasingly difficult for the Dialog searcher to know which version of the codes to use when searching a particular database. A survey of the use of SIC codes in business databases on Dialog was undertaken. This paper presents the findings of this survey.