The study of emerging industries: Recognizing and responding to some central problems

The emergence of new industries is an important phenomenon that remains relatively neglected by researchers. We address several theoretical and methodological problems that impede the study of emerging industries. In doing so, we propose that historical archives represent a critical and under-utilized research resource. More generally, we contend that advancing the study of emerging industries will require scholars to develop several distinct categories of research, to make more extensive use of qualitative and historical data, to collaborate across traditional boundaries of domain and method and to engage key practitioners, including professional archivists and institutional entrepreneurs.