Understanding Your Economy
A good overview of the techniques available to analyze local economic conditions and how they are implemented can be found in: McLean, Mary L. and Voytek, Kenneth P. Understanding Your Economy. 1992. Planners Press, Chicago, IL.

The State and Local Policy Program, The Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Provides a framework for identifying the key industries in an area's economy, identifies data sources and techniques for identifying key industries and clusters, and presents examples of areas where industry cluster strategies have been implemented.
http://www.dca.state.ga.us/OITDSShared/asp/NavDisclaimer.asp?Leaving=GQGP&GoToURL=http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/slp/economic_development/index.htm

Appendix 2-7: Sector Analysis
Contains a discussion of how ten economic sectors were evaluated for potential clusters including data sources, how to interpret and use the results, and how each sector differs in economic interactions.
http://www.dca.state.ga.us/intra_nonpub/Toolkit/Guides/sectoranalysis_apndix.pdf

Broome County Plan for Sustainable Economic Development
This PDF document contains a project plan, including the project components, participants and collaborators, and timeline for what they call a “sustainable economic development strategy” developed for Broome County, NY. The document was prepared as a presentation for the stakeholders identified as a first step in the process.
http://www.dca.state.ga.us/OITDSShared/asp/NavDisclaimer.asp?Leaving=GQGP&GoToURL=www.angeloueconomics.com/bc/A_Guide_for_Stakeholders.pdf

Literature Review of Cluster Analysis
A literature review, which includes reviews of qualitative works, such as those provided by Michael Porter, as well as quantitative discussions of the theory behind cluster formation and success, such as Hill and Brenen’s A Methodology for Identifying the Drivers of Industrial Clusters: The Foundations of Regional Competitive Advantage.
http://www.dca.state.ga.us/OITDSShared/asp/NavDisclaimer.asp?Leaving=GQGP&GoToURL=http://www.ncsmartfinder.com/focuscleveland/focus%20cleveland/CGC%20Tech.Report-Appendices/Target%20Industry%20study/Appendix%20A/Appendix%20A%20Literature%20Review%20of%20Cluster%20Analysis%20.htm

Advantages and Disadvantages of Targeting Industry Clusters
Contains a discussion of the different types of industry clusters, the advantages and disadvantages of industry cluster analysis, and how these advantages and disadvantages might affect regional industrial development policy.
http://www.dca.state.ga.us/OITDSShared/asp/NavDisclaimer.asp?Leaving=GQGP&GoToURL=www.hogllc.com/library_materials/EHN-Cluster_pro_cons_clemson_2001.pdf

Rural Knowledge Clusters: The Challenge of Rural Economic Prosperity
This is a guide focusing on rural knowledge clusters including how the cluster approach might be applied to rural settings, the evidence supporting the existence of rural knowledge clusters and three examples of such clusters in Minnesota.
http://www.dca.state.ga.us/OITDSShared/asp/NavDisclaimer.asp?Leaving=GQGP&GoToURL=http://12.39.209.165/xp/EDAPublic/PDF/U.Minn.Lit.Rev3.pdf

Cluster Based Economic Development: A Key to Regional Competitiveness
A guide specific for cluster-based analysis including a discussion of the infrastructure crucial to cluster development, how to decided if cluster-based approaches are appropriate to your situation, the stages of cluster-based strategy development, and lessons learned from cluster-based strategies is found at:
http://www.dca.state.ga.us/OITDSShared/asp/NavDisclaimer.asp?Leaving=GQGP&GoToURL=http://12.39.209.165/xp/EDAPublic/PDF/1g3_5_cluster.pdf

Alaska - An economic base analysis was conducted for Anchorage, Alaska. The analysis includes population and demographic trends, employment and wages, labor force and unemployment, top employers, economic performance, foreign direct investment, trade, and intellectual and innovative capacity. (To view the study, see "more information.")

Louisiana - A January, 2003 draft report on St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, includes an economic base analysis focusing on various demographic measures. The report includes commuting patterns, sources of wages, employment and unemployment patterns over time, business formation (including “gazelles”, i.e., small businesses with growth potential) location quotients, and technology resources. (To view the study, see "more information.")

Nevada - The University of Nevada at Reno conducted a study for Eureka County in 2001. The study uses local and regional growth rates to identify likely new branch plants, data on commodity imports, industry desirability factors and cluster analysis applied to rural areas to identify industry targets. (To view the study, see "more information.")

New York - An industry targeting strategy for Broome County, New York, includes recommendations for growing specific high impact industries within the region. To identify the target industries best suited for the county, the consulting team looked at the community from a variety of angles, including demographics, available infrastructure, state and local incentives, and current industry composition. Comparisons with other similarly-sized regions were also done. The approach uses such tools as location quotients, shift-share analysis, and cluster analysis to arrive at its conclusions. (To view the study, see "more information.")

North Carolina - In 2001 a cluster analysis demonstrating the use of location quotients was conducted in Guilford County, North Carolina. The central purpose of the analysis was to identify existing and emerging industry clusters that hold the most promise to “drive” quality economic growth in the county. This analysis took into account the county's inherent strengths and assets, and its competitive position within the larger economic region of which it is a part. (To view the study, see "more information.")