Professor Ahmed - Fall 2008

This library guide contains information on:

1. The Literature Review
2. The Data Search
3. Select Household Behavior Resources

The Literature Review

See the subject guide Economics: Literature for general guidance on using both the professional literature and newspapers and trade publications for your literature search.

Guidance for searching EconLit
Tips for making the most of your search in this key index of Economic scholarly literature.

Some of the JEL subject descriptors of particular use to this seminar are:

• D-Microeconomics
• H-Public Economics
• I-Health, Education, and Welfare
• J-Labor and Demographic Economics
• R-Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
  

Remember that both searching and browsing are worthwhile strategies. Spend some time with keywords and some time browsing the contents of specific journals or articles assigned specific subject headings.

Most Important Indexes to Journal Literature:

• EconLit
• Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science)

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The Data Search

• Where to Start
• Data Archives and Catalogs
• Guides to Finding Data (search across multiple sites)
• Government Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations
• International Data

Where to Start

Take cues from the literature you already have for possible data sources. Early on, search the following resources, which will either lead you directly to data or will give you vital information about who collects the type of data you need.

Statistical Abstract of the United States
This compendia of statistics produced by the U.S. government contains basic tables summarizing the vast amount of data collected by the government. Find a table here that is related to your topic and follow the cited source to identify which agency collects the data you need. Also available in print in the Ready Reference collection at C 3.134: 2007.

Lexis-Nexis Statistical
Search summaries of statistical publications, then link to the full-text of selected publications on Statistical Universe and government Web sites. This comprehensive database includes the three major statistical indexes (American Statistics Index, Statistical Reference Index, and Index to International Statistics).

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Data Archives and Data Catalogs

**ICPSR
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), located within the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization serving member colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. ICPSR provides: access to the world's largest archive of computerized social science data, training facilities for the study of quantitative social analysis techniques, and resources for social scientists using advanced computer technologies.

UK Data Archive
A large collection of digital data in the social sciences and humanities, this national archive collects, preserves, and disseminates several thousand datasets to researchers. Though Carleton does not have a subscription to access their data, their online catalog is an excellent way to search for existing data.

Data and Program Library Service
This data library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has a searchable catalog of data as well as a browsable archive of locally collected data.

Data Archives
This page from the web site "Political Science Resources" lists links to major international data archives.

See also Data on the Net (below) for links to data libraries and archives that can be searched on the web.

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Web Guides to Data

Data on the Net
From the University of California, San Diego's searchable listing of 850 Internet sites of numeric Social Science statistical data, data catalogs, data libraries, social science gateways, addresses and more.

Economic Data Sources from the Data and Program Library Service
An annotated list of links to data-related web sites. Go to the main Internet Crossroads page and search all 720 annotated links.

Economic Growth Resources
Lots of information here, includes links to data sets available on the Internet, over the WWW or by anonymous FTP.

RFE - Resources for Economists on the Internet
A great place to begin; comprehensive.

WebEc - Data
Many data collection links from this major econ site; arrangement based generally on Journal of Economic Literature categories.

UMichigan's Statistical Resources on the Web
Comprehensive and highly recommended statistics site from the U. of Michigan Libraries-Documents Department. The Comprehensive Economics and the Foreign and International Economics sections are quite useful.

Econ Data & Links
From CAL State Fresno; current data.

Statistical Data Locators
Global coverage; links to regional IGO sites (very useful), private research databases, official statistical agencies; good for difficult to locate information; coverage for Asia is strongest; maintained by the Library of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. (Start with one of the links at the top - page looks empty at first but don't be fooled).

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Government Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations
International Data

Government agencies and nonprofits are often the most exhaustive and credible sources of data for your research. International data is collected and published by government and intergovernmental organizations. Refer to the Economics: Statistics and Data Research Guide for resource recommendations.

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Select Household Behavior Resources on the Web

Consumer Expenditure Surveys
Each year the government surveys U.S. residents on their consumption of goods and services.  Access current data and historical (to 1984) from this website.

Handbook of Population & Family Economics; ed. Mark R. Rosenzweig and Oded Stark
Use these essays on household economics to identify possible avenues for further research.

Microeconomics - Intute: Social Sciences
A collection of links relevant to household behavior including websites providing articles, market research reports, and datasets.

Pew Internet & American Life Project
Reports, presentations, and datasets on how Americans use the Internet.

Time Use Survey home page
The BLS annual survey of how Americans spend their time. Includes links to international time use surveys.

U.S. Census Population & Household Topics
Collection of Census links specifically about people and households.

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