Economic Research Guide

The term economics refers to the broad social science concerned with the description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Since this area of knowledge covers a wide variety of information sources, this research guide is necessarily broad and inclusive. 

Guide Contents
Print Sources in the Library

Reference Sources

Circulating Books--Recent Publication

Circulating Books--Historic Information

Sources on Economic Data, Statistics, and Reports
American Salaries and Wages Survey

Earnings and Employment Data

Guide to Economic Indicators

Handbook of Common Stocks

Lexis Nexis Corporate Affiliations 8 vols.

Privatization

Wards Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies

Online Databases (Journal, Magazine, Newspaper, and Government Publications)
ABI Inform

Academic Search Premier

Business Source Elite

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

Expanded Academic ASAP

SIRS Researcher

Web Directories
about.com Economics: Includes a glossary and a guide for beginners.

WWW Virtual Library: WebEc categorizes free information in economics on the WWW.

Web Sites
BusinessWeek.com: Business technology news.

Consumer Price Index for the Chicago Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area: Measures the average change over time in the prices paid by Chicago consumers.

EconData: 1,000 links to socioeconomic data resources, arranged by subject and provider.

Economic Freedom of the World Report: Find out how countries around the world rank with regard to economic freedom. From the Fraser Institute, a Canadian public policy organization.

The Economic Policy Institute: The independent, non-partisan think tank provides "real world" information on living standards and wages, government and the economy, trade and globalization, education, and jobs, as well as a number of issue guides and tools.

Economic Report of the President: Written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, an overview of the nation's economic progress.

Economic Statistics Briefing Room: Current Federal economic indicators, focusing on employment, income, international, money, output, prices, production, and transportation.

EDUSTOCK: Educational web page explains the stock market.

FDIC State Profiles: Quarterly summary of state banking and economic conditions.

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

FRASER: Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research: Historical economic information, including banking statistics (1896-1955), banking and monetary statistics from 1914-1970, business cycle developments, and more.

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity: Numerous fact sheets on the Illinois economy.
The NBER: Private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, the National Bureau of  Economic Research, is dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works.

The President's Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2008

Social Watch: International citizens’ coalition monitoring implementation of world governments' commitments to eradicate poverty and achieve gender equity.

U.S. Consumer Priced Index:  "Monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services."

U.S. Economy at a Glance: From the U.S. Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The World Bank: 184-country member organization with the primary focus of helping the poorest people and nations.

The World Trade Organization (WTO): The only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. The site includes a section on Trade Statistics.