JCU - Economics Guide

Introduction | Defining your topic | Locating information about the topic | Tropicat | Journal articles | Journal indexes and abstracts | Electronic databases | Finding statistics | Theses & Style Guide

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Introduction

This guide is designed to help you access information about the theory and practice of economics and related areas of interest. It is not a comprehensive guide to the collection, nor is it intended to recommend selected resources over others; you will need to use the Library's catalogue, Tropicat, to locate other relevant materials.

Items listed in this guide may be found in the Reference Collection: location prefix R. Call numbers not prefixed are held in the general collection. Periodicals, regardless of collection location, carry P designations after their call numbers: P1, P2 and so forth.

Defining your topic

Before commencing a search for information it is advisable to fully understand the area of research. Definitions, explanations and synonymous terms can be found in specialised dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauruses held in the Reference Collection. Useful items may include:

Becroft, J. (1989). Australian economics dictionary for students. Collingwood, Vic.: VCTA Publishing.
TSV CNS R 330.03 BEC

Carew, E. & Carew, E. (Eds.). (1996). The language of money 3. (Rev.ed.). Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
TSV CNS R 332.403 CAR 1996

Eatwell, J. (Ed.). (1987). The new Palgrave : a dictionary of economics. (4 vols.). London: Macmillan.
TSV R 330.03 PAL 1987

Noble, C.E. (1995). Australian economic terms. (5th ed.). Melbourne: Longman.
TSV CNS R 330.03 NOB 1995

Stanton, R. & Launder, B. (1998). The essential dictionary of economics. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.
TSV CNS R 330.03 STA

The Penguin Macquarie dictionary of economics & finance : A Penguin Australia reference book. (1988). Ringwood, Vic: Penguin.
TSV R 330.03 PEN

Reuters Ltd. (1989). Reuters glossary: International economic & financial terms. Harlow: Longman.
TSV R 330.03 REU

Locating Information about the Topic

In many cases, information for economics is of the basic "facts and figures" type: for example, the biographical details of an influential economist, or the economic profile of a particular country or industry. Many reference sources may be utilised in searches for information of this nature. Examples include:

Blaug, M. & Sturges, P. (Eds.). (1983). Who's who in economics: A biographical dictionary of major economists 1700-1981. Brighton: Wheatsheaf.
TSV R 330.092 WHO

Jobson's year book of public companies. (1968-). Sydney: Dun & Bradstreet.
TSV Online R 332.60994 P2

Kompass Australia. (1996). Prahan, Vic.: P. Isaacson.
TSV R 380.0994 P1

Finding more using Tropicat

Journal Articles

Comprehensive enquiries will almost certainly require researchers to consult journal articles. Journal publications offer up-to-date information, research findings and detailed examinations of topics. Individual journal articles are not listed in Tropicat, but journal titles are recorded in the catalogue.

To find individual journal articles you will need to consult appropriate journal indexing and abstracting publications.

Please note, terms such as "periodical", "journal", "serial" and "magazine" are all synonymous.

Journal Indexes and Abstracts

With the great number of economics related journals in publication it is impossible to review them all for relevant information. Articles may be found by using appropriate journal indexes and abstracts. Details are commonly indexed according to subject and author.

Examples in the area of economics include:

American Economic Association. (1963- ). The journal of economic literature. Nashville, Tenn.: American Economic Association.
TSV R 330 P23

International Association of Agricultural Economics and Commonwealth Bureau of Agricultural Economics (Great Britian). (1959- ). World agricultural economics and rural sociology abstracts. Oxford: Commonwealth Bureau of Agricultural Economics.
TSV R 338.1 P17

CD-ROM

The Library's CD-ROM service is free and operates from InfoHelp on a self-service basis.

ABI/INFORM (1971 - 1997) TSV
International business database, including limited economic and company information.

CAB Abstracts (1984 - 1997) TSV
The world's leading agricultural research database. CAB covers many topics, including agricultural economics and tourism.

CLIB01 (2001) TSV CNS
Community profiles and matrixes from the 1996 Census of Poplulation and Housing.

EconLit (1969 - 2002) TSV
Citations with selected abstracts of the world's economic literature compiled from the American Economic Association's Journal of Economic Literature.

Electronic Database Services

Some journal indexing services are available as remote computer files accessed via the Internet. Some services also provide the full text of a range of journals, in addition to the abstract.

Access to these services is available on the Web through the Library's Resources page. Some services require passwords which can be obtained from InfoHelp on presentation of your student card.

EconLit provides citations and abstracts of worldwide economic literature from 1969 onwards.
ABI/Inform Global is a business and management database including many full text articles.
The ABS AusStats Service provide useful Australian economic and financial data.
Expanded Academic ASAP on InfoTrac provides many full text articles on all aspects of business.
Emerald Fulltext provides access to MCB business and management journals.
CAB Direct covers agricultural economics and tourism.
FirstSearch provides access to several databases in business and economics.
Informit Online includes a number of useful Australian databases on economics and taxation.

The Faculty Librarian also maintains a number of links to WWW economic sites at http://www.library.jcu.edu.au/Subject_Guides/Fac2/NetResources/economics.shtml.

Finding Statistics

Timely and relevant statistical information is often an important element of economics research. Most authoritative statistical information in Australia is collected and disseminated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). These statistics may be found by consulting:

Catalogue of Publications and Products. (1967+). Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics.
TSV CNS Online R 319.4 P1 (ABS Cat. No. 1101.0)

Year Book Australia. (1901+). Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics.
TSV CNS R 319.4 P1 (ABS Cat. No. 1301.0)

Queensland Year Book. (1901+). Brisbane: Australian Bureau of Statistics.
TSV CNS R 319.4 P1 (ABS Cat. No. 1301.3)

Current issues of the ABS catalogue and yearbooks are located in the Reference Collection. Prior issues may be found at their appropriate ABS Cat. No. in 319.4 P1.

International economic and social statistics can be found in a wide variety of sources, including publications of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the OECD:

International Labour Office. (1975-). Year book of labour statistics. Geneva: International Labor Office.
TSV R 331.0212 P1

International Monetary Fund. (1977-). Government finance statistics yearbook. Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund.
TSV CNS 354.1825 P1

OECD. (1963- ). OECD economic surveys. Paris: OECD.
TSV 330.94 P3

United Nations. Statistical Office. (1948-). Statistical yearbook. New York: United Nations.
TSV R 310 P2

Statistical sources can also be located by selecting Keywords from subject headings from the Tropicat menu and typing relevant words and phrases. For example: Labour statistics periodicals

There is also a Library Guide, Finding Information in Statistics. For further assistance with statistical research please enquire at the InfoHelp desk.

Theses & Style Guide

If this information is inadequate, incorrect, or can be improved in any way, please let us know