English 202C

Internet Resource Guide for Economics Majors

Harry Levin February 9, 2014

Table of Contents
1 Front Matter 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 What is in the Guide Who this Guide is for What this Guide Assumes Organization of this Guide Tips for Using this Guide 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

2 General Websites 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Penn State Department of Economics Home Page The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics American Economic Association The National Board of Economic Research

3 Resources for Research Information 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 EconLit Catalog of U.S Government Publications Statistical Abstract of the U.S. The Journal of Sports Economics

1.1 What is in the Guide

Contained in this guide are various resources that are related to undergraduate economics. While most of the available literature for economics exists on a professional level, this guide makes sure to focus on resources specific to the needs of undergraduate students. Certain resources are dedicated to helping explain basic concepts to new students, while others have information on options to pursue after earning a degree. There is also information regarding professional papers and academic journals in the field of economics. Furthermore, some resources provide the ability to access ongoing economic research as well as information on government studies in the field.

1.2 Who this Guide is for

This guide was intended primarily for use by current Penn State University undergraduate students who are pursuing a major in economics or thinking about majoring the field. It also contains information pertinent to prospective students, specifically surrounding the academic requirements of entering the college. Additionally, this guide contains resources that are useful for freshmen who are just learning new economic terms and trying to keep track of them all, as well as resources that are useful to seniors writing long economic analyses. Also, certain sources listed are beneficial to students looking for information on what to do with an economics degree after graduating college.

1.3 What this Guide Assumes

First and foremost, this guide assumes that the reader is familiar with computers and has access to the internet. The resources listed here were compiled to help aid undergraduate students in the pursuit of an education in economics. It will not, however, provide that education. This guide assumes that you have a will to learn, specifically with an interest in economics. While the majority of the resources in here assume an undergraduate level of understanding, there are a few that contain more basic information, as well as others that require a more formidable grasp of economics. Students who have never study economics can introduce themselves to the field by using the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics, while more advanced students will be able to thoroughly explore EconLit or the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. Additionally, the guide assumes that the reader is a Penn State student or prospective student as there are multiple resources that would require an additional fee to access if not enrolled here.

1.4 Organization of this Guide

The guide is most basically organized in a manner which proceeds from most general to most specific. The resources are broken down into two distinct categories, General Websites and Resources for Research Information. The former contains information for the Penn State Economics program as well as sites that provide explanations on topics in the field. Furthermore, it contains resources which have updated information on current economic subjects of interest. The Resources for Research Information section includes databases and websites which can be used to conduct in depth research. Finally, it provides information on peer-reviewed journals and academic research on certain topics in the field.

1.5 Tips for Using this Guide

There are a few pieces of information that will be very useful to know before getting in to the body section of this guide. Keep these in mind while navigating the guide in order to use it as efficiently as possible. Make sure to use the Table of Contents. The material was arranged in a specific order and proper use of the Table of Contents will allow for the most efficient use of the guide as possible. Pay attention to the location of each resource. There are certain resources that can only be accessed via the Penn State Libraries website or with your PSUid. Read the tips provided at the bottom of each resource. Similar to the tips we have provided here, the ones listed after each entry contains information regarding how to most efficiently use the individual resource.

2 General Websites
Contained in this section are four websites that will be very useful to students studying economics. The first site provides specific information regarding the economics programs offered at Penn State. The second is a resource which provides explanations of basic economic terms as well as different theories and markets of interest. The third is a professional association which offers information on career opportunities as well as graduate study programs. Finally, the fourth website provides information on the most up to date research in the field.

2.1 Penn State Department of Economics Home Page

Website
Location and Availability Home Page: http://econ.la.psu.edu Undergraduate Page: http://econ.la.psu.edu/undergraduate/index.html Honors Program Page: http://econ.la.psu.edu/~dshapiro/Honors/ Description The home page for Penn States Department of Economics contains links and information for people ranging from prospective students, to graduate students, and even alumni. The links also provide access to working papers within the department as well as details about on-campus seminars hosted by faculty members in Kern building. Clicking on the Undergraduate tab takes you to the home page for current undergraduate economics students at Penn State. The home page provides a basic overview of the program and the departments goals, while links along the left side of the page can take the student to view academic plans, information about minors, or even tips for students preparing to apply for a graduate program in economics. Tips All students in the College of Liberal Arts must fulfill an additional requirement of three classes in Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts and one in Math and Sciences. Access to the list of accepted classes can be found on the left hand side of the Undergraduate page. Bookmarking the website will allow for quick access when looking at which courses are required for the major, as well as recommended academic plans, in order to schedule classes as quickly and efficiently as possible.

2.2 The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics

Website
Location and Availability http://www.econlib.org/library/CEE.html Available for free online. Description The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics is a resource provided by the organization the Library of Economics and Liberty. The encyclopedia contains both definitions and explanation of key economic terms and ideas. The search function allows you to locate the exact concept you wish to learn more about, while the home page offers featured topics and authors, as well as a recommended biography of a famous economist. The encyclopedia search bar is located on the home page directly above the featured articles; however this is not to be confused with the search bar that uses the entire Library of Economics and Liberty database as opposed to just the encyclopedia. Along the left side of the page are links to appendices, indices, and options to browse the entire encyclopedia catalog by title, author, or category. Tips When using the search function to look up information on a term you may be unfamiliar with, be sure to have the search settings set to Encyclopedia Only as well as Articles and Biographies for the best possible results. Use the Index section on the left to figure out all of the terms your topic may be associated with. For example, Labor Market is associated with Demand, Elasticity, Supply, and Unemployment. For more helpful tips that may have been left out be sure to look at the Frequently Asked Questions section.

2.3 The American Economic Association

Website
Location and Availability http://www.aeaweb.org/ Webcasts, news articles, and featured papers are free. To access the database and the journal, or to get members only access, you must pay to register a membership. Description The American Economic Association is a non-profit scholarly organization dedicated to the study of economics. The association publishes the American Economic Review, one of the best respected academic journals in its field. On the website, you can find featured articles from each month issue of the review. In addition, they have in depth webcast seminars and discussion on current issues in the field. On the right hand side of the screen is a link to each chapter of the current issue of the journal. Each month the AEA focuses on two fields of economics for their journal, such as micro/macroeconomics, applied economics, or fiscal policy. While the article in its entirety is not available without full membership, you still have access to the abstract and bibliographies, giving an outline of the article as well as sources used. Tips On the right hand side, above the current issues of the journal, is a link to search. Clicking on the link brings up an in-depth search which allows you to narrow your search by field, issue, or year. For undergraduate students expecting to graduate soon and graduates looking for work in the field of economics, make sure to explore the Job Openings in Economics (JOE) section located on the left side of the page.

2.4 The National Board of Economic Research

Website
Location and Availability http://www.nber.org Using computers provided by the Penn State Library System, you can access all of the databases and working papers offered by the NBER. However, from home, you can only read the abstracts of the papers. Description The National Bureau of Economic Research is a private, non-profit research organization dedicated to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research in a scientific manner. The NBER conducts research in a wide variety of fields, including but not limited to Corporate Finance, Economics of Education, Law and Economics, and Monetary Policy. Located on the home page are their most recent publications articles on current events in economics are updated almost daily on topics such as the Economic Effects of the Affordable Care Act. The left side of the page contains links to current working papers and publications published by the NBER, as well as any databases they have created or utilized in conducting their research. Under the Activities tab on the left hand side, are many specific fields of study that fall under the category of economics. These provide links to more research specific to your area of study, such as Environmental Economics, Asset Pricing, and International trade. In addition to these links, the NBER provides information about past and future meetings of NBER members, as well as summaries of what was covered at the convention. Tips Use the Activities tab on the left hand side of the page to pull up each of the 19 major field of research that the NBER conducts. From here you can search through databases and publications by subject matter.

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3 Resources for Research Information

In this section, you can find another four resources, these four geared towards aiding you in any research you might have to complete during your undergraduate career. The first is an index you can access through the Penn State library system that allows you to view much of the literature in your field. The second two are both government websites which provide information on a great deal of subjects, not just economics. Finally, there is a peer-reviewed economic journal specific to the emerging field of sports economics, with a lot of interesting articles and research.

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3.1 EconLit
Electronic Database
Location and Availablity http:// http://www.aeaweb.org/econlit/index.php Free through the Penn State Library

Go to libraries.psu.edu Under the Research tab click on Databases Once on the databases page you can scroll down or search for EconLit Clicking the resulting link takes you to database search page

Description The EconLit electronic database is an academic literature database published by the American Economic Association. EconLit is a comprehensive index of journal articles, books, working papers and dissertations. Students get access to the full text of each of these resources, as well as a detailed abstract and bibliography for further reading and research. You can search by keyword, author, or title of the article for publications in the field of economics ranging from the years 1889-2014. The EconLit database can be a huge asset when doing research, writing papers, or trying to keep up to date with the most current breakthroughs in the field. Tips When using the search function on the EconLit website, you can choose which publication type you would like to search by as well as what geographical area the document focuses on. In order to make sure youll be able to read the entire article, make sure to click on the Full Text Only button before searching. Using the multiple boxes in the search bar, you can search for the year of an article in one, the keyword of the article in another box, and the author in a third to help narrow your results.

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3.2 Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

Government Database
Location and Availability http://catalog.gpo.gov/F Available for free online Description The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) allows you to search through over 500,000 federal publications, including links to online articles in your field of research. You can conduct searches by using the title or author of the publication, or simply by searching for a keyword. In addition to searching for articles in various manners, the CGP allows you to search for documents by format and year as well, for those looking to limit their search to recent online publications. Searching for the term economic indicators brings up an interesting article titled Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Spells of Unemployment in 2004-2007. Unemployment is a major measure of the economic quality of a city, state, or country. This article breaks down unemployment rate by various social, economic, and racial factors to see if there is any correlation. For a student writing a thesis in economics, the CGP provides publications that can be very beneficial. Tips -

Remember to use quotations of specific phrases of words that belong together in the search. Use the Advanced Search option to narrow search by year, catalog, format, and even what language the publication is written in.

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3.3 Statistical Abstract of the U.S.

Government Database
Location and Availability http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ Available for free online. Description The Statistical Abstract of the United States is a comprehensive summary of the statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. The abstract can be used for both statistical reference and as a guide to find further information online and in print. The data is gathered from various branches of the government, as the abstract is almost all encompassing. On the left hand side of the website is a list of all the major categories of statistical research, each with addition subcategories listed as tabs if you click. On the right are links to some of the more popular statistics, as well as historical and local area statistics. At the top of the page, the abstract has a search bar which narrows your search by keyword in case you arent sure which field the data would be located in. Tips Use the Index A to Z in the top right hand corner of the page to access a full list of topics. For thorough economic data on the welfare of the country, go to the Data tab across the top of the page, and then scroll down to the Economic Census link in the dropdown menu.

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Journal of Sports Economics

Professional Journal
Location and Availability jse.sagepub.com available to Penn State students for free. Description SAGE Publications Journal of Sports Economics is a peer-reviewed journal that is published quarterly dedicated to showcasing scholarly research in the field of sports economics. The journal is available both in print and online; however, there are some articles that premier online prior to being released in a printed format. While there are certainly a large number of articles dedicated to the big four (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL), the Journal of Sports Economics also features reports on minor league athletics, college athletics, as well as international sports such as premier league soccer and cricket. In a rapidly growing field, the journal is the only publication dedicated solely to sports economics, and hopes to further research in the field by combining theoretical and empirical data into one all inclusive academic quarterly. Tips Try browsing through the issues to find a topic that grabs your attention, or use the search bar to search by sport, league, or author. If youre using the resource often, you can use the RSS (rich site summary) to get an up to date feed of the table of contents and new articles added to the journal.

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