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Economics Research Guide

Welcome! This guide will point you to research resources for a variety of economics related topics.

New Macro Content added to Datastream Economics Database

The Economics database in Datastream now allows access to over 11 million series, 8 million of which are ‘live series’, and including over 300,000 series with forecasts from various sources. Below are the new content releases in 2018:

  1. Changes to Canadian Effective Exchange Rates in Economics

As of January 2018, The Bank of Canada has implemented a new measure for its effective exchange rates. A new Canadian Dollar Effective Exchange Rate Index, known as CEER measure, has been released, replacing the previously published index known as CERI. The CEER index covers the weighted average of exchange rates for the Canadian dollar against 17 currencies of the country’s major trading partners. The old CERI, on the other hand, included 6 currencies. As a result, 2 new monthly Key Indicators and 1 daily series covering the nominal and real CEER data were added to the Economics database. These replaced 1 monthly and 1 daily CERI series, which were discontinued. The mnemonics are available in the following locations of Datastream Navigator, Economics Explorer:
Economics » Key Indicators by Country » Canada
Economics » Key Indicators by Economic Category » Money & Finance » Trade Weighted Exchange Rate - Real
Economics » Key Indicators by Economic Category » Money & Finance » Trade Weighted Exchange Rate - Nominal
Economics » National Sources » Canada » Money & Finance » Exchange Rate
Economics » National Sources » Canada » Discontinued Series » Money & Finance

  1. Fathom FMPI

The Fathom Macroeconomic Policy Indicator (FMPI) dataset has been expanded with 14 more markets in the Economics database. 28 indicators are now available in the database, covering 25 markets and 3 aggregates for OECD, Euro Area and the advanced economies. To interpret Fathom’s FMPI, “a positive score implies that policy is tight, and a negative score that it is loose. The FMPI is calibrated so that a reading of plus one implies that the stance of macroeconomic policy is sufficiently tight to depress growth in demand by one percentage point relative to growth in supply.” To access open Datastream and click on: Economics » International Forecasts & Surveys » Fathom Financial Consulting Limited

  1. European Union

Over 6,000 series on Eurostat’s supplementary indicators for unemployment by sex and age have been added to the Economics database. The series detail statistics on underemployed part-time workers, persons seeking work but not immediately available and persons available to work but not seeking employment. Indicators are available for 38 countries and regions but series coverage is different for each. The series, supplemental to the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS), are annual with varying histories, longest back to 2005. To access open  Datastream and click on: Economics » International Historical Sources » Eurostat » Population and Social Conditions » Labour Market » Employment and Unemployment » LFS Series – Detailed Annual Survey Results » Supplementary indicators to unemployment by sex and age

  1. OECD

The OECD’s analytical house prices indicators, totalling 522 series, were added to the Economics database. The series cover nominal and real house price indices, rent price indices, and price to income and rent ratio. The indicators are provided for 34 OECD member countries and some non-member countries, but the number of series differs per country. The series are quarterly and annual with varied histories, some as far back as 1970. To access open Datastream and click on: Economics » International Historical Sources » OECD Analytical House Price Indicators

  1. EIA

Commodities fundamentals from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). 28 series on unplanned crude oil production outages for OPEC and Non-OPEC countries were added to the Economics database. The new data covers estimates of unplanned outages for crude oil production. Series are monthly and expressed in million barrels per day. The start dates of the series vary, longest history is from January 2012. To access open Datatream and click on: Economics » International Industry Associations » EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) » Crude Oil and Liquid Fuels

New Databases for Economics Researchers

The following databases were recently added to the management research resource collection portfolio, thanks to funding provided by the Dean of the Faculty of Management.
 
  • Thomson Reuters Eikon (Available only on campus on specific PCs and use is restricted to current FOM faculty, students and staff. Please email Joyline.makani@dal.ca  for access details (username and password). This database provides access to extensive business and financial information for listed companies, including current data of exchange-traded instruments (stocks, warrants, options, futures, indexes, etc.), news, economic data, commodity data, foreign exchange rates and interest rates. Thomson Reuters Eikon Access Details: Single-User license.
  • MSCI ESG Research Data (Only accessible from a computer in the Rowe Building  Room 2030 - iLab.) Access to a suite of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research and analysis data. It includes data for the top 3000 US companies for the following issue areas and associated indicators; social, community, corporate governance, diversity, employee relations, environment, human rights, product, business involvement, alcohol, gambling, fire arms, military contracting,  nuclear power, and tobacco. The data set is one of the longest continuous ESG data time series available. 

Financial Database Certification Programs available for Dal Students

Bloomberg Certification: Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC)

To begin the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Training Program:

  1. At the Bloomberg terminal ensure that no one else is logged in by hitting the red Pause/Break Conn/Default button.
  2. Next click the red Pause/Break Conn/Default button again and in the username field hit the green Enter button. You must create your own Bloomberg Market Concepts User Login and Password. To do so from the Bloomberg terminal, enter BMC into the amber field on the start screen, then click on <GO>
  3. This will take you to a registration form, which you must fill out to take the training. Each person must have their own registration username and password to receive a certification of completion from Bloomberg.
  4. After filling out the form, a Bloomberg representative will call or text you to verify your account. After verification you can start taking the courses!
  5. Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) is an 8-hour, self-paced, e-learning video course consisting of four modules (Economic Indicators, Currencies, Fixed Income and Equities) and over 70 Bloomberg Terminal functions. After completing all four modules, you will receive a certificate of completion.
  6. You can complete BMC at no additional charge on any of the Dal Terminals. You can also opt to complete BMC on the Bloomberg Institute website for a fee. At Dalhousie we have access to 12 Bloomberg Terminals. Ten terminals are located in the Risk Lab on the 2nd floor of the Rowe Building.  Additional terminals are located in the 4th floor computer lab in the Rowe Building, as well as in the South Learning Commons in the Killam Library — you can’t miss their distinctive keyboards! For more information, enter BMC and then hit the <GO> button on the Terminal or visit http://about.bloomberginstitute.com/students/bloomberg-market-concepts/

 Thomson Reuters Certification program

Thomson Reuters has an ongoing online certification program for their financial products: Datastream Advance, Thomson Reuters EIKON and Reuters 3000 Xtra. According to Thomson Reuters, the certification program will help students stay "ahead of the curve", test and prove their knowledge of the tools that drive the financial markets to themselves, their peers  and future employers. The certificate is free to Dalhousie students and faculty.  Training modules are available online 24/7.  By simply registering online, Dal users can take the exam (30 product-related questions), receive immediate results, and print the certificate.

Bloombergs's Top 10 Student Uses of Bloomberg

Just check out the 10 Top Student Uses that Bloomberg has sent out which include. 

  1. Add your free Bloomberg email address to your résumé.
  2. Forward your Bloomberg email to your smartphone.
  3. See a list of Bloomberg-using alumni from your school.
  4. Send thank you notes through your personal Bloomberg email account.
  5. Conduct research on your interviewers.
To learn more go to this link:  Top 10 Student Uses .

Launch of the CFAPRO database on the Bloomberg Terminal

On January 30, 2018 Bloomberg and CFA Institute announced CFAPRO on the Bloomberg Terminal, "a function that matches the Learning Outcome Statements of the CFA® Program to Bloomberg data, news and analytics". Students and faculty can review the database by typing {CFAPRO<GO>} on the Bloomberg Terminals only accessible from workstations located in the Killam, JJ Stewart Room and Rowe). Access the full press release here.

Datastream Microsoft Office Exell Add-Inns Compatibility

If you are considering upgrading to Microsoft Office 2016 for Windows please note that the Excel Add-Ins might not work properly because  Office 2016 is not officially supported for Datastream Advance 5.1.

Thomson One & Browser Compatibility

Please note: Thomson One only works with Internet Explorer (IE8). And it works best  in versions IE8 and below.  It also works with IE versions 10 and 11 for Windows 7 (not compatible on Windows 8 or 8.1). 

If Thomson ONE is not working in IE v.10 or higher set to compatability mode IE9. You can do this by clicking F12 once on the ThomsonOne.com login page and choose Internet Explorer 9 in the Browser Mode dropdown; then click F12 again to hide the lower frame. S (Note: This is only for IE10 running in Desktop Mode. IE10 under Metro Mode is not supported.) In some cases one must add in the following 3 websites to IE > tools > Compatibility view settings: *.thomsonone.com, *.thomsonib.com, *.thomsonim.com before the browser shifts to IE 9 Compatibility View instead of IE 10.

However, for those without Internet Explorer Lippincott Librarians have found an option. For more information please go to
https://lippincottlibrary.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/thomson-one-browser-compatibility-using-chrome-and-firefox/