Database of the Month: NBER / National Bureau of Economic Research

Founded in 1920, the National Bureau of Economic Research is the leading private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works. The NBER is committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic community. The National Bureau of Economic Research highlights recent projects, publications, and new working papers on all aspects of economics and the economy.  Daily updates are posted on the front page.  Searching for specific topics ranging from the global financial crisis to incentive pay and employee performance is quick and easy using the search box located in the upper right hand corner of the database screen. The database is divided into five distinct report activities –

• Working Papers & Publications where you may access reports and chapters from books in process
• Activities which report on NBER’s programs and working groups (e.g. Development of the American Economy, Entrepreneurship, Health Economics, etc.)
• Meetings – summaries of meetings on a spectrum of economics topics
• Data – Boston Census Research Data, Current Population Survey, New Economic Releases, Vital Statistics are some of the frequently requested data sources through NBER

 The most frequently searched for data are:

•  US Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions
• The NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee Report
• The Latest NBER Working Papers and Chapters for Forthcoming NBER Books

Some of the available papers listed the Week of March 12, 2012 include: Target-Date Funds in 401(k) Retirement Plans Olivia S. Mitchell and Stephen Utkus On the Road: Access to Transportation Infrastructure and Economic Growth in China Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Nancy Qian Gasoline Taxes and Consumer Behavior Shanjun Li, Joshua Linn, and Erich Muehlegger Does Universal Coverage Improve Health? The Massachusetts Experience Charles J. Courtemanche and Daniela Zapata

Connect to this Database:

You may find NBER listed on the library’s Databases A-Z page, as well as under the Economics Databases subject page.

Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please contact the Reference Desk.  If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.