Economics Research Guide

Encyclopedias and Reference Works | Find Books | Find Articles
Web Sites-General | Web Sites - Statistical | Citing Sources

Encyclopedias and Reference Works

The reference collection in Pickler Memorial Library holds a large number of encyclopedias, dictionaries, statistical sources and guide books for locating general information on topics in economics. These sources are often a good place to begin your research, especially if your topic is unfamiliar to you. The sources listed below are a small representation of what is available. Go to the HB-HC shelves in the reference area to see the complete reference holdings in economics.

Fortune Encyclopedia of Economics
REF HB 61 F67 1993

The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics
REF HB 61 N49 1987

Economic Indicators Handbook
REF HC 101 E38 2002

Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History
HC 102 G35 1999

Find Books

Truman Catalog is the online catalog of holdings available at Pickler Memorial Library. Use this to locate books and other materials available on topics related to economics. It is best to begin with a keyword search and then do a narrower search using Library of Congress subject headings. For instance, starting off with keyword searches such as

fiscal policy and deficits
trade barriers

can lead to exact subject headings that allow you to do a more specific and accurate search on your topic

Budget deficits--United States
Foreign trade regulation--North America

To expand your search beyond Pickler's holdings, use MOBIUS to search other academic libraries in Missouri. You may order books online and and pick them up from the circulation desk, usually within 3-4 working days. This service is available to current Truman students, faculty and staff.

Find Articles

Unless otherwise noted, online databases in this section are restricted to use on the Truman network.

Several databases and indexes (both online and print) are available for locating journal and magazine articles on economics and business topics. The online indexes, while more easily searchable, are often limited in the time periods they cover (many go back only to the early 1980s and some not even that far). Depending on your topic, it may be necessary to rely on print indexes (or a combination of print and electronic sources) to search for most of your articles. Many of the online indexes provide links to the full text of articles but in many cases you will need to look for the articles in bound copies or on microform. Use Truman's JournalFinder to determine the availability of journal and magazine holdings, both online and in print.

EconLit 1969+
Indexes books, journal articles, and working papers in all fields of economics.

Humanities and Social Sciences Index Retrospective. Indexing of over 1200 periodicals, some going back as far as 1907. Also has coverage of many important scientific journals up to the 1950s.

Social Science Abstracts 1983+
An index to books, papers, and articles in all the social sciences. A good source for information on topics in economics as they relate to areas such as sociology and political science.

America: History and Life and Historical Abstracts
Indexes to American and Canadian history (American: History and Life) and world history (Historical Abstracts). Indexes major state, national, and international historical journals and contains some texts to full text articles in JSTOR and other electronic databases. Although mainly an historical database, it contains useful information on economic and political topics from an historical perspective.

LexisNexis Academic
Contains about 5,600 sources. These include the full text of regional, national and international newspapers, news wires, magazines, trade journals and business publications, marketing reports, biographical information, corporate reports, etc. It also includes major archives of federal and state case law, continuously updated statutes of all 50 states, as well as articles from law journals.

Business Source Premier (EBSCO)
Full text coverage of over 8,000 business publications, dating as far back as 1922.

Wall Street Journal Full text 1984+, Abstracts 1982-83

National Trade Data Bank (NTDB)
On the Web at Stat-USA, password protected. Inquire at Reference Desk.
Contains full texts of market research reports, domestic and foreign economic data, import and export statistics, trade information, and country studies from 15 federal agencies.

Unless otherwise indicated, databases are restricted to use on the
Truman State University network.

Web Sites-Statistical

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of the Census
Statistical Abstract of the United States

Citing Sources

Selected guides to help you cite sources correctly in APA, Chicago/Turabian, and MLA styles.

For further assistance, visit or call the Reference Desk (660-785-4051) or contact the reference librarian for economics.

Dan McGurk
(660) 785-4528
dmcgurk@truman.edu