Economics Module Synthesis

The American Economic Association Resources for Economists was a resource that I do not quite understand how to use. I searched through data for different states, and had no idea what I was looking at. I am sure that a little more background in economics would have provided me with some grounding as to how this resource could best be used, but I was mystified. I was also frustrated with the user interface, which I found slow, antiquated, and difficult to understand. As a reference librarian, I could see recommending this resource if a patron was requesting specific information not available elsewhere, but overall, I was not impressed. I would assume that much of the data presented on this site is probably available in other resources that are better designed and maintained.

            On the flip side, I was rather taken with the Econ Talk site from the Library of Economics and Liberty. I found their searchable archives to be intuitive, and the topics of the talks seemed both timely and germane to the current state of affairs in economics. The talks are also presented in a manner that does not require an economics degree to grasp the information being presented, but they still contain enough depth to interest economists of all levels. This site would be a useful resource for a patron seeking to keep up to date on economics, or to provide background or deeper insight into a specific topic. Again, the searchable archives make this resource especially useful.

            Another good resource I found was the Iowa State University e-Library LibGuide.  It provides a cornucopia of economics resources from reference-based material to journal articles to raw data. Furthermore, what stood out to me about this particular Guide is that it contains a series of tabs dedicated to educating the user on how to use the resources it presents, and also how to find good economic information in general. I think that providing the tools to help users learn to research on their own, and explanation of the use of the various sources, is what separates good Guides from the great ones. The Iowa State Economics Guide is one that I would recommend in a heartbeat.

            On the other end of the spectrum, as contrast, is the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Economic Science Guide. It merely gives a list of databases with no explanation as to how to search them, and little or no commentary as to what each of them contains. I found this guide to be rather opaque. Its only redeeming quality was the link to ask a librarian for help on the left side.

            Finally, I was more taken with Reddit’s Economics subReddit than I have been with any of the other subReddits we have examined thus far in the course. The general subReddit provided the standard mix of quasi-scholarly posts, trolls, and requests for help. I felt about this page as I have the other Reddit pages we have examined; it would serve as a good starting point, like Wikipedia, but would not be that useful for anyone who was seeking more than pedestrian economic information. Where this subReddit really shines, though, is in the specific economics subReddits. I examined two in a little more depth. The first is the Economics subReddit of economics, which presents links to good, up-to-date economics information and articles from respected publications like the Atlantic. This is a resource that I would recommend as a reference librarian. It looks like it could be useful for patrons seeking economics information in a variety of depths.

            The other subReddit I looked at was badeconomics, and this one was hilarious. While not meant to be serious in any way, this site presented a series of opinion posts and humorous ponderings on economics. This is not a viable resource for doing good economics research, but it is certainly a noteworthy diversion. I would probably recommend this tongue-in-cheek to patrons that I knew well or who looked like they could use a laugh. I think that it is as much the reference librarian’s role to help users access information is it is to relieve some of the stress often associated with hunting for it. This resource fits the latter bill, and as such has a place in my personal arsenal.