ESDS International: providing access and support for

international databanks Celia Russell

Economic and Social Data Service MIMAS

Using Government Surveys and International Datasets for Research Workshop University of Surrey

Structure of Talk

• The International Data Service

• The databanks

• Their research potential

• Accessing the Data

• Courses, training and support

• Beyond 20/20 demonstration

ESDS International

• Will provide the UK academic community with free web-based access to a range of key international time series databanks from organisations such as the IMF, OECD and World Bank

• Will help users to locate and acquire international micro level survey datasets

• will promote the use of international datasets in research, learning and teaching across a range of disciplines

• Is led by MIMAS, in partnership with ESDS management at the UK Data Archive and is funded for five years.

International data themes

Databanks cover:

• Economic performance and development• Trade, industry and markets• Employment• Demography, migration and health• Governance• Human development • Social expenditure• Education• Science and technology • Land use and the environment

International data providers

The databanks originate from:– the International Monetary Fund – the OECD – the United Nations– the World Bank – Eurostat– the International Labour Organisation– the UK Office for National Statistics

IMF databanks

• International Finance Statistics• Government Finance Statistics• Balance of Payments Statistics• Direction of Trade

The four major databanks produced by the IMF contain data on national accounts, trade, the balance of payments and government spending for around 190 countries. Collectively, they provide provide a global picture of economic development and international trade over the last 50 years.

World Bank databases

• World Development Indicators• Global Development Finance

GDF is the World Bank’s annual review of financial flows to developing countries. It also contains the Bank's projections of the global outlookThe WDI provides a larger picture of poverty trends and social welfare, the use of environmental resources, the performance of the public sector, and the integration of the global economy.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

(OECD) databases

• Main Economic Indicators• International Development• International Direct Investment• International Migration Statistics• Main Science and Technology Indicators• Measuring Globalisation• Statistics in International Trade in Services, Value added

and Employment• Social Expenditure Statistics• Quarterly Labour Force Statistics

A range of databases from the OECD designed to complement the rest of the portfolio

.

Eurostat and National Statistics

• Eurostat New Cronos• UK National Statistics Time Series Data

New Cronos is the main database produced by the EU’s statistical office, containing detailed harmonised data on a range of social and economic themes at a national and regional level across the EU and candidate countriesNational Statistics Time series data is a comprehensive database of more than 40,000 time series from major National Statistics economic and socio-economic releases.

Databanks from the UN

• UN Common Database• International Labour Organization: Key

Indicators of the Labour Market

UN Common database is the used by the UN internally as a basis for the formulation of policy. Covers a huge range of human development topics including health, culture, family life, education and the environment.The ILO’s Key Indicators of the Labour Market is a frequently cited database on labour market statistics worldwide

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation

• Industrial Statistics Databases• Demand Supply Balance Database

The UNIDO databanks cover employment and trade world-wide, broken down by country and manufacturing sector. They provide data that can be used to analyse patterns of growth, structural change, industrial performance and employment by gender and sector worldwide.

International Survey Data

• ESDS International at the UK Data Archive (UKDA) can help users to locate and acquire data from other archives within Europe and worldwide, using a series of reciprocal agreements with the individual institutions. Datasets include:

• Eurobarometer• International Social Survey Programme • World Values Survey

Research Questions Examples of Published Work

Based on UNIDO Data:• Do democracies pay higher wages? • International comparative analyses of inter-

industry wage differentials Based on World Bank Data:• Labour markets and the East Asian financial

crisis• Micro-finance – does it work?Based on ILO data:• Sex specific labour market indicators – what

do they show?• Minimum wage, poverty and employment;

examining the gap between theoretical forecasts and empirical studies

Accessing the Data

• Freely available to UK academics – data licensing costs are paid by ESRC

• Access using Athens username and password

• Datasets delivered over the web via Beyond 20/20

Courses and Training

• Courses introducing users to the structure, content and research potential of the databanks

• An introductory time series statistical analysis course concentrating on topics such as univariate modelling, forecasting and simple regression.

• For more advanced users, a course to provide practical experience in how to model and forecast multiple time series using regression, including guidance on stationarity, cointegration.

• Annual conference to highlight research, discuss methodologies, and bring together the user base and the data providers

Supporting the User

• Specialist support, including helpdesk, mailing list and discussion list

• Web-based user guides to the databanks• Creation of searchable sharable collection

level descriptions for the databanks • Gateway to freely available international data

resources on the web• On line workbooks, exemplars and FAQs• Web-based visualisation interface

Fertility Rates in Europe

Contacting ESDS International

• ESDS International web site:• http://www.esds.ac.uk/international

• ESDS International help desk: international@esds.ac.ukTel:+44 (0)161 275 6109

• Join the mailing list:http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESDS-INTERNATIONAL.html

• Any questions?