Mining the Web for Business Information and Tools

1
Mining the Web for Business Information and Tools

• Barbie E. Keiser
• Connecticut Library Association
• Russell Library - Middletown, CT
• April 6, 2006
• barbieelene_at_att.net

2
Todays agenda

• Brief Introduction to Business Intelligence (BI)
• Whats required for success
• What kind of research must be performed
• Why look for what
• You might be asked to do the research, identify
  sources for clients to research, identify
  fee-based services that will do the research for
  the client
• Classes of resources to tap
• Strategies for locating the best
• Importance of locator tools
• Tips to improve your research capabilities
• Alternatives for gaining access to the Invisible
  Web
  

3
Why this workshop is important

• Help you to understand what is available (and
  what is not)
  
• Help you to understand what you should expect
  from a resource/vendor
  
• Perhaps think about becoming information
  producers yourselves
  

4
Questions to be asked

• Where should I go first?
• What will lead me to the site/resource I need?
• Where is what I want most likely to be
• In the format that I need?
• At a reasonable cost (for this project/question/as
  signment)?
  
• Who has done this already?
• Experts (market researchers, investment bankers,
  professors)
  
• Libraries (academic, public, special, virtual)
• Pathfinders, research guides, workshops
• Library schools
• Commercial sites with extensive list of useful
  links to reputable resources

5
Business information or business intelligence?

• Information continuum
• Data, information, knowledge, wisdom
• Three levels of business intelligence
• Market-level
• Industry
• Organization-specific
• Thinking globally, acting locally ( vice-versa)

• Drilling down, looking sideways, chaining forward
  and back-linking
  
• Tools to help
• Best/exemplary practices
• Monitoring
• Business resources
• Specific topics
• Stream of information

6
Objectives for any business intelligence program

• Improve your ability to recognize changes that
  are occurring in the environment
  
• Improve monitoring efforts
• Deepen your knowledge
• Anticipate activities

• Be aware of shifts in focus or emphasis
• Interpret clarify
• Determine trends and interrelationships
• Provide insight and understanding

7
Whats required for success

• An organized approach
• Keeping up with the industry
• Knowledge of sources available, source
  availability options/access requirements
  
• Skill using available tools
• Access to unique sources
• Flexibility
• Use of secondary sources that lead to primary
• Authentication of quality content and
  reputability of authorship
  

• Negotiation skills (licensing)
• A network of people, drawing on individuals
  skills
  
• Organization of information from the users point
  of view
  
• Distinguishing information ownership from
  management responsibility
  
• Focused on the needs of the client
• Ability to manage expectations

8
Research associated with BI can be complex

• Topics may be targeted or broad
• Often time-sensitive
• Involving a combination of environmental scanning
  and monitoring
  
• Requiring attention to detail and innovative
  research strategies, with knowledge of/access to
  a wide range of resources, both primary and
  secondary

9
Cultivating information expertise

• Determine the intelligence requirements
• Understand what information is available (and
  what is not)
  
• Highlight the best
• Educate others manage expectations
• Present business intelligence designed to
  initiate ACTION
  

10
The payoff

• Delivery of more timely, more accurate, more
  focused information to those who can make the
  best use of it
  
• Better decision-making capabilities
• Reduced information source redundancy and minimal
  duplication of effort
  
• Savings in time, money and effort

11
The simple business intelligence model

• Collect data using a wide variety of sources and
  formats
  
• Organize information (and resources) for multiple
  uses and users
  
• Judge the value (of information and resources)
• Assist in the analysis process by determining the
  pertinence, reliability, and validity of
  information gathered
  
• Disseminate information, but communicate
  intelligence that leads to ACTION
  
• Weigh the options consider the alternatives

12
Typical problems

• Responsibilities for information gathering are
  unclear
  
• Not comprehensive
• Ill-equipped information gatherers (and
  recipients
  
• Lacking focus
• No historical perspective
• Data by the truckload (and mostly incomplete)
• Lack of support (from senior management)
• Resistance (no time or desire to read material
  collected)
  
• Time mismanagement (too much on gathering, not
  enough on analysis)
  
• Unwillingness to share

13
Understanding client needs

• What the client does
• Where information plays a role
• What type of information
• Ongoing interest vs. ad-hoc request

• Which sources and tools
• Personal preferences
• Level of detail
• Modes of delivery
• Frequency/timing of delivery
• Importance of a stream of information (in
  discerning trends)

14
When considering new tools

• Diverse types
• Complementary
• Perils of an Internet start-up
• Why the good ones get acquired (and what happens
  afterwards)
  
• Finding aids and monitoring tools
• Whats right for you

• Why - Objectives
• What - Key indicators
• Where - Sources
• When - Frequency
• Who - Skills
• How - Level of automation vs. Human
  Intelligence
  

15
The Internet

• Changes
• How information enters the public domain (and how
  quickly)
  
• How information is distributed (and how quickly)
• What decisions need to be made regarding the
  acceptance of information
  
• Source credibility
• Authenticity/authorship issues
• What actions need to be taken by the recipient

• Helps?
• Providing access to (global) information
  resources
  
• Timeliness of data/updates
• Economics

16
Changing your mindset

• Dont just look for electronic versions of print
  publications
  
• Demand added-value from each site
• Be aware of who is responding to questions

17
Fee-based resources vs. free via the WWW

• Structured (fielded) data
• Special features (tables, lists, rankings,
  multicompany, case studies, forecasts)
  
• Historical framework
• Trend analysis
• Future-oriented (projections)

• Contact with sources
• Time-sensitive activities
• Flexibility
• Situation-specific
• May be worth the in terms of
• Time spent
• Frustration levels
• Advanced search capabilities
• Ease of manipulating data
• Ability to download
• Permission to share with others

18
How to reach these resources

• WWW search engines ( what you need to know about
  how they work)
  
• Knowing when Internet directories can be more
  helpful
  
• Traditional information sources
• When print is better
• Economies of scale for electronic resources
• Access via the Web to less or more
• Accessing resources on vs. via the Web
• Web-based business information directories,
  databases, portals, and pathfinders
  
• Selected news aggregators and feeds

• Bibliographies, guides, journals books
• Personalized news sources/services
• Web channels industry servers
• Malls and gateways
• Portals and vortals
• Global business, finance, investment trade
• Industry-specific sites and searches
• Go direct (single sites)
• Virtual everything
• Social networking tools
• BizWiz

19
Search engines

• Indexed search services
• General subject-specific
• Visualization tools
• Subject directories
• Meta-search engines
• Toolbars
• Region country-specific
• Image handling
• Metasearch engines

• Caveats
• Some are better than others
• Size isnt everything
• The freshness test
• Handling frames
• Dynamically-generated page search capability
• Relevancy links
• Subject specificity
• Adding features all the time

20
Searching online Search engines directories

• Excite
• Images, news, audio, video
• Business news on homepage
• AltaVista
• Images, news and video
• WebCrawler
• Images, news, audio and video
• Yellow white pages
• Ask.com
• A9
• Cydral image search (http//en.cydral.com/)
• FAST search (http//www.alltheweb.com)
• Audio, video, pictures, news
• Wondir (http//www.wondir.org)
• ASK (http//www.ask.com) now includes Teoma and
  DirectHit
  
• AlltheWeb
• News, pictures, video, audio
• Blinkx
• Search over 1,000,000 hours of audio, video,
  podcast, vlog and television content
  

• Exalead
• Clustering
• Clusty.com
• Vivisimo
• Accumo.com
• Yahoo
• http//dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/
• Google (http//directory.google.com/Top/Business/)
  vs. http//news.google.com/?nedustopicb
  
• Use the more like this feature
• Soople
• Mygooglesearch
• Galaxy Business and Commerce
• http//www.galaxy.com/directory/44/
• Dmoz Open Directory Project
• http//www.dmoz.com/Business/
• About.com (http//www.about.com/money/)
• Toolbars
• Google, Yahoo, metaEUREKA
• http//www.01webdirectory.com/

21
Non-US search engines

• Use names you know for different countries
• Yahoo UK Ireland (http//uk.yahoo.com)
• AltaVista UK (http//uk.altavista.com/)
• Use search engines covering multiple countries
• European Search Engines (http//www.netmasters.co.
  uk/european_search_engines/)
  
• EuroSeek (www.euroseek.net)
• European Business Directory (http//www.europages.
  com/)
  
• European Interactive Directories
  (www.euroyellowpages.com)
  
• Multi-lingual searching
• ez2find
• Mozbot
• Wisenut.com preferences by language

• Try search engines you dont know that specialize
  in a specific country
  
• Mirago (http//www.mirago.co.uk/)
• Achoo (http//www.abacho.co.uk/)
• Info.co.uk
• Searchy.co.uk
• Seekport.co.uk
• Arnoldit (http//www.arnoldit.com/lists/intlsearch
  .asp)
  
• International Directory of Search Engines
  (http//www.search-engine-index.co.uk/)
  Searchenginecollosus.com
  
• Country-based search engines (http//www.philb.com
  /countryse.htm)
  

22
Finding and searching newer technologies

• Blog list (http//www.blogcatalog.com/directory)
• OpinMind
• Feedster Daypop
• FindSounds.com
• PreFound
• Search4rss
• Waypath

• IncyWincy
• MediaCHANNEL
• Podzinger
• Rocketinfo (http//www.rocketnews.com/info/portal.
  jsp)
  
• Sortbydate.com
• Technorati

23
Why use a Meta-Search engine?

• Address unknown
• Ability to enter search string only once
• Speed
• De-duping of results

24
What to look for in a metasearch engine

• Simple and advanced search capabilities
• Number of matches reported from each search
  engine
  
• Integration
• De-duping of results
• Ranking
• Interesting design
• Good response time
• Wide choice of search engines used
• More like this feature

25
Meta-Searchers

• Beaucoup (look at corporate websites)
• Dogpile
• Highway61
• Search.com
• Mamma
• Metacrawler (http//www.go2net.com)
• OneSeek
• Metafind
• All4one
• MrSapo
• IcySpicy
• Chubba
• Jux2
• Kartoo (for visual displays)
• Seekz
• Widow Metasearch (http//www.widow.com/crawl/metas
  earch.cgi)
  

• Ixquick (http//www.us.ixquick.com/)
• ZWorks
• Turbo109
• InternetOracle
• proFusion Business Profiles (http//www.profusion.
  com/nav?agt0!4!queryterm)
  
• Search Submit (http//www.212.net/search/index.h
  tm)
  
• Starting Point (http//www.stpt.com)
• FinderSeeker
• Ixquick (http//www.us.ixquick.com/)
• All One Search Academic Research
  (http//www.allonesearch.com/Academic-Research.htm
  )
  
• Trovando (http//www.trovando.it/)

26
Need help choosing a search engine?

• http//www.search-engines-2.com/
• Best of the Bots (http//www.botspot.com)
• Search Engine Watch
• Gregg Notess (http//www.notess.com/) Search
  Engine Showdown (http//www.searchengineshowdown.c
  om/)
  
• The Spiders Apprentice (http//www.monash.com/spi
  dap.html)
  
• Best Search Tools Chart (http//infopeople.org/sea
  rch/chart.html)
  
• Search Engine Relationship Chart
  (http//www.bruceclay.com/searchenginerelationship
  chart.htm)
  
• NoodleTools (http//www.noodletools.com/debbie/lit
  eracies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html)
  
• Pandia Search Engine News (http//www.pandia.com/s
  ew/index.php)

• Comparing major search engines (http//www.philb.c
  om/compare.htm)
  
• http//www.philb.com/engines.htm
• Web searching tools (http//library.curtin.edu.au/
  web/index.html)
  
• Business-to-Business (http//geniusfind.com/Busine
  ss_to_Business.htm)
  
• iTools
• LLRX Search Engine Comparison Chart
  (http//www.llrx.com/features/searchenginechart.ht
  m)
  
• Search Engine Lowdown
• Search Engine Watch Forums (http//forums.searchen
  ginewatch.com/index.php)
  
• Search Engines (http//searchenginez.com/)
• Seasrch Strategies for the Internet
  (http//www.rba.co.uk/search/compare.shtml)
  
• ALA Tolkit (http//www.lita.org/ala/lita/litaresou
  rces/toolkitforexpert/toolkitexpert.htm)
  
• Web Search Guide Comparison Charts
  (http//www.websearchguide.ca/research/compfram.ht
  m)
  
• WebSerch (http//www.clubi.ie/webserch/)

27
Malls gateways

• Resource Discovery Network for Business Studies
  (http//www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutorial/bus)
  
• Academic Info Business Administration
  (http//www.academicinfo.net/bus.html)
  
• Social Science Business and Management
  Information Gateway (http//www.sosig.ac.uk/busine
  ss/)

28
Add-ins that will help

• WebWhacker (http//www.bluesquirrel.com)
• Copernic
• WebFerret by FerretSoft
• Bookmarklets
• List All Links (http//www.bookmarklets.com/tools/
  data/index.phtml)
  
• Tool bars
• Alert systems
• Google Alerts (http//www.googlealert.com)

• Web change notification
• Autonomy Verity
• Watch That Page
• Infominder
• Watch360
• ChangeDetect
• TrackEngine
• Karnak
• Website-Watcher (http//www.aignes.com)
• Trackle

29
Keeping up with it all

• Locator tools
• Internet Scout Report NSDL (http//scout.cs.wisc
  .edu)
  
• Freepint (http//www.freepint.com)
• Internet Resources Newsletter (http//www.hw.ac.uk
  /libWWW/irn/irn.html)
  
• Librarians Index to the Internet
  (http//www.lii.org)
  
• Argus Clearinghouse (http//www.clearinghouse.net)
  
  
• BUBL (http//www.bubl.ac.uk/l)
• The Virtual Chase (http//www.virtualchase.com/)
  
  
• LLRX.com (http//www.llrx.com)
• ResearchBuzz
• Infotogo.com
• CyberSkeptics Guide (http//www.cyberskeptic.com/
  cs)
  
• AcademicIndex (http//www.academicindex.net/tools.
  html)
  

• Current awareness alerting services
• Clipping services
• Reputation monitoring
• Personal
• Distributed
• Using colleagues as a resource
• BusLib-L

30
Thinking logically for quality

• Pay attention to extensions
• Basic information freshness
• Alexa
• Bookmarklets
• Follow the links (forward back-chaining)
• Fagan Finder
• Bookmarklets
• Visualization tools
• Semagix
• WebBrain
• Anacubis
• Grokker (http//www.groxis.com/service/grok/)
• Kartoo
• Touchgraph

• Excellent region-specific business sites
• Emerging nations and markets
• Reputable world trade sites
• Expanded news sites
• Interested parties with name recognition
• Management consultants
• Accounting firms
• Commercial investment banks

31
Web site evaluation criteria

• Source credibility
• Organizations and individual authors
• Pay attention to extensions
• Who links to them? To which sites do they link?
• Advocacy in check
• Purpose
• Target audience
• Objectivity
• Relevance to your work/inquiry
• Coverage and scope
• Integration

• Date of creation
• Frequency (and timeliness) of updates
• Quality
• Reliability
• Validity
• Accuracy/Error rate
• Meaning over time
• Completeness Consistency
• Aesthetics
• Accessibility/Ease of use
• Output options
• Documentation
• Customer support
• Value-to-cost ratio
• Privacy
• Site map

32
Look for academic curricula support

• Course syllabi
• Published articles working papers (past
  ongoing research)
  
• Current research
• Dissertations/theses
• http//www.ndltd.org/browse.en.html
• http//www.diva-portal.org/
• http//etd.caltech.edu/ETD-db/ETD-browse/browse?fi
  rst_letterall
  
• http//www.crl.edu/content.asp?l15l223l344l4
  25
  
• http//www.cybertheses.org/cybertheses/cybertheses
  .html
  
• http//www.darenet.nl/en/page/language.view/home
  
  
• Case studies
• University-based research centers
• Databases
• Self-archiving (http//opcit.eprints.org/explorear
  chives.shtml)
  
• Economics (http//repec.org)
• Open Access Repositories
• http//www.opendoar.org/
• http//repositories.cdlib.org/escholarship/

• Experts
• FindaPhD.com (UK)
• ProfNet (http//www3.profnet.com/)
• Sources Experts (http//www.ibiblio.org/slanews/
  internet/experts.html)
  
• Subject-specific libraries (e.g., business)
• Bibliographies pathfinders
• BizEd (http//www.bized.ac.uk/learn/learn.htm)
• Subject Finder Business Studies
  (http//www.subjectfinder.com/category/business.as
  p?qBusinessStudiessSearchmodeall)
  
• Scholarly Societies Project Business, Economics
  Mathematics (http//www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/society
  /genbuseconmath_soc.html/)
  
• Very Large Database (http//www.vldb.org/)

33
Translation plus

• Browser prompt to install character sets
• Fonts in Cyberspace (http//www.sil.org/computing/
  fonts/)
  
• Industry- and country-specific resources
• Human intervention
• Technical translations
• Glossaries (http//www.xlation.com/glossaries/)
• Software
• Free online translator services
• Business-related
• Quotes online (http//www.worldlingo.com)
• Travel-related
• Learning languages
• Verbix
• Web tools
• Links to other resources
• Limited options (http//www.wordreference.com)
• International business practices, customs,
  etiquette
  
• WorldBiz International Database
  (http//www.worldbiz.com/library.html)
  
• Babelplex

• Babelfish (http//world.altavista.com/) from
  AltaVista (http//babelfish.altavista.com/translat
  e.dyn)
  
• Google language tools (http//www.google.com/langu
  age_tools?hlen)
  
• AllWords (http//www.allwords.com/34wlinks.php)
• Machine translation (http//www.alphaworks.ibm.com
  /aw.nsf/html/mt)
  
• Dictionary.com Translate (http//dictionary.refe
  rence.com/translate/text.html)
  
• Fagan Finder Translator Wizard (http//www.faganfi
  nder.com/translate/)
  
• Foreignword.com
• Free online translator service (http//www.prospec
  tor.cz/Services/Translation/)
  
• Freetranslation.com
• OneLook Dictionaries (http//www.onelook.com)
• Systran Language Translation (http//www.systranso
  ft.com/)
  
• Yourdictionary.com
• Portuguese Translations (http//www.sourcetranslat
  ions.com/)
  
• AlphaWorks (http//www.alphaworks.ibm.com/aw.nsf/h
  tml/mt)
  
• Foreignword.com
• News about translation tools (http//www.masternew
  media.org/vistapoints.htmtranslation)
  
• WordReference
• Xlation.com/glossaries
• YourDictionary

34
Three categories of research

• Market
• Industry
• Company

• Background
• General business climate
• Risks
• Trade issues, barriers, statistics
• Population, demographics social/lifestyle
  issues
  
• Health, education religion
• Ethics values
• Technology infrastructure
• Legal/regulatory environment

35
Three categories of research

• Market
• Industry
• Company

• Statistics
• Legal regulatory issues
• Technology
• Trends forecasts
• Current activity
• Structure

36
Three categories of research

• Market
• Industry
• Company

• Background data (Corporate description)
• Financial performance
• Products and services
• Markets (and customers) served
• Operations
• Employee data

37
Caveats at the market-level

• Country classification
• Geographic region
• Type of economy
• Stage of economic development
• Political organization

• Comparing country data
• Tips
• Problems

38
Competition at the country level

• Global Competitiveness Program (http//www.weforum
  .org)
  
• Competitive Institute (http//www.competitiveness.
  org)
  
• International Budget Project (http//www.internati
  onalbudget.org/resources/sites/dev_econ.htm)
  
• Competitive Indicators (World Bank)
• World Competitive Yearbook (IMD - Lausanne)
• Competition Policy UK (http//www.dti.gov.uk/ccp
  /topics.htm)
  
• Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy
  (http//brie.berkeley.edu/briewww/)
  
• Globalization (http//www.enterweb.org/whatnew.htm
  )
  
• Index of Economic Freedom - Country Guides
  (http//www.heritage.org/research/features/index/c
  ountries.cfm)
  
• Competitive Alternatives - KPMG's guide to
  international business costs (http//www.competit
  ivealternatives.com/default.html)
  
• Doing Business Guides
• Deloitte/EIU (www.deloitte.com/tax)
• World Bank Benchmarking Business Regulations
  (http//www.doingbusiness.org/)
  
• DoingBusiness.org

39
Emerging nations and markets

• International agencies
• Institute of International Finance Emerging
  Markets Research (http//www.iif.com/emr/index.qu
  agga)
  
• World Economic Forum (http//www.weforum.org/)
• Regional organizations
• North-South Institute (http//www.nsi-ins.ca/ensi/
  index.html)
  
• Transitions Online (http//www.tol.cz/look/TOL/hom
  e.tpl?IdLanguage1IdPublication4NrIssue76)
  
• Governments
• Canadian International Development Agency
  (http//www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/webresources.htm)
  
• U.S. Department of State
• Commercial databases
• Directory of Development Organizations
  (http//www.devdir.org/)
  
• S P Emerging Markets
• ISI Emerging Markets - Internet Securities
  (http//www.securities.com )
  
• World Marketing Data and Statistics
  (http//www.euromonitor.com/womdas.aspx)

• Licensing Digital Information (http//www.library.
  yale.edu/llicense/develop.shtml)
  
• InfoNation (http//cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonatio
  n3/menu/advanced.asp)
  
• International Data Base (http//www.census.gov/ipc
  /www/idbnew.html)
  
• Emerging Markets (http//www.emergingmarkets.org)
  
  
• Snapdata (http//www.snapdata.com/)
• Fund Research
• Emerging Portfolio http//www.gipinc.com )
• Investment Banks
• Pangaea Partners (http//www.pangaeapartners.com/)
  
  
• Commercial Banks
• Wachovia/First Union (http//www.wachovia.com/corp
  _inst/page/0,,13_54_3987_1068,00.html)
  

40
Emerging nations and markets

• Libraries
• Virtual Library on International Development
  (www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/virtual.nsf/pages/index_e.htm
  )
  
• Finding International Statistics Online
  (http//www.lib.umd.edu/MCK/GUIDES/intstat.html)
  
  
• GlobalEdge Country Insights (http//globaledge.msu
  .edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp)
  
• VIBES (http//library.uncc.edu/vibes/)
• Everything International Company Industry
  Data (http//faculty.philau.edu/russowl/industry.h
  tml)
  
• Resources for International Business Marketing
  (http//www.csuchico.edu/7Ewd6/classes/intlmktg2.
  htm)
  
• Research Guides Baker Library
  (http//www.library.hbs.edu/guides/3)
  
• Least developed country report (http//www.unctad.
  org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID3073lang1)
  
• Investment Promotion Network Direct Foreign
  Investment (http//www.ipanet.net/infores)
  
• Development Gateway (http//home.developmentgatewa
  y.org/) ABCNews.coms Country Profiles

• (http//www.gale.com/reference/archive/200002/abc2
  2gif.html)
  
• Economics, Business, and Environment Country
  Profiles (http//earthtrends.wri.org/country_profi
  les/index.php?theme5)
  
• Economist Country Briefings (http//www.economist.
  com/countries/)
  
• Eldis Statistics Guide (http//www.eldis.org/stati
  stics/index.htm)
  
• Finding International Statistics Online
  (http//www.lib.umd.edu/MCK/GUIDES/intstat.html)
  
  
• Global Knowledge for Development
  (http//notes.edc.org/GLG/GKD/repo.nsf/search)
  
• Global Gateway (http//international.loc.gov/intld
  l/intldlhome.html)
  
• Resources for International Economic Development
  (http//grove.ship.edu/econ/develop/)
  
• OneWorld NationsOnline (http//www.nationsonline
  .org/oneworld/)
  
• UNIDO (http//www.unido.org/data/regions.cfm?area
  GLO)
  
• Oxford Economics (http//www.oef.com/)

41
Problems with comparing country data

• Base years
• Methods of estimating
• Methods of data collection
• Extent of coverage
• Precision of definition
• Scope of territory
• Margins of error
• Currency conversion
• Updates revisions

42
Tips for comparing country data

• The more detailed the publication, the greater
  the time lag
  
• The more accurate the statistics, the greater the
  time lag
  
• Appreciate how the Internet changes the equation

43
Economic and trade data

• National accounts
• Measures of inflation
• Labor statistics
• Financial statistics
• Risk
• Foreign trade

44
Economic data

• Dont limit your search to government sites for
  the country in which you are interested
  
• Try international agencies, other governments
  (3rd countries), commercial academic sites

45
Economic data collection issues

• Measuring National Accounts
• Effect of inflation
• Measures of inflation
• Use GDP deflator for macro analysis
• Use PPI or CPI, as appropriate
• Political environment
• Exchange rates

• Purchasing Power Parity Index (PPP) tries to
  factor in the underground economy and other
  intangibles
  
• For a truer cost of living, try the Big Mac
  Index
  
• Relocation services
• Hotel costs

46
Economic and trade data

• World Economic Outlook (IMF)
• Euromonitors World Economic Factbook
• World Tables (World Bank)
• OECD
• Economic Outlook
• Historical Statistics
• Eurostat National Accounts ESA Aggregates
• UN System Pathfinder Economic development
  (http//www.un.org/Depts/dhl/pathfind/frame/start.
  htm)
  

• System of National Accounts
• Balance of Payments Statistics (IMF)
• Handbook of Economic Statistics
  (http//www.odci.gov/cia/di/products/hies/index.ht
  ml)
  
• Index of Economic Freedom (http//www.heritage.org
  /research/features/index/index.cfm)
  
• International Budget Project (http//www.internati
  onalbudget.org/resources/sites/dev_econ.htm)

47
Data sources US economics

• Business Statistics of the United States
• National Income and Product Accounts
• Survey of Current Business
• Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index
  (BLS)
  
• Guide to Economic Indicators
• Economic Statistics Briefing Room
  (http//www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/esbr.html)
  
• Joint Economic Committee (http//www.house.gov/jec
  /)
  
• US Census Bureau (www.census.gov)
• Census Bureau Economic Programs
  (http//www.census.gov/econ/www/)
  
• Commercial products (CACI)
• Census Economic Briefing Room (http//www.census.g
  ov/cgi-bin/briefroom/BriefRm)
  

• Bureau of Economic Statistics (www.bea.gov)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (http//www.bls.gov)
• Stat-USA (www.stat-usa.gov/stat-usa.html)
• Federal Reserve Boards
• International Economic Statistics Database
  (http//liber8.stlouisfed.org/iesd/)
  
• Index to Reserve System Economic Publications
  (http//www.frbsf.org/publications/fedinprint/inde
  x.html)
  
• Federal Reserve Education (http//www.federalreser
  veeducation.org/FRED/)
  
• http//research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/
• Beige Book (http//www.federalreserve.gov/fomc/bei
  gebook/2006/)
  
• Business Cycle Indicators (http//www.conference-b
  oard.org/economics/bci/)

48
Personal favorites Economics

• Statistics
• World (Bank) Development Indicators
• UN Common Database (http//unstats.un.org/unsd/cdb
  /cdb_help/cdb_quick_start.asp)
  
• United Nations Statistical Division
  (http//unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/mi.asp)
  
• US Census Bureau Statistical Agencies
  International (www.census.gov/main/www/stat_int.ht
  ml)
  
• World In Figures (http//tilastokeskus.fi/tup/maan
  um/index_en.html)
  
• Sources of Economic and Financial Statistics
  (http//www.lib.gla.ac.uk/Depts/MOPS/Stats/economi
  c.shtml)
  
• http//econ.worldbank.org
• (http//www.econstrat.org/)
• Social Science Research Network
  (http//www.ssrn.com/update/ern/index.html)
  
• Economics Classroom (http//www.learner.org/channe
  l/workshops/economics/)
  
• For the public
• AmosWEB Pedestrians Guide to the Economy
  (http//www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?spdg)
  
  
• Moodys Economy.com (http//www.dismal.com/default
  .asp)
  
• Dr. Ed Yardenis Economics Network
  (http//www.yardeni.com/)
  
• Dr. Ts EconLinks.com (http//econlinks.com/)
• QuickMBA (http//www.quickmba.com/econ/)
• Free Lunch (http//www.economy.com/freelunch/defau
  lt.asp)
  
• Economic News Feed (http//scienceport.org/index.p
  hp?PID13)
  

• Associations think tanks
• American Economics Association (http//www.vanderb
  ilt.edu/AEA/) and (http//www.aeaweb.org/)
  
• EconLit (http//www.econlit.org/)
• Association for University Business and Economic
  Research (http//www.auber.org/)
  
• National Bureau of Economic Research
  (http//www.nber.org/data/)
  
• Econometrics Journal Links (http//www.econ.vu.nl/
  econometriclinks/)
  
• AEI's monthly newsletter on economic trends in
  the United States and abroad (http//www.aei.org)
  
  
• Economic Strategy Institue
• EconPapers (http//econpapers.repec.org/)
• Economic Policy Institute (http//www.epinet.org/c
  ontent.cfm/webfeatures_webfeat)
  
• Economics Search Engine (http//ese.rfe.org/)
• Journalists Guide to Economic Terms
  (http//www.facsnet.org/tools/ref_tutor/econo_term
  /glossary.html)
  
• Institute for International Economics
  (http//www.iie.com/)
  
• Library of Economics and Liberty
  (http//www.econlib.org/index.html)
  
• MilkenInstitute.org
• Theoretical Economics Open Journal
  (http//econtheory.org/)
  
• Center for Economic Policy Research
  (http//www.cepr.org/default_static.htm)
  
• Brookings.org
• Index of Economic Freedom (http//www.heritage.org
  /research/features/index/)
  

49
Personal favorites Economics

• Commercial Sources
• Economist Intelligence Unit (EIUs latest)
• Blackboard Scholar (http//resources.blackboard.co
  m/scholar/sa/196/portal.jsp)
  
• BE data links (http//www.econ-datalinks.org/sear
  ch.html)
  
• BPubs Economics (http//www.bpubs.com/Economics/
  )
  
• InfoMine Business Economics
  (http//infomine.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/search?categoryb
  usecon)
  
• Terrible site, great links (http//1800miti.com/Co
  mpanies/page112.html)
  
• Economic History (http//www.eh.net/databases/)
• EconMagic Economic Time Series (http//www.economa
  gic.com/)
  
• DRI WEFA (http//www.dri-wefa.com/)
• EconData.net
• Economist.com Research Tools (http//www.economist
  .com/research/)
  
• Law and Economics (http//lawecon.lp.findlaw.com/)
  
  
• Forbes.com Best of the Web Economics Blogs
  (http//www.forbes.com/bow/b2c/category.jhtml?id3
  07)
  
• EconLibrary.com
• Kiplinger forecasts (http//www.kiplinger.com/inde
  x.html)
  
• Foubini Global Economics (http//www.rgemonitor.co
  m/)
  
• VLRC Economics Links (http//www.virtuallrc.com/vl
  rceconomicslinks.html)
  

• Academic Sites
• Columbia University (http//www.columbia.edu/cu/lw
  eb/indiv/business/ir/stats.html)
  
• Area Studies (http//campus.champlain.edu/library/
  area.htmEconomics)
  
• Economic Resources for College Teachers
  (http//ecedweb.unomaha.edu/teach-ec.htm)
  
• BizEd (http//www.bized.ac.uk/learn/economics/inde
  x.htm)
  
• University Economics Departments
  (http//web.uvic.ca/econ/depts_Uvic.html)
  
• Econ Links (http//www.marietta.edu/delemeeg/econ
  link.html)
  
• Econ Links (http//www.ncat.edu/simkinss/econlink
  s.html)
  
• Economics Information Sources (http//www.york.ac.
  uk/services/library/subjects/econint.htm)
  
• Internet Resources for the Economy
  (http//www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/econ/internet.htm)
  
• Economics and Economic Statistics Research
  (http//www.library.ucsb.edu/subjects/econ/econg.h
  tml)
  
• Internet Economist (http//www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/tutor
  ial/interneteconomist)
  
• Researching International Economic Law
  (http//www.ll.georgetown.edu/intl/iiel/home.htm)
  
  
• SOSIG Economics (http//sosig.ac.uk/roads/subject-
  listing/UK-cat/econ.html)
  
• Economics Subject Guide (http//www.library.yale.e
  du/socsci/economics/)
  
• Scandinavian Working Papers (http//swopec.hhs.se/
  hastef/)
  
• Teaching K-12 Economics (http//ecedweb.unomaha.ed
  u/k-12/home.cfm)
  
• WebEc (http//www.helsinki.fi/WebEc/WebEc.html)
• Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
  (http//www-cepr.stanford.edu/home.html)
  

50
Personal favorites Financial statistics

• International Financial Statistics (IMF) with
  trial account (http//ifs.apdi.net/imf/)
  
• Financial Market Update (http//www.imf.org/extern
  al/pubs/ft/fmu/eng/index.asp)
  
• Institute for International Finance
  (http//www.iif.com/)
  
• International Finance Corporation
  (http//www.ifc.org/)
  
• Bank for International Settlements
  (http//www.bis.org/forum/research.htm)
  
• Foreign Direct Investments Online
  (http//www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemI
  D1923lang1)
  
• Global Financial Data (http//www.globalfinanciald
  ata.com/index.php3)
  
• Financial Market Trends (OECD)
• Bretton Woods Project (http//www.brettonwoodsproj
  ect.org/briefings/index.shtml)
  
• Treasury Bulletin (http//www.fms.treas.gov/bullet
  in/)
  
• Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
  (http//www.federalreserve.gov/)
  
• Historical releases (http//www.federalreserve.gov
  /releases/)
  
• Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
  (http//www.chicagofed.org/)
  
• FRASER (http//fraser.stlouisfed.org/)
• Liber8 (http//liber8.stlouisfed.org/)
• Federal Reserve Bulletin (http//www.federalreserv
  e.gov/pubs/bulletin/default.htm)

• Foreign Exchange Rates (http//www.ny.frb.org/mark
  ets/fxrates/noon.cfm)
  
• Financial Times (www.ft.com)
• FT News (http//news.ft.com/home/us)
• FT Market Watch (http//www.ftmarketwatch.com/)
• FT Search (http//search.ft.com/search/index.html)
  
  
• Journal of Commerce (www.joc.com)
• Financial Ratio Analysis (http//www.bized.ac.uk/c
  ompfact/ratios/index.htm)
  
• Financial Scandals (http//www.ex.ac.uk/RDavies/a
  rian/scandals/)
  
• Financial Training Calendar (http//www.financial-
  conferences.com/)
  
• Financial Textbooks (http//finmath.com)
• Financial Dictionary (http//www.anz.com/edna/dict
  ionary.asp)
  
• A Z of Financial Terms (http//www.moneyextra.co
  m/dictionary/)
  
• III Financial Services Factbook
  (http//www.financialservicesfacts.org/financial/)
  
  
• SP indices (http//www2.standardandpoors.com/serv
  let/Satellite?pagenamesp/Page/IndicesIndexPgr1
  lENb4s6ig48i56si138xcd500)
  
• The Millennium (http//interactive.wsj.com/public/
  current/summaries/mill-1-f.htm)

51
Personal favorites Financial statistics

• For the public
• FastCEO.com
• Bloomberg.com/tv
• MarketWatch.com
• http//1800miti.com/Companies/page113.html
• http//finance.google.com/finance
• http//www.strictlybusinesssites.com/fin.htm
• http//finance.yahoo.com/search
• Currency Converter (http//www.world-exchanges.org
  /wfe/home.asp?actiondocumentmenu10navie)
  
• Commercial sites and products
• FinanceWise.com
• Guarantee-Finance.com
• StudyFinance.com
• Fund Info Service (http//www.wilink.com/fundinfos
  ervice.htm)
  
• Bonds
• BondsOnline (http//www.bondsonline.com/asp/resear
  ch/creditdnp.html)
  
• InvestingInBonds.com
• DCP Data for municipal bond info
  (http//www.dpcdata.com/index_n.cfm)
  
• Hedge Funds

• Academic institutions
• Financial Data Finder (http//fisher.osu.edu/cgi-b
  in/DB_Search/db_search.cgi?setup_filefinance.setu
  p.cgi)
  
• Finance Links and Sites from NYU
  (http//www.stern.nyu.edu/fin/general/resource.htm
  )
  
• WWW Virtual Library (http//fisher.osu.edu/fin/ove
  rvw.htm)
  
• Web Links (http//viking.som.yale.edu/finance.cent
  er/html/weblinks.html)
  
• Sources of Economic and Financial Statistics
  (http//www.lib.gla.ac.uk/Depts/MOPS/Stats/economi
  c.shtml)
  
• http//web.utk.edu/jwachowi/wacho_world.html
• Museum of American Financial History
  (http//www.financialhistory.org/)
  
• Mutual Fund Cost Calculator (http//www.personalfu
  nd.com/)
  
• What was the exchange rate then
  (http//eh.net/hmit/exchangerates/)
  
• Social Science Research Network
  (http//www.ssrn.com/update/fen/index.html)
  
• Society of Financial Professionals
  (http//www.financialpro.org/ )

52
Labor

• Issues
• Employment unemployment statistics
• Labor laws regulations
• Temporary help, outsourcing, offshoring
• http//www.epinet.org/content.cfm/issueguide_offsh
  oring
  
• Outsourcing Institute (http//www.outsourcing.com/
  )

• Sources
• International Organizations
• Governments
• Labor unions
• Think tanks
• Advocacy groups

53
My favorite labor sites

• International Labour Organization
  (http//www.ilo.org/public/english/support/lib/dbl
  ist.htm) Natlex (http//www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/
  natlex_browse.home)
• Labour Economics Gateway (http//labour.ceps.lu/)
  
  
• Trades Union Congress (http//www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/u
  nions_main.cfm)
  
• EEOC in the US and Equal Opportunities Commission
  in the UK
  
• DTI Employment Relations (http//www.dti.gov.uk/er
  /)
  
• Center for Economic and Social Inclusion
  (http//cesi.org.uk/)
  
• NOMIS (http//www.nomisweb.co.uk/)
• Employee relations policies (http//www.businessbu
  reau-uk.co.uk/personnel/employee_relations/code_of
  _conduct.htm)
  
• European Foundation for the Improvement of Living
  and Working Conditions (http//www.eurofound.ie/em
  ire/emire.html) European Industrial Relations
  Observatory (http//www.eiro.eurofound.ie/)

• WWW Virtual Library (http//www.iisg.nl/w3vl/)
• Flexibility Resources for New Ways of Working
  (http//www.flexibility.co.uk/)
  
• Child Labor Laws (http//www.childlaborlaws.org/)
  
  
• National Immigration Law Center
  (http//www.nilc.org/)
  
• Workplace Law (http//www.workplacelaw.net/)
• Employment Law Information Network
  (http//www.elinfonet.com/)
  
• Employment Law News (http//hr.cch.com/news/employ
  ment/library.asp)
  
• Labor and Employment Legal Resources
  (http//www.llrx.com/features/laborlaw.htm)
  
• National Employment Law Project
  (http//www.nelp.org/)
  
• CEO Executive Pay (http//www.forbes.com/executive
  pay/2004/04/21/04ceoland.html)
  
• Core Compensation Data from Hemscott
  (http//www.coredatagroup.com/db/compensation.html
  )
  
• Executive Grapevine (http//www.askgrapevine.com/p
  ublications/index.php)
  
• Executive Paywatch (http//www.aflcio.org/corporat
  ewatch/paywatch/)
  
• Workforce Productivity (http//www.saibooks.com/wk
  d.html)
  
• Local Employment Dynamics (http//lehd.dsd.census.
  gov/led/datatools/qwiapp.html)
  
• Ecomp online (http//www.ecomponline.com/)
• Work-Life Balance (http//www.worklifebalancecentr
  e.org/)
  
• Workers Struggles (http//wsws.org/sections/catego
  ry/workers/roundup.shtml)
  

54
My favorite labor sites

• US Dept. of Labor (http//www.dol.gov/)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (http//stats.bls.gov/)
  
  
• Occupational Employment Statistics
  (http//stats.bls.gov/oes/)
  
• http//www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrci.htm11
• Compensation and Working Conditions
  (http//stats.bls.gov/opub/cwc/)
  
• Most requested statistics (http//www.bls.gov/data
  /top20.htm)
  
• Career Guide to Industries (http//www.bls.gov/oco
  /cg/)
  
• (Local) Economies at a glance (http//www.bls.gov/
  eag/)
  
• Foreign Labor Statistics (http//www.bls.gov/fls/)
  
  
• Nonemployer statistics (http//www.census.gov/epcd
  /nonemployer/index.html)
  
• Telework Association (http//www.tca.org.uk/)
• Telework Exchange (http//www.teleworkexchange.com
  /about.asp)
  
• Families Work Institute (http//www.familiesandw
  ork.org/)
  
• Globalization and Labor Standards
  (http//www.laborstandards.org/)
  

• Catherwood Library Guides (http//www.ilr.cornell.
  edu/library/subjectGuides/default.html)
  
• Labor Contracts Database (http//www.iir.berkeley.
  edu/library/contracts/) Labor Research Portal
  (http//www.iir.berkeley.edu/library/laborportal/i
  ndex.html)
• ONet (http//online.onetcenter.org/)
• Resources for Union Organizing (http//union-organ
  izing.com/)
  
• United Auto Workers (http//www.uaw.org/)
• Salaryexpert.com
• AFL-CIO
• Teamster.net
• Work Index (http//workindex.com/)
• Workplace Fairness (http//www.workplacefairness.o
  rg/)
  
• Salary Survey (http//www.erieri.com) )
• Salary calculator (http//www.slary.dom)
• Salary Expert from WSJ (http//www.salary.com/sala
  ry/layoutscripts/sall_display.asp)
  

55
Employee benefits human resources management

• International Foundation of Employee Benefit
  Plans http//www.ifebp.org/)
  
• Employee Benefit Research Institute
  (http//www.ebri.org/)
  
• Employee Benefits Compensation Related Lnks
  (http//www.managementhelp.org/pay_ben/pay_ben.htm
  )
  
• Employee Benefits Legal Resource Site
  (http//benefitsattorney.com/modules.php?nameWeb_
  Links)
  
• PensionRights.org
• Spencer Benefits Report (http//www.aspenpublisher
  s.com/spencer.asp?promoidSPENCERNET/)
  
• Contract Employees Handbook (http//www.cehandboo
  k.com/)
  

• Executive Compensation (http//www.coredatagroup.c
  om/db/compensation.html)
  
• International Association for Human Resource
  Information (http//www.ihrim.com/)
  
• bNet White Papers (http//jobfunctions.bnet.com/in
  dex.aspx?ucid21)
  
• Human Resources Learning Center
  (http//www.human-resources.org/)
  
• HRZone.co.uk
• HR.com
• Human Resources Law Index (http//www.hrlawindex.c
  om/)
  
• Stress Directions (http//www.stressdirections.com
  /)
  
• Profiler Personality Test (http//www.od-online.co
  m/app/profiler-intro.asp)
  
• Workplacelaw.net
• Society for Human Resource Management Online
  (http//www.shrm.org/)
  
• WorkIndex.com
• Workforce Management (http//www.workforceonline.c
  om/)

56
Risk issues

• External factors affecting country
• Internal groupings (points of power)
• Political parties (in and out of power)
• Other important groups
• Internal factors
• Specific projects

57
Personal favorites Political risk

• Handbook of Country and Political Risk Analysis
• Political Risk Newsletter
• Bank of America World Information Service
• Walden Country Reports
• Institutional Investor
• Euromoney

• EIU Country Risk Service (www.eiu.com)
• Big Six accounting firms
• Country Risk Forecast (www.crg.com/departments/cri
  s/crg.htm)
  
• Country Risk Analysis (http//www.duke.edu/charve
  y/Country_risk/couindex.htm)
  
• Oxford Analytica, including Consensus Economics
  (www.oxan.com)
  
• Corruptions Perceptions Index (www.transparency.de
  )
  
• Countrybriefings.com
• www.economist.com/countries

58
Foreign trade data collection issues

• Classification of goods
• Place of final destination
• Valuation
• Discontinuities and revisions
• Lack of regionalized definitions

59
Trade data opportunities

• LexMercatoria (http//lexmercatoria.net/)
• Revised Guide to International Trade Law Sources
  on the Internet (http//www.llrx.com/features/trad
  e3.htm)
  
• International Trade Statistics (http//www.intrace
  n.org/tradstat/)
  
• Harmonized tariff schedule (http//www.itds.treas.
  gov/)
  
• Agency for International Trade Information
  Cooperation (http//www.acici.org/aitic/index.html
  )
  
• GATT Digital Library through 1994
  (http//gatt.stanford.edu/page/home)
  
• WTO GATT Research (http//www.law.nyu.edu/librar
  y/wtoguide.html)
  
• Free Trade Area of America (http//www.ftaa-alca.o
  rg/Alca_e.asp)
  
• Summit of the Americas (http//www.americasnet.net
  /)
  
• International Chamber of Commerce
  (http//www.iccwbo.org/)
  
• US Chamber of Commerce (http//www.uschamber.com/I
  nternational/default.htm)
  

• Federation for International Trade Organizations
  (http//www.fita.org/) is the source for
  international import export trade leads, events,
  and links to 8,000 international trade (export
  import) related Websites
• International Business Resource Center
  (http//www.ibrc.business.ku.edu/)
  
• Bridge Between NAICS and SIC (http//www.census.g
  ov/epcd/ec97brdg/)
  
• http//www.melissadata.com/LookUps/sic.asp
• Conversion to NAICS (http//stats.bls.gov/ces/cesn
  ais.htm)
  
• Industry trade data (http//www.macalester.edu/res
  earch/economics/PAGE/HAVEMAN/Trade.Resources/Trade
  Concordances.htmlFromNACE)
  
• Concordance NAICS NACE (http//www.statcan.ca/en
  glish/Subjects/Standard/concordances/naics2002-to-
  nacerev1-1.htm)
  

60
Trade data opportunities

• Trade Statistics Overview (http//docs.lib.duke.ed
  u/maps/guides/trade_overview.html)
  
• Danish Exporters (http//www.krak.dk/scripts/danis
  hexporters/danishexporters_forside.asp)
  
• BizEurope
• Global Trade Center Trade Leads
  (www.tradezone.com)
  
• UK Trade Investment (https//www.uktradeinvest.g
  ov.uk/ukti/appmanager/ukti/splash)
  
• UK Trade Info Data Prices (http//www.uktradeinf
  o.com/index.cfm?tasktradedata)
  
• Holland Exports (http//www.hollandexports.com/)
  
  
• Indian Exporters Directory (http//www.infodrivein
  dia.com/)
  
• Doing Business Abroad (http//www.infoexport.gc.ca
  /ie-en/MarketReportsAndServices.jsp) Trade Data
  Online (http//strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/en
  gdoc/tr_homep.html)
• International Business Forum (www.ibf.com)
• Manhattan International Development Corporation
  (http//www.manhattanidc.org/marketplace/resources
  /default.cfm?clientID11002typeID3)
  
• TradeExpress International Directory
  (www.trade-express.com) the most complete product
  directory for volume buyers to find suppliers,
  exporters and OEM manufacturers.
• Tradematch (www.tradematch.co.uk) provides
  international trade opportunities through new
  markets, partners and customers overseas
  
• Inform Katalog Export (http//www.inform.cz/inp/
  main.html) database of profitable and export
  companies ready to offer their products and
  services on Czech and international market
• World Trade Markets (www.wtm.com) SEARCH system
  to cater for the capturing, dissemination and
  searching of Trade Point Trade Leads
  (ETO's-Electronic Trade Opportunities) throughout
  the world
• Statistical Tradeflow Database (http//mkaccdb.eu.
  int/cgi-bin/stb/stat/comext.pl?actionsearch)
  
• UN Trade Statistics Database (http//unstats.un.or
  g/unsd/comtrade/) Crosswalk (http//www.unspsc.
  org/)
  
• Market Access Compliance (http//trade.gov/mac/)
  

61
Web help for firms seeking overseas trade

• International Trade Administration (US Department
  of Commerce) www.ita.doc.gov
  
• US ITC Tariff Trade Database (http//dataweb.usi
  tc.gov/scripts/tariff.asp)
  
• US International Trade Statistics are available
  from the Foreign Trade Division, US Census Bureau
  (www.census.gov/ftp/pub/foreign-trade/www)
  
• National Trade Data Bank (www.stat-usa.gov)
• Export USA Publications (www.exportusa.com)
• U.S. Customs Rulings (http//rulings.customs.gov/)
  
  
• Export.gov BuyUSA.gov
• Market Access Compliance (http//www.mac.doc.gov
  /)
  
• TradeNet Online (http//www.tradenet.com/)
• Outsourcing Offshoring (http//www.outsourcingof
  fshore.us/)
  
• Port Connecticut (http//portconnecticut.com/webri
  ng.html)
  
• TradersCity Index (http//www.traderscity.com/boar
  d/)
  
• Export Services China (http//www.exportservices.b
  e/china.htm)
  
• Foreign Trade Information System
  (http//www.sice.oas.org/)
  
• Cato Center for Trade Policy (http//www.freetrade
  .org/)
  
• Dialog TradeStat (http//www.tradstat.com/)
• TradeStats Express State Data (http//tse.export.g
  ov/SEDHome.aspx?UniqueURLd4mlwl45qujiisqmbqjcn5ry
  -2005-2-1-12-52-24)
  
• http//www.buyusainfo.net/
• Virtual World Trade Reference Room
  (http//www.ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/ref-room.
  html)

62
Demographic data data collection issues

• Population
• Age distribution
• Urban rural
• Income ( income distribution)
• Per capita

• Methodology
• Collection time
• Definitions

63
My favorite sites Population/demographics

• UN Swmographic and Social Ststistics
  (http//unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/s
  ocind/)
  
• US Census Bureau (http//www.census.gov/)
• Census Bureau Subjects A-Z (http//www.census.gov/
  main/www/subjects.html)
  
• American Fact Finder (http//factfinder.census.gov
  /home/saff/main.html?_langen)
  
• American Community ASurvey (http//www.census.gov/
  acs/www/)
  
• State County Quick Facts (http//quickfacts.cens
  us.gov/qfd/index.html)
  
• International Data Base (http//www.census.gov/ipc
  /www/idbacc.html)
  
• Census Links (http//censuslinks.com/)
• Country Rank by Population (http//www.census.gov/
  ipc/www/idbrank.html)
  
• World Population (http//www.census.gov/ipc/www/wo
  rld.html)
  
• International Programs (http//www.census.gov/ipc/
  www/)
  
• International Population Reports
  (http//www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p95-01-1.pdf)
  
  
• US Gazetteer (http//www.census.gov/cgi-bin/gazett
  eer)
  
• DataFerret (http//ferret.bls.census.gov/cgi-bin/f
  erret)
  
• Social Statistics Briefing Room
  (http//www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/demography.html)
  
  
• New on our site (http//www.census.gov/newonsite/)
  
  
• State of the Cities (http//socds.huduser.org/)
• NationMaster
• HNPS