Michigan State University

Collection Development Policy: Economics

A. Chronology of the subject

The emphasis is on current topics, but materials on the history of economics and works of major economists are also collected.

B. Languages of resources collected

The emphasis is on English language materials in the collection, with translations preferred when available. Major works covering economics outside the U.S. in the vernacular may be selected by area studies selectors.

D. Format of the resources collected

All appropriate formats, including print, electronic, microform and audio-visual are considered, but strong preference is given to data, journals and monographs in electronic format. Data and journals preferred access is via databases and electronically for ease of access. E-books are purchased when possible to allow easier access, but we do take into consideration the type of book it is. For example, if the chapters are standalone or individual articles, electronic is preferred. However, if it is something that someone may want to read cover to cover and print would be easier for comprehension, print may be preferred. 

The main data sources for economic research are secondary quantitative datasets and survey data from public, government sources and private or proprietary data sources. Original quantitative data is also generated by researchers. Research involving experiments or simulations usually requires development and use of programs, scripts, models and code. As such, data formats and types in this field can be quite diverse. Major journals in the field such as those published by the American Economic Association now require that authors provide all data, models, code, scripts, etc used to generate the published article. These are published and hosted by the journal publisher.

In general economics research at MSU is not usually funded by agencies with open data mandates. As such, beyond publisher or institutional mandates, there is no strong requirement to share data.There is as yet no certified trusted disciplinary repository for economic data. However RePec, the most prominent disciplinary repository, (an open source, volunteer-run service) does host and make available models and software alongside published works and working papers.

Adding MSU-produced digital research data is a possibility in this field, given the lack of a certified trusted repository. However the diversity of data and data types could be problematic. All acquisitions in this field will be made in accordance with the Collection Development Policy Statement: Digital Research Data.

E. Date of publication of resources collected

The present emphasis is on current publications, with the exception of reprints and classic works when required for replacement purposes.

F. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion concerns

Economics has a history of being focused on white men. We want to make sure to include a wide range material on diverse topics and authors. During normal purchases, we make sure to select diverse titles and we do seek out diverse authors including poc and women from independent web searching.