New resources in this issue are denoted with a + in the first column of the title or mailing list, while significant changes to resources mentioned previously are denoted with a * in the title of that resource and this sort of type denotes the actual changes in that section (for mailing lists, sometimes the change only involves a change in the type of software used).
While it is more evolutionary than entirely new, WoPEc and WPA now work very closely together. Thus, they provide a "one-stop-shop" for on-line electronic working papers in economics. They either have, or have links to, more than 1,000 complete electronic working papers in economics. Anyone considering putting their working papers on-line should make sure that (i) they use the WPA to put their papers on-line, or (ii) if they have put them on-line themselves, to register them with WoPEc. Like most items in this guide, both of these serives are free for users. Putting a working paper up on the Internet, without entering it into one of these systems, is rather like starting a journal that will never be listed in the JEL. In addition, as before, BibEc lists "paper" working papers in economics.
Many will find the totally redesigned interface to LABSTAT at the BLS of great use. It greatly simplifies accessing their vast holdings. The St. Louis Fed offers a substantial number of very current, yet long span, macro time series in an easy-to-use interface. Other useful datasets are the NBER's Macro-Historical Database (with data from their early days) and the Integrated Public Use Microdata Sample (IPUMS), with data from 11 U.S. Censuses (including the most recent). In addition, data from NSF funded studies are now on-line at the ICPSR. Two additional on-line libraries of programs, CodEc and ELSA, are now operating. For those looking for broader guides than this, WebEc is now in operation.
A new section is ECONOMIC CONSULTING AND FORECASTING SERVICES; among its entries is "Dr. Ed Yardeni's Economics Network," which provides a wide range of useful data and analyses. Another new section is NEWSLETTERS. In a hint of things to come, Dow Jones' "Money & Investing Update" is basically a substantial part of "The Wall Street Journal." A scholarly hint of the future can be found in Christian Zimmermann's " Quantitative Macroeconomics and Real Business Cycle Home Page, where he provides a very extensive and up-to-date bibliography in that field. Finally, in a bit of educational whimsy, you can flip coins at Ken White's Coin Flipping Page.