Library Briefings

SourceOECD Updated

New SourceOECD includes full-text searching and access to databases

SourceOECD is the online repository for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development publications and data. SourceOECD began in 2000 as a way to distribute PDFs of OECD publications to subscribers. The PDFs are online versions of the printed books and periodicals which the Library will continue to collect in print. Northwestern University Library has subscribed to this resource for years. For an introductory article on SourceOECD please see the April 15, 2002 issue of the 2East Newsletter. The OECD has recently launched a new version of SourceOECD that is dramatically improved.

The OECD publishes information on a wide variety of subjects. Our subscription includes 20 book themes, 24 periodicals, 3 reference titles, and 24 OECD statistical databases. The themes include sustainable development, economic studies, national accounts, nuclear energy, governance, health and social issues and it covers all material published from 1998 to the present.

The greatest advance to SourceOECD is the improved searching. The new improved SourceOECD allows for full-text searching of PDF publications. It also offers access to databases such as OECD Health Data and the OECD Statistical Compendium that were previously available only on CD.

New SourceOECD has a new URL, http://new.sourceoecd.org. Since the site has been completely rebuilt, any links or bookmarks that went to publications from the old URL, http://www.sourceoecd.org/ , will need to be changed. The OECD has created a new way of linking books, periodicals and statistical databases called Easylinks. Their new method for building URLs is based on ISBN, making it more simple and stable. These links can easily be integrated into Blackboard Course Management Software.

New SourceOECD makes statistics available in two ways: as PDFs of publications and as interactive databases. The PDF files of the statistical annuals are accessible in the book section and the statistical periodicals are included in the periodical section. The statistics section provides access to the OECD databases.

For assistance with SourceOECD, please visit the Government Publications Department or contact the reference desk by phone at 1-814-491-3130 or e-mail at govpubs@northwestern.edu. There is also a guide for finding statistics on SourceOECD.

--Catherine Morse