Working Papers
Working Papers, or discussion papers as they are sometimes known, are documents which are a “work in progress”. They are often published as a means of sharing ideas and inviting comment and are often used as a precursor to peer reviewed journal articles. Although they are not the definitive article, they are still at the cutting edge of research. They have particular importance in the area of economics.
Below is a selection of working papers which are available as either databases or via the web.
Databases
CEPR Discussion Papers
Papers focusing on key economic discussions published by the Centre for Economic Policy Research.
VPN software is required for off campus access
National Bureau for Economic Research (NBER)
Working papers published by the National Bureau for Economic Research. Coverage goes back to 1973. Some US based data (e.g. main economic indicators) is also available.
VPN software is required for off campus access.
Gateways
These offer good sources for locating papers:
European University Institute
Access to (mainly) University working papers.
Intute
Access to good quality web resources which have been evaluated and selected by librarians and researchers. Try searching for “working papers”.
LSE Guide to Working Papers
Social Science Research Network
Gives access to websites which offer working papers, some of which are free.
Specific Web pages
Brunel University Economics and Finance Working Papers
Econ Papers
Provides access to the world's largest collection of working papers, journal articles and software.
Please note that not all working papers are in full text and not all of them are free.
RePEc
Research Papers in Economics collated from 58 countries and 35 US States. Includes journal article abstracts and research papers.
World Bank
OECD
A selection of working papers by subject:
