Trial: Data Planet -- over 12 billion datasets in one simple interface
Published by Mark Bodnar
SFU researchers now have trial access to Data Planet -- a very broad collection of datasets from both public and private sources on topics relevant to economics and business (and beyond). We'd really appreciate it if you could check it out and share your opinions.
Feedback: Email Mark Bodnar [mbodnar@sfu.ca] with any comments or questions. We're especially interested in your thoughts on whether this resource might be useful for your teaching. Would the ease of gathering data affect how you design assignments?
Deadline: This trial will end on Dec. 21, 2019
Start here: The interface itself seems so simple and easy to use that you may miss some of the advanced features at first. I strongly suggest preparing for your exploration by reading the notes below, then watching this short video introduction to learn about the powerful functionality. (Note: The video is a year old, which is an eternity for a resource that is growing so quickly, but it's still a useful introduction to the functionality of the database.)
Once you've watched the video, log into the trial, but don't start searching quite yet... spend a few minutes exploring the Self Help options listed at the top of the screen. As with visiting a new city, you'll miss the best features if you skip the guided tour!
About Data Planet
Content: At its core, Data Planet is about providing seamless access to "more than 157 billion data points from 12.6 billion datasets from 80+ source organizations." This includes many US government agencies, as well as Statistics Canada, the IMF, OECD, UN, WTO, EC... and most of the rest of the alphabet!
Those big numbers can be misleading. The majority of those datasets are publicly available if you know where to look. The true value of this resource lies in how Data Planet prepares and presents the data, and in the types of analysis you can do when you have data from dozens of different sources together in one interface:



The (very important) fine print:
- This trial also includes access to seven "Premium" datasets. Although we'd love to have all the data in the world, our resources are limited, so at this point we are only considering access to the "Basic" collection. Do still let us know if you like any of the Premium datasets as that feedback will be factored into future purchasing decisions.
- The number of Canadian sources is, at the moment, very low. Besides Statistics Canada, you have to rely on mentions of Canada in data from international or US agencies if you are focusing on our wonderful country. The publisher is actively working to remedy this, and we are confident that more Canadian sources will be added in the near future.
- The trial version of the database is currently configured for US researchers with US content in the "In the News," "Sage Key Economic Indicators," and "Overlays" sections. We've been assured that those sections could be adjusted to better reflect our location if we were to start a subscription.
Phew! If you read this far before diving in, thanks! Now go explore and please do let me know what you think.
- Mark
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Mark Bodnar
Economics & Business Librarian
mbodnar@sfu.ca