EIU database: Upcoming cancellation & alternative resources

We've recently had to make the difficult decision to cancel our EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) database subscription with very short notice. Usage of the EIU database had dramatically decreased in the last few years, resulting in an unsustainably high cost-per-use. Our access will cease at the end of 2017.

We would normally engage in a long period of consultation before making such a cancellation decision, but the renewal offer had a very short deadline and required a three-year commitment. We did not feel it would be prudent to lock ourselves into a multiyear contract for a resource that is so rarely used (only 65 downloads this year, compared to over 700 five years ago).

Note: We won't completely lose all EIU access. Some EIU publications remain available via Factiva: 

• ViewsWire: Daily briefing (2-day embargo) covering most countries
• Risk Briefing: Risk analysis of global investing and operations; includes security, the regulatory and tax environments and the impact of infrastructural inadequacies on investment and local operations
• Executive Briefing: Irregular publication aimed at global executives

Also note that access to the Economist magazine is not affected. The magazine was not part of the EIU database and our online & print access remain available for all SFU researchers.

Alternative sources:  SFU researchers who require news and analysis about economic and political developments around the world may find the following resources useful.

Business Monitor International
BMI Research via LexisNexis: Broad range of BMI publications including country & industry reports and daily news 
BMI Industry Insights via Factiva: Focused on specific industries and regions

Passport
Includes news, analysis, and data on economic topics for most countries, as well as tools such as macroeconomic scenario models 

OECD iLibrary
Main focus is on OECD member countries, but also includes analysis and data on many non-OECD countries

Factiva
Daily news from around the world, including hundreds of sources with an economic/political perspective

Country reports via Business Source Complete
Provides country reports from several publishers such as the PRS (Political Risk Service), CountryWatch, Global Insight, and Marketline.

Again, we apologize for the lack of consultation about this decision. This is not our normal practice. If you have concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me.

-- MarkB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Bodnar
Economics & Business Librarian
mbodnar@sfu.ca