The primary responsibility of our economists is to conduct research, which they have published in numerous
refereed journals and presented at
conferences all over the world. In fact, staff economists—especially new PhDs—spend
the overwhelming majority of their time on their research. And although the goal remains the same—to
inform policy discussions—the paths to reach that goal vary widely. Economists develop their own research topics; then,
in a collegial environment, they are challenged to move their ideas even further. And all the necessary supports are in place to
allow them to focus on what they do best—research. Here is what you can expect.
Staff research analysts (RAs) are full-time professionals with degrees in economics. RAs are assigned
to economists based on their research needs. A formal description of their duties may be found here.
An informal description is this: They do whatever is called for to help economists complete their research.
The proximity of creative thinkers can move ideas to a new level or open new areas for exploration. It can speed up the
research process as well. It is why we have a visiting scholar program. Our short-term visiting scholar program is economist
driven—that is, economists select colleagues and request that they be invited to visit. Longer-term visiting scholars
are chosen with significant staff input. Whether it's collaboration on a research project, comments on current research, or
an informal conversation at Starbucks, the expertise of our visiting scholars is a valued resource.
Visiting Scholars 2002-08
Through the presentation of their ideas, interaction with peers, or exchanges with seasoned scholars,
the professional development of our staff economists is necessary and ongoing. Further, our mission clearly
states we are to "expand the frontier of economic knowledge around the globe." To those ends, our economists
travel throughout the United States and world.
Our Research Automation Group is dedicated to meeting the IT needs of the Research Division. They manage the
hardware and software and provide all the related support necessary to keep our active research environment up
and running. Their goal is to ensure that computing doesn't constrain research projects, and they welcome a challenge.
The St. Louis Fed maintains many widely used economic datasets, including the data contained in FRED.
In addition, our support staff are experienced with many other datasets and vendors, including Haver, Bloomberg, and
Global Insight. Additional data is purchased as needed for specific projects.
Our in-house library offers what one would expect from an economics library at a major university. It provides access
to numerous databases, over 100 peer-reviewed journals (either hard copies or on-line), and row after row of our
own "stacks." Need something else? Then it's likely available through our shared library catalog, with
access to 40,000 titles. And our staff of professional librarians are ready to point you in the right direction
or track down what you need.
Our staff editors do what a computer simply can't—thoroughly read your work. Whether you need the help of a wordsmith or
simple proofreading, our editors will assist you with papers, book reviews, letters, and any other written materials. Short,
desk-side queries are welcomed as well.
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