Computing Skills for Economists

Today's students are expected to use computers and familiarise themselves with word-processing and spreadsheet packages in their work. They are also expected to be able to use the Internet for e-mail and accessing information on the Web. In fact, some lecturers use the Web to provide course notes or even deliver parts of the course interactively. Most available computer books are too general and often miss out features that would be particularly helpful to economists. In fact, they don't show how such tools can be used in economics.

This textbook fills a need for a computing and IT book aimed specifically at undergraduate economics students. It bridges the gap between IT literacy and the use of hardware, software and other resources in learning and doing economics. The main focus is on the tools and the resources that are particularly relevant to economists with examples of their use and suggestions of how to apply and exploit them in applications in economics.

FEATURES

Assumes no previous computing background - the book will adopt a practical and applied approach with emphasis on the software used by economists and how they use it.

Use of examples and applications will allow readers to learn by doing and develop their computing skills.

The book will be written in a concise and informal style with the use of screen grabs and text boxes.

www.wiley.co.uk/judge - a Website containing solutions to exercises, PowerPoint slides and other supplementary material for instructors. The site will also have an archive for data used in the book and be a means of updating information.

CONTENTS: Introduction: Tools, Tasks, Resources and Skills; Beginning to Work with Computers in Economics; Building on the Basics: Skills Development; Spreadsheets for Economists; The Internet for Economists; Statistics and Econometrics Software for Economists; More Advanced Computing Skills for Economists.