Although economics is a major area of study at institutions of higher learning all around the world, it is not an easy term to define. Economics is a social science and a simple definition might call economics the study of the allocation of goods, products, and services. In a broader sense, however, economics is about asking questions. An important area of economics is looking at how individuals, businesses, governments, countries, and the global economy at large, use the limited resources available. These resources include natural resources, workers, land, time, equipment, and income.

Every purchase requires making a choice, choosing not just what to buy, but what goods to forgo. The choice of what to buy shows what values various groups place on owning certain items and helps determine the costs of these items. Owning a dish washer, for instance, is highly priced in many areas of the world because the machine eliminates the physical labor required to wash dishes, saves time and reduces kitchen clutter. But what dishwasher will be bought? One manufactured in the country of origin, a specific brand, a newer technology, or one produced in another part of the world and available for a cheaper price? This is just one of the questions that economists ponder – looking at how international trade, supply, demand, advancement, and competition influence how resources are allocated and how they affect trade and economic growth.

Economics is not limited to one area of study; however, it is an important part of health, government, business, law, education, and various other areas related to social sciences. World markets, international trade, making predictions, indexes, and modules, are all vital parts of the study of economics. 

Dictionaries, Glossaries & Encyclopedias

• A Glossary Of Political Economy Terms: This Auburn University glossary offers well-defined meanings of typical words encountered when studying buying and selling as it relates to laws and governments. 
• Deardorffs’ Glossary Of International Economics: Over 3,300 terms are explained in this glossary which describes vocabulary pertinent to the study of international economics. 
• EH.Net Encyclopedia Of Economic And Business History: The Economic History Association provides these online reference articles written by experts.
• Glossary Of International Business Terms: Provides definitions to expand the understanding of various terms and acronyms related to economies, finances, income, taxes, and other focuses in international business.
• Hypertext Glossary Of Business Cycle Indicators: Key indicators such as the global domestic product (GDP) are defined and discussed by importance.
• The Concise Encyclopedia Of Economics: Top economists contribute to this popular read which covers mainstream economic topics including history, regulations, macroeconomics, and banking.
• The Economist: This newsletter provides information on world markets, currencies, country briefings, and definitions of popular economic related terms.
• The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics Online: This scholarly and acclaimed publication covers the immense spectrum of economics including individuals important to economic study.
• Online Dictionary & Glossary In Economic Geography: Economic geography looks at how the geographic distribution of resources impacts economies and access to natural resources. This glossary defines the main terms used in this focus area.

Forecasting & Consulting

• Consumer Prices Indexes (CPI): The CPI is an economic indicator producing monthly data as it relates to consumer spending. Historical data is available as well as fact sheets, articles, and reports.
• Economic & Financial Data: Data provided by the company include analysis, risks, investment opportunities, and historical data.  
• Economic Forecasting Center: Economies from the local to the national level are analyzed here, publications are also issued quarterly.
• Economic Forecasting Project: Extensive analysis and charts include: an urban consumer price index, national scorecard, and the national yearly forecast.
• Journal For Economic Forecasting: Making predictions about the economy requires extensive knowledge and research. From the Institute for Economic Forecasting, this journal offers an extensive catalogue of economic articles available for download.
• National Economics Accounts: Personal income, corporate profits, federal recovery programs, the GDP, and more are analyzed at the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
• Research Seminar In Quantitative Economics: The Department of Economics at the University of Michigan provides quarterly economic forecasts related to the United States and the state of Michigan. 

Forums & Mailing Lists

• Economic Dynamics: This newsletter and mailing list is free and provided twice-a-year, it presents research data of interest to those interested in economic dynamics.
• The Armchair Economists’ Mailing List: This friendly mailing list is open to graduate students, professors, and anyone with a passion for issues related to economics. 
• The Center For Business And Economic Research: Get updates on academic research, new publications, and events by joining this mailing list.
• Rural Economic Development Mailing List: Provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, this list tackles economic development in rural economies. 
• Institute For New Economic Thinking (INET): To spin new ideas in economic theory and debate current issues of importance, participate at this forum created by INET, a non-profit which studies economic systems.
• Practical Money Skills For Life: A newsletter for teachers that covers financial trends and features educators making a difference in financial education in the classroom. 

Organizations & Associations

• Bureau of Economics: As part of the Federal Trade Commission, this bureau provides economic analysis of various industries and tracks how various regulations economically impact consumers, reports are also available.
• Economic Cycle Research Institute: ECRI provides economic cycle research to predict turning points including research reports, inflation watches, and indexes for the international economy.   
• The American Economic Association (AEA): The AEA provides a vast resource of information towards the study of economics including journals, job openings, and links of interest to economic research for academic or professional study. 
• The Institute For Strategy and Competitiveness: From the Harvard Business School, this organization studies competition and its impact on various parts of the economy.
• The International Society For Ecological Economics: This organization studies sustainable economies and provides journals, current news, scholarship information, and research on the topic.
• National Economic Association: Created for minorities in economics, this organization provides data on economic education programs, opportunities for monitories, and career information.

Teaching Resources

• Between The Sheets – Economics: Economic modules are provided along with teacher notes and downloadable spreadsheets related to cost analysis, profit analysis, and more.
• Council For Economic Education: Search hundreds of economic lesson plans by grade level, concept, or national standard. 
• Economic Education Web: These online economic lesson plans break down money, savings, consumer consumption, and other areas related to economics for all age levels from kindergarten to high school. 
• Economic Forecasting WebQuest: Teachers can utilize this economic webquest to help students understand how to make predictions and track trends.  
• Economy For Kids: Scholastic provides these special resources to help kids better understand economics including a glossary of key terms, games, lesson plans, and articles. 
• Economics Interactive Tutorials: Tutorials related to supply, demand, elasticity, risk, and other areas of economics. 
• Foundation For Teaching Economics (FTE): FTE works to advance economic thinking in young minds. Resources available for teachers include demonstration videos, student handouts, and other lesson plan material to teach economics to students.
• Online Economics Lessons: James Madison University offers this set of economic lesson plans for high school students.
• The 3^rd Edition of Economics: This free interactive tutorial breaks down each chapter of the book into interactive tutorials, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and mini lectures.

Other Internet Guides

• A Guide To Getting Through Tough Economic Times: This guide on dealing with financial difficulties provides useful information important to economic students.
• Economic Census User Guide: This guide breaks down how to use the census, explains the various data sets, and covers the major changes made since the last major update. 
• SparkNotes Economics Guide: This well-organized guide simplifies banking, international trade, taxes, and labor markets.
• Economic Learning Guides: Learning material suitable for students uses plain-spoken language and music videos to entice and excite while teaching about economics.