IMF Research
Research activity in the IMF emphasizes the links between the organization's policy and operational concerns. Developments in the international economy and the changing circumstances of member countries are also important factors governing the IMF's research activities. The IMF Bookstore contains information on print subscriptions and packages to a wide range of the IMF's research.
World Economic Outlook (WEO): This report presents IMF leading economists' analyses of global economic developments during the near and medium term. Published at least twice yearly, the World Economic Outlook presents the outlook for growth, inflation, trade, and other economic developments in a clear, practical format. Each WEO considers the issues affecting industrial countries, developing countries, and economies in transition to market. Central bankers, economists, financial institutions, business leaders, governments, think tanks, and researchers eagerly await this unique investigation of what's happening and what's ahead. This report is available on an annual subscription. It is also available as part of a package with other products in the World Economic and Financial Surveys Series.
Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR): The Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) seeks to identify potential fault lines in the global financial system that could lead to crisis, while providing comprehensive coverage of mature and emerging financial markets. The GFSR focuses on current conditions in global financial markets, highlighting issues both of financial imbalances and of a structural nature that could pose risks to financial market stability and market access by emerging market borrowers. It regularly offers articles on structural or systemic issues relevant to international financial stability.
Regional Economic Outlooks (REOs): These important regional outlook reports are part of the International Monetary Fund's World Economic and Financial Surveys series. The five REOs published biannually by the IMF cover the Middle East and Central Asia, Asia and Pacific, the Western Hemisphere, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe. In each of the regional volumes, recent economic developments and prospects for the region are discussed as a whole as well as for specific countries. The reports include key data for countries in the regions. Each report zeroes in on economic policy developments that have affected economic performance in the region and discusses key challenges faced by policymakers. These indispensable surveys of recent economic developments and prospects are the product of comprehensive intradepartmental reviews of economic developments that draw primarily on information the IMF staff gathers through consultation with member countries during surveillance and lending activities.
Global and Regional Economic Analyses: It is also available with other products in the Global and Regional Surveillance Reports packages.
IMF Research Bulletin: This online quarterly bulletin selectively summarizes key components of research done at the IMF and provides a listing of research documents and other research-related activities, including IMF conferences and seminars.
IMF Staff Papers: The IMF has announced that its official research journal, IMF Staff Papers, will be succeeded in mid-2010 by a new, significantly enhanced and redesigned research publication--IMF Economic Review.
Economic Issues: Research results written in concise, nontechnical language for a broad readership of nonspecialists.
Occasional Papers: Periodic studies covering a wide range of topics in international economics and offering nontechnical analyses of theoretical and empirical issues.
Working Papers: About 200 Working Papers are published annually, offering a range of economic research from highly technical pieces to country and regional studies.
Staff Position Notes: These papers showcase new policy-related analysis and research by IMF departments. They are generally brief and written in nontechnical language, and are aimed at a broad audience interested in economic policy issues. This series replaced Policy Discussion Papers at the end of 2008.
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