Classifying economics for the common good: a note on the links between sustainable development goals and JEL codes
ISSN: 0022-0418
Article publication date: 1 January 2021
Issue publication date: 18 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This brief note sheds light on the links between Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) codes and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
Design/methodology/approach
Three alternative methods based on keyword overlap to establish links between SDGs and JEL codes are presented.
Findings
These simple linkages illustrate that the themes of SDGs have corresponding closely related JEL classification codes.
Research limitations/implications
The mappings presented in this note are based on simple keyword overlap and are therefore necessarily imperfect and incomplete. There is plenty of room for further development.
Practical implications
Despite the demonstrated possibility of linking SDGs to existing JEL codes, introducing a specific JEL code for each SDG would reduce search costs for those searching for economic research related to specific SDGs.
Originality/value
The first and preliminary attempt to link SDGs and JEL codes.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author thanks participants of the Steering Research and Innovation for Global Goals (STRINGS) project workshop 2020 and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. Salla Laukkanen provided excellent research assistance.
Citation
Heikkilä, J.T.S. (2021), "Classifying economics for the common good: a note on the links between sustainable development goals and JEL codes", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 77 No. 2, pp. 305-319. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-08-2020-0146
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited