Adding to the sum of knowledge with research on trade and sustainable development

In July 2017, UNCTAD launched a new research paper series (UNCTAD, 2020). Since that time, 41 research papers have been published, which have been downloaded almost 86,000 times. This chapter provides a brief statistical overview of this series.

The papers cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from Brexit, to digital platforms, to fishery subsidies. For the purposes of this analysis, the research papers have been categorized into seven broad themes (see table 1). This is of course a simplification, as most papers deal with several complex themes simultaneously.

Trade related papers accounted for almost 60 per cent of all research papers published. They cover a rich variety of topics including tariffsTariffs “are customs duties on merchandise imports, levied either on an ad valorem basis (percentage of value) or on a specific basis (e.g. $7 per 100 kg). Tariffs can be used to create a price advantage for similar locally produced goods and for raising government revenues. Trade remedy measures and taxes are not considered to be tariffs.” -—
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—-, non-tariff measuresNon-tariff measures (NTMs) are policy measures other than ordinary customs tariffs that can potentially have an economic effect on international trade in goods, changing quantities traded, or prices or both such as technical barriers to trade, price-control measures, etc. -—
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—-, subsidies, gender-in-trade, global gender indices, nowcasting trade, development status, free trade agreements and value chains. Sustainable development, which included papers dealing with the political economy of SDGSustainable Development Goal measurement, the digital and infrastructural divide, Big Data, enterprise contribution to SDGs and inclusive development, accounted for a further 17 per cent.

Since the series was launched in July 2017, almost 86,000 papers have been downloaded. Unsurprisingly, trade-related papers account for the bulk of these (70 per cent) – see table 2.

Table 2 shows that downloads have been steadily increasing, from less than 2,000 in the first year (2017), to almost 44,000 two years later.

The monthly UNCTAD research papers views are illustrated in figure 1. The total number of downloads has steadily increased since 2019, reaching more than 10 thousand in November 2019.

These three papers account for more than 36,000 downloads, or 42 per cent of all UNCTAD research papers downloaded.

Table 3 shows the number of research papers by division. In cases where a paper was co-authored by an UNCTAD staff member and an external author, that paper was classified to the division of the UNCTAD staff member. In cases where no UNCTAD staff were authors, papers were classified as ‘external’. Given the prominence of trade related papers, it is not surprising that DITC accounted for more than 40 per cent of papers published.

The research papers have been coded to SDGs. As with theme classification, this is necessarily a simplification, as several papers deal with more than one SDG. In table 4, some papers are classified to two SDG goals, hence the total of 52 rather than 41. The importance of goals 9, 10 and 17 is evident.

It is important to note that research papers are only one of the release channels employed by UNCTAD. A number of flagship reports, publications, policy briefs, conference documents and news articles have also been published on topics relevant for sustainable development.

References

• Nicita A (2019). Trade and trade diversion effects of United States tariffs on China. UNCTAD Research Paper No. 37. UNCTAD/SER.RP/2019/9. (accessed 5 June 2020).
• Nicita A, Saygili M and Koloskova K (2019). Brexit. Implications for Developing Countries. UNCTAD Research Paper No. 31. UNCTAD/SER.RP/2019/3. (accessed 5 June 2020).
• Saygili M, Peters R and Knebel C (2017). African Continental Free Trade Area: Challenges and Opportunities of Tariff Reductions. UNCTAD Research Paper No. 15. UNCTAD/SER.RP/2017/15Rev.1. (accessed 5 June 2020).
• UNCTAD (2020). UNCTAD Research Paper (Series). Available at https://unctad.org/en/Pages/Publications/Research-Paper-Series.aspx (accessed 10 June 2020).