Global Insight is a platform for exploring economic and statistical databases, not a database itself. It provides access to data sources depending on the user's institutional subscriptions. The document outlines the steps to use Global Insight, which include logging in, selecting a data source and search terms or browsing files, choosing data series, setting date ranges, selecting an output format, and downloading results. Users can obtain time series data in various frequencies like monthly, quarterly or yearly from sources like Statistics South Africa.

1. Using Global Insight
Created by Lara Skelly
For University of Cape Town Libraries
August 2010

2. Background
• Global Insight is not a database.
• It is a platform for exploring other databases.
• Which databases these are depends on your
institutions subscriptions.
• It is also known as Time Series Explorer (TSE),
• and EconoStat.
• This presentation explains how to use Global
Insight.

3. Go to www.globalinsight.co.za

4. Click on the Login in the top right
corner.

5. Log in with your institutions log-in
details.

6. If you are UCT staff or student, contact
Lara.Skelly@uct.ac.za for log-in details.

7. This page will appear after logging in.

8. Click on Search.

9. You will then see a list of data sources
that is available to your institution.

10. Step 1: Select how you want to search
for your data (browse or search).

11. Step 1: Select your data source (CSS: Statistics
South Africa releases is used in this example).

12. Step 1: Then click on Search.

13. Step 2: If you had chosen the search
option, this screen will appear.

14. Step 2: Type in some keywords (CPI is used
in this example), and click on Search.

15. Step 3: Your results will be shown.

16. Step 3: Select the series of interest,
and click on Next.

17. Step 2: If you had chosen the Browse option in
Step 1, this is the screen you will see.

18. Step 2: Browse through the files to
find the series you are interested in

19. Step 4: Your selected series will be displayed.
Change dates as needed and click on Next.

20. Step 5: Choose your format, and click on Get
results. Note that CSV formats can be opened in
Excel and other econometric software.

21. Here is the result of the example that
was used.

22. Notice that there was no
frequency selection option. This is
because Global Insight will provide
any and all frequencies that is
available, be it monthly, quarterly,
yearly or any combination thereof.

23. Need more help? Ask a librarian. Email
Lara.Skelly@uct.ac.za.
Picture by Carlos Porto (Flickr)