ABSTRACT
Comparative research in economic systems involves economic research at large. An overall interpretation of economic systems is scarcely conceivable without some resort to philosophy. In order to assess the needs of researchers in this field, and with a view to reducing the risk of subjecting appreciations, the documentation contained in the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, International Bibliography of Economics, XXI, 1972 was taken as a starting point. In spite of its over-abundance, documentation seems to be lacking on certain points essential for the comparison of economic systems, notably concerning the quantitative characteristics of institutional sectors. It is well known that research in market countries aims especially at closing the gaps of documentation on that point. Even as to specialized periodicals, only part of those which are relevant for research in comparative economic systems are being tapped for the International Bibliography, as appears from the list of periodicals of the same kind received at the Institut fur Weltwirtschaft.
