Teal Insights’ Guide to Working with the World Bank International Debt Statistics

Author

Teal Emery & The Teal Insights Team

Published

October 16, 2024

Preface

This guide is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for understanding and utilizing the World Bank’s International Debt Statistics (IDS). It is structured to fulfill two primary objectives, each aimed at enhancing the reader’s capacity to work effectively with this critical dataset.

Work in Progress

This book is an active project, evolving in real-time. We’re embracing an open development process, building it publicly using R & Quarto. All code, content, and revisions are available on GitHub for transparency and collaboration.

We’ve chosen this approach to engage with our readers, stakeholders, and the broader community as we develop both the book and the {wbids} R package. Your feedback is not just welcome – it’s essential to making this resource as useful as possible.

Feel free to follow our progress, suggest improvements, or even contribute directly through our GitHub repository. We’re excited to build this resource with input from its future users!

Part One: Foundations of IDS Data

The initial section of this book is dedicated to providing readers with the necessary background to become informed consumers of IDS data. It encompasses:

A detailed overview of the data available within the IDS, including its scope, structure, and key variables.
An exploration of the types of policy-relevant questions that can be addressed using IDS data, with illustrative examples from recent economic research and policy analysis.
A thorough examination of the data creation process, from initial reporting through the Debtor Reporting System (DRS) to the final compilation and release of the IDS.
A critical discussion of the strengths and limitations inherent in the IDS dataset, enabling readers to approach the data with appropriate context and caveats.

This section aims to equip readers with a nuanced understanding of the IDS, ensuring they can interpret and apply the data with confidence and accuracy.

Part Two: Applied Analysis with the {wbids} R Package

The second section of this book focuses on practical application, introducing readers to the {wbids} R package. This tool has been developed to facilitate efficient analysis of IDS data within the R programming environment. This section covers:

Detailed instructions for accessing and manipulating IDS data using the {wbids} package.
Tutorials on conducting common analytical tasks and creating informative visualizations.
Guidance on integrating IDS data with other relevant datasets to produce more comprehensive analyses.

This practical component is designed to cater to R users of varying experience levels, providing a pathway to enhanced analytical capabilities in working with IDS data.

About Teal Insights

This guide has been developed by Teal Insights, a research consultancy specializing in the application of modern data science tools and deep domain expertise to tackle global issues. Teal Insights extracts actionable insights from complex information and messy data. Our work primarily serves policymakers, investors, and non-governmental organizations, with a focus on international finance, sustainability, and policy analysis.

Teal Insights’ approach combines modern data science tooling with deep domain expertise about financial markets, global economics, and sustainability. By developing open-source tools such as the {wbids} R package and resources like this guide, we aim to broaden access to critical datasets and empower a diverse audience to engage in sophisticated analysis and informed decision-making.

It is our hope that this guide will not only enhance readers’ understanding and utilization of the IDS data but also inspire innovative approaches to leveraging data for impactful research and decision-making in the fields of international finance and development.

We invite you to explore the wealth of information contained within the International Debt Statistics and to discover new insights through its analysis.

This is a product of Teal Insights, not the World Bank

This book and the accompanying {wbids} R package are products of Teal Insights. While they are designed to work with the World Bank’s International Debt Statistics, they are independent creations and are not produced, endorsed, or officially supported by the World Bank Group. The authors have experience working with the World Bank as consultants, but this work is separate from those engagements. Users should be aware that while we strive for accuracy, the World Bank is the authoritative source for its data and any interpretations thereof.

# Preface {.unnumbered} ![](teal-insights-logo.png){fig-alt="Teal Insights Logo" fig-align="center"} This guide is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for understanding and utilizing the World Bank's International Debt Statistics (IDS). It is structured to fulfill two primary objectives, each aimed at enhancing the reader's capacity to work effectively with this critical dataset. ::: callout-note ## Work in Progress This book is an active project, evolving in real-time. We're embracing an open development process, building it publicly using R & [Quarto](https://quarto.org/). All code, content, and revisions are [available on GitHub](https://github.com/Teal-Insights/teal-insights-guide-to-wbids) for transparency and collaboration. We've chosen this approach to engage with our readers, stakeholders, and the broader community as we develop both the book and the `{wbids}` R package. Your feedback is not just welcome – it's essential to making this resource as useful as possible. Feel free to follow our progress, suggest improvements, or even contribute directly through our GitHub repository. We're excited to build this resource with input from its future users! ::: ## Part One: Foundations of IDS Data The initial section of this book is dedicated to providing readers with the necessary background to become informed consumers of IDS data. It encompasses: 1. A detailed overview of the data available within the IDS, including its scope, structure, and key variables. 2. An exploration of the types of policy-relevant questions that can be addressed using IDS data, with illustrative examples from recent economic research and policy analysis. 3. A thorough examination of the data creation process, from initial reporting through the Debtor Reporting System (DRS) to the final compilation and release of the IDS. 4. A critical discussion of the strengths and limitations inherent in the IDS dataset, enabling readers to approach the data with appropriate context and caveats. This section aims to equip readers with a nuanced understanding of the IDS, ensuring they can interpret and apply the data with confidence and accuracy. ## Part Two: Applied Analysis with the {wbids} R Package The second section of this book focuses on practical application, introducing readers to the {wbids} R package. This tool has been developed to facilitate efficient analysis of IDS data within the R programming environment. This section covers: 1. Detailed instructions for accessing and manipulating IDS data using the {wbids} package. 2. Tutorials on conducting common analytical tasks and creating informative visualizations. 3. Guidance on integrating IDS data with other relevant datasets to produce more comprehensive analyses. This practical component is designed to cater to R users of varying experience levels, providing a pathway to enhanced analytical capabilities in working with IDS data. ## About Teal Insights This guide has been developed by Teal Insights, a research consultancy specializing in the application of modern data science tools and deep domain expertise to tackle global issues. Teal Insights extracts actionable insights from complex information and messy data. Our work primarily serves policymakers, investors, and non-governmental organizations, with a focus on international finance, sustainability, and policy analysis. Teal Insights' approach combines modern data science tooling with deep domain expertise about financial markets, global economics, and sustainability. By developing open-source tools such as the {wbids} R package and resources like this guide, we aim to broaden access to critical datasets and empower a diverse audience to engage in sophisticated analysis and informed decision-making. It is our hope that this guide will not only enhance readers' understanding and utilization of the IDS data but also inspire innovative approaches to leveraging data for impactful research and decision-making in the fields of international finance and development. We invite you to explore the wealth of information contained within the International Debt Statistics and to discover new insights through its analysis. ::: callout-note ## This is a product of Teal Insights, not the World Bank This book and the accompanying `{wbids}` R package are products of Teal Insights. While they are designed to work with the World Bank's International Debt Statistics, they are independent creations and are not produced, endorsed, or officially supported by the World Bank Group. The authors have experience working with the World Bank as consultants, but this work is separate from those engagements. Users should be aware that while we strive for accuracy, the World Bank is the authoritative source for its data and any interpretations thereof. :::