Oxford Economics' automated Data & Report services

Data: API and Data Feed services

Oxford Economics offers clients two options to programmatically retrieve forecast data from databanks in its Global

Data Workstation. The first option is to use a standards-based web interface (a REST API) that supplies

data series in a structured text format (known as JSON) or as CSV or XLSX flat files. Clients are responsible for

developing the software applications required to use the API. The second option is a Data Feed. Here, Oxford

Economics automates the delivery of pre-configured sets of data series from databanks as soon as their forecast data

is updated. Zipped CSV or XLSX flat files are transferred to a secure file drop (known as an FTP site) provided by the

client or Oxford Economics

Eliminate manual data acquisition: Clients can automate data downloads from Oxford Economics databanks, avoiding manual downloads from the Global Data Workstation or in the Excel Data Workstation add-in.
Increase productivity: Clients’ downstream applications and processes have continuous access to the latest Oxford Economics forecasts. The data is well-structured so can be easily integrated and combined with other data for timely
insights and further analysis.
Advanced data control: Clients have full control and flexibility to customize fine-grained data selections. With our software programming examples, provided in several popular programming languages, and extensive guidance
building custom in-house solutions is straight forward.
Excellent customer support: The API and Data Feeds are value-added subscription products complementing the client’s core databank subscriptions, so benefit from the support of highly qualified economists and technical staff.

Client applications make RESTful HTTP requests, authenticated by an API key, to retrieve data from Oxford
Economics (client pulls data).
Data can be integrated with any application or used directly in third-party software, like Tableau and Power BI.
Clients can request data in JSON format or CSV/XLSX flat files.
Contains a plethora of endpoints that allow clients to build fine-grained data requests.
Supports pagination which is useful for very large data payloads.
Comprehensive guidance available to use the API includes examples and re-usable libraries written in .NET C#,
Python, R and JavaScript, a Tableau Connector and Power BI Power Queries.
Contains rich response headers (e.g informative error descriptions, number of pages, etc.).
Requires software development skills on the client side to develop their applications.
Clients can apply for trial access enabling them to explore the service and verify it meets their needs

Oxford Economics sends data files via FTP when data forecasts are updated (OE pushes data).
Data Feeds are ZIP files containing CSV or XLSX data files, and a manifest describing their contents.
Data Feeds can be delivered to client’s secure FTP server or supplied as a download link sent by email.
Data Feeds can deliver data of an entire databank or can be specified precisely in a selection saved in the
databank.
The Data Feed files format is similar to the manual download file format from the Global Data Workstation
where all databanks are hosted.

Both services provide the latest data to our clients. With the API solution the client must develop bespoke software to

acquire the data and keep track of updating their data when updates are available. In a Data Feed solution the client

can rely on pre-defined data files to be delivered to them and not be concerned with updates. Although both services

can be used as reliable data sources to build solutions, there is a trade-off between flexibility and convenience. The

API offers extreme flexibility whilst the Data Feed is very convenient. The API requires the client to have more

demanding software development skills than required to use the Data Feed. The diagrams below show at a high level

the key “data pull” vs. “data push” differences in the API and Data Feed options respectively.

Similar to Data feed, Report Feed delivers reports that are published on OE website to client’s server, eliminating the

need of a manual process to retrieve these files from https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/.

Oxford Economics sends the reports via FTP when they are published to OE website (OE pushes reports).
Report Feeds are ZIP files containing all reports files. Reports are typically as PDF (but other formats may also be
used depending on the type of the report) and XML files (metadata).
Report Feeds can deliver any report type you have subscription for clients can decide which ones to include.