Getting Started with
Wharton Research Data Services
Saint Louis University
http://wrds.wharton.upenn.edu
wrds-support@wharton.upenn.edu
Note: If connecting from Workstation B in Pius XII Memorial Library, please click here.
Welcome to Wharton Research Data Services!
Wharton Research Data Services, or WRDS, is an Internet-based business
data research service from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Developed in 1993 to support faculty research at Wharton, the service
has since evolved to include over 170 institutions including:
- Stanford University Northwestern University
- Harvard University University of Hong Kong
- London School of Economics University of Chicago
- London Business School Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
more
WRDS provides access to COMPUSTAT, CRSP, IBES/First Call, NYSE-TAQ,
Global Insight, OptionMetrics and other important business research
databases in a manner that gives universities several key benefits:
Outsourced Data Management . The Wharton Computing staff receives
the data directly from providers and posts the data to our system in
SAS data sets. The data is warehoused at Wharton and access is provided
to subscribers over the Internet. You concentrate on research; we handle
all the data management issues .
Access to Multiple Data Sources Simultaneously. WRDS provides a common
interface to a variety of databases, simplifying extraction and increasing
productivity. You no longer have to spend countless hours programming and
decoding tapes or writing Fortran access programs. The information is easily
retrievable over the Internet--anytime, anywhere--via point-and-click web
query pages, SAS/PC Connect, or a secure shell (SSH) log-in session, whichever
method best suits your needs.
Professional Technical and Research Support. Our staff of doctoral-level
research specialists is available to you on-line. They can assist you with
difficulties pertaining to database access, data queries, and programming
in SAS, FORTRAN, or C.
Integrated Tools. WRDS provides sophisticated software tools
and sample programs for a wide variety of applications, including security
analysis, conducting event studies, and testing asset-pricing models
using Fama-French portfolios. In addition, complete financial statements
for a single company can be downloaded using a simple web interface.
Classroom Application. Access to historical financial data
on WRDS is also available to students using special class accounts
that may be requested by any standing faculty of member institutions.
One-click, IP-based access in labs and libraries is also offered.
Continual Improvements. We are continuously improving and adding
value to WRDS. Our current efforts are concentrated on support for comprehensive
international databases, as well as state-of-the-art analytical tools
for faculty research and new applications for students and classroom
use.
We hope you enjoy your new WRDS accounts. We are confident you will
find the ease of access, abundance of data, and system support a significant
benefit to your research and teaching endeavors.
Enjoy!
Sincerely,
WRDS Staff
Table of Contents
1.1 Eligibility for Access
All current faculty, staff, and students at St. Louis University are
eligible for web access to WRDS. Individual (faculty, doctoral, staff,
visitor and research assistant) accounts, which allow SSH access, may
be provided with access at the discretion of the university’s WRDS
Representative. Unfortunately, alumni members of the community, research
colleagues outside the university, and other persons not actively employed
or registered with the university do not qualify.
1.2 Applying for An Account
Step 1:
Step 2:
- In the center of the login screen, you will see
a link entitled “account
request.”
- Click on that link. Then click on the link entitled “new
account.”
Step 3:
- Fill out the account request form.
- Click the box entitled "submit request."
1.3 Types of Accounts
Faculty : Faculty accounts are available to
all standing faculty of member institutions. Standard accounts allow
unlimited access via web, SSH, and/or FTP, and include 750 MB of home/projects
storage. Faculty
will have their own password access; this password is to remain confidential
and is not to be shared with any other individual.
Administrative and Staff : Administrative
accounts can only be requested by support personnel such as librarians,
IT support staff or other administrators of member institutions. (Please
note that this type of account does not automatically carry WRDS Rep
privileges, though many WRDS reps have this kind of account. WRDS Rep
administrative capabilities are assigned separately from the account
designation.) Administrative accounts allow unlimited access via web,
SSH, and/or FTP, and include 750 MB of home/projects storage. Administrators
and staff will have their own password access; this password is to
remain confidential and is not to be shared with any other individual.
PhD student : PhD accounts are available to
all current Ph.D. candidates of member institutions. (PhD candidates
who accept a faculty appointment at another institution may continue
to use their WRDS account until they defend their dissertation. After
the defense, then the WRDS Rep will disable the account.) Standard
accounts allow unlimited access via web, SSH, and/or FTP, and include
750 MB of home/projects storage. Doctoral
students will have their own password access; this password is to remain
confidential and is not to be shared with any other individual.
Visitor : Visitor accounts are available to visiting faculty
(non-permanent or part time position). These accounts are subject
to additional review and may not be used after the visiting appointment
ends. The WRDS Rep will choose to approve this person as a visitor.
The guidelines for “visitors” require a formal relationship
between the institution and the individual -- the individual is being
paid to be at your institution or has a formal letter of appointment
(from a Dean) to an unpaid position. This generally precludes co-authors
and PhD candidates as well as unpaid research associates. The User will
have to accept additional Terms of Use prior to access. Standard accounts
allow unlimited access via web, SSH, and/or FTP, and include 750 MB of
home/projects storage. This password is to remain confidential
and is not to be shared with any other individual
Research Assistant : Research accounts are
available to graduate and undergraduate students performing research
for a faculty member. Research
Accounts allow access via web, SSH, and/or FTP, and include 750 MB of
home/projects storage. Research assistants will have their own
password access; this password is to remain confidential and is not to
be shared with any other individual.
Class: Class accounts may be requested by
standing faculty of member institutions and are used to access the
WRDS web interface. These accounts are primarily for student usage
that is associated with a specific class and all students in the class
share the same password. Up to 10 simultaneous users will share the
same account and password. These accounts provide access only and do
NOT include disk storage. They expire at the end of the term. This
password is not to be shared with any other individual.
Library/Lab: Library/Lab accounts are used to access
WRDS using IP authentication; thereby, bypassing the need to remember
or keep secure a shared password. We simply need to know the IP addresses
and corresponding hostnames. Expiration dates are not set for these accounts.
WRDS Terms of Use
All users must agree to the following:
- WRDS services are for academic and non-commercial research purposes
only. Data hosted on WRDS is for academic purposes only and its
use is restricted under license terms set by each vendor. Do not
use data downloaded from WRDS for any non-academic or commercial
endeavor.
- Access to WRDS is linked to your university or institution. Individual
accounts may only be used by standing faculty, full-time research staff,
and currently-enrolled PhD students. Access and individual accounts
for research assistants, visiting scholars and other nonpermanent faculty
is offered at WRDS’s discretion. Access by other types of students
is limited to class accounts, in-library use accounts, and special
IP authenticated services.
- Protect your WRDS username and password. Do not share your
username and password (not even with a co-author).
- Immediately notify WRDS of any changes in your institutional
affiliation. If you leave your current university or change your
affiliation in any manner, you will have one month to notify WRDS
about the change. If your new university or institution is a WRDS
client, we will quickly transfer your account and files.
- Your institution may have additional restrictions. You are
obligated to learn about and honor restrictions your institution may
place on users of WRDS and any licensed data that is accessed through
WRDS.
- Any evidence of the misuse of your WRDS account or the data hosted
at WRDS is subject to immediate suspension of your account.
- WRDS and its third party data providers do not make any representations
or guarantees about the accuracy or timeliness of the content. Due
to the number of sources from which WRDS contents are obtained, and
the inherent hazards of electronic distribution, there may be delays,
omissions, or inaccuracies in the contents. Although the contents
have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, they are
provided to you on an "as is" basis without warranties
of any kind. With respect to this service and the contents, and to
the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, WRDS and its third
party data providers hereby disclaim all express, implied and statutory
warranties of any kind to the user or any third party, including,
but not limited to, representations and warranties regarding accuracy,
timeliness, completeness, correctness, currentness, noninfringement,
merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose, or any representations
or warranties arising from usage or custom or trade or by operation
of law. WRDS, and its third party data providers, assume no responsibility
for the consequences of any errors or omissions. In no event shall
WRDS or any third party data provider or any of their licensors be
liable to the user or to anyone else for any loss or injury caused
in whole or in part by contingencies beyond their control or negligence
in procuring, compiling, interpreting, editing, writing, reporting
or delivering any content. In no event shall WRDS or any third party
data provider or any of their licensors be liable to the user or
anyone else for any claim arising out of or relating to WRDS-provided
content, including, but not limited to, any decision made or action
taken by you in reliance upon such content or for any types of damages
(such as, but not limited to, direct, consequential, pecial, incidental,
punitive or indirect damages), even if advised of the possibility
of such damages.
1.7 Accessing the Data
WRDS may be accessed either through a web interface or a UNIX login
session. After January 28, 2003, users may no longer connect to WRDS
using the telnet protocol. A Secure Shell (“SSH”) program
should be used instead. An account with username and password authorization
is required to access WRDS using either method.
Web Interface:
To access WRDS via the Web, begin by pointing your browser http://wrds.wharton.upenn.edu.
The WRDS web site serves our users in three ways. First, it offers the
documentation and description of databases available. Each database is
accompanied by a general description, various components of the database,
descriptions of variables, and documentation. Second, users may access
the database using the query forms. Users can search and download information
using these pages by entering their own search criteria. Finally, users
can submit an account request, a restore request, or technical questions
with this access method.
SSH:
You may also make an SSH connection to wrds.wharton.upenn.edu with
a WRDS-issued username and password. Once logged in, you will begin at
your home directory.
The directory structure for the data is as follows:
- /wrds/crsp/
- /wrds/compustat/
- /wrds/fdic/ etc.
Each database directory contains subdirectories for the data files
and sample programs.
- /wrds/crsp/sasdata
- /wrds/crsp/samples
Each database directory contains subdirectories. We have several documents
that provide step-by-step instructions on how to SSH to WRDS and how
to retrieve data with FORTRAN and SAS programs (see Section 3.2). They
are in MS Word format and can be easily accessed.
2.1 Vendor Technical Contact/Support Information
For data vendor technical support, please contact the data vendors
that offer each set. Below are contacts and email addresses.
Vendor |
Support Phone Number |
E-mail |
|
|
|
Compustat |
(800) 525-8640 x4458 |
clientsupport@standardandpoors.com |
|
|
|
CRSP |
(773) 834-1025 |
subscriptions @crsp.chicagogsb.edu |
2.2 WRDS Representatives
Kevin Connor
connorkd@slu.edu
314-977-3595
Georgia Baugh
baughga@slu.edu
314-977-3598
These are the responsibilities of your WRDS Representative:
- Serve as a liaison between the WRDS staff and the users at the university.
Any notices regarding system upgrades, the addition of new vendors,
scheduled maintenance, etc. will be sent to the representative
and he or she will simply forward this information to the users.
- Monitor account requests by verifying that a requestor
is indeed standing faculty, a Ph.D. student, or an authorized
researcher/ administrator at the university. Whenever a user from your
institution submits an account request, we will send you an email notification.
Simply go to the URL indicated in the message and follow the
instructions to approve the request. After we receive your approval,
we will create the account and send the user an e-mail message with
a special URL and instructions for setting the account password and
logging into WRDS.
2.3 WRDS Administration
For information concerning your subscription, details on upgrading your
package, or the status on negotiations with future data providers, please
send an e-mail to: wrds@wharton.upenn.edu or contact
us at 215-898-9065.
3.1 Technical and Research Support
Our staff of technical and research specialists may be
reached at wrds-support@wharton.upenn.edu.
They are available to assist you with difficulties pertaining to database
access, data queries, and programming in SAS or C. If you request support
related to a particular program which you are unable to execute successfully, please
copy the program into the body of your e-mail message for a quicker response.
This is helpful for detecting any errors in your program.
3.2 Electronic Resources
Additional resources are available from any WRDS web
page by clicking on the “support” tab located at the top
of your screen. You will find several listings:
- WRDS FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): This resource
contains the most detailed information on using our service including
a system overview, data content and access, and extensive help on
using SAS and FORTRAN programs to extract data.
- SAS FAQ: Compiled by one of our technical specialists, this
is an excellent resource for users just getting started with
SAS.
- Online Manuals: All electronic manuals published by our vendor
providers (i.e. CRSP) are available under this link. If you do
not see a particular manual you are interested in, please contact the
vendor directly (see Vendor Contact information, Section 2.1) for a
copy.
- Downloads: TCP script for connecting to WRDS via SAS/CONNECT.
- Restore Request: Electronic form to be submitted in the
event output is lost (see Section 3.4)
3.3 Changing Your Password
You may change your WRDS password by SSH or web access.
By SSH:
Step 1:
- SSH to wrds.wharton.upenn.edu
- At the system prompt, enter the following: passwd
Step 2:
- You will be prompted for your old password. Type in your current
password and then press the Enter key.
Step 3:
- You will be asked for the new password. Type in a new password.
Your password should be at least 6 characters long. On Unix systems
passwords are case sensitive: lower-case and uppercase letters are
different. To avoid problems, it’s a good idea to use only lower-case
letters and numbers. The password does not appear on the screen when
you type it.
Step 4:
- To ensure you typed your new password correctly, you are asked to
enter it again. Type in your new password again. If you typed the same
password both times, the system returns to the system prompt. From
now on, use this password to log on to this system. If you make a mistake
typing your password, you’ll receive an error message, and the
system will not change your password. If this happens, repeat Steps
2 through 4.
By WEB:
Go to https://wrds.wharton.upenn.edu/changepassword/index.shtml and
follow the instructions.
3.4 Lost Password
Go to http://wrds.wharton.upenn.edu/lostpassword/index.shtml and
follow the instructions.
If you have any further questions, please send e-mail to
wrds-support@wharton.upenn.edu.
3.5 Lost Output
In this event, please submit a Restore Request, available under
the Support tab. Please allow one business day for processing.
4. WRDS@WHARTON
Our staff of technical and research specialists may be reached at:
wrds-support@wharton.upenn.edu
They are available to assist you with difficulties pertaining to database
access, data queries, and programming in SAS, FORTRAN, or C. If you request
support related to a particular program, which you are unable to execute
successfully, please copy the program into the body of your e-mail for
a quicker response. This is helpful for detecting any errors in your
program.
We hope you enjoy your new WRDS accounts. We are confident that you
will find the ease of access, abundance of data, and unique system features
such as downloading your information to an MS Excel spreadsheet, Advanced
Query capabilities, and e-mail notification feature a significant benefit
to your research and teaching endeavors.
Edited and reproduced from "Getting Started
with WRDS at Saint Louis University"
Last updated April 18, 2007.
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