An Assessment of the Knowledge Products Produced by the Central Bank of Barbados Over the Past Forty Years

Since the establishment of the Central Bank of Barbados in May 1972, the focus has been on acquiring a deep understanding of the domestic economic challenges and the broader issues surrounding sustainable development in small states. While most of this research, as should be expected, has examined topics in money and finance, there has also been an active research effort on other key sectoral challenges facing the small state. Utilising thematic analysis, this paper provides an assessment of the knowledge products (i.e., research output) produced by the Central Bank of Barbados over the past forty years, with the objective of identifying the key thematic areas researched. This research aims to assess broadly how the Bank’s economic policy advice has been driven by its research, identify any gaps in this research agenda and potential areas for future research.