System and method for data collection, management, and analysis

Abstract

A system, method and computer readable medium that performs data analyses, such as economic forecasting, in accordance with the configured needs of one or more users. The system may maintain local information on which its various analyses are based, and may supplement or replace this local information with information retrieved from a remote data sources containing a desired type of data, such as time series data. Preferably, the system includes the ability to search for databases within an associated information network, such as the Internet. The system records information in an index about each database it finds, including whether the database contains data of a desired type. The particular type of data sought by the system depends upon configurable settings and relates to the type of analyses for which it has been configured. Thereafter, the system may use the index to retrieve data from many different databases when performing an analysis, relieving it from the need to store such data locally. The system may use the indexed information to check remote databases for changes or updates. The system can update any affected analyses, or alert users whose analyses are affected by such changes. A variety of mathematical models may be included in the system, and it can select the best model or models for a given user problem.