TRAINING COURSE ON THE TRAINING COURSE ON THE PRODUCTION OF STATISTICS PRODUCTION OF STATISTICS
ON THE INFORMATION ON THE INFORMATION ECONOMYECONOMY
Module B-2ICT data sources
ICT data collection strategies
Unctad ManualChapters 5 and 9
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ObjectivesObjectivesAfter completing this part of the course you will be able to
• Prepare an ICT data collection strategy• Raise awareness on the institutional aspects of ICT
data collection• Link the statistical strategy to the ICT policies• Select a target sector for analysis• Decide on the timeframe for data collection• Select an adequate survey vehicleContents of the Contents of the
modulemodule
• B2.1. ICT data sources• B2.2. Data collection methods• B2.3. Institutional issues
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Data sources on the use of ICT by Data sources on the use of ICT by businessbusiness
Data source Indicators that may be collected
Indication of costs
1 Administrative sources
Limited number of indicators on the availability of basic ICT infrastructure
Not expensive (by-product of administrative activities)
2 Statistical businessRegisters
Limited number of indicators on the availability of basic ICT infrastructure with selected breakdowns (size, sector)
Medium cost (for establishment and maintenance)
3 Module or questions on ICTin existing surveys or censuses
Indicators on the availability of basic ICT infrastructure with selected breakdowns (size, sector); limited number of indicators on use of ICT.
Marginal costs related to theSurvey to which it is attached
4 Stand-alone ICT survey
Indicators on the availability of basic ICT infrastructure with selected breakdowns (size, sector); indicators on use of ICT; indicators on barriers to the use of ICT; indicators on ICT costs, investment, etc.
High cost for design, data collection, and processing
B2.1. ICT data sources Page 40Page 40
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1. Administrative sources1. Administrative sources • Administrative registers from telecommunication operators and regulatory bodies
•AdvantagesAdvantages• Supply indicators on ICT access
• DisadvantagesDisadvantages• Information embedded in contracts is limited• Scope is statistically inadequate
B2.1. ICT data sources Page 41Page 41
•Foreign trade registers provide ICT trade data (import and export transactions are compiled following the HS classification of goods)
CCan also be adequate for other indicators … an also be adequate for other indicators …
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2. Statistical business 2. Statistical business registersregisters
• AdvantagesAdvantages• Indicators can be quickly aggregated (no fieldwork
is required) • The marginal cost of statistical production is very
low.
• DisadvantagesDisadvantages• Generally, only indicators on the presence of
certain technologies (telephone, computers, email and web presence) can be produced
• Informal sector not covered.
B2.1. ICT data sources
Page 41Page 41
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3. Module and questions in3. Module and questions inEconomic censusesEconomic censuses
• Economic censuses are not generally well suited to monitoring ICT use by businesses due to:• The low periodicity (5 or 10 years). • The limitation on the number of ICT questions that
can be included .
• The most common survey vehicles are:• Economy-wide business surveys• Surveys on the manufacturing sector• Surveys on the service sector• Innovation and Research and Experimental Development (R&D) surveys
Business surveysBusiness surveys
B2.1. ICT data sources Page 42Page 42
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3. Implementation of a module on ICT 3. Implementation of a module on ICT useuse
• Selection of the survey vehicle• Variables to be included in the module and
variables existing in the survey vehicle • Methodology of the survey vehicle
• Design of the module itself• Definitions to be used• Wording of questions
• Adjusting of the sample design if necessary
B2.1. ICT data sources
Pages 44, Pages 44, 4545
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4. 4. Stand-alone ICT surveysStand-alone ICT surveys
• Collection of detailed information
• High demand for business ICT indicators from:• policymakers, • the market• the society in general
• Surveys are carried out by: • NSO (or within the statistical system) and,
sometimes, by • Organizations outside the statistical system
usually linked with ICT policymaking institutions.
B2.1. ICT data sources
Page 48Page 48
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4. Stand-alone ICT surveys4. Stand-alone ICT surveys• Advantages Advantages
• Collection of more information than modules in other surveys: on access to ICT, purposes of use, e-commerce, security, skills, etc.• Control over survey methodology
• DisadvantagesDisadvantages
• Higher costs than modules included in other surveys, since they require
o A specific design, o Dedicated fieldwork with specialized training for the interviewers (if used), ando Independent data processing and dissemination.
B2.1. ICT data sources
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4. Stand-alone ICT surveys 4. Stand-alone ICT surveys in the National Statistical Systemin the National Statistical System
ICT surveys are better carried out within the NSS in order to:
• Benefit from official statistical infrastructure
o Statistical business registers o Data collection systems o Sampling methodology o Harmonized methodologies
• Enable coordination with the NSS existing surveys
o Use of common methodologieso Statistical units, classification and conceptso Minimization of the burden to respondents
B2.1. ICT data sources
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Surveys on the ICT sector and ICT Surveys on the ICT sector and ICT trade datatrade data
• Some business surveys partially cover the ICT sector: • Economy-wide surveys• Manufacturing and service sectors surveys• Other industry surveys: Production, Innovation and R&D
surveys
• They provide ICT sector data on:• Number of enterprises and establishments• Turnover, production and value added• Labour force, wages and salaries• Expenditure on capital, R&D and innovation
• The detail in the ICT sector definition may present challenges regarding sample size and coverage. Possible solutions are to:
• Increase the sample size in some classes • Implement a stand-alone survey of the ICT sector
B2.1. ICT data sources
Page Page 5050
Page 51Page 51
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Surveys on the ICT sector and ICT Surveys on the ICT sector and ICT trade datatrade data
• Remember: • The core ICT trade indicators (ICT3 and ICT 4) are
on imports and exports. However other statistical information may exist in a country.
• Trade data can be obtained:• Sectoral trade surveys that may cover wholesale
trade of IT equipment• A good administrative source for ICT3 and ICT4 are
Foreign Trade registers from Customs authorities
• Specific attention should be given to: • National legislation• International standards
B2.1. Types of data sources
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Comparison of different data collection Comparison of different data collection methodsmethods
• Methods of data collection• 1Face-to-face personal interview• 2 Telephone personal interview• 3 Interview assisted by computer• 4 Mail survey• 5 Electronic survey
• Questionnaire should be tested before choosing a particular data collection method
• Usually, the best approach is to have a mix of techniques
B2.2. Data collection methods
Page 53-55Page 53-55
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• Advantages • The most direct method of collecting information • Especially useful for
o Questions about opinions or impressionso Surveys that take a long time to complete
• Lower non-response rates
• Disadvantages • Interviewers without adequate training can induce
important biases • Possible high costs for hiring and training
interviewers • The quality of transport infrastructure determines
the ability to reach respondents (businesses)
1. Face-to-face personal interview1. Face-to-face personal interview
B2.2. Data collection methods Page Page 5353
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• Advantages • Allows direct interaction between the interviewer and
interviewee• Fast and relatively inexpensive
• Disadvantages• Correct and comprehensive telephone numbers may
not be available• May not be suitable for collecting quantitative
information• Non-response rate is usually larger than for face-to-
face interviews (but lower than for mail-based surveys)
2. Telephone2. Telephone personal interviewpersonal interview
B2.2. Data collection methods
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• Advantages • Better input data quality• Less time needed for data capture and validation• Questionnaires can be customized • IT can be a cheap and comfortable tool for data
collection
• Disadvantages• Interviewers require some technical skills • CAPI and CATI systems are usually based on commercial
software that can be costly and require IT support staff• CAPI requires that interviewers carry expensive IT
equipment
3. Interview assisted by computer 3. Interview assisted by computer (CAPI/CATI systems)(CAPI/CATI systems)
B2.2. Data collection methods
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4. Mail survey4. Mail survey• Advantages
• Relatively inexpensive • Respondents complete the questionnaire at their convenience• No interviewer bias (unless interviewer follow up) • Useful for numerical and multiple choice questions
• Disadvantages
• Requires separate data entry (unless advanced OCR tools are available)
• High non-response rates• Not designed for detailed written responses• Can introduce bias if questionnaires are not well designed• Lack of help from an interviewer can produce low quality
information• Delays in mailing back questionnaires result in delays in the
survey
B2.2. Data collection methods
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5. Electronic survey5. Electronic survey
• Advantages• Same advantages as mail survey but faster and
cheaper• No manual inputting of data • Editing at the time of data entry
• Disadvantages• Response rate will depend on the level of ICT
diffusion• Higher technology costs• Could entail higher personnel costs for skilled staff
handling the data collection tools
B2.2. Data collection methods
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Quality control on data collection: Quality control on data collection: how to minimize the error ratehow to minimize the error rate
• Establishing good frames • Containing all in-scope businesses • Free of coverage errors
• Providing suitable training to interviewers on• The questionnaire contents (especially for complex
technical concepts)• Dealing with respondents
• Preparing well-designed questionnaires• Establishing validation controls and applying them to
questionnaires• Establishing a policy of incentives and sanctions
B2.2. Data collection methods
Controls at data Controls at data entry stage are entry stage are more effective more effective than corrections at than corrections at later stageslater stages
Page Page 5555
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Stakeholders in the ICT statistical Stakeholders in the ICT statistical systemsystem
Data ProvidersIndividual businesses
Business associations
ICT service providers and regulators
Other providers of administrative data (e.g. Customs)
Data producers
NSOs
ICT ministries
regulators
ICT service providers
Academia
Other research entities
Data users
Government
International organisations
Business associations,
Academia
Other research entities
B2.3. Institutional issues
Page 109Page 109
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ICT statistics in the National ICT statistics in the National Statistical SystemStatistical System
• ICT collections should be included in national statistical programmes in order to:• Increase the engagement of Governments for
• Funding• Other assistance
• Communicate plans to users• Coordinate the technical and financial resources
of the NSO and other data producers.
B2.3. Institutional issues
Page 109Page 109
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Coordination in the NSSCoordination in the NSS
• Technical coordination• ICT concepts and relevant classifications (use and
definitions) • Establishment of
• Population frames• Metadata preparation and dissemination procedures
• Legal coordination• Institutional framework • Legal provisions related to
• Technical standards• Official status of the statistics• Funding
• Coordination in resource allocation• Financial resources• Technical capacities of staff • ICT resources
B2.3. Institutional issues
Page 111Page 111
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Cooperation with data usersCooperation with data users
• Assess the demand for ICT statistics through contacts with – and feedback from – data users.
• Facilitate the use of ICT statistics to users through• Transparency of methodology (availability and
dissemination of metadata) • Timeliness (dissemination calendar)
• Maximize the dissemination (accessibility) of ICT statistics through• A wide range of data dissemination formats, including
the Web
B2.3. Institutional issues Page 115Page 115
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• The potential sources of ICT statistical datao Administrativeo SBRo Modules or questions in a vehicleo Stand alone
• Surveys on the ICT sector and ICT trade data may provide specific information
• A portfolio of data collection methods• Data quality control, an investment• Who’s who in the Statistical System
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