Guidelines on Statistical Business Registers. Draft Chapter 6: Data Sources Andrew AllenUK

The purpose of the chapter

• To provide a comprehensive list and description of possible data sources

• To identify advantages/disadvantages of different sources

• To provide guidance on using these sources to build a statistical business register.

Overview of the content of the chapter

• 1. Introduction• 2. Categories of data source• 3. Common issues• 4. Administrative data source• 5. Advantages of using Administrative data• 6. Disadvantages of using Administrative data• 7. Quality of Administrative data• 8. Legal issues and access to administrative sources• 9. Using administrative sources in practice• 10. Converting to statistical units• 11. Quality improvements and addition of specific stratification variables• 12. Statistical Sources • 13. Combining Administrative and Statistical sources• 14. Links to other types of registers• 15. Other and New types of data sources

Types of administrative sources

• Tax Records • Company, chamber of commerce, trade • Administrative business registers• Social Security register (social contributions)• Labour and Employment register• Industry associations • Agricultural administrative registers• Telephone directories • Water supply and electric associations etc.

Issues for further discussion and feedback

• Economic Census- still done ? But not very practical given the cost and updating frequency.

• Feedback from surveys to supplement register - more about updating characteristics.

• Special register updating surveys.

Issues for further discussion and feedback cont.

• Identifying local units - not often possible from administrative data?

• Linking to associate registers ?

• Developed country focus – need some examples of practice in developing world

Further discussion: new sources

• Payroll systems • Accounting data• Commercial providers• Internet ?

• What else ??

• Guidelines will have a long life- test of time.

Requests for good practices/examples

• We need country examples please on:

Innovative uses or sources of data

How economic censuses are run.

Single administrative registers

Other ideas ??

Contact

• Please send examples to:

andrew.allen@ons.gov.uk