Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.kodak.com!news-nysernet-16.sprintlink.net!206.229.87.26!news-east.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!pln-w!extra.newsguy.com!lotsanews.com!news1.mpcs.com!news.iinet.net.au!not-for-mail From: david@cn.net.au (David Novak) Newsgroups: sci.research,comp.infosystems.www.announce,comp.answers,sci.answers,news.answers Subject: Information Research FAQ v.2.6 (Part 5/9) Followup-To: poster Date: 12 May 1998 00:00:00 GMT Organization: iiNet Technologies Lines: 937 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Message-ID: <6je24h$554$6@news.iinet.net.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: classic25.nv.iinet.net.au Summary: Information Research FAQ: Resources, Tools & Training Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu sci.research:17560 comp.infosystems.www.announce:22075 comp.answers:31286 sci.answers:8269 news.answers:130013 Archive-name: internet/info-research-faq/part5 Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: May 12 1998 URL: http://cn.net.au Copyright: (c) 1998 David Novak Maintainer: David Novak Information Research FAQ (Part 5/9) This section of the FAQ contains a collection of heavily researched articles. These articles are also available from the Spire Project (including http://cn.net.au), & from our free shareware (see http://cn.net.au/tools/infokey.html). You may wish, for convenience, to reach for the webpage version of this information. If you have suggestions, leads or corrections, please do inform us: david@cn.net.au Note also, the disclaimer statement on Part 1 of this FAQ. Contents ----- Part 5 ----- 19. Information Research: Finding Statistics 20. Information Research: National Statistical Agencies 21. Information Research: Country Profiles 22. Information Research: Business Benchmarks 23. Information Research: Imports and Exports ___________________________________________________ 19. Information Research: Finding Statistics From the cn.net.au research site http://cn.net.au/articles/stats.html Statistics allow us to lie with confidence. Dense and factual, when carefully interpreted, statistics are also far more reliable than personal experience. We use statistics in many circumstances, and we have several other articles on this topic: Country Profiles[1] Business Benchmarks[2] National Statistical Agencies[3] Imports & Exports[4] The expense of collecting meaningful statistics limits the types of organizations involved in this work. This is also a very elegant way to divide this field. National Statistical Agencies, Government Agency Statistics, Commercial Statistics, Association Statistics. National Statistical Agencies Most every country in the world has a single government agency dedicated to national statistics. Statistics Canada, Australian Bureau of Statistics, The US Census Bureau, The (UK) Office for National Statistics; please review National Statistical Agencies[5] for this. These organizations manage the census, watch the movement of money and goods in and out of the country, and undertake a wide range of other surveys. Finding these statistics is relatively straight forward, with several directories on the Internet and certain general national statistics also on the Internet. Government Agency Statistics Most government agencies collect reams of data on the industries they monitor. Sometimes these statistics are published, sometimes you have to ask for them, only rarely are they considered private or unavailable. Here in Western Australia, the government departments for Tourism, Labour, Small Business and Big Business all publish top-rate statistics free to interested parties. Tourism also keeps a directory of future tourism related projects (wow!). Central to the Internet Revolution is the liberation of just this kind of information. Increasingly, we will see the publishing of such documents on the Internet, but for the few statistics currently online, there are no effective search. You can only browse government websites. Away from the Internet, you must either contact the agencies directly (in the hope that they do collect statistics), look at the statistical directories (listed below) or seek agency statistics in other documents: books, pamphlets, newsletters. [6] When government statistics are bound and published, try the government book databases. Remember both MOCAT[7] UKOP[8] and AGIP[9] are free online. [29] US government statistics are well recorded in Statistical Abstract of the United States 1997[29] a 1000+ page document made available online in pdf format by the US Census Bureau. Other statistical directories exist (see below) Association Statistics Valuable statistics only come from motivated sources, and associations are certainly motivated. Start with a list of likely associations, then call up and either explain you needs or ask for their price list for publications and statistics. For AU$25, the Australian Booksellers Association publishes a brilliant analysis of the book industry. Association statistics are usually more financially informative as the intended audience is association members. [10] See the association section of the Special Interest Groups[11] article. Commercial Statistics Statistics created for sale are frequent in the financial sector, but exist in a number of situations. Banks use more professionally prepared market reports such as reports by the economic consultancy firm Syntec Economic Services, Guide to Growth, which examines Australian industries financially with forecasts. I believe IBIS also publish to this market. Professionally prepared market reports are also emerging, with the full text immediately from the commercial information market. Each database marketing firm has several such databases, but often these databases are focused globally or in a different country than Australia. Sheila Webber[12] has a very good list of firms which market research reports. Statistical Directories and Venues Statistical Abstracts, also described as statistical bibliographies or statistical directories, suggest leads to sources of statistics. Instat publishes "International Statistics Sources: subject guide to Sources of International Comparative Statistics" but I found this less than brilliant. A better link is Statistical Sources (by Gale Research), a basic and very large statistical abstracts directory. In addition to the resources listed above, you may also wish to investigate certain research venues where knowledge of additional statistics will congregate. Many statistics appear regularly in journals, annual reports and newspapers. Specialty libraries, particularly specialty librarians, may be aware of additional statistics. Here in Australia, the Directory of Special Libraries in Australia, by ALIA lists 1400 specialist libraries. If an expert goes through the effort to collect statistics, you are far more likely to locate them by undertaking an article search, (looking particularly for journal articles) and a book search. In both cases, limit your search to only the last couple of years or you will locate very old, dated statistics. Conclusion Once you have proceeded this far, it is wise to stop looking for statistics, and begin again at sophisticated commentary - which is likely to include supporting statistics or references to statistics. Seek expert guidance from others who would know of hard-to-find statistics. This post comes from The cn.net.au research site, a site devoted to information research. Advice welcome : email david@cn.net.au (c)Copyright Community Networking. (http://cn.net.au) --- footnotes for the above article --- [1] http://cn.net.au/articles/country.html [2] http://cn.net.au/articles/bench.html [3] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html [4] http://cn.net.au/articles/imports.html [5] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html [6] http://cn.net.au/articles/books.html [7] http://cn.net.au/articles/books.html#gov [8] http://cn.net.au/articles/books.html#gov [9] http://cn.net.au/articles/books.html#gov [10] http://cn.net.au/articles/sigs.html#assoc [11] http://cn.net.au/articles/sigs.html#assoc [12] http://www.dis.strath.ac.uk/people/sheila/ ___________________________________________________ 20. Information Research: National Statistical Agencies From the cn.net.au research site http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html Australia[1], United Kingdom[2], Canada[3] and the United States[4] each have national statistical agencies. Each organization collects and publishes statistics on many facets of their respective countries. This article should simplify your work in searching, selecting and appraising these sources. Links appear first, followed by a discussion. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) The Australian Bureau of Statistics (http://www.abs.gov.au[5]) has made their searchable catalogue available online. This is not, however, the only 'in' for this source. [4][5] 1) The ABS 1998 Catalogue of Publications. (highly recommended) Full Text Search of the 1998 Catalogue [6] 2) Look for one of their Statistical Category Guides, including: Directory of Housing Related Statistics (#1118.0) Directory of Tourism Statistics (#1130.0) Directory of Transport Statistics (#1132.0) these document are not available online. 3) Through one of their periodicals: Release Advice (a twice weekly list of recently released statistics) Publications and Products Released in [Month] Publications to be released in 1997 (#1109) [7] 4) Contacting the ABS by phone or in person, for personal advice. [8] Through their summary documents such as the Australian Yearbook, or the Western Australian Yearbook. The ABS publishes only a portion of the information they have available, which means you can purchase additional information from the ABS through their information consultants. For this, contact the number of the individual in charge of a given publication (bottom of first or second page), and ask what is available. Again you will not be able to identify individuals, but the additional information is appropriately priced, and purchased by asking for a written quote from an ABS staff member. There are other types of information available to purchase from the ABS. They have a product called 4-site, which combines census data, the business register, household expenditure surveys and the like into a package of information describing the clientele in a surrounding district; priced at AU$200 to $600. You can also purchase import or export data by destination, origin, and specific product code. If you do live in Australia, each capital state has their own ABS library. ABS publications are also found at all Universities, the State Library, and smaller collections can be found in many public libraries. If you visit the ABS library, be sure to ask for their free ABS catalogue on disk. [Catalogue #1101.0.15.001] [7] The (UK) Office for National Statistics The UK Office for National Statistics (http://www.ons.gov.uk/[9]) has lost many of its fine resources from its website recently. What is left is relatively sparse, with other sites offering more information. [10] A Statistical Overview of the UK resides online. [12] The UK Office for National Statistics Product Catalog has been removed to a commercial database called the United Kingdom Official Publications (UKOP). This, in turn, is available free through the sales point of the Stationery Office[13]. Use this Search Form[12] to browse Official Publications. [11] This Guide to UK Statistics was unfortunately published in April 1996. The US Census Bureau The US Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov[12]) has also made their searchable catalogue available online. Here is a further description[13]. The US Census is the least user-friendly of these four statistical agencies and more than a little confusing. For starters, there is no searchable catalogue of publications - only one monolithic webpage with everything on it. The US Census also uses a large number of pdf files on the website. [14] the Catalogue/List of publications is a large file, but clearly describes how information was developed. Despite its size, this is where to look. [15] This appears to be the directory of information available free from the Census Bureau website. [16] Census Publication Categories - Detailed and not too difficult. [17] CenStore is the publication point, and the location for information on their various products. [14][18] The US Census Bureau publishes online their Monthly Product Announcements, and Statistical Briefs. If you are interested, consider the US Census Bureau Website Site Search. [19] Here is a list of Census Bureau publication vendors The US Census Bureau publishes an Internet product called CenStats[20]. This is a subscription service ( about US$40) to search and display as a webpage, a collection of databases including: County Business Patterns, Building Permits, International Trade Data, and a couple more. Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (http://www.statcan.ca[21]) is the Canadian National Statistical agency. Here is a further description[22]. This is the best website; very precise, focused search engines and clearly arranged. [23] The website has several search engines including their Information on Products and Services (IPS) catalogue, back issues of The Daily, their new release newsletter, an experimental Thematic Guide to Social Statistics, and a others. Access is through their search page[23]. [24] Information on Products and Services (IPS) catalogue is a search of all Statistics Canada services, research papers and publications. (search help[25]) Search The phrase All of these words Any of these words [26] Thematic Search Tool for Research in Social Statistics Statistics Canada’s Web Site Further National Statistical Agencies [27] Statistics Canada has been most generous in preparing a list of additional national statistical agencies. [28] An even larger list is available thanks to the [UK] Office for National Statistics. [29] Lastly, the online Statistical Abstract of the United States 1997[29] has a two page address list of various statistical agencies, available in pdf format. Discussion National Statistical Agencies are certainly not the only source of statistics. They are, however, some of the easiest to access. These agencies also have several traits which distinguish them from other information sources. Firstly, these agencies are legally required to disguise their statistics to protect the identity of specific businesses and individuals (with the exception of the Business Register). If there is only one or two timber exporters in Western Australia, the ABS will not give you timber exports from Western Australia. Specifics are found in directories like Kompass, commercial databases, or insider information (experts and articles by experts). Secondly, national statistical agencies have a tendency to be old. Most surveys are not completed annually, but rather every two, three or more years. Census data is older still. The analysis process also adds a delay. The ABS tends to take a year or more to collate and analyze statistics. For Legal and Accounting Services Australia we have '92-'93 statistics, and the '95-96 statistics are due to be released early Nov 1997. Certain statistics like National Indicators are rapidly produced, but most are not. Thirdly, national statistical agency publications are detailed - far more than most statistical publications. Commercial statistical sources often neglect supporting information like sample size and demographic breakdown, but expect these publications to include this and more. Publications may still require further analysis, and may occasionally come from inferior sources of information, but they are professionally delivered. There are several ways to search each agency: 1) Each agency has thoughtfully provided their catalogue of publications online. The links are above. 2) Each agency collects certain information for analysis. It is helpful to become familiar with the various surveys and information sources used by each agency. Besides the Census, the ABS conducts surveys of weekly household expenditure, agricultural land-use surveys, R&D surveys, and periodic surveys of various segments of the economy (like Legal and Accounting Services, Australia 1992-93). They also collect landing cards (tourism information), export and import documentation, regional hotel occupancy rates and more. Each statistical agency is similar. If the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has not yet conducted a survey of hospital occupancy, they will not have that information. 3) Agencies publish guides to information on a particular topic. They also publish various newsletters of recent releases and annual yearbooks too. Closing Note These statistics are not the only statistics available, nor particularly the best in many circumstances. They are, however, often the best source for demographic data, widely used by government and frequently re-published in other government documents. We have a further article on Business Benchmarks[30], and Finding Statistics[31]. These agencies also provide a range of sample and national summary data directly from their website. Online statistics have not yet been organized, so I rather expect browsing the website for free information will be unwise unless you are looking for simple national data, with the possible exception of the US Census Bureau. This post comes from The cn.net.au research site, a site devoted to information research. Advice welcome : email david@cn.net.au (c)Copyright Community Networking. (http://cn.net.au) --- footnotes for the above article --- [1] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html#australia [2] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html#uk [3] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html#canada [4] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html#us [5] http://www.abs.gov.au [6] http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3110121.NSF/d29f0d90066771024a25644f00 1d0c5b?OpenView&Start=1&Count=1500&Expand=2.1 [7] http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/4a256353001af3ed4b2562bb00 121564/a250eeaa1ff771d74a2564500009a40a?OpenDocument [8] http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3110121.NSF/d29f0d90066771024a25644f00 1d0c5b?OpenView&Start=1&Count=1500&Expand=2.3#2.3 [9] http://www.ons.gov.uk/ [10] http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ukstats.htm [11] http://www.statsbase.gov.uk/gtos2/dbguide.htm [12] http://www.census.gov [13] http://www.census.gov/mp/www/pub/index.html#AGRPUB [14] http://www.census.gov/prod/www/titles.html [15] http://www.census.gov/main/www/aboutus.html [16] http://www.census.gov/mp/www/pub/index.html [17] http://www.census.gov/mp/www/censtore.html [18] http://www.census.gov/main/www/search.html [19] http://www.census.gov/mp/www/vendors.html#VENDOR [20] http://www.census.gov/apsd/www/censtats.html [21] http://www.statcan.ca/ [22] http://www.statcan.ca/english/about/info.htm [23] http://www.statcan.ca/english/search/ [24] http://www.statcan.ca/english/search/ips.htm [25] http://www.statcan.ca:80/english/search/searchhelp.htm [26] http://www.statcan.ca/english/search [27] http://www.statcan.ca/english/reference/othsit.htm [28] http://www.ons.gov.uk/links/links.htm [29] http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cc97stab.html [30] http://cn.net.au/articles/bench.html [31] http://cn.net.au/articles/stats.html ___________________________________________________ 21. Information Research: Country Profiles From the cn.net.au research site http://cn.net.au/articles/country.html For some reason, there are frequent occasions when I need to locate information about a specific country - questions which just can not be answered with anything but country specific data and expert forecasts. The Internet is a brilliant source for this kind of information. International Travel Advisory Reports We have located travel advisory reports from Australia, USA, Canada and the UK. [1] The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DEFAT)'s Consular Travel Advisories - list[1] & site[2]. [3] The US Department of State's Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets - list[3] and site[4]. This is a large and active site covering the most countries and the most actively added to. [5] The [Canadian] Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)'s Travel Information & Advisory Reports - list[5] and site[6] [7] (UK) Foreign Consular Office's Travel Advice - list[7] and site[8] Country Health Reports We have found health information from the CDC [US], Health Canada, the Pan American Health Organization, Shoreland's Travel Health, and have included a resource organized by disease. [9] Health Information for Canadian Travelers Health Canada is very precise and helpful, especially with global health issues. See their country information[9] or their organization website[10]. [11] CDC Travel Information The [US] Center for Disease Control are also very precise and helpful with global health issues. See their travel information[11], information by region[12], or their organization website[13]. [14] The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) publishes Country Health Profiles for the Americas. The information is sadly aging (94), but I recall they are working on updating this information. List[14], site[15] and blurb[16]. [17] Shoreland is a commercial retailer of health news (see below), but also publish Travel Health Online, free country health information on the Internet. List[17] and site[18]. [19] OutBreak - This site is devoted to presenting information on emerging diseases, not as a country, but by disease. See site[19]. Country Social Profiles We have found social profiles from Amnesty International, the US Department of State, the UNHCR, the UN general assembly and the Canadian Forces College. Further resources are listed. Please touch the map or visit the individual sites below. [20] Amnesty International Report 1997 (and past editions back to 1993) Amnesty International summarizes the world in this Annual. This report includes summaries and specific country data - see their regional list[20], index of publications by country[21] or the Amnesty International Library[22]. [21] Amnesty International Country Incident Descriptions (1998-94) AI also reports on situations of abuse and keeps a lengthy and supported record back to 1994. This is a wealth of information, but is not included in the above map. Start here[23] or at the Amnesty International Library[22]. [24] Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997 (released Jan'98) U.S. Department of State - 1997 Table of Contents[24] 1996 version[25] and site[26]. [27] The Implementation of Agenda 21 Report United Nations General Assembly - list[28] and site[29]. [30] UNHCR Country Profiles United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - list[30] and site[31] [32] War, Peace and Security Guide Canadian Forces College, (Dept. of National Defense) - list[32] and site[33] [34] Further sites do exist, including 1_ Canada and the World[35] - [Canadian] Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and their executive summaries & factsheets. 2_ International Committee of the Red Cross Records of Activities[36] with their photos, reports & news. 3_ INCORE[37] Initiative on Conflict Resolution and Ethnicity, (jointly from University of Ulster & United Nations University) and their reporting on conflicts[38]. 4_ Further leads can be found at this Canadian Forces College List[34]. General Country Profiles We have located general country profiles from the Library of Congress, the [US] CIA, the US Department of State, and have included a resource for locating national websites. Please touch the map or visit the individual sites below. [39] The World Factbook 1997 The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) publishes the best of the general country profiles. Simple but dense, these also include a map!, population statistics, environment and more. Coverage is universal, including oceans... start with this list[39] or CIA publications page[40]. [41] US Library of Congress's Country Studies List[41] & site[42]. LOCIS also has a flexible search function[43] for contents of these country studies. [44] Country Background Notes U.S. Department of State - list[44] and site[26]. [45] Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - list[45] or CIA publications page[46]. [47] Foreign Government Resources on the Web[47]. Thanks to the University of Michigan Documents Center, we can easily locate entry points to governments around the world. Economic Country Profiles We have found economic profiles from The (Australian) Department of Foreign Affairs, The World Bank, the US Department of State, the US Country Commercial Guides, and have included a resource with current exchange rates. Please touch the map or visit the individual sites below. [48] DEFAT Economies at a glance The (Australian) Department of Foreign Affairs gives away 5 page pdf files full of economic charts & statistical descriptions. There are 27 available, each about 1Mbyte. They also publish more serious country profiles (see below). See their country list[48], their publications[49], or their organization website[50].. [51] The World Bank Competitiveness Indicators list[52] and site[53]. [54] Country Reports on Economic Policy and Trade Practices (1993 to 1997) U.S. Department of State - 1997 country list[55], all versions[54] and site[26]. Not all countries are reviewed each year, so you will want to look back in time. [56] The Country Commercial Guides produced by US embassies. The latest edition is sold to US businesses (see below), but past versions[56] (3 years worth) are free. There are not many, but most are >100kbytes and very detailed. [57] The PACIFIC Exchange Rate Service The University of British Columbia presents Current Currency Exchange Rates - some[58], the rest[59], and the organization website[57]. Commercial Compilations of Country Data are universally more resourceful. [60] (Australian) Department of Foreign Affairs Country Profile About 40 pages, about AU$20 and full of stats & data. These profiles also highlight the relationship with Australia. The sample & description[60] are online, as well as their publications list[49] and agency website[50]. [61] Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Country Reports, Country Summaries and more. Their website is available online[61], as well as direct purchase or database access. [62] Asia-Pacific Profiles produced by the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, the Australian National University. Expensive but factual and detailed descriptions of certain Asia Pacific countries. Further description is found here[62]. [63] OECD Economic Surveys These are 100+ pages of stats and conclusions, but for just 29 countries. Here is the OECD website[63]. [64] Country Commercial Guides are prepared annually at US Embassies by several US government agencies. These are for US use only, available from Stat-USA[65] or the NTIS (orders@ntis.fedworld.gov). Here is the country list[64]. [66] Price Waterhouse Information Guides Their sample and description[66] are online. [67] Bank of America World Information Services. Country Forecasts, Risk Monitor and Outlooks, economic and forecast in nature. The sample and description[67] are online, at the Bank of America[68] website. [69] Shoreland's Travel Health Online Publishes TRAVAX and customized reports for travel health & safety information. Visit their website for more[69]. [70] World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) WCMC publishes their National Biodiversity Profiles. The description[70] is online, at the WCMC website[71]. Additional Commercial Compilations do exist. I am aware of: Associated Banks of Europe: Country Reports, Country Reports by Walden, Kaleidoscope Current World Data, and IBC Political Risk Services & Country Risk Guides. Library Resources & Books This is a sample of reference tools available at large libraries to get you thinking if this could answer your query. The World in Figures: contains editorial information compiled by the Economist. Social Indicators of Development by the World Bank. The Europa World Year Book 2 volumes and now in the 37th edition. Very similar to the LOCIS and CIA Factbook documents. Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators by The United Nations Statistical Yearbook 1994 by the United Nations, now in its 41st edition Population and Vital Statistics Report is a UN quarterly journal. The Far Eastern Economic Review runs periodic descriptions of South East Asian Countries. United Nations publishes a wide variety of comparative studies. See our separate article, United Nations Information[72]. The world's most dangerous countries by Robert Pelton is a delightful book we have in our library. Other Resources Before you finish, there are several additional sources available to you. Firstly, many countries will have an Ambassador, Consulate or Consular Representative in your nearest large city. Beyond providing services to nationals, these also provide commercial information and tourism directions. For example, many cities have Japanese cultural centers. Secondly, your own country's Ambassador, Consulate or Representative in your target country often provide paid assistance to commercial inquiries. There will be a government agency locally which will help you with this. For more refined information, you can look for International Policy Journals which include expert commentary under peer review. There are a large number of such scholarly journals, often available at University Libraries or published by the United Nations. Alternatively, Important Country Newspapers can be perused for political and local information. Sometimes, regional periodicals like The Far East Economic Review and The European can provide a less affected look. Many such papers are also available to word search through commercial databases. Lastly, you can progress to the standard tools like a book search[73] or an article search[74] for further information. This post comes from The cn.net.au research site, a site devoted to information research. Advice welcome : email david@cn.net.au (c)Copyright Community Networking. (http://cn.net.au) --- footnotes for the above article --- [1] http://www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice/advices_mnu.html [2] http://www.dfat.gov.au [3] http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html [4] http://travel.state.gov/ [5] http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/english/travel/cosmos/english/ICNTRY_E.htm [6] http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/english/consular/menu.htm [7] http://www.fco.gov.uk/reference/travel_advice/dos-and-donts/index.html [8] http://www.fco.gov.uk/reference/travel_advice/index.html [9] http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/osh/pub_e.html [10] http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/links/english.html [11] http://www.cdc.gov/travel/travel.html [12] http://www.cdc.gov/travel/travel.html#georec [13] http://www.cdc.gov [14] http://www.paho.org/english/country.htm [15] http://www.paho.org/ [16] http://www.paho.org/english/DBI/blrb5asp.htm#sp549 [17] http://www.tripprep.com/country/country.html [18] http://www.tripprep.com/ [19] http://www.outbreak.org/cgi-unreg/dynaserve.exe/index.html [20] http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aireport/ar97/index.html [21] http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/countries/index.html [22] http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/index.html [23] http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aipub/index.html [24] http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1997_hrp_report/97hrp_repor t_toc.html [25] http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1996_hrp_report/96hrp_repor t_toc.html [26] http://www.state.gov/www/outreach_publications.html [27] http://www.un.org/dpcsd/earthsummit/ga97nat.htm [28] http://www.un.org/esa/earthsummit/ga97nat.htm [29] http://www.un.org/esa/earthsummit [30] http://www.unhcr.ch/world/alpha.htm [31] http://www.unhcr.ch/ [32] http://www.cfcsc.dnd.ca/links/wars/index.html [33] http://www.cfcsc.dnd.ca/links/index.html [34] http://www.cfcsc.dnd.ca/links/milorg/indexc.html [35] http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/english/canada/menu1.htm [36] http://www.icrc.ch/unicc/icrcnews.nsf/5845147e46836989c12561740044a4f7/a 77d2a91a05eb61cc12563e70057ae0f?OpenDocument [37] http://www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/ [38] http://www.incore.ulst.ac.uk/cds/countries/index.html [39] http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/country-frame.html [40] http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html [41] http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html#toc [42] http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html [43] http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/csquery.html [44] http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/index.html [45] http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/chiefs/index.html [46] http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/pubs.html [47] http://www.lib.umich.edu/libhome/Documents.center/foreign.html [48] http://www.dfat.gov.au/bookshelf/html/economies_at_a_glance.html [49] http://www.dfat.gov.au/bookshelf/html/country_briefs.html [50] http://www.dfat.gov.au/ [51] http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/psd/comp/crsrc.htm [52] http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/psd/compete.nsf/d3fe1ba1940f13908525650d00 53554f/c2b07f0ad3cc44d68525650d00536564?OpenDocument [53] http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/psd/compete.nsf [54] http://www.state.gov/www/issues/economic/trade_reports/index.html [55] http://www.state.gov/www/issues/economic/trade_reports/97_toc.html [56] http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/business/com_guides/index.html [57] http://pacific.commerce.ubc.ca/xr/ [58] http://pacific.commerce.ubc.ca/xr/today.html [59] http://pacific.commerce.ubc.ca/xr/rates.html [60] http://www.dfat.gov.au/bookshelf/html/economic_briefs.html [61] http://www.eiu.com [62] http://ncdsnet.anu.edu.au/divrep/keyact/APP.html [63] http://www.oecd.org [64] http://www.ita.doc.gov/uscs/ccglist.html [65] http://www.stat-usa.gov/ [66] http://www.i-trade.com/infosrc/pw/cmenu.html [67] http://www.bankamerica.com/econ_indicator/wis.html [68] http://www.bankamerica.com/ [69] http://www.tripprep.com/index.html [70] http://www.wcmc.org.uk:80/nbp/index.html [71] http://www.wcmc.org.uk [72] http://cn.net.au/articles/un.html [73] http://cn.net.au/articles/books.html [74] http://cn.net.au/articles/articles.html ___________________________________________________ 22. Information Research: Business Benchmarks From the cn.net.au research site http://cn.net.au/articles/bench.html Business Benchmarks are statistical descriptions of the running costs of comparable businesses. There are several ways to use benchmarks. Accountants use them frequently, as do bankers and investment advisors. Anyone interested in buying a business will likely use business benchmarks as one of their measurements of business health and value. Equally as often, your accountant will do this work for you. These are the ones we are aware of; A standard business benchmark will describe various costs as a percentage of total turnover. They may include figures like turnover per staff, gross profit as a percentage of turnover, staffing costs as a percentage of turnover and such. Some benchmarks give more. U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook '98 [1] U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook '98 is an NTIS publication. Their blurb describes a 650 page volume, reviewing most important sectors of the US economy. Compiled from industry analysts from Dept of Commerce. If your library does not have a copy, the book is inexpensive at about US$75. See the webpage[1]. Small Business Advancement Electronic Resource [2] The SBAER[2] publishes a collection of 33 small business profiles free on the net, but unfortunately of an uncertain age. FMRC Business Benchmarks (Australia) The FMRC Business Benchmarks are Australian business benchmarks, recording the expected costs as a percentage and certain business ratios for a range of mostly small business industries. They come in two formats... a single sheet and a small pamphlet which is little more than the single sheet with an explanation attached. Accountants use benchmarks frequently, and this may well be the easiest place to go to get them. The State Library in Western Australia has an aging collection in a binder held behind the business help desk and The Small Business Development Corporation's Free Advisory service in WA incorporate this information into their advice. You can also purchase these directly from the SBDC ($250 for hard or softcopy for complete information or about A$40 each. Be careful of their age. Each industry is only analyzed every few years, and the libraries may not have the most recent version. Further, they do require some understanding of business ratios to understand. [3] FMRC has their own website. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (Australia) The ABS publishes business benchmarks in their industry analyses. If the ABS has undertaken surveys, and you will search their online catalogue to determine this, then they will have compiled information which can be used as business benchmarks. You may have to calculate the percentages yourself, and the ABS tends to have older data than other sources, and focus more on an industry viewpoint. The ABS collects their data from surveys sent to businesses. [4][5] 1) The ABS 1997 Catalogue of Publications. Full Text Search of the 1997 Catalogue [6] A separate article, National Statistical Agencies[7] includes a more complete description of ABS products and services. Westralian Business Ratios (Western Australia) John Watson, from the Economics Department of the University of Western Australia, has created a very professional set of business benchmarks about certain businesses in Western Australia. Unlike most business benchmarks, these are annual, present quartile information and describe the statistics in a most professional manner (including sample size !). You may need the help of your accountant to get a copy. Benchmarks published as books. [8] The [Australian] Bureau of Industry Economics publishes a series of studies on various Australian infrastructure industries. Each study compares between states and against best work practice, including costs, services and operating efficiency. All have the titles "International Performance Indicators ..." and you can get a list by entering this in the AGIP database[8] of Australian Government Publications. [9] The Locating Books[10] article will help you find alternative books. Purposeful Benchmarking Benchmarking is a little more complex than just comparing business statistics. Ideally there is an amicable invitation to peruse the best practice of, not your competitor, but a business unit which does similar functions in a different industry. The Benchmark Self-Help Manual is a simple manual which helps you understand the whole concept of creating benchmarks. The WA Commerce and Trade (private) library has a copy. Best Practice manuals and journals are the same thing. Closing Note We have listed so few benchmarks here, but information about benchmarks is so poorly distributed, and we get asked so frequently, that we thought it worthwhile publishing this article anyway. If you know of further benchmarks, do inform us. This post comes from The cn.net.au research site, a site devoted to information research. Advice welcome : email david@cn.net.au (c)Copyright Community Networking. (http://cn.net.au) --- footnotes for the above article --- [1] http://www.ntis.gov/yellowbk/1nty752.htm [2] http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/sbaer/publications/index.html#industry [3] http://www.northnet.com.au/~fmrc/ [4] http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3110121.NSF/d29f0d90066771024a25644f00 1d0c5b?OpenView [5] http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3110121.NSF/d29f0d90066771024a25644f00 1d0c5b/$searchForm?SearchView [6] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html [7] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html [8] http://webpac.ausinfo.gov.au/webpac-bin/wgbroker?new+-access+top.advance dsearch [9] http://cn.net.au/articles/books.html [10] http://cn.net.au/articles/books.html ___________________________________________________ 23. Information Research: Import and Export Statistics From the cn.net.au research site http://cn.net.au/articles/imports.html Should you wish to follow the International trade of a specific commodity, there are a few sources which will interest you. We have listed leads to the statistics prepared by the National Statistical Agencies, a database of US port traffic, and certain directories which may suggest exporting firms. Import/Export Leads [1] Kompass Directories This is a directory listing manufacturing firms (and some service) by product. If you are looking for the manufacturer of plastic disk slips - here is where you go. They are a bit tricky to use[2]. Kompass directories list manufacturing companies, which may suggest potential exporters. Kompass directories are also commercial databases available through certain database retailers. Each National Statistical Bureau records and monitors imports and exports from their country. Read the National Statistical Bureau[3] article for directions. [4] For the US, see the National Trade DataBank[4] (NTDB) - a fee service available through stat-usa. [17] The US Census Bureau[5], I believe, also has some export information available for purchase from their Census Store[17]. [6] For Canada, seek the Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database which can be found through Statistics Canada[6]). [5] For Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics[5] (ABS) sells import/export as a service divided by classification. A quote for this is available either through email or tel. Australian Example If your research was for Australia, these specific resources will interest you. [7] Kompass Australia This is a directory listing manufacturing firms in Australia (and some service) by product. If you are looking for the manufacturer of plastic disk slips - here is where you go. They are a bit tricky to use[8]. ABS Import and Export Statistics While we mention production, the ABS collects statistics from the import and export of all goods from Australia. For privacy concerns you will not be able to pinpoint who is exporting/importing but you will get totals, by state, for commodities. This is a paid service, but well worth it if relevant. Australian Exports by Austrade Our government, again working on our behalf, publishes statistics on how much is leaving Australia. This is a must to look at if you have gone to the effort of purchasing the export statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics because the information is arranged like Kompass Australia, giving the names of major firms (but not their volume), divided by product and service. Closing Note There are more sources available, and in time, we will list these too. If you know of further resources, please contact us. This post comes from The cn.net.au research site, a site devoted to information research. Advice welcome : email david@cn.net.au (c)Copyright Community Networking. (http://cn.net.au) --- footnotes for the above article --- [1] http://cn.net.au/articles/note08.html [2] http://cn.net.au/articles/note08.html [3] http://cn.net.au/articles/bureau.html [4] http://www.stat-usa.gov/BEN/Services/ntdhome.html [5] http://www.census.gov/ [6] http://www.statcan.ca [7] http://cn.net.au/articles/note08.html [8] http://cn.net.au/articles/note08.html ___________________________________________________ This document continues as Part 6/9. __________________________________________________ Copyright (c) 1998 by David Novak, all rights reserved. This FAQ may be posted to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service, website, or BBS as long as it is posted unaltered in its entirety including this copyright statement. This FAQ may not be included in commercial collections or compilations without express permission from the author. Further permission requests please to david@cn.net.au ----------------------------------- David Novak - david@cn.net.au