Subject: Information Research FAQ v.2.6 (Part 5/9)
From: [email-masked] (David Novak)
Date: 12 May 1998 00:00:00 GMT
Newsgroups: sci.research,comp.infosystems.www.announce,comp.answers,sci.answers,news.answers

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 <[email-masked]> 

                        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:
    [email-masked]  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 [email-masked]
    (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 [email-masked]
    (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 ([email-masked]).  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 [email-masked]
    (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 [email-masked]
    (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 [email-masked]
    (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
    [email-masked]
    -----------------------------------
    David Novak - [email-masked]