Introduction to ESDS International Celia Russell Economic and Social Data Service MIMAS April 14 th 2004 University of Manchester Delivering the World: The Establishment of an International Data Service Susan Noble Economic and Social Data Service MIMAS, University of Manchester ISSIST 2004 University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Structure of the Talk  Economic and Social Data Service  ESDS International − Background to service − Data acquisition strategy − Data re-distribution licensing − Delivering the data − Building a new user community − Value added activities − Conclusion and future of service

Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS)  National data archiving and dissemination service for social science data  ESDS provides free access to, and support for a huge range of social and economic datasets for the HE and FE sectors  Jointly supported by JISC and the ESRC  Project partners are the MIMAS and CCSR at Manchester University and the UK Data Archive and ISER at Essex University

ESDS Specialist Data Services ESDS has four specialist data services:  ESDS Government  ESDS Longitudinal  ESDS Qualidata  ESDS International Each providing: dedicated web sites dataset documentation user support training and the data!

ESDS International  Led by MIMAS at the Manchester University in partnership with ESDS management at the UK Data Archive and is funded for five years.  Provides the UK academic community with free web-based access to a range of key international macro databanks produced by organisations such as the United Nations, OECD and World Bank  Helps users to locate and acquire international micro level datasets  Promotes the use of international datasets in research and teaching across a range of disciplines

Background to service  Increasingly globalised world –Importance of international data growing –Powerful Inter-Governmental Organisations –Need for informed debate  Timely factors –IGOs want to demonstrate increased transparency –Datasets can now be converted for web delivery –Funding bodies want to encourage and expand research into international issues

Barriers to use of international data  Prohibitive data license costs  Lack of awareness of available data  Multiple non web-based interfaces  Different service providers  Multiple registration systems  Absence of coordinated data acquisition strategy  Size and complexity of datasets  Problems in obtaining up-to-date data  Lack of integrated user support service  Lack of appropriate data handling skills

Data Acquisition Strategy  Continued access  Data selection –Literature survey –ESDS User consultation survey –Data mapping exercise –Prohibitive data license costs – previously barrier to use –Research quality

International data themes Databanks cover:  Economic performance and development  Trade, industry and markets  Employment  Demography, migration and health  Governance  Human development  Social expenditure  Education  Science and technology  Land use and the environment

International data providers The databanks originate from:  the International Monetary Fund  the OECD  the United Nations  the World Bank  Eurostat  the International Labour Organisation  the UK Office for National Statistics

Data examples: IMF Direction of Trade Statistics  Exports and import data between each country and all its trading partners  Covers 186 countries and 12 regional groups  Monthly, quarterly and annual data from 1980’s onwards are presented  The database is updated monthly

Data examples: IMF Direction of Trade Statistics

Data examples: World Bank World Development Indicators  Contains data for 570 development indicators for over 200 countries and 18 country groups  The data includes social, economic, financial, natural resources and environmental indicators  Covers the period  Annual data, updated each year  Widely cited database

Data examples: World Bank World Development Indicators

 Produced by the The International Labour Organization  The Key Indicators of the Labour Market is a frequently cited database on labour market statistics worldwide  Updated annually, it covers over 200 countries Data examples: ILO’s Key Indicators of the Labour Market

Data Re-distribution Licensing  Breaking new ground! – UK wide data re-distribution agreements  Data negotiations  Databeuro  Model licences  Special conditions

Delivery of the Data  Beyond 20/20 Web Data Server  Requires standard web browser  Accessibility compliant  Allows sub-setting, displaying, visualising and downloading of Time Series Data  Challenges of converting data  Complex files  Range of sources/formats  Varying quality/amount of documentation

Building a User Community

User Categories

Value Added Activities  Specialist advice  Online teaching and learning materials  Structure guide to freely available data  Training courses  Promotional activities  Data Wishes  Visualisation interface

Visualisation Interface: CommonGIS

Conclusion  Service in infancy, further work:  Complete delivery of portfolio  Monitor demand for data  Discover how data used  Continue promotional activities  For further information on the Economic and Social Data Service please see