Energy Research and Development Expenditures by Area of Technology

Detailed information for 1997

The survey collects expenditure data on energy research and development activities in the Canadian business enterprise sector.

Data release - August 17, 2000

• Description
• Data sources and methodology

Description

The survey collects data which are essential to assure the availability of pertinent statistical information to monitor science and technology related activities in Canada and to support the development of science and technology policy.

The survey is sponsored by and collected for the Office of Energy Research and Development (OERD) - Natural Resources Canada.

The data are used by the office of Energy Research and Development (OERD) to plan and evaluate energy research and development programs. The results of this survey are published in "Industrial Research and Development", catalogue number 88-202-XIB.

Statistical activity

Science and technology (S&T) and the information society are changing the way we live, learn and work. The concepts are closely intertwined: science generates new understanding of the way the world works, technology applies it to develop innovative products and services and the information society is one of the results of the innovations.

People are looking to Statistics Canada to measure and explain the social and economic impacts of these changes.

The purpose of this Program is to develop useful indicators of S&T activity in Canada based on a framework that ties them together in a coherent picture.

Research and experimental development includes systematic creative work to increase the body of knowledge, including knowledge of people, cultures and societies, and the use of this body of knowledge to create new applications.

Reference period: Fiscal year

Collection period: March to October

Subjects

• Energy
• Research and development
• Science and technology

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The survey is of all firms believed to be performing energy research and development or funding foreign organizations to perform energy research and development.

Sampling

This survey is a census with a cross-sectional design.

Data sources

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents.

This annual survey is aimed at all firms believed to be performing energy research and development or funding foreign organizations to perform energy research and development.

Error detection

Data are checked against the questionnaire submitted for the survey of 'Research and Development in Canadian Industry' (Survey ID 4201), and previous returns.

Coding Errors.
Uncorrected coding errors are unlikely because of the examination of numerous tables and listings prepared for data analysis before publication tables are created.

Data Capture.
All data capture for science statistics is through manual intervention: key-edit or typed entry at a computer terminal.

Quality evaluation

The quality of any statistical information is measured in a large part by the degree to which the final product meets the original objective of the survey. The Energy Research & Development Expenditures by Area of Technology survey is to monitor energy research & development activities in Canada and to support the development of science and technology policy.

In order to assure the highest quality of the data from this survey we continually monitor the coverage of our survey population, to ensure that all known enterprises in the universe are accounted for. If data are not obtained directly from the respondent many other sources are researched, including previous questionnaires.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

To prevent disclosing data on individual respondents, many items or cells must be grouped together to provide sufficient observations for dissemination (e.g., socioeconomic objectives).