Survey of Innovation

Detailed information for 2001-2003

The information collected by this survey provides information on innovation and innovation activities of Canadian businesses and their characteristics.

Data release - March 31, 2004

• Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)
• Description
• Data sources and methodology
• Data accuracy

Description

The survey is part of an on-going program to measure innovation in Canada. To meet this objective the survey collects information on new and significantly improved products and processes introduced during a three year time period. The information collected by this survey provides information innovation and innovation activities of Canadian businesses and their characteristics. Some topics can include innovation activities, sources of information, problems and obstacles, impact of innovation, cooperative and collaborative arrangements for innovation, business success factors, intellectual property protection, and use of government support programs. The survey is conducted every 3-4 years, depending on need, and covers a 3-year reference period. Industries surveyed may vary from survey to survey. Coverage is largely determined by client sponsorship.

Estimates produced from the survey are used by:
. firms for market analysis;
. trade associations to study performance and other characteristics of their industries;
. government to develop national and regional economic policies.

Previous innovation surveys at Statistics Canada have included the 1993 Survey of Innovation and Advanced Technology which surveyed manufacturing firms; the Survey of Innovation, 1996 which surveyed the communications, financial services and technical business services industries; the 1999 Survey of Innovation, Advanced Technologies and practices in the Construction and Related Industries Survey; and the Survey of Innovation 1999 which surveyed manufacturing and selected natural resource industries for the reference period 1997-1999. The Survey of Innovation 2003 surveys information and communication technology industries; selected professional, scientific and technical services industries; selected natural resource support service industries; and selected transportation industries for the reference period 2001-2003.

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.

Collection period: end of fall of reference period

Subjects

• Innovation
• Science and technology

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The target population for the survey was all establishments in selected service industries including selected knowledge-based Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industries; all ICT industries; selected Natural Resource Support Services; and selected Transportation Industries.

The requirement to produce sub-provincial statistics was a major criterion in defining the sampling unit. Accordingly, the establishment was chosen as the collection unit. To reduce the response burden on small businesses, only establishments with a gross business income of at least $250,000 and at least 15 employees were considered in sample selection.

Instrument design

The questionnaire was designed by the Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division of Statistics Canada in collaboration with Industry Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Transport Canada. The questionnaire was tested by an interview of a small sample of individual establishments to ensure that the questions were well understood. Feedback from these firms was incorporated into the questionnaire.

Sampling

This is a sample survey.

Frame Description: The sample was drawn from Statistics Canada's Business Register.

Sample unit: Establishment

Stratification:
Thirty-five industries were identified based on three-, four or five-digit NAICS codes. The representative sample was randomly drawn from the population of establishments stratified by province and the 35 industries. To reduce the response burden on small businesses, only establishments with a gross business income of at least $250,000 and at least 15 employees were considered in sample selection.

All industries, with the exception of the Transportation Industries and Mining services were sampled with the following criterion:
" A census for Newfoundland, PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut;
" Random sample for Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and BC.

For the Transportation Industries,
" Random sample at national level.

For Mining Services (NAICS 213117 and 213119)
" Census.

Sample size: 2,632 establishments

• Additional documentation

Data sources

Data collection for this reference period: September 15, 2003 to January 29, 2004

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents.

Data was collected through respondent completed questionnaires in paper format (mail or fax). All establishments were "pre-contacted" to determine the name and correct mailing address for the respondent, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or senior manager at the location. Questionnaires were mailed out with mail, telephone and fax follow ups carried out for to elicit a response from non-respondents. In some cases, respondents completed the questionnaire over the phone with responses entered on a paper questionnaire by the interviewer.

Validity and flow edits were built into the data capture system and were applied during data collection and data entry. Validity edits ensured that responses to particular questions fell within a limited range of possible values.

View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s) .

Error detection

All returned questionnaires were reviewed and subjected to flow edits prior to data capture. Validity and flow edits were built into the data capture system and were applied during data entry. Validity edits ensured that responses to particular questions fell within a limited range of possible values. Post collection consistency edits were applied to completed questionnaires.

Imputation

A full description on imputation is provided in the attached document.

• Additional documentation

Estimation

The response rate for the survey was calculated as the total number of completed questionnaires as a percentage of the total active, in-scope survey sample. The overall response rate for the survey was 70.5%, for a total of 2,123 completed questionnaires.
Given the low rate of non-response to the survey, it was decided that it would be reasonable to assume that the characteristics of the non-response population were the same as the respondent population. Accordingly, it was decided that the contribution of non-response to the estimates was to be accounted for by adjusting the sample weights of the respondent population.

Estimates based upon the responses to the survey questions are population estimates; that is, they represent the percentage of businesses in the population that exhibit a particular characteristic. The population estimates are generated through the accumulation of the product of the response variable and the sample weight for the defined tabulation cells.

A sampling error description is provided in the attached document.

• Additional documentation

Quality evaluation

The quality of the data has been checked against quality standards at Statistics Canada, namely, data relevance, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, interpretability and coherence.

Data relevance was insured by the active collaboration in the questionnaire design between the Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division (SIEID) of Statistics Canada, Industry Canada, Transport Canada and Natural Resources Canada.

Data accuracy was insured by conducting cognitive interviews in both official languages with potential respondents. Their comments were integrated into the final design and wording of the questionnaire.

From the close of data collection to the first data release two months elapsed, thus insuring data timeliness.

Accessibility to data users is made through a series of venues, including, the sharing of data with provincial statistical agencies, the Facilitated Access program, working papers available on Statistics Canada's web site, and descriptive tables provided to stakeholders.

To help users interpret the data, the definitions of the underlying concepts, classification, data collection methodology, as well as indicators of data accuracy are made available.

Standard Statistics Canada symbols have been used in all data tables thus insuring data coherence.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any data which would divulge information obtained under the Statistics Act that relates to any identifiable person, business or organization without the prior knowledge or the consent in writing of that person, business or organization. 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.

• Additional documentation

Revisions and seasonal adjustment

This methodology does not apply to this survey.

Data accuracy

The response rate for the survey was calculated as the total number of completed questionnaires as a percentage of the total active, in-scope survey sample. The overall response rate was 70.5%, for a total of 2,123 completed questionnaires.