Annual Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry (RDCI)

Detailed information for 2026

The Annual Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry collects research and development expenditures and personnel data used to monitor science and technology related activities of businesses and industrial non-profit organizations in Canada.

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

Description

The Annual Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry (RDCI) is a cross-economy survey of businesses and industrial non-profit organizations in Canada that: 1) perform or fund research and development (R&D); 2) have previously reported R&D expenditures and have recent payments or receipts for technology. The survey comprises businesses and industrial non-profit organizations in all North American Industry Classification System industries other than universities (61131 - Universities) and all levels of government (91 - Public administration).

The concepts and definitions employed in the collection and dissemination of R&D data are provided in the Frascati Manual 2015 (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2015). According to this definition:

"R&D comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge - including knowledge of humankind, culture and society - and to devise new applications of available knowledge."

The RDCI collects in-house R&D expenditures and personnel, outsourced R&D expenditures and payments and receipts for technology.

In-house R&D expenditures include current costs (comprised of wages and salaries of permanent, temporary and casual employees; services to support R&D; R&D materials; and all other current costs) and capital costs (comprised of software; land; buildings and structures; and equipment, machinery and all other capital costs). In-house R&D expenditures are characterized by their geographic distribution (provinces and territories), sources of funds (originating sector inside or outside Canada), fields of R&D, and nature of R&D activity (basic research, applied research and experimental development).

In-house R&D personnel include researchers and research managers; R&D technical, administrative and support staff; and other R&D occupations. These data are available by geographic distribution (provinces and territories).

Outsourced R&D expenditures comprise payments made to other organizations to perform R&D, and may be directed to other organizations (including companies; private non-profit organizations; industrial research institutes or organizations; hospitals; universities; federal government departments or agencies; provincial or territorial government departments, ministries and agencies; provincial or territorial research organizations or other organizations or individuals) inside or outside Canada.

Technology payments include payments made or received for patents, copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs, integrated circuit topography designs, original software, packaged off-the-shelf software, databases with a useful life exceeding one year, other technical assistance, industrial processes and know-how. Technology payments can be made to, or received from affiliated or unaffiliated organizations within or outside Canada.

Two new questions related to clean technology were added to the questionnaire for reference year 2019 and subsequent years: (1) provide the percentage of total in-house R&D spending related to the development of environmental and clean technology products, and (2) select all that apply from a list of environmental and clean technology R&D categories.

Statistical activity

The survey is administered as part of the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). The IBSP program has been designed to integrate approximately 200 separate business surveys into a single master survey program. The survey instrument conforms to the common look, structure and content for business surveys in this integrated program.

Reference period: The fiscal year ending between April 1, RY, and March 31, RY+1.

Collection period: June to November

Subjects

• Research and development
• Science and technology

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The target population comprises all businesses and industrial non-profit organizations that perform or fund research and development (R&D), or have had R&D expenditures in the past and continue to make or receive technology payments within the reference period. The survey is a cross economy survey and includes all North American Industry Classification System codes, with the exception of the following codes: 61131 - Universities and 91 - Public administration.

Instrument design

The Annual Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry uses two questionnaires: one for companies and another for industrial non-profit organizations. These questionnaires were developed to conform to international standards for research and development concepts (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Frascati Manual 2015). Electronic questionnaire is the principal mode of collection.

Sampling

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

The Annual Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry is a stratified sample of businesses classified by 57 unique industry groups, research and development size and geography.

Data sources

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents and extracted from administrative files.

Electronic questionnaire with non-response follow-up and failed edit follow-up.

Administrative data are those data that have been collected for administrative purposes (e.g. tax activities of companies or individuals) as opposed to statistical purposes. The use of administrative data reduces data collection costs and response burden. Concepts or definitions of administrative data variables differ from those identified in survey design. The administrative data source does not cover the entire target population, and as such, sampling error will be present. The portion not covered by tax data have been identified as "must-take" units to address possible sampling error issues. Non-sampling errors and bias may be present as a result of data collection methodology.

Administrative data are used for many different statistical purposes: replacing or complementing direct data collection to reduce costs and respondent burden; achieving efficiencies in statistical operations, such as the creation of survey frames, design of survey samples, imputation, and estimation. In collaboration with data providers, Statistics Canada uses its mandate under the authority of the Statistics Act to access administrative data for statistical purposes.

The confidentiality of administrative data relating to individual persons, companies or organizations (referred to as identifiable administrative data) must be strictly maintained as required by Subsection 17(1) of the Statistics Act.

Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program (SR&ED) data are used for data replacement for "take-none" units, however SR&ED does not collect: capital research and development (R&D) expenditures and lease costs, R&D expenditures in the social sciences and humanities or payments for R&D performed by organizations outside Canada.

Corporation income tax return data (T2) provided by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is used to provide revenue information previously collected on the survey.

The Statement of accounts for current source deduction (PD7A) data provided by the CRA is used to generate employment size categories (based on number of employees variable) for dissemination purposes.

In addition to data collected through the survey, the Annual Survey of Research and Development in Canadian Industry uses administrative data from the CRA (approved SR&ED tax incentive program data) for the "take-none" component of the sample in order to reduce response burden for smaller companies. These data are also used to assist in imputation for non-response.

Records are matched by Business Number root. The Statistics Canada definition of R&D differs from that of the CRA in the inclusion of: all capital expenditures related to R&D, current costs for rental of capital goods and R&D in the social sciences and humanities.

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