The quality of economic concepts and definitions

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Beekman, Michel M.^{; 1} | Struijs, Peter^{; 2}

Affiliations: Central Bureau of Statistics, P.O. Box 959, 2270 AZ Voorburg, Netherlands

Note: [1] This paper was originally prepared for a seminar on Quality Control of Statistics in Athens in January 1993, organised by the Training of European Statisticians.

Note: [2] The authors work in the Department for coordination of economic statistics of the Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics. The opinions and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily represent those of the Bureau.

Abstract: The choice of concepts in economic statistics has a great impact on the quality of the statistical output. In this paper this impact is explored. A brief overview of the main concepts of economic statistics is given, followed by a discussion of aspects of quality, both from the point of view of the user and of the producer of statistics. The elements of quality are then related to the choice of concepts.

DOI: 10.3233/SJU-1993-10101

Journal: Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1-15, 1993