Multichannel publishing of statistics electronic publications and database

Multichannel publishing of statistics (electronic publications and database) Finnish experience Seminar on dissemination of statistics and launching a new web solution in NBS, Moldova Chisinau, 27. May 2010 Markku Huttunen markku. huttunen@stat. fi

Changing over from a printed statistical system to an electronic one Statistical information has been reported, released and disseminated in the form of printed publications n Statistics Finland’s oldest statistical publication series has been published for over 250 years (>) n Internet has put the traditional way of reporting, publishing and disseminating statistical information in turmoil n Traditional form of publishing is disappearing (=tables and the information needed in their interpretation in one volume in a publication series of official statistics) n Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 2

Common Structure of Statistical Information (Co. SSI) The point of departure in the Co. SSI was an (infological) analysis of the information being considered. n The conclusion from the analysis was that although in practice the definition of statistical information has varied according to a given situation and application, in reality statistical information has a certain simplifiable and acceptable universal structure. n The Co. SSI describes the general structure that is not dependent on the situation of the statistical information presented in differing formats. n => Co. SSI defines the structures of statistical data, metadata and publications (>) Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 3

Dissemination process - Office 97 n Figure: Harri Lehtinen Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 4

XML based dissemination process - XML and PC-Axis n Figure: Harri Lehtinen Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 5

Archiving of an electronic statistical publication How will the statistical information published today only in electronic format be available in 10 or 30 years’ time? n In Co. SSI model the XML file of the publication contains the information content, the statistical metadata and the publication metadata in the desired languages in one XML file -> archived in the e. Xist XML database n Keeping published publications permanently accessible to users is an essential element of a good information service in time (>) n Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 6

Roles of an electronic statistical publication and a table database (1) Tables in databases are different than tables in publications (printed or electronic) n Database tables are not archived as tables published in printed, HTML or PDF publications are n In database tables, data on older observations are always published according to the latest situation n Linking an electronic publication to the related database tables is a problem: data only correspond with each other at the moment of publishing n Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 7

Roles of an electronic statistical publication and table database (2) At Statistics Finland, tables in PX-Web database are not linked to any other background database: PX-Web database builds up on the server from published PC-Axis files n In the XML publishing system PC-Axis files published in the PX -Web server are saved into a directory of statistics n n n Publications and related database tables are archived The electronic publications and the related database tables (in PC-Axis format) are archived unchanged -> two advantages: l 1) it makes sense to link the tables published in the database to the publication l 2) an archive is created for the tables published in the PX-Web database (>) Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 8

New practices for releasing statistics Statistical releases 650 / year (FIN, SWE), 350 (ENG) n The objectives and requirements of the XML publishing process under construction were taken into account n l n e. g. archiving and multichannel distribution Statistics Finland’s XML-based publishing system over one thousand XML-publication titles are produced 2007 -2010 l in May 2010 from 200 statistics 150 use the XML-publication process l Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 9

Redesigning of publications n Old publishing process (Office 97) one statistics publishes 1) a statistical release (minimum) 2 ) printed publication 3) tables in statistical database (Stat. Fin/Stat. Line) l all produced using different production processess, different dissemination channels and with different content l n New publishing process (XML and PC-Axis) one statistics publishes 1) a statistical release (minimum) 2) electronic publication (+ print) 3) tables in statistical database (Stat. Fin/PX-Web) l statistical release and publication (1 and 2) have merged into one entity l Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 10

Basic publication from statistics The role is to release basic data on the official statistics n An entity that describes a single set of statistics at a certain reference time n l n statistical release, a more extensive text section, table and figure annexes and a standardised quality description The objective is to transfer the basic publications from statistics comprehensively into the new XML-based publishing process Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 11

Redesigning tables The role of tables in a basic publication from a set of statistic is to describe the key points in a compact way n Even though PDF publications are also created for multichannel distribution, the main principle is “electronic first” n Tables must function properly in HTML format, so they have to be small and deal with only one subject n l usability and space (>) Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 12

l Figure: Jaakko Laakso Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 13

Switching over from old-style printed publications to electronic publishing Majority of the tables in publications, which are larger than a single A 4 -sized page, will be transferred to the database n The basic publication from a set of statistics is divided into electronic content published online, with two different formats and user interfaces (HTML and PDF) + tables published in a statistics database n Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 14

Sources n Common Structure of Statistical Information (Co. SSI) <http: //www. stat. fi/cossi>. Markku Huttunen 27. 5. 2010 15