Archive:Tutorial:Dedicated section versus Statistics Explained

This tutorial provides an answer to questions often raised by Eurostat author/production units on the distinction between dedicated sections and Statistics Explained as dissemination channel:

• which information should be disseminated via a dedicated section on the Eurostat portal and which via Statistics Explained?
• what are the differences and similarities between them?
• how should they be interlinked?

The answers, elaborated below, can be summarised as follows:

• a dedicated section is a mini-portal for a specific statistical topic or policy area, a set of links to content stored elsewhere without content of its own except brief introductions;
• Statistics Explained is an online publication platform for statistical analysis and background information (which may but need not be also available as paper/PDF).

Dedicated section

The defining characteristics of a dedicated section are:

• no own content except brief and general introductions where and if needed;
• portal = set of links to content elsewhere:

• data in database, 'most popular' or main tables;
• metadata (esms files, methodological manuals, ...);
• the most relevant part of Statistics Explained (not to its Main page!);
• downloadable PDF publications;
• a selection of highly relevant external links (other European Commission sites, OECD, UN, ECB, WHO, ...).

• specific and flexible:

• a dedicated section can be created or dissolved according to policy and users' needs;
• not necessarily corresponding to stable hierarchy of statistical (sub)themes, although in practice there is a degree of overlap;
• as a result, the list of dedicated sections changes fairly often, and has a more ad hoc and temporary character than statistical themes.

Statistics Explained

The relevant characteristics of Statistics Explained:

• publication platform for all Eurostat's published content (to a large extent replacing paper-only publications of the past):

• statistical articles presenting description and analysis of data;
• background articles on methods, nomenclatures, context, ...;
• online publications (= briefly introduced table of contents linking to individual articles);
• glossary items.

• structured in statistical themes:

• user-oriented nomenclature of dissemination output (to be distinguished from Eurostat's producer-oriented organogram and subdivision in units and teams!);
• in principle stable, at a fairly general level (two-level hierarchy, for instance subdivided in 'Balance of payments', 'Consumer prices, 'Government statistic', 'National accounts and GDP', ...;

• links to further information in Statistics Explained (See also), Eurostat portal (database, main tables, dedicated section, ...) or other websites (including other Commission websites): portal but only secondary function

Differences and similarities

• very specific and ad hoc list of dedicated section, can and does change fairly frequently versus

Cross-linking

[Category:Features]]