Dataset description and subject overview

The OECDs Science and Technology Indicators are made up of two databases, the Main Science and Technology Indicators and the Research and Development Statistics.

The Main Science and Technology Indicators database contain 149 main data series selected from the OECD Scientific and Technological Indicators database for 30 OECD member countries and 8 non-member countries. The majority of these series provide information on research and experimental development resources with additional series providing measures of output and the impact of scientific and technological activities. A number of economic series are also included to calculate indicators such as growth rates at fixed prices, R&D expenditures as a percentage of GDP or industrial value added, and to convert data into a common currency using comparisons at purchasing power parities.

The 149 Indicators in the Main Science and Technology database are grouped under the following subject headings:

• Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD)
• R&D Personnel (FTE)
• GERD by source of funds
• GERD by performance sectors
• Researchers (Headcount)
• Business Enterprise Expenditure on R&D (BERD)
• Business Enterprise R&D Personnel (FTE)
• BERD by source of funds
• BERD by performance sectors
• Higher Education Expenditure on R&D (HERD)
• Higher Education R&D Personnel (FTE)
• Government Expenditure on R&D
• Government R&D Personnel (FTE)
• Government Budget Appropriations or Outlays for R&D by socio-economic objectives (GBAORD)
• R&D Expenditure of Foreign Affiliates
• Patents
• Technology Balance of Payments (TBP)
• International trade in highly R&D-intensive industries
• Annex: Economic series

For a full list of the indicators under these headings please refer to the OECD's Main Science and Technology Indicators.

The OECD Research and Development Statistics, formerly Basic Science and Technology Statistics is presented in 24 tables giving the main basic statistical series selected from the OECD “Research & Development Database”. There are series for 30 OECD Member countries with the data running from 1981 onwards.

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OECD Science and Technology Documentation

The OECD produces the following documentation about the database:

• Main Science and Technology Indicators manual
• Research and Development Statistics manual

The homepage of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry can be found at http://www.oecd.org/department/0,2688,en_2649_33703_1_1_1_1_1,00.html.

The OECD Main Science and Technology Indicators hosted by ESDS International are delivered via Beyond 20/20 WDS. A worked example using Beyond 20/20 WDS with the OECD's Main Economic Indicators data is available in [html] and [pdf] formats.

Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader software to read documents in pdf format. It can be downloaded free of charge from the Adobe website.

OECD Terms and Conditions

As part of the ESDS online registration process, you are required to accept the End User License conditions of use before being allowed access to the data. In addition, the following additional special conditions of use apply to the OECD databases (hereinafter called the "Work") obtained through the Economic and Social Data Service (hereinafter called the "ESDS"):

1. The Work is the subject of copyright and the sole and exclusive ownership of the OECD (hereinafter called the "Publisher").
2. Registered Users of the ESDS (hereinafter called "End Users") agree
   1. to refrain from any distribution whatsoever (commercial, gratuitous or otherwise) of the Work obtained through the ESDS;
   2. to use the Work for private or other personal use only;
   3. not to infringe upon the integrity of the Work they have downloaded by means of data transmission, and in particular to refrain from any act of alteration of the Work, such as abbreviation, reorganisation, re-structuring thereof.
3. The Publisher does not warrant, and shall not be liable for, the accuracy and completeness of the Work. He shall not be responsible for any damage caused through the conversion of the Work into machine-readable form, electronic storage or distribution to End Users by means of online data transmission.
4. The Publisher shall not be held responsible for inaccuracies or errors contained in the data provided to the ESDS or for errors or omissions in the documentation relating to the Work.
   

Applications for permission to reproduce all or part of these OECD databases should be made to:

OECD publications
2 rue André-Pascal
75775 PARIS CEDEX 16
France

For further information: http://www.oecd.org/publications

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Countries in the OECD Science and Technology Indicators database

The OECD Science and Technology Indicators contains series for 30 OECD Member countries and two zones - European Union and Total OECD. There is also a special "adjusted" series for Japan has also been included up to 1995, (for more details see the National specifications Annex of the OECD's Main Science and Technology Indicators manual).

The OECD member countries are:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States.

The OECD Science and Technology Indicators also contains data for the following non-member countries:

Argentina, China, Israel, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovenia, and Chinese Taipei.

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Periodicity and Time Range

The OECD Science and Technology Indicators run from 1981.

The OECD Science and Technology Indicators at ESDS International are updated every 6 months. See the latest update page for further information.

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