Statistics Manual

This book was written to provide guidance for those who need to apply statistical methods for practical use. While the book provides detailed guidance on the use of Minitab for calculation, simply entering data into a software program is not sufficient to reliably gain knowledge from data. The software will provide an answer, but the answer may be wrong if the sample was not taken properly, the data was unsuitable for the statistical test that was performed, or the wrong test was selected. It is also possible that the answer will be correct, but misinterpreted. This book provides both guidance in applying the statistical methods described as well as instructions for performing calculations without a statistical software program such as Minitab. One of the authors is a professional statistician who spent nearly 13 years working at Minitab and the other is an experienced and certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Together, they strive to present the knowledge of a statistician in a format that can be easily understood and applied by non-statisticians facing real-world problems. Their guidance is provided with the goal of making data analysis accessible and practical. Rather than focusing on theoretical concepts, the book delivers only the information that is critical to success for the practitioner. It is a thorough guide for those who have not yet been exposed to the value of statistics, as well as a reliable reference for those who have been introduced to statistics but are not yet confident in their abilities.

The 2007–09 international financial crisis underscored the importance of reliable and timely statistics on the general government and public sectors. Government finance statistics are a basis for fiscal analysis and they play a vital role in developing and monitoring sound fiscal programs and in conducting surveillance of economic policies. The Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 represents a major step forward in clarifying the standards for compiling and presenting fiscal statistics and strengthens the worldwide effort to improve public sector reporting and transparency.

This Manual, which updates the first edition published in 1986, is a major advance in the standards for compilation and presentation of fiscal statistics. It is intended as a reference volume for compilers of government finance statistics, fiscal analysts, and other users of fiscal data. The Manual introduces accrual accounting, balance sheets, and complete coverage of government economic and financial activities. It covers concepts, definitions, classifications, and accounting rules, and provides a comprehensive framework for analysis, planning, and policy determination. To the extent possible, the Manual has been harmonized with the System of National Accounts 1993.

This Manual offers guidelines for the presentation of monetary and financial statistics. It provides a set of tools for identifying, classifying, and recording stocks and flows of financial assets and liabilities, describes the standard, analytically oriented frame works in which the statistics may be presented, and identifies a set of analytically useful aggregates within those frameworks. The concepts and principles set out in the Manual are harmonized with those of the System of National Accounts 1993.

This edition of Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide (Manual) updates and merges into one volume methodological and practical aspects of the compilation process of monetary statistics. The Manual is aimed at compilers and users of monetary data, offering guidance for the collection and analytical presentation of monetary statistics. The Manual includes standardized report forms, providing countries with a tool for compiling and reporting harmonized data for the central bank, other depository corporations, and other financial corporations.

This manual provides guiding principles for the use of patent data in the context of S&T measurement, and recommendations for the compilation and interpretation of patent indicators in this context.