Strategies for Increasing the Use of Statistical Data. Occasional Paper Number 158.

This paper provides a complete picture of the environment for numeric databases and a set of appropriate responses for modifying this environment. The emphasis is on the statistical database produced by the public and private sectors, with coverage of government and academic stakeholders in the statistical data transfer system. Part one describes the interdependent components of the environment--producers, distributors, users, resources, technology, and the infrastructure--and also the constraints that impede efficient and effective statistical utilization, including discontinuities in the infrastructure; fiscal stress; the competing values of privacy or access, openness or secrecy, and public and private sector responsibilities; levels of technology and expertise; and the legal-institutional framework. Part two proposes five macro-level strategies designed to modify and improve the current environment for statistical data utilization and knowledge production, including developing federal policy guidelines and standards for improving the quality of numeric data; improving the degree and quality of the interaction between government and the statistical data communities; maximizing capital investment in government-and privately-produced data resources; improving the quality of education for both information specialists and the end-users of statistical data; and altering the responsibilities of the public and private sectors for statistical data production, transfer, and utilization. The author's vita is attached. (Author/ESR)