1. ESS multilingual glossary in Statistics Explained - progress Marc Debusschere
Agenda point 16
Dissemination
Working
Group
17-18 October 2013

2. Overview A problem … and a possible solution ESS glossary project
The first year: results
Next steps 2

3. The problem …
Glossaries = sets of short and easily understandable definitions
Very important for users (and not just for statistical terms!)
Available in some form on most NSI websites
Require considerable resources
Major issues from ESS perspective
Duplication within NSIs & Eurostat
Duplication across ESS
Hence: waste of resources
Lack of integration and coherence
… and too seldom there when you need them! 3

4. … and a possible solution using Statistics Explained glossary
Mediawiki-based (like Wikipedia)
open-source, no IT development and only basic skills required
User-friendly navigation
accessible from every context where a term is used
Good tools to layer, link, redirect, disambiguate, …
Optimal integration of language versions
Common working platform to extend and improve
Powerful versioning
Common repository for re-use in all ESS output
Exportable to NSI websites with adapted look & feel 4

5. ESS glossary project main features
Using Statistics Explained infrastructure
Participation voluntary
'Open source' principle, results free for all (including non-participants)
Mother version English (can also be improved and expanded!)
Modular integration of language versions
Common working platform for expanding and improving content
Common repository for possible re-use in all output (including paper publications and export to other websites) 5

6. ESS glossary project getting started
NSIs volunteering, Oct 2012:
CY, EL, EE, FR, IS, PL, SE
Some NSIs appointed contacts and entered, but due to resource limitations created no items yet
Glossaries started and online, of varying size:
Dutch (nl) *
Estonian (et - Statistics Estonia)
Greek (el - Statistics Cyprus & Statistics Greece)
Polish (pl - Statistics Poland)
Supporting navigation set up by Eurostat
e.g.
and
* informally mandated by Statistics Belgium 6

7. First conclusions
No problems with platform, practical arrangements, communication between participants
Quick and flexible procedure resulting in short lag between creation and availibility online
Immediate added value even from limited set:
SE articles in Estonian, Greek, Polish etc. link to them
Google finds them (should improve with more integration)
e.g. 'unia europejska słownik': result 21 of 2,42 million
Usage encouraging
e.g. page views 'European Union (EU)': Polish 1710 compared to (older) French 1766, German 1923 and English
One shared frustration: slow progress due to lack of resources … 7

8. Next steps Keep up the good work … Other volunteers starting up?
Gradual expansion of existing glossaries, depending on availability of resources in NSIs
Other volunteers starting up?
Depending on availibility of resources …
New candidates who think there should be items in their language too?
Concrete implementation of importing glossary into NSI website via web API (application programming interface): candidates? 8