1. DISSEMINATION WORKING GROUP Luxembourg, November Using Statistics Explained to produce the Eurostat Yearbook
Jukka PIIRTO

2. Background: Yearbook challenge
Nobody can write alone a Eurostat type yearbook (with lot of explanatory text on 692 pages).
112 contributors from the production units (2011 edition). 1

3. Background: Yearbook challenge
In-house contributors with varying
degrees of knowledge & specialization
writing skills
English language skills
availability
motivation
Harmonized (enough)
Yearbook 2

4. Solution Editorial coordination team + external contractor
degrees of knowledge & specialization: specialized as generalists
writing skills: in general + guidelines & style guides
English language skills: contractor native speaker
availability and motivation: Yearbook is core task 3

5. Previous process (up to 2010 edition) 1/2
Phases
Jun-Jul n-1: Production units consulted by on wanted updates to the next edition (new topics, indicators to be changed in existing edition) until agreement reached
Sep-Oct n-1:Contractor extracted all the data and drafted text (MS Word and Excel)
Nov-Dec n-1: Production units commented on the draft
Dec n-1 - Jan n: Contractor revised the draft
Feb-Mar n: Remaining issues discussed until agreement
Apr-Sep n: Finalization: Lay-out, translation (de and fr) and printing, publication (1 year after data extraction) 4

6. Previous process (up to 2010 edition) 2/2
Problems
Didn’t encourage active role of production units: ”I could have written better”, ”I could improve, but don’t have time – anyway it’s good enough”
Poor timeliness due to publishing only when everything is ready
Huge amount of s with different versions of Word and Excel files attached 5

7. New process (from 2011 edition on) 1/3
Phases (2012 edition, improved from the pioneering 2011 edition)
Jun-Jul n-1:Production units consulted by on wanted updates to the next edition (new topics, indicators to be changed in existing edition) until agreement reached
Jun-Jul n-1: Production units decide whether to draft themselves (54 % YB 2012) or give guidelines to the contractor for drafting (46% YB 2012)
Sep-Oct n-1: If production unit drafts, then after Dissemination unit’s check the article is published in Statistics Explained – well before the pdf/paper publication
Oct-Nov n-1: Contractor revises production units’ drafts and vice versa
Nov-Dec n-1: Remaining issues discussed until agreement, then published in Statistics Explained
Jan-Jul n: Finalization: Lay-out, printing, translation (de and fr), publication of English version as paper/pdf and German and French versions in Statistics Explained.
Endorsed by the Eurostat Directors meeting in April 2011 6

8. New process (from 2011 edition on) 2/3
Improvements
Enables active role of production units, but doesn’t enforce (not everybody can or has time to draft)
Timeliness & corrections: Yearbook content comes much earlier (9-12 months earlier) and better (not only as pdf but also in SE) available electronically. In addition intermediate updates (and corrections) possible.
Earlier versions available through Statistics Explained History pages and commenting in SE Talk pages (replacing s with attached Word and Excel files)
Endorsed by the Eurostat Directors meeting in April 2011 7

9. New process (from 2011 edition on) 3/3
Issues
Version comparison sometimes difficult in Statistics Explained
Commenting sometimes handier in Word
Pdf/paper English versions take still much time
But: What is their role?
French/German putting into Statistics Explained about to start
Endorsed by the Eurostat Directors meeting in April 2011 8