ACC SUBCOMMITTEE ON STATISTICAL ACTIVITIES
Thirty-fourth session
Washington D.C, 20-22 September 2000
Item 6 of the provisional agenda
SA/2000/5/Add.6
6 September 2000
POLICY ON DISSEMINATION OF STATISTICS IN ELECTRONIC FORM
Note by the World Bank
1.
What database do you make available to the public in electronic form? Please list and
indicate the dissemination medium or media in each case (Internet, CD-ROM, tapes, disks on
demand, dial-up):
DATABASE
MEDIUM*
USERS
PRICE**
Africa Live Database
internet
registered users
free
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extpb/aldb.htm
African Development
Indicators database
CD-ROM
buyers
$95 (single)
$190 (network)
Global Development
Finance
CD-ROM
buyers
$300 (single)
$825 (network)
Global Development
Finance Advance Release
CD-ROM
buyers
$350 (single)
$900 (network)
Global Development
Finance
magnetic tape redistributor clients
$5,000
Global Development
Finance
------
redistributor clients
fee varies by case
World Development
Indicators pdf files
internet
public
free
World Development
Indicators database
CD-ROM
buyers
$275 (single)
$550 (network)
World Development
Indicators limited database
internet
public
free
World Development
Indicators database
internet
(registered press only) free
World Development
Indicators database
------
redistributor clients
fee varies by case
World Development
Report/selected WDI
Indicators; pdf files
internet
public
free
* We no longer produce diskette versions of any of the CD-ROM products.
** Prices quoted are for high-income countries, US$ equivalent. Prices to distributors in
developing countries are highly discounted to encourage lower prices to clients in these
countries.
2.
For Internet products, do you include facility for selection/extraction from databases at
users’ choice?
Yes, the full WDI database is available to members of the press who have registered for access.
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/forjourn.htm.
A limited set of these data is also being made available on the web site for the general public,
from mid-September, 2000. http://www.worldbank.org/data/
3.
Please indicate the price in each case or if free:
There is no charge for either database.
4.
What materials are distributed free and to whom?
We distribute free copies of published CD-ROMs to all partner organizations, depository libraries,
World Bank publication distributors, and, on request, to members of the press.
A limited set of the World Development Indicators data is being made available on the web site,
for the general public from mid-September, 2000. http://www.worldbank.org/data/
Members of the press have free access to the full WDI database.
http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/forjourn.htm
Selected tables from the WDI book (in pdf format) are also posted to our external web site
(http://www.worldbank.org/data/wdi2000/index.htm).
All the tables from the print World Development Report (the Selected World Development
Indicators, also in pdf format) are posted to our external web site.
http://www.worldbank.org/wdr/2000/fullreport.html
5.
Are pricing and free distribution determined by your office, by another office in your
organization or by several offices?
Pricing and free distribution of published material is determined in consultation between the
originating department and our external affairs department.
6.
Is there a written policy on pricing and free distribution? Please summarize it as it
concerns your electronic data products:
No.
7.
Is there a written policy concerning the use of Internet to distribute data? Please indicate
its salient points as concerns dissemination of your statistics on the Internet:
No, but plans for an e-commerce site for online data dissemination are underway and policy will
be determined in the process.
8.
Does your office receive any revenue from sales in electronic formats?
Yes, from the sale of CD-ROMs, and for license fees to redistributors. We anticipate that the ecommerce site will also generate revenue for both the originating department and the external
affairs department.
Is this revenue an important component of your budget?
Yes, very, to both originating and external affairs department (revenue is shared).
Is the amount of revenue growing?
Yes.
9.
Do your electronic databases for the public have print counterparts? Do you expect the
electronic versions to replace these in whole or in part over the next five years?
Yes, all our electronic databases have print counterparts. We believe the markets for these will be
converted to online delivery, but will not entirely disappear over the next 5 years.
10.
Do you compile statistics on the distribution of electronic products, or on Internet access?
We compile sales data, and monitor online access.
11.
Do you accept and answer inquiries on statistics from the public via e-mail? What is the
volume?
Yes, approximately 10 e-mails a day (to data@worldbank.org). In the last two years, faxed
requests have declined in favor of e-mail, but we continue to receive about 20 phone calls a day.
12.
Do you have a licensing policy for electronic redissemination of your data?
Yes. Our external affairs department sets this policy in consultation with the originating
department, and as the market evolves.