From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the Australian government agency that collects and publishes statistical information about Australia and its people.

Brian Pink has been appointed the Australian Statistician, head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, effective March 2007.^{[update needed][1]}

Contents 1 Population and Housing 2 Measuring Australia's Progress 3 Research and Development 3.1 Australian Standard Research Classification 4 Year Book Australia 5 Past Australian Statisticians 6 See also 7 External links

This agency undertakes the Australian Census of Population and Housing. The Census is conducted every 5 years under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905, Section 8. [1]. The last Australian population census was held on August 8, 2006, and prior to that, in 2001.

As well as providing financial and economic statistics, the ABS has a strong interest in broader social indicators. Dennis Trewin, Australian Statistician from 2000 to 2007, was listed as one of Australia's Smart 100 in a 2003 poll run by the Australian magazine The Bulletin for his new suite of statistical indicators - in a publication titled "Measuring Australia's Progress" - which sets out and tracks key aspects of social progress in Australia.

The ABS has been undertaking surveys to collect estimates from Australian organisations of R&D expenditure and human resources devoted to R&D in Australia since 1978.^[2] The results allow the nature and distribution of Australia's R&D activity to be monitored by government policy analysts and advisers to government, businesses and economists.

There are four surveys^[2]:

• R&D Business survey, conducted annually
• R&D Higher Education survey, conducted biennially
• R&D General Government survey, conducted biennially
• R&D Private Non-profit Sector survey, conducted biennially

See also: Frascati Manual

The survey reports research against the Australian Standard Research Classification (ASRC). The first ASRC was released in 1993 ^[3] and was in use until 1998. It was comprised of three classification schemes; Type of Activity (TOA), Field of Research (FOR) and and Socio-Economic Objective (SEO). In 1998, a second ASRC was released ^[4] with a revised Socio-Economic Objective classification that used a different numbering range, and RFCDs instead of FORs, and a Research Field, Course and Discipline (RFCD) classification to replace FORs. This revised classification came into effect in the 2000 collection period, which was due on 31 August 2001.^[5]

TOA - R&D activity is categorised according to the type of research effort:

• pure basic research,
• strategic basic research,
• applied research and
• experimental development.

RFCD - This classification allows both R&D activity and other activity within the higher education sector to be categorised. Prior to ASRC 1998, this information was collected using a different set of indicators called Field of Research. It has been expanded in order that it can be used within the higher education sector to classify courses, units of study and teaching activity to field. The categories in the classification include recognised academic disciplines and related major sub-fields taught at universities or tertiary institutions, major fields of research investigated by national research institutions and organisations, and emerging areas of study.

SEO - This classification allows R&D to be categorised according to the purpose of the R&D as perceived by the researcher. It consists of discrete economic, social, technological or scientific domains for identifying the principal purpose of the R&D. The attributes applied to the design of the SEO Classification comprise a combination of processes, products, health, education and other social and environmental aspects of particular interest.

ABS produces an annual year book for Australia, called the Year Book Australia, which is the principal reference work produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It provides a comprehensive and detailed statistical overview of various aspects of the economy and social conditions in Australia.

In addition, it contains descriptive matter dealing with Australia’s geography and climate, government, international relations, defence, education, and the health and welfare support systems.

• A full list is at Australian Statistician.

• ANZSIC - Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification - an industry classification developed jointly with Statistics New Zealand

• Australian Bureau of Statistics website
• Year Book Australia, 2006. from Australian Bureau of Statistics.
• Measuring Australia's Progress
• October 22, 2003 Bulletin article on Dennis Trewin
• SMART 100: Get smart from The Bulletin