Standards for public statistics
Anyone who produces statistics that offer insight on the questions that people in society want answered can follow these standards of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value (TQV), to ensure their information serves the public good.
These standards are the essential principles underpinning the Code of Practice for Statistics. They provide a way for producers to show why they can be trusted and how they produce robust information that is useful and in line with users’ needs.
Producers of public statistics are encouraged to be part of the Office for Statistics Regulation’s voluntary application scheme, to demonstrate they are trusted TQV practitioners.
The standards of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value for producers of public statistics are detailed below.
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is when users can have confidence in the people and organisations that produce statistics and data
To show they are trustworthy, producers should practice and demonstrate:
Dos
Integrity: Work and communicate in ethical, honest, objective and professional ways to provide the public with impartial data and statistics
Transparency: Be open about how and when data and statistics are released
Safe data management: Follow all legal and ethical obligations, being respectful of those providing their information
Don'ts
Integrity: Don’t cherry pick data and statistics or take them out of context
Transparency: Don’t restrict the publication of statistics just because it makes uncomfortable reading
Safe data management: Don’t share data without appropriate safeguards
Quality
Quality is when users can have confidence that the data and methods produce assured statistics
To show the statistics are of appropriate quality, producers should use:
Dos
Suitable data: Clearly present key information about data sources, highlighting why data are suitable and any important issues
Sound methods: Apply sound methods, explain statistical choices, highlighting key limitations, and be open to innovation to meet emerging needs
Quality communication: Describe the quality of statistics, including details about uncertainty in estimates, and monitor for changes in quality
Don'ts
Suitable data: Don’t just trust that data are OK to use – find out about the provenance of the source
Sound methods: Don’t hide or ignore quality issues
Quality communication: Don’t assume quality remains static
Value
Value is when users can have confidence that published statistics support society’s needs for information
To show the statistics are of value, producers should ensure:
Dos
Relevancy: Answer important questions, understand the needs of users, and listen and act on their feedback
Accessibility: Ensure equality of access when publishing, meet accessibility standards, and keep information available
Clear data presentation: Ensure data are easy to work with, understandable and meet users’ needs
Don'ts
Relevancy: Don’t assume you know your users’ needs
Accessibility: Don’t limit access to information that has a public interest
Clear data presentation: Don’t present too much information, confusing colours or 3D charts
Further enhancing the standards
The standards of TQV and their application can be further enhanced when considering:
Intelligent Transparency
To support public confidence in the use of data, statistics, and analysis, all public bodies should meet the Standards for Intelligent Transparency.
Accountability
Producers should see themselves as accountable to their users and can apply the OSR accountability framework to provide reassurance about how they show the standards of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value.
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