A comparison between ACMR and other data sources

- Statistical Database: 

China Statistical Database offers comprehensive and authoritative government statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, including Monthly Statistics, National Statistics, Provincial Statistics, City Statistics, County Statistics, Monthly Industrial Data (1999-), Yearly Industrial Data (1999-), Statistics on Map, Statistical Datasheets, and Statistical Charts. The “Statistical Datasheets” (with more than 260,000 searchable data tables) is a newly added database as an ongoing effort, which offers a complete collection of China provincial statistical yearbooks from current to past with both Chinese and English in digital format with metadata. The “Statistical Charts” includes those statistical data at different administrative levels into an integrated database with metadata and functions for easy query, dynamic charts and data download.

Our “Statistical Datasheets” and “Statistical Charts” offer some unique features (complete collection of province statistical yearbooks and dynamic statistical charts) than any other data sources.

- Census Database:

China Census Database offers about 3,000 e-books with the data from different censuses, including the complete collection of 2000 China Provincial and County/District Population Census Data Assemblies. Most census data books from ACMR were compiled by our center with the original data directly from NBS. Most of those data are not available in gov't publications. Our Census Maps also provide a unique collection of more than 8 million census maps with data from different censuses.

Other data vendors may have included some census data books at national and regional level published by NBS, which are incomplete since the formats and contents of those original publications are inconsistent in the paper publications. Our census database is also available in both English and Chinese.

- China Geo-Explorer:

Most data in China Geo-Explorer are only available from ACMR since those data were aggregated from the original township data or firm level data by ACMR and our partner. Those GIS maps were also unique and developed by ACMR and our partners.

Our data provide not only a comprehensive coverage of regular gov't statistics and census data, but also a complete coverage of all manufacturing and service sectors in China, including 18 big categories, 99 middle categories and about 900 detailed categories for all provinces, cities and counties/districts.

- China Data Support:

Since the Chinese statistical system has been keeping changing all the time, we have to make sure that we can provide authoritative responses to those questions about our data services. Our three-level support (CDI, ACMR and NBS) provides a unique value for our users, which users probably cannot find similar data support from any other vendors.

======== The Unique Features of China Data Center Service =======

For the China Data Online, there are some fundamental differences than any other data aggregator, which include:

1. Authority. Since the collection system of data (including collection, definition and administrative units) may change all the time, it is important to understand how the data is collected and what changes are in the data. Otherwise, the data can be misleading if we simply put different data together. All our data are from the national bureau of statistics of China with their authorization. ACMR will consult NBS if ACMR doesn't have the answer for those questions about their data from its users. Even there were also some arguments on the quality of NBS data, we can make sure that our data are authentic and those data were collected under a known standard. 

2. Completion. One of the most challenges for China data is that it is very hard to have a completed coverage for all regions and all time. For example, the provincial statistical yearbooks are probably one of the most complete and important data sources for China studies. However, no any library and institution in this world has a complete collection of those provincial statistical yearbooks, including NBS and CNKI yearbook database. NBS usually publishes provincial census data assemblies after each census. However, those table formats and data coverage are inconsistent from province to province. It is even impossible to get one variable for all counties and districts from those provincial census data books. We have been working very hard to keep our data coverage as complete as possible. One of the mostly important investment in our "Statistical Database" is "Statistical Datasheets", which is a newly added database and probably one of the mostly significant investment in our China data development. We have been working on this for more than 8 years as an effort of trying to keep a complete collection of provincial statistical yearbooks from current to past with both English and Chinese in digital form. We also provided metadata for each datasheet, including data source, subject, description, citation and unique web ID to the table. All of our census data in "Census Database" and "China Geo-Explorer" also provides complete coverage for all China, including province, city, county and township.

3. Uniqueness. We have been trying to make those data unavailable to our users. Most of our data are directly from NBS instead of third parties or existing publications. Most of our data at province, city, county and district levels are aggregated from township data or firm level data and were validated with the country level data published by NBS. Another unique value of our data service is that we have integrated those data from different sources and times into GIS maps at different base years in a comparable spatial system, which can greatly facilitate our users in their China studies and spatial studies, help improve their efficiency and accuracy, and make many new research initiatives possible.