Request for Question Clarification by
vercingatorix-ga
on
02 Dec 2002 08:30 PST
I've wrestled with this question for a while. Industry research is my
specialty, and I'd like to provide an answer for you. But a
clarification, in terms of a higher price, a narrower question, or
both would probably increase your chances of getting an answer. I'd
say your question, as posed, is a two-full-day job, if it's
answerable.
First of all, how satisfied would you be with data for the United
States but not the world?
For $50, I'd imagine that I or any one of a number of researchers
could gather U.S. data on some of these industries for you. But most
of the data you request simply isn't measured reliably on a global
basis and would require some fairly complex mathematical estimation
using many different data sources -- far more research than $50 or
even $200 would pay for. (Example: Many developing countries have a
burgeoning construction industry, but even the government doesn’t
accurately report what it funds with its own money, let alone what
private individuals are doing. I’ve researched this before, and off
the top of my head I’d say that at least 75% of the world’s
agriculture, 50% of the world’s construction, and 35% of the world’s
industry is not measured in any usable form available to a
nongovernmental entity. And much of the information available comes
from organizations whose numbers cannot be trusted (read: governments
juggling their figures to qualify for World Bank loans, or unregulated
industries that seek to either inflate their importance or deflect the
criticisms of environmental or human-rights crusaders).
In addition, some categories may not be accurately measured even in
the United States, which is probably the most efficient disseminator
of industrial information in the Western world. Take construction:
Overall construction figures are available, but what would you
consider DIY? A homeowner installing cabinets? A church whose members
build a new building themselves? A bus driver who remodels homes for
friends at cut-rate prices on the weekend? Anybody who buys from Home
Depot, Lowe's, or Menards? Only the last category is easily
measurable, and it would of necessity include a lot of sales to
contractors, or for resale.
And what about packaging? Definitions of what exactly is meant by
secondary and medical packaging would be useful. In addition, I've
seen no reliable statistics that would separate how many boxes are
used for, say, laundry detergent and baking powder, as opposed to
cereal and raisins. Stats from advocacy groups spanning numerous
industry sectors with a tenuous connection are notoriously inaccurate,
and I wouldn’t use them for anything more substantive than a marketing
campaign. More manageable would be, say, an estimation of cans vs.
boxes.
And what about agriculture? Are you talking about farming? About a few
commodities in particular? Or are you looking for overarching numbers
that will include all forms of agriculture, including farming,
ranching, forestry, etc?
Just a few thoughts from a researcher willing to dig into the question
but unsure exactly what you seek.
V
