Edi: Electronic Data Interchange for Statistical Datacollection and Dissemination

In this paper, we will present some experiences in the Netherlands with EDI for statistical datacollection and dissemination. We will consider the changes to be made for large scale EDI datacollection. We will argue that EDI demands a dramatic redesign of the way we collect and process statistical information, but the rewards in terms of response burden, quality and efficiency might be well worth it. We will also discuss some projects at Statistics Netherlands dealing with EDI for statistical dissemination. We will cover Statline (our statistical database with a traditional on-line querytool on a remote DOS client) and its new experimental version, with a so-called dynamic WEB on Internet. We will argue that the Internet not only provides great opportunities but also great challenges for statisticians. We will focus, besides on the technological aspects, on the conceptual and organisational implications EDI for Datacollection and dissemination.