The origin and nature of statistics on household ICTs
Leslie Haddon · London School of Economics and Political Science Research Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) · 1990
This paper initially outlines the main sources of publicly available consumption data concerning household information and communications technologies.These sources include official statistics, the research of broadcasting agencies, academic projects and market research.Sales figures are the only data available for certain product areas.An outline of the origin and nature of these market research statistics provides a basis for understanding both the variation and the consensus between different trade estimates.This is the first occasion where the social factors shaping these measures have been analysed.Household penetration is arguably the most cited figure in discussions of innovation.Yet, sales and sample data consistently differ as regards this measure.One key factor accounting for this discrepancy is the period when data are collected.Sample data ultimately contain the most varied information concerning consumption.After examining the key features of sample data, including the degree of variation between different samples, the paper explores the central problems of interpretation this information.Lastly, the limitations of existing data are examined by noting the theoretically relevant forms of data which are not currently collected.These, together with questions concerning the use of these consumption data, provide the recommendations for further research.