Data Processes and Methods

EIA collects data to serve decision makers and analysts in all branches of government and the general public. EIA data cover all major energy activities. Examples are consumption, production, trade, stocks, and prices. EIA data also cover all major energy commodities, including fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal), electricity and renewable energy sources. Data are available weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, biennially, and quadrennially. EIA obtains its data primarily from surveys of companies engaged in energy-related businesses. There are currently 80 such surveys in place. A listing and description of these surveys is in our forms directory, http://www.eia.doe.gov/oss/forms.html. EIA supplements survey data with data from other sources such as other government agencies and the trade press. Who does EIA survey and how? The entities who fill out EIA surveys are called respondents. Examples of the types of respondents include: domestic natural gas and electric utilities, oil refineries, petroleum marketers, coal mines, government agencies, and energy end users such as manufacturers and households. A list of energy subject categories is in the forms directory at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oss/forms.html#formgroups . EIA has used primarily mail surveys to collect data but has been making other options available such as phone, fax, diskette, and electronic filing. All EIA data are collected in conformance with statistical standards in our Standards Manual, http://www.eia.doe.gov/smg/Standard.pdf (look in the Contents for the Information Collection and Processing Standards). What happens once EIA obtains the data? EIA thoroughly reviews the data prior to publication and dissemination. If anomalies are detected, EIA survey staff generally contact the respondent who submitted the form to verify the data. Anomalies may be detected through checks with historical data and checks with data reported by other similar respondents. Consistency checks are also performed for related items within a single form submission. Revisions are made in subsequent months to correct for both reporting errors and late reporting. EIA also aggregates the data as appropriate for the publication, taking care not to disclose confidential information. (See EIA's Information Dissemination Standards in the Standards Manual, http://www.eia.doe.gov/smg/Standard.pdf.) EIA has performance standards to ensure the quality (i.e., objectivity, utility, and integrity) of information it disseminates to the public. Quality is ensured and maximized at levels appropriate to the nature and timeliness of the disseminated information. EIA also strives for transparency about information and methods in order to improve understanding and to facilitate reproducibility of the information. Additional information about EIA's quality program is available at our information quality guidelines Web site. Operations Security Program The Energy Information Administration maintains a program (Operations Security (OPSEC)) that is designed to protect information collected in EIA's surveys. This Program takes the form of various elements such as: staff security training, pre-hire certification, and integrity of EIA data systems, fair practice data disclosure policies, and the physical security of all sensitive unclassified EIA data. If you have any questions concerning this program, please contact J. Paul Galliker, phone (202) 586-9416.

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