coll. - Frascati Manual 2015 - Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data on Research and Experimental Development.

Understanding how knowledge creation and dissemination contributes to economic growth and societal wellbeing requires a sound evidence base. Throughout history, the outcomes from research and development (R&D) have transformed peoples lives and societies in multiple ways, as well as the natural environment we are part of. This realisation has created a sustained demand among policy analysts and decision makers for documenting the level and nature of both human and financial resources that different countries, regions, firms and institutions devote to such endeavour, as a first step towards learning how to direct them towards desired objectives. Supporting this evidence need through internationally comparable statistics and a common language is the main objective of this manual.

In June 1963, the OECD met with national experts on research and experimental development (R&D) statistics at the Villa Falcioneri in Frascati, Italy. The result was the first official version of the Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys of Research and Development, which has come to be better known as the Frascati Manual. This publication is the seventh edition of a manual that was first written in a rather different economic and geopolitical context from todays. More than five decades later, its continued relevance is justified by even stronger interest in comparing the R&D efforts made by different countries and identifying what key features underpin them. R&D is increasingly viewed as an input to innovation in the context of the overall efforts made in a knowledge-based global economy, but continues to play a crucial part and is a major focus of government policies because of its unique features. While demand for aggregate benchmarking is at the heart of this manual, this edition recognises the importance of enriching our macro picture of R&D performance with a better understanding of the dynamics and linkages at the micro level. This emphasises the relevance of R&D micro-data for purposes other than producing aggregate indicators, such as the analysis of its impacts across multiple actors.

Although the manual is basically a technical document, it is a cornerstone of OECD efforts to increase our understanding of the role played by science, technology and innovation when analysing national systems of research and innovation. Furthermore, by providing internationally accepted definitions of R&D and classifications of its component activities, the manual contributes to intergovernmental discussions on good practices for science and technology policies. It is however beyond the scope of this manual to advise on the appropriateness of policy targets based on indicators and data described within this document.

This edition reflects probably one of the most substantial revisions of the original manual that have been carried out to date. It goes into a great level of detail to provide basic principles and practical suggestions on how to deal with the increasingly complex research and innovation landscape faced by todays economies and the defining features of different sectors. Among its many novelties, this manual pays specific attention to the relentless process of R&D globalisation and the increasing variety of arrangements by which R&D is funded and performed within and across sectoral boundaries.