Oslo Manual 2018
Guidelines for Collecting, Reporting and Using Data on Innovation, 4th Edition
What is innovation and how should it be measured? Understanding the scale of innovation activities, the characteristics of innovative firms and the internal and systemic factors that can influence innovation is a prerequisite for the pursuit and analysis of policies aimed at fostering innovation. First published in 1992, the Oslo Manual is the international reference guide for collecting and using data on innovation. In this fourth edition, the manual has been updated to take into account a broader range of innovation-related phenomena as well as the experience gained from recent rounds of innovation surveys in OECD countries and partner economies and organisations.
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Concepts and definitions for measuring business innovation
This chapter provides a set of definitions to guide statistical surveys of innovation within the Business sector, including a taxonomy for different types of innovation. The definitions within this chapter also help characterise business enterprises in relation to their innovations and their activities in pursuit of innovation. The aim of this chapter’s definitions and complementary guidance is to facilitate the collection and reporting of comparable data on innovation and related activities for firms in different countries and industries and for firms of different sizes and structures, ranging from small single-product firms to large multinational firms responsible for a wide range of products (goods or services). The chapter concludes with recommendations on the use of definitions in surveys.