Information Literacy Resources: China Data Online

China Data Online

http://chinadataonline.com

Instructors:

Cathy Chiu, Head, East Asian Library, University of California at Santa Barbara
Julie Su, Head of Serials, Digital Resources/Serials Librarian, San Diego State University

Coverage:
Monthly and yearly reports on China's macroeconomic development, statistical databases about China's population and economy at the county and city level, and financial indicators of more than 568 industrial branches. Also includes statistical yearbooks, census data, industrial and marketing surveys, and an atlas of China. Census data available thru separate subscription.

Years:

(1949 - ). Specifically: China Annual Macro-economy Statistics (1949-), China Monthly Macro-economy Statistics (1998-), Monthly Reports on Economy Development (2002-), China City Statistics (1996-), China County Statistics (1997-), China Industrial Data (1998-), Main Indicators of China's Econmy (1952-2000) and various statistical yearbooks (1999-).

Strengths 

Data from statistical agencies in China, site authorized by National Bureau of Statistics.  Can search selected data tables by topic and year and locality, thus one-stop search across many yearbooks Census data: Can click on Chinese or English display.

Weaknesses
Default URL can be English search and display (or Chinese) (but apparently not both)
Not clear how to select data. One has to click on "add" then a pop-up window opens up where one has to click on "select". But not clear that "add" is the button to click initially. May have to click item twice for it to add.
Screen displays for census data does not indicate source.
Pop-ups sometimes obscure tables and cannot be removed unless clicking for another data item.
Also home page includes modules (e.g. Census by province and city) that one may not have subscribed; only when clicking on data item screen by screen does one get rude message that access is not allowed:
"Sorry! You have no right to inquire these data!"
Excel download: Only some tables allow clicking on "require download". Then the table can be saved as Excel. In other cases, one has to use "save as" option and for Edit with Excel comes up, but only if login/pw entered can one save as Excel.
Section headings give date ranges that differ from a particular indicator's date range. For GNP, the range of years to select was 1952-2000 although heading was Main Indicators of China Economy 1949-2000.
Unclear how to get back to previous page or home page.

Other comments
The pricing for a back-up DVD of the census module is prohibitive ($28,000).
Cluttered home page: Confusing also to have items from China Data
Center on home page that are not accessible to subscribers of China Data Online.
"Custom Data" (import/export data) and "Business Directory" are not accessible to subscribers of China Data Online but link remains on home page