The Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) September 2014

Transcription

1 The Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) September 2014

2 Table of contents 1. PITEC 2. Data, updating and accessibility Note: Accessibility conditions on the non- anonymized files 3. Samples Note: Using the sample of firms with intramural R&D expenditures 4. Files 4.1 Design 4.2 Indicators 4.3 Variables Tables A and Abis Appendixes: Appendix 1. Anonymization method Appendix 2. Changes in the questionnaires Additional documents (in Spanish): diseñoregistro_sindelimitadores(septiembre 2014).pdf diseñoregistro_condelimitadores(septiembre 2014).pdf ejemploanonimización(agosto 2012).pdf notas de actualización de ficheros (Septiembre 2014).pdf cambioscuestionario(septiembre 2014).pdf Rotación de las unidades del panel. (Septiembre 2016) Data files: Fixed-width files without delimiter Files with delimiter Last version Year 2003 micropanel03.txt micropanel03_delimitador.txt May 2013 Year 2004 micropanel04.txt micropanel04_delimitador.txt May 2013 Year 2005 micropanel05.txt micropanel05_delimitador.txt May 2013 Year 2006 micropanel06.txt micropanel06_delimitador.txt May 2013 Year 2007 micropanel07.txt micropanel07_delimitador.txt May 2013 Year 2008 micropanel08.txt micropanel08_delimitador.txt May 2013 Year 2009 micropanel09.txt micropanel09_delimitador.txt May 2013 Year 2010 micropanel10.txt micropanel10_delimitador.txt May 2013 Year 2011 micropanel11.txt micropanel11_delimitador.txt May 2014 Year 2012 micropanel12.txt micropanel12_delimitador.txt May 2014 Year 2013 micropanel13.txt micropanel13_delimitador.txt Sept 2014 Year 2014 micropanel14.txt micropanel14_delimitador.txt Sept 2014

3 1. PITEC The Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) is a statistical instrument for studying the innovation activities of Spanish firms over time. The data base is being carried out by the INE (The National Statistics Institute), which counts on advice from a group of university researchers and the sponsorship of FECYT and Cotec. Begun in 2004, the final aim of this project is to improve the statistical information available on firms innovation activities, and the conditions for scientific research on said topic. PITEC is designed as a panel survey. A panel data survey consists of repeated observations on the same cross section of economic agents over time. A panel data setup is able to estimate the changes over time (such as the importance of starting innovation activities, the evolution of these activities or the evolution of innovation expenditures) much more precisely, as well as take into account the heterogeneity in the firms decisions (such as different shares of intramural R&D and external R&D in total innovation expenditures) or in the effects (such as the different impacts on productivity). 2. Data, updating and accessibility The data base is placed at the disposal of researchers on the FECYT web site, Researchers who wish to obtain access to the data must file a request by filling out the required fields in the tab Solicitud de descarga de BBDD. Once the request is evaluated and approved, the researcher will receive within 72 hours an providing a username and password, valid for three months. The data is available in a set of coordinated files, i.e., a file each year (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, for the moment). The file corresponding to the last collection of data is put in every year, although the files of earlier years could be updated due to corrections in the data. Researchers should be aware of the version used. The document notas de actualización de ficheros (Septiembre 2014).pdf (in Spanish) contains information on the updates of the data files. The data files of each year are available in two formats: (i) fixed-width files without delimiter, and (ii) files with ; delimiter.

4 Except for the anonymization of a set of variables, the files available on the web site correspond with the files in the hands of the INE. This anonymization is necessary in order to avoid the disclosure problem (i.e., the possibility of identifying firms through the data). The anonymization process applied implies the following modifications: a) to replace the firm-level observations of five quantitative variables (Turnover, Investment, Number of employees, Innovation expenditures and Number of R&D employees) with data generated by means of a hiding process of the original observations; b) to replace the firm-level observations of the rest of the quantitative variables with the percentage value with respect to the aggregated value (for example, intramural R&D expenditure is replaced by the percentage of intramural R&D expenditure on total innovation expenditure); c) to replace the (4-digit) NACE Codes with a 56-industry breakdown until 2008 and with a 44-industry breakdown from Both industry breakdowns are available for 2008; d) to censor the data of a given number of firms (45, 63, 81, 90, 92, 93, 95, 90, 97 and 124). Detailed description of the anonymization method can be found in Appendix on anonymization. Note: Accessibility conditions on the non- anonymized files The data available on the web site might be good enough to carry out many statistical and econometric studies. In view of the anonymization method applied, the expected estimation bias is small. Nevertheless, once results have been obtained with the anonymized data, a researcher may want to use the non-modified data. Given the equivalence between the two types of files (files on the web and non-modified files), changing from one type of file to the other can be done at a slight cost. The accessibility conditions to the non-modified files will be defined by the INE. 3. Samples For reasons of opportunity and viability, PITEC started with two samples with data from 2003: a sample of firms with 200 or more employees (sample of big firms (MEG), which represented 73% of all firms with 200 or more employees according to data from the DIRCE), and a sample of firms with intramural R&D expenditures (MID). Given the improvements made by the INE in information on firms undertaking R&D activities, there were enlargements of the second sample in 2004 and 2005.

5 Moreover, in 2004, a sample of firms with fewer than 200 employees, external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure (MIDE); and a representative sample of firms with fewer than 200 employees and no innovation expenditure (MEP) were included. Table A shows the evolution of the samples over the years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and The figures shown in this table fit with the data in the files. Moreover, Table A helps to evaluate the representativity of the samples. Given that we have partially overlapping samples, Table Abis is important for learning more about the figures. Note: Using the sample of firms with intramural R&D expenditures Due to enlargements of the MID sample in 2004 and 2005, temporal analysis of this sample should be done with some caveats. In this sense, the analysis of the persistence in performing intramural R&D over time should be affected by a lower probability of persistence in performing intramural R&D among newly incorporated firms. In 2014, with the aim of reduce the reporting burden, INE has established a procedure that allows keeping certain units rotate inactive and therefore not surveyed in certain years. These units are called sample purposes as "sleepers" and are recognized based on the values of a new variable called CP (Code Permanency of dormant companies). The firms that are part of this subpanel don t been interviewed in the reference year and therefore not available information about them. The CP variable takes value 1 for all of them. For other PITEC s units not included in this panel, the CP variable =0. 4. Files 4.1 Design There is a data file for each year t and for each format. The number of rows (records) in the file of year t is equal to the number of firms covered until that year: No firm (record) is deleted, although the firm disappears due to death and attrition, among other reasons. This makes it easier to use the

6 files. A firm holds the same file each year, and the new firms in t are incorporated as new rows (records) in the file of year t. The number of columns (fields) in the file of year t is equal to the total number of variables included until that year. A variable holds the same column each year, and the new variables in t are incorporated as new columns (fields) in the file of year t. 4.2 Indicators The first five fields of each file correspond to the following indicators: IDENT: Code for identifying the firm: Code that goes from one to the number of firms in the file of year t. INCINE: Indicator for identifying a contingency. This code takes the following categories according to the firm s answer in year t or to the confidentiality issue: Response; Disappearance; Non-Collaboration; Without access. The category Respond is replaced with the category Confidentiality Problem when the data of the firms have been censored. INCIEMP: Indicator for identifying a contingency related to employment. This indicator shows some causes that justify an anomalous rate of growth in employment (this anomalous variation could recur in other variables). This indicator takes the following categories: Without contingency; Firm in an industry with a high share of temporary contracts; Takeover firm; Change in the reference unit: single firm to group of firms, group of firms to single firm; Change in the industrial activity or giving up of part of the industrial activity; Split up; Remaining firm in a takeover; Labour force adjustment plan or liquidation phase; Merger; Firm with employees on loan from another firm; Result of the crisis; Firm loaning employees to another firm. CORREMP: Indicator for identifying a correction in the employment variable. This variable identifies a correction in the firm employment subsequent to the close of the fieldwork. This change may affect the comparability with past years data on employment that has not been revised.

7 SAMPLE: Indicator for identifying the sample to which firm belongs: MEG, MID, MEG and MID, MIDE, MEP. These indicators allow us to get the figures in Table A. 4.3 Variables Registry Design of the files (diseñoregistro_sindelimitadores(septiembre 2014).pdf and diseñoregistro_condelimitadores(septiembre 2014).pdf, in Spanish) contains an exhaustive list of the variables available with their values, year of incorporation into the data base, availability, and information on the anonymization process. For fixed-width files without delimiter, registry design (diseñoregistro_sindelimitadores(septiembre 2014).pdf) also contains information on the starting position and field width of each variable. In recording the data, the identity blank=non information is often used. In order to interpret the information available, the following rules should be considered: a) For the year when a firm s data is no longer available, its indicator for identifying the firm (IDENT) and its indicator for identifying a contingency (INCINE) are recorded. The rest of the variables are left blank. For years following a firm s disappearance, the IDENT indicator is recorded, and the rest of the variables are left blank. b) Data of censored firms are left blank. c) Variables for which there is no information are left blank. This lack of information can be due to: (i) the variable in question not being included in the questionnaire; (ii) changes in the questionnaire affecting the temporal consistency and the comparability of the data (see Appendix on Changes in the questionnaires). This change can lead to the introduction of a new variable (non-comparable to the original one); (iii) alternating disposal of information on the variable; (iv) the firm not giving information on the variable.

8 A. Current sample (= A.1 + B + C + D of the previous year) Table A. Evolution of the samples Firms with 200 or more employees (MEG)2,3 2, A.1 Response 3390 (97,7) 3315 (94,6) 3322 (97,3) 3261 (96,2) 3156 (96,3) 3058 (96,2) 2981 (96,5) 2889 (96,0) 2796 (96,0) A.2 Disappearance 69 (2,0) 85 (2,4) 71 (2,1) 89 (2,6) 67 (2,0) 65 (2,0) 69 (2,2) 61 (2,0) 67 (2,3) A.3 Non-collaboration 6 (0,2) 85 (2,4) 2 (0,1) 22 (0,6) 23 (0,7) 22 (0,7) 11 (0,4) 13 (0,4) 9 (0,3) A.4 Without access 5 (0,1) 20 (0,6) 18 (0,5) 19 (0,6) 30 (0,9) 33 (1,0) 27 (0,9) 45 (1,5) 39 (1,3) B. Incorporations in the year C. Recovered firms D. Incorporations (firms with intramural R&D expenditure) A. Current sample (= A.1 + B + C + D of the previous year) Empresas con I+D interna en (MID) 2, A.1 Response 4733 (97,8) 6097 (96,2) 8427 (98,1) 8191 (96,1) 7857 (95,6) 7572 (95,6) 7274 (94,9) 6989 (95,0) 6736 (95,2) A.2 Disappearance 59 (1,2) 70 (1,1) 116 (1,3) 135 (1,6) 146 (1,8) 106 (1,3) 139 (1,8) 142 (1,9) 123 (1,7) A.3 Non-collaboration 17 (0,4) 65 (1,0) 1 (0,0) 81 (1,0) 88 (1,1) 81 (1,0) 72 (0,9) 39 (0,5) 58 (0,8) A.4 Without access 29 (0,6) 104 (1,7) 50 (0,6) 115 (1,3) 127 (1,5) 162 (2,0) 180 (2,3) 190 (2,6) 158 (2,2) B. Incorporations in the year C. Recovered firms D. Incorporations (firms with intramural R&D expenditure) Firms with fewer than 200 employees, with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure (MIDE) 2,3,4 A. Muestra viva (= A.1+B+C del año anterior) A.1 Response 412 (94,3) 402 (97,6) 405 (97,1) 392 (96,8) 381 (96,2) 360 (93,5) 344 (94,5) 326 (94,5) A.2 Disappearance 5 (1,1) 6 (1,4) 7 (1,7) 5 (1,2) 2 (0,5) 6 (1,6) 8 (2,2) 6 (1,7) A.3 Non-collaboration 10 (2,3) 0 1 (0,2) 2 (0,5) 4 (1,0) 4 (1,0) 2 (0,5) 0 (0) A.4 Without access 10 (2,3) 4 (1,0) 4 (1,0) 6 (1,5) 9 (2,3) 15 (3,9) 10 (2,7) 13 (3,8) B. Incorporations in the year C. Recovered firms

9 A. Current sample (= A.1 + B + C + D of the previous year) A.1 Response 2707(96,1) 2528(92,8) A.2 Disappearance 68(2,4) 52(1,9) A.3 Non-collaboration 13(0,5) 16(0,6) A.4 Without access 30(1,0) 28(1,0) B. Incorporations in the year 1 2 C. Recovered firms D. Incorporations (firms with intramural R&D expenditure) E. Sleepers 101 A. Current sample (= A.1 + B + C + D of the previous year) A.1 Response 6435(94,4) 4967(76,4) A.2 Disappearance 144(2,2) 74(1,1) A.3 Non-collaboration 38(0,6) 35(0,5) A.4 Without access 196(2,8) 85(1,3) B. Incorporations in the year 0 3 C. Recovered firms D. Incorporations (firms with intramural R&D expenditure) 0 0 E. Sleepers 1342 A. Current sample (= A.1 + B + C of the previous year) Tabla A. Evolution of the samples1 1 Firms with 200 or more employees (MEG)2,3 2,3 0 Empresas con I+D interna en (MID) 2,3 Firms with fewer than 200 employees, with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure (MIDE) 2,3, A.1 Response 306(92,4) 198(64,1) A.2 Disappearance 11(3,3) 2(0,6) A.3 Non-collaboration 2(0,6) 0(0,0) A.4 Without access 12(3,6) 1(0,3) B. Incorporations in the year 0 0 C. Recovered firms 3 3

10 D. Incorporaciones por I+D 0 E. Sleepers 108 A. Current sample (= A.1 + B + C of the previous year) Firms with fewer than 200 employees and no innovation expenditure (MEP) 2,3, A.1 Response 19 (100,0) 954 (93,8) 937 (98,2) 902 (93,9) 868 (95,7) 810 (92,9) 759 (92,9) 731 (95,2) 695 (93,7) A.2 Disappearance 0 (0,0) 18 (1,8) 13 (1,4) 28 (2,9) 19 (2,1) 15 (1,7) 11 (1,3) 6 (0,8) 13 (1,7) A.3 Non-collaboration 0 (0,0) 31(3,1) 0 7 (0,7) 4 (0,4) 6 (0,7) 8 (1,0) 2 (0,3) 5 (0,7) A.4 Without access 0 (0,0) 14 (1,4) 4 (0,4) 24 (2,5) 16 (1,8) 41 (4,7) 39 (4,8) 29 (3,8) 29 (3,9) B. Incorporations in the year C. Recovered firms TOTAL SAMPLE Firms join the samples according to the firms features in the year of incorporation into the panel (200 or more employees; Undertaking intramural R&D; Fewer than 200 employees, with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure; Fewer than 200 employees and no innovation expenditure, respectively). A recovered firm joins the sample according to its feature in the initial year of incorporation into the panel. 2 Response: Polled or takeover firm. Disappearance: Firm taken over, merger, split up, definitive closure, included by mistake, part of other firm or duplicated. Non-collaboration: Refusal to answer. Without access: Non-traced firm or temporary closure. Incorporations in the year: Start up firm, new firm as result of a merger or a split up, new sample. Recovered firms: Recovered firms that had stopped answering. Incorporations (firms with intramural R&D expenditure): Incorporations due to improvements made by the INE in information on firms undertaking R&D activities. 3 Percentage with respect to the current sample between brackets. 4 Sample incorporated in Two firms incorporated into this sample in 2003, one firm incorporated in 2007 and one firm incorporated in 2011 do not fulfill the sample requirements.

11 A. Current sample (= A.1 + B + C of the previous year) Firms with fewer than 200 employees and no innovation expenditure (MEP) 2,3, A.1 Response 652(92,1) 249(37,9) A.2 Disappearance 19(2,7) 8(1,2) A.3 Non-collaboration 2(0,3) 2(0,3) A.4 Without access 35(4,9) 8(1,2) B. Incorporations in the year 0 0 C. Recovered firms 5 6 E. Sleepers 390 TOTAL SAMPLE Firms join the samples according to the firms features in the year of incorporation into the panel (200 or more employees; Undertaking intramural R&D; Fewer than 200 employees, with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure; Fewer than 200 employees and no innovation expenditure, respectively). A recovered firm joins the sample according to its feature in the initial year of incorporation into the panel. 2 Response: Polled or takeover firm. Disappearance: Firm taken over, merger, split up, definitive closure, included by mistake, part of other firm or duplicated. Non-collaboration: Refusal to answer. Without access: Non-traced firm or temporary closure. Incorporations in the year: Start up firm, new firm as result of a merger or a split up, new sample. Recovered firms: Recovered firms that had stopped answering. Incorporations (firms with intramural R&D expenditure): Incorporations due to improvements made by the INE in information on firms undertaking R&D activities. 3 Percentage with respect to the current sample between brackets. 4 Sample incorporated in Two firms incorporated into this sample in 2003, one firm incorporated in 2007 and one firm incorporated in 2011 do not fulfill the sample requirements.

12 Table Abis (cont.). Sample of firms 1 Year 2008 Firms with fewer than Firms with 200 or more 200 employees employees TOTAL Firms with intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no intramural R&D expenditure TOTAL Firms with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure 2 Firms with no innovation expenditure TOTAL SAMPLE Year 2009 Firms with fewer than Firms with 200 or more 200 employees employees TOTAL Firms with intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no intramural R&D expenditure TOTAL Firms with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure 2 Firms with no innovation expenditure TOTAL SAMPLE Year 2010 Firms with fewer than Firms with 200 or more 200 employees employees TOTAL Firms with intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no intramural R&D expenditure TOTAL Firms with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure 2 Firms with no innovation expenditure TOTAL SAMPLE Year 2011 Firms with fewer than Firms with 200 or more 200 employees employees TOTAL Firms with intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no intramural R&D expenditure TOTAL Firms with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure

13 Firms with no innovation expenditure TOTAL SAMPLE Year 2012 Firms with fewer than 200 employees Firms with 200 or more employees TOTAL Firms with intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no intramural R&D expenditure TOTAL TOTAL SAMPLE Firms join the samples according to the firms features in the year of incorporation into the panel. 2 Firms incorporated in Two firms incorporated into this sample in 2003, one firm incorporated in 2007 and one firm incorporated in 2011 do not fulfill the sample requirements. zyear 2013 Firms with fewer than Firms with 200 or more 200 employees employees TOTAL Firms with intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no intramural R&D expenditure TOTAL Firms with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no innovation expenditure TOTAL SAMPLE Firms join the samples according to the firms features in the year of incorporation into the panel. 2 Firms incorporated in Two firms incorporated into this sample in 2003, one firm incorporated in 2007 and one firm incorporated in 2011 do not fulfill the sample requirements.

14 Year Firms with fewer than Firms with 200 or more TOTAL 200 employees employees Firms with intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no intramural R&D expenditure TOTAL Firms with external R&D expenditure and no intramural R&D expenditure Firms with no innovation expenditure TOTAL SAMPLE Firms join the samples according to the firms features in the year of incorporation into the panel. 2 Firms incorporated in Two firms incorporated into this sample in 2003, one firm incorporated in 2007 and one firm incorporated in 2011 do not fulfill the sample requirements.

15 Appendix 1. Anonymization method As well as eliminating the firm identification variables, this method comprises the sensible and monetary variables of each firm offered as a percentage of another variable (whenever possible) or as the arithmetic mean of 3 or 5 firms. The anonymization method involves the following: 1. Each record contains a unique identification number linked to each firm. The link between ID and firm is known only by INE (National Statistics Institute). This is necessary to be able to identify each firm and make comparisons over time. 2. Each record contains the firm s activity defined at a maximum of two digits from the NACE-93 Rev.1 up to 2008 or the NACE-2009 from 2008 (both are provided in the year 2008). This is not the case when there are many firms in an industry and the firm s activity is defined at three digits. There are other cases were the activities are regrouped with others because the number of firms is reduced. The Registry Design of the files (diseñoregistro_sindelimitadores(septiembre 2014).pdf and diseñoregistro_condelimitadores(septiembre 2014).pdf) details the activity breakdowns. 3. Variables that allow the identification of the firm are not provided. Given that firm location is one of the most requested variables by researchers, the location of the registered office of the firm is provided and broken down into Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and the rest of Spain. 4. The quantitative variables Turnover, Investment, Number of employees, Innovation expenditures and Number of R&D employees are replaced with the following simulated values.

16 Arithmetic means are provided and calculated in two different ways for each one of the above five variables: - Firstly, all the data records are ordered by firm s activity (re-codified as explained in point 2). Within each activity, firms are ranked in decreasing order (according to the variable to be simulated) and the highest 5 values are selected. For these 5 firms, the arithmetic mean is calculated and taken as the simulated variable for these 5 records. If any activity that has been re-codified to two digits has less than 3 firms, they shall be regrouped with the remaining firms in the following step. - Secondly, regardless of firm s activity, firm records are ranked in decreasing order according to the variable to be simulated (excluding those records that have been modified in the previous step). Records are grouped by three and the arithmetic mean of the 3 consecutive values is calculated. Each value is replaced for the corresponding arithmetic mean. If there are only one or two firms when dividing by three the total number of firms with positive value in the variable in question, the last group or last two groups (those with the lowest values) may have four firms. In summary, in the first case the variable provided is the arithmetic mean of the values of the 5 firms with the highest values in the variable in question according to the firm s activity (re-codified as explained in point 2). In the second case, the variable provided is the arithmetic mean of the 3 or 4 consecutive values after ranking firms in decreasing order of the variable in question. The order in which the five variables in question are anonymized ( Turnover, Investment, Number of employees, Innovation expenditures and Number of R&D employees ) is not relevant since the process is repeated for each variable independently of the values that the others take. The document

17 Anonimización(Agosto 2012).pdf (in Spanish) contains an example of the application of this method. 5. The variables that can be given as a percentage of others do not need to be substituted for arithmetic means. In particular, the variables related to exports are given as a percentage of the turnover; paid, non-paid staff, and paid staff with higher education are given as a percentage of the number of employees; the intramural R&D expenditures according to the nature of the spending, the source of funding and the spending by region, the R&D expenditures in biotechnology, the cost of research grants and the external consultants working in house in intramural R&D are given as a percentage of the intramural R&D expenditures; the external R&D expenditure by supplier is given as a percentage of the external R&D expenditure; the expenditure for each innovation activity and the innovation expenditures by region are given as a percentage of total innovation expenditure; the R&D personnel by activity, by education and by region, the number of research scholars and the external consultants working in house on intramural R&D are given as a percentage of total of total R&D personnel. For all these variables, the percentage is calculated using the original data and not the simulated data. 6. In order to avoid the disclosure problem, and considering the sample stratification, the records are censored in cases where the number of firms in the population and in the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) is lower or equal to 3. If a record is censured in a given year due to statistical confidentiality, it shall remain censured in later years to avoid possible identification. Lastly, regarding access to non anonymized data, once the researchers have worked on the anonymized file and prepared all its programmes, they are permitted access for five days to the original data file (without the identification variable) in a secure place. Since the original file structure is exactly the same as the anonymized file, not much time is required to execute programmes and verify conclusions.

18 Appendix 2. Changes in the questionnaires Questionnaires corresponding to 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2012 have undergone several changes that affect the temporal consistency of the data (compared with 2006, the questionnaire corresponding to 2007 does not show changes; compared with 2008, the questionnaire corresponding to 2009 does not show changes; compared with 2009, the questionnaire corresponding to 2010 does not show changes; and compared with 2010, the questionnaire corresponding to 2014 does not show changes). These changes are of two types: a) Changes in the content of the question, and b) Changes in the way of asking. a) Changes in the content of the question These changes lead to modifications that imply a break-up of the temporal consistency of the data, and prevent making a comparison between the variables in question over the years (for all intents and purposes, they are different variables). There are changes that prevent making a comparison between years 2003 and/or 2005 and year 2004, changes that prevent making a comparison between year 2003 and years 2004 and 2005, changes that prevent making a comparison between year 2006 and years 2003, 2004 and 2005, changes that prevent making a comparison between year 2008 and years 2003 to 2007 and changes that prevent making a comparison between year 2014 and years 2003 to Changes in the content are centred on questions related to innovation activities. An exhaustive list of these changes is shown in the cambioscuestionario(septiembre 2014).pdf document (in Spanish) 1. b) Changes in the way of asking These changes do not modify the content (or definition) of the variables in question, although, they can affect the interpretation of the question, and therefore the temporal 1 This document is focused on changes in the questionnaires affecting variables available in the PITEC.

19 consistency of the observations. These changes are of two types: changes in the wording, and changes in the format. Firstly, there are changes in the wording that affect concepts such as product innovation, process innovation and cooperation on innovation activities. An exhaustive list of these changes can be found in the cambioscuestionario(septiembre 2014).pdf document. Secondly, changes in the format are alterations in the order and structure of the questions. These changes can affect the way the question is answered. Again, an exhaustive list of these changes is shown in the cambioscuestionario(septiembre 2014).pdf document.