Help Update Canada's Research Classification System
Official title: Participate in the permanent consultation for the revision of the Canadian Research and Development Classification (CRDC)
Statistics Canada wants feedback on how research and development activities are categorized. The Canadian Research and Development Classification (CRDC) is used by federal funding agencies to organize and report on research. If you work in research or use R&D data, you can suggest changes to make the classification more accurate and useful.
Why This Matters
This is mainly for researchers, academics, and people who work with R&D data. If you've ever applied for a research grant, your project was categorized using this system. Getting the categories right helps ensure funding goes to the right places and that Canada can track emerging research fields.
What Could Change
The classification system could add new research categories for emerging fields like AI or quantum computing. Existing categories might be split, merged, or renamed to better reflect how research is actually done today. Changes would affect how research grants are categorized and how R&D statistics are reported.
Key Issues
- Are there research activities that don't fit well into current classification categories?
- Are any R&D activities or emerging research fields missing from the classification?
- Are the descriptions and boundaries between categories clear enough to use?
- Does the terminology need updating to match current usage in the research field?
How to Participate
- Review the CRDC 2020 Version 2.0 to understand the current classification structure before suggesting changes.
- Email your proposals to statcan.crdc-ccrd.statcan@statcan.gc.ca. Include your contact information, the specific classification item you want changed, and your rationale.
Submit Your Input
Tips for Your Submission
- Base your proposal on the latest version of the CRDC (Version 2.0)
- Clearly identify the specific classification item you want to change
- Include supporting information and rationale for your proposed change
- Describe the empirical significance of proposed changes when possible
- Ensure proposals are consistent with classification principles like mutual exclusivity
Questions Being Asked (7)
- Are there research and development (R&D) services or activities for which you cannot find a satisfactory CRDC code?
- Are there R&D activities or services that you find difficult to place in the CRDC?
- Are there any classification elements in the CRDC that you find difficult to use because their descriptions are vague or confusing?
- Are any R&D activities or services missing in the CRDC? If so, which ones and where would you place them in the classification structure?
- Are there R&D or combinations of R&D that have significant economic value and analytical interest that you would like to see with a specific or separate CRDC classification item?
- Are there pairs of classification items you find difficult to distinguish from each other? Are there boundaries that could be clarified?
- Is the language, terminology or definitions used in CRDC in need of updating to be consistent with current usage in the research and experiment development field?