Science Starts Not after Measurement,but with Measurement

Abstract

Federal statistics should be viewed and treated as part of the nation’s scientific infrastructure. The empirical social sciences dependent on those statistics produce social knowledge directly relevant to social problem analysis and policy formation. Statistics primarily come from the census and federal sample surveys, but increasing use is made of administrative and digital data. These two data sources have not benefited from the scientific attention given to survey data. Federal statistical agencies, if given the resources and the authority, are the appropriate part of the federal government to insist on data quality, privacy protection, and data access for the scientific community.