expand_less Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is a metric?A metric is a tool for measuring. On WikiRate, metrics are used to measure company performance, and they are a way of asking the same question of many companies. For example the question “What percentage of workers have access to health services for other personal health issues (not related to or caused by work) made available or paid for by the company?” will yield quantitative answers that are comparable across companies.Questions that result in qualitative answers are important as well, but metrics on WikiRate are primarily meant to help capture structured data that can be used to develop deeper insights into sustainability performance.What are metrics for?Metrics help make company sustainability data structured and comparable. The current landscape of sustainability reporting consists of companies reporting semi-transparently, where specific data is difficult to extract and use to make comparisons or analyze gaps, because it is stuck in PDFs and buried within texts.Companies often report useful data using standards like the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. Metrics break down indicators from these standards into questions that researchers can use to extract and structure the data.What can I learn from data research?There is a saying: “the best things in life are free.” Publicly available, company sustainability performance data can be one of those things, but the current reporting landscape is such that you have to really work to extract and structure that data. What WikiRate offers to aid that process is metrics that structure the data, and an open platform, so that once the data has been gathered by you or someone else, you can analyze a larger data set and make comparisons for your own research. Long story short, you’ll be able to work with the data once it’s generated.Nevertheless, foundational data research - extracting data - can actually be interesting in and of itself. A few things you may learn: how horrible PDFs are for making company comparisons, how complex sustainability reporting and data can be, how drastically disclosure varies, where gaps are and how they might be filled.What do I do with missing data?While it can be frustrating to find a report with little data, you can feel good about adding “Unknown” values where applicable. Adding “Unknown” as an answer to a metric question, shines a light on gaps in company reporting, or highlights where certain sectors or operating contexts may not apply to certain metrics ( it’s always helpful to add a comment for context). It is also a way to ensure that the work you did is not duplicated - you’re showing that you’ve looked for the answer and you didn’t find it in any of the expected places.See the question below for guidance on finding additional and relevant metrics.Where can I find other metrics? When should I create metrics?The search functionality on WikiRate is still under development, which can make it difficult to find what you’re looking for. It may help to start by thinking about the type of data points you are looking at. For example, if it’s a company sustainability report, it may be aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards. Here are the top metric designers on WikiRate, and the metrics associated with them:[[http://wikirate.org/Global_Reporting_Initiative_G4_Indicators|GRI]] for company sustainability data (environmental, social and governance).[[http://wikirate.org/Poverty_Footprint|Poverty Footprint]] for people-centred metrics assessing business impacts on sustainable development.[[http://wikirate.org/Higher_Education_Statistics_Agency_HESA|Higher Education Statistics Agency]] for University sustainability data (*Universities, and all other [[http://wikirate.org/company+definition|non-huggable legal entities]] are considered Companies on WikiRate). Mainly used by UK institutions.[[http://wikirate.org/Sustainability_Tracking_Assessment_Rating_System_STARS|Sustainability Tracking Assessment Rating System]] for University sustainability data. Mainly used by North American institutions.[[http://wikirate.org/Amnesty_International?company_profile=contributions|Amnesty International]] Conflict Minerals metricsmetrics.[[http://wikirate.org/Electronic_Frontier_Foundation|Electronic Frontier Foundation]] Digital Rights metrics.My company controls a few subsidiary companies. Do I need to do research on each of its subsidiaries?If you are doing research for a class, the answer probably depends on the assignment - check with your syllabus or professor. If you are determining the scope of your research, the answer is up to you.What is a Communication on Progress (COP) report?“Communication on Progress” reports - COPs - are reports that UN Global Compact company participants submit annually to the Compact, to show progress according to the Ten Principles of the Global Compact and to sustainability across a range of environmental, social and governance indicators. The format of a COP is flexible, with the three minimum requirements being:A statement by the chief executive expressing continued support for the UN Global Compact and renewing the participant’s ongoing commitment to the initiative.A description of practical actions the company has taken or plans to take to implement the Ten Principles in each of the four areas (human rights, labour, environment, anti-corruption).A measurement of outcomes.Once you've created a user account and added yourself to your seminar Research Group, you can get started on your research:From your Project page, find your company, and click the “Research” button next the company to begin.Click “Add Answer” to see the fields you will fill in, and see which sources are already on WikiRate that you can use to find relevant answers.If you don’t see the source you need, add a new source. Tag the company to the source, and *important*, tag “Corporate Social Responsibility Report” under Report Type if your researching sustainability metrics (see example here). This will ensure the source is pulled into your research page.Watch the tutorial video if you get hung up on any of the technical details around using the platformAdd values that answer the metric questions, citing sources, indicating page numbers where you found the answers, and providing as much contextual information you think necessary to support others that will be looking at your dataWhen you open your source (i.e. company’s sustainability report), do a keyword search to look for a GRI index, or scroll towards the end of the report to find this. You can use this index or keyword search for GRI codes if the company includes these. If there is not, keyword search for your metric answersTrouble-shootingEntered a wrong value? Double-click the value, then click the edit icon at top right. Change your value, click Submit.Error message, or Wagn Hitch? Submit a Ticket and our development team will do their best to resolve the issue in a timely manner. Some errors are temporary, so you may want to just attempt the action a second or third time.More questions? See the Using WikiRate page, Resources page, or [[Frequently Asked Questions]] page.