The 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define global sustainable development priorities for 2030 and seek to mobilize global efforts around a common set of goals and targets. The SDGs call for worldwide action among governments, business and civil society to end poverty and create a life of dignity and opportunity for all, within the boundaries of the planet. 

There is much work to be done to understand how the private sector contributes to the advancement of these Global Goals through aggregating corporate environment, social and governance data (ESG data). This project is part of our SDGs Research program, which aims to bring together institutions and students around the world to research how corporations impact and contribute to the SDGs. 

This project involves researching company performance on SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. The aim of Goal 8 is to 'Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all'.

Pre-research

• Create a Wikirate profile. Click the “join” button on wikirate.org. Create a username [name/student number/etc], add your email address and password, then click submit.

• Once you have signed into Wikirate, you can start researching!

Step-by-Step

1. Find the company you want to research and hit the Research button.
2. You will see a list of metrics in the dropdown menu. Choose a metric to research and click the Metric details tab to read the methodology.
3. Start by looking for a source for this information. Your source may already be on the Wikirate platform or you may find the information somewhere else and need to add it to the platform.
4. Choose the relevant year for the metric value in the dropdown menu and add the value to the answer box. Make sure you convert the value into the correct unit of measurement. If you cannot find the relevant value click Unknown. 
5. To cite your selected source, click Cite on the right-hand side of the window.
6. Add a comment to your answer detailing the page number of the source where you found your metric value (if applicable). You can also include relevant excerpts from the report. If you converted the metric value, explain how you did so including equations. 
7. It's time to submit your answer! Click the Submit button and check everything is correct.
8. Now hit Next to move onto your next metric.

Further Guidance

Below are some frequently asked questions that might be useful for you if queries come up during your research. 

• What is a metric? Metrics measure an aspect of company performance in a given year and each metric value must have a source. Researching metric answers is vital to supporting our work and growing a knowledge base on corporate performance.

• What is a Communication on Progress (COP) report? Communication on Progress reports, or COPs, are reports that companies participating in the UN Global Compact must submit annually to the organization.The reports show how much progress companies have made in 10 sustainability categories that cover a range of environmental, social and governance indicators.

• What do I do if the company I am researching doesn't provide the information I need? When you are trying to answer a Wikirate metric question but you cannot find the right information in a company’s report or website, answer the question with Unknown. This may be frustrating at first, but you should actually feel good about adding Unknown because you’re shining a light on a gap in that company’s reporting.

• What do I do if I enter a wrong value or year? Click on the value, then click the edit icon next to the year. Change your value or year, and click Submit.

• What do I do if I encounter a technical problem? Go to Technical support to report the bug.

• For all other questions or suggestions email info@wikirate.org