A. Summary of good practices
11.2. Given the fact that the present chapter is about comparing data sources and good practices for the collection of the five main services groupings (manufacturing services on input owned by others as well as repair services, transport, travel, other services and government goods and services), FATS and the modes of supply, the user is advised to read sections B (resident/non-resident trade in services), C (FATS) and D (modes of supply) for specific discussions of good practices in those areas.
11.3. It is generally considered good practice for compilers, guided by the comparison tables available in the present chapter, to explore and compare the possibilities offered by the sources readily available nationally, and to use those that present an advantage (identified with a plus sign), relative to other sources, for collecting information for the supply of services item under consideration. If no source is yet available for the topic under consideration, it is considered good practice for the compiler to carefully compare and assess which type or types of data collection would be most useful to set up in his or her national context, using the guidance of the comparison tables in the present chapter.
11.4. To assess the advantages and disadvantages of different sources with respect to their coverage of the specific service category, some collection practices are marked with a double plus sign (++) in order to illustrate that they, relatively, present the most advantages. However, the reader should always be aware that, depending on national circumstances, the suggested source might not always be the best option for every country and that, in practice, other sources or a combination of sources can be more suitable for collecting the necessary information.
Next: B. Comparison of data sources for resident/non-resident transactions