On Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 9:53 AM, CWEISE <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> My reference to: PricewaterhouseCoopers found that corporate espionage
> costs the world's 1,000 largest companies more than $45 billion annually
>
> is much more recent than 1999.


the number is referenced in numerous articles. my point is that people throw
around numbers without providing context. I suspect that the annual loss is
greater than $45 billion.
I'm not arguing that the number hasn't been used since 1999. I'm pointing
out that when we use numbers wherther it is the cost of misfiles or how much
companies lose annually due to corporate espionage we need to ask where did
that  number come from.


>
> In fact, I am confident that I found this reference in the July/August
> issue of The Information Management Journal (and, of course, anything
> that is printed in this publication I believe).


as someone who was trained in historical methodology, the IMJ is a secondary
reference. The original 1999 study is the primary source.
If folks want to be accurate when giving reference to a number they should
provide a way for folks to get to the primary source.
I'll have to look at the July/August IMJ but I would hope that they cite the
full reference for the study and not just mention the number.

My point is that we should be skeptical of numbers that are thrown around
unless or until we have the source material from which the number is derived
in hand.

The articles especially one published in 2008  cited should say something
like "in a 1999 study conducted for X,  PWC found that ..." , and I would
hope that they would seek out more current information by looking at all the
studies to see if the loss is trending upwards, downwards or holding steady.



-- 
Peter Kurilecz CRM CA
[log in to unmask]
Richmond, Va

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