Interpreting the Information

How to interpret the Profile
To learn more about the profile scales, download the Explaining the Project/Program Profile PDF document.

Each project may be rated on any of three scales: economic, social, and environmental. These scales range from -3 to +3 and estimate the relative level of benefits or costs to Oregon, the nation, and the world.

How to interpret estimates of economic returns
To learn more about how consequences are determined, download the PDF document--"The Philosophy and Economic Methodology Behind the Descriptions of Potential Consequences of Research Projects and Extension Programs."

Monetary estimates apply only to benefits or costs accruing to Oregon agricultural producers or processors.

$0 in the current or projected estimates means that the benefits and costs net to a meaningful zero. When there are blanks in both the current and the projected estimates, one of the following circumstances prevails:

• Economic benefits or costs to Oregon agricultural producers will begin later.
• Economic benefits or costs to Oregon agricultural producers cannot be quantified.
• Economic benefits or costs to Oregon agricultural producers will be realized through later applications of this research.
• There are no direct benefits or costs to Oregon agricultural producers, but there are economic benefits to others in the economy. Or, there are no longer any economic benefits to Oregon agricultural producers; consumers are the long-term beneficiaries.
• The economic benefits or costs to Oregon agricultural producers are counted elsewhere in this database.