How We Source Data
Data Sources and Independence
Where does Intratec get its pricing data?
Our assessments draw on several categories of source, with the vast majority of inputs coming from public official sources — national statistics bureaus, governmental agencies, international multilateral organizations, and commodity exchanges. Producers' published data and technology licensors' publications supplement these, and are used only with permission from the rights holders.
Internally developed mathematical models are not a data source. They fill gaps when an official source lags its reporting calendar, and the estimate they produce is clearly labeled and replaced once the official figure arrives.
The specific sources behind any individual assessment are not disclosed — our sources are named at the category level only, never mapped to a particular commodity, series, or country. The full source framework is set out in Categories of Data Sources on our methodology site.
Does Intratec collect data through surveys or interviews?
Only in very exceptional circumstances. We are not a primary source for pricing data — the vast majority of our inputs come from public official sources rather than from information reported by the parties who buy and sell the commodities.
This distinction matters when you compare our figures against a survey-based reference. A survey-based price reflects what market participants say about their deals; our assessments are built from what official statistics actually recorded. That removes a layer of subjectivity at the source itself.
The reasoning behind this approach, and the safeguards that go with it, are documented in Does Intratec run its own surveys? on our methodology site.
Is Intratec's data independent from producers and traders?
Yes, and the commitment is specific. We maintain no commercial relationships with commodity market participants — the producers, traders, and other firms active in the markets we cover. No market participant pays for, reviews, or approves an assessment before it is published.
That is not the same as ignoring everything a producer publishes. Some producers publish their own prices — reference prices, posted prices, utility tariff schedules — and where we use that published data, it is used only with permission from the rights holders and it supplements official records rather than overriding them. Official and recognized institutions take priority for final figures.
The full set of independence commitments, and what stays proprietary versus what is disclosed, is covered in What independence commitments back the analysis? on our methodology site.
Collection and Automation
How is data collected — manually or automatically?
Both, in sequence. During the last week of each month our automated systems collect data from official sources. The processed outputs then pass a two-layer validation — automated cross-referencing, followed by review by Intratec experts — before assessments are published at the start of the following month.
What each validation layer checks, and how the reviewed sample is selected, is documented in Two-Layer Validation on our methodology site.
Because collection follows a monthly cycle, your subscription reflects official monthly data, not real-time prices. Intratec monthly data should not be used as a reference for intra-month or real-time price movements.
Coverage and Gaps
What happens when source data is missing or unavailable?
When official government trade statistics are delayed or temporarily unavailable, we publish a Preliminary (P) value in place of the final figure, generated by our internal mathematical models using the best information available at the time. As soon as the official statistics arrive, that value is replaced by a Final (Fi) figure.
Every data point in our databases carries a status label — Final (Fi), Preliminary (P), or Forecast (F) — so you can always tell confirmed historical data from a provisional estimate or a forward-looking projection.
What your plan includes: Forecast (F) values are available on the Pro, Advanced, and Ultimate plans.
The full definition of each label, and what moves a figure from Preliminary to Final, is covered in Data Status Labels on our methodology site.
How often are data sources reviewed or updated?
Continuously. Our data sources and methodologies are subject to formal reviews, periodic model reviews, and continuous improvement in between — not a one-time or annual exercise. Every change, including updates to the sources used for specific assessments and corrections to previously published values, is reported in our monthly Intratec Release Notes.
What affects your subscription: an assessment may be retired if a source deteriorates significantly — for example, if a government agency stops publishing the relevant statistics, or if data consistency falls below our standards. When that happens we notify subscribers, and where the change is a material reduction in coverage we may compensate by adding coverage elsewhere or upgrading the subscription plan at no additional cost.
The review triggers, and the transition process before a revised method takes effect, are described in On what schedule is the methodology reviewed? on our methodology site.
Methodology Transparency
Are Intratec's methodology documents publicly available?
Yes. Our methodology documentation is publicly available for Primary Commodity Prices, Commodity Production Costs, Energy Prices & Markets, and Industry Economics & Competitiveness — no subscription or login required.
All of it lives on our methodology site. That site is the live version, updated continuously, and covers the data sources used, the processing and validation approach, and the rules governing how assessments are produced and labeled. Its Document Library compiles each solution's methodology into a single PDF for reading offline or circulating — a dated snapshot, so where a PDF and the site differ, the site is the current record.
You can also open the methodology document for a dataset directly from within the product interface, alongside the data it describes.
How does Intratec handle errors in published data?
If you believe a price assessment is incorrect, the process has two stages.
First, contact our Support Team through the contact form. Our team will provide a detailed explanation of how the assessment was produced under our published methodology. Most discrepancies are resolved at this stage, either by clarifying differences in assessment basis (for example, spot vs. transaction price) or by confirming that the assessment is consistent with the source data.
If you still believe the methodology was applied incorrectly after that explanation, you can submit a formal complaint. Use our Contact Form, select "Feedback/Suggestions" as the inquiry type, and begin your message with the title "Assessment Complaint". In your complaint, include:
- The specific assessment(s) in question (commodity, location, date range).
- A description of the discrepancy and the reference you are comparing against.
- The assessment basis of the reference you are using.
Our management team will review the complaint. If a discrepancy in our data is confirmed, we may issue coupons redeemable on the Intratec website or, in exceptional cases, a pro-rata refund.
Periodic updates to previously published values occur as part of normal operations — preliminary (P) values are revised to final (Fi) values when official statistics become available. This is not an error; it is expected behavior documented in our data status labels.