Research methodology

Corvus Insights covers Vietnam’s infrastructure programme, the financing of its power sector and the legal framework for foreign investment. Each article sets out an argument and supports it with evidence that a reader can trace to its origin. Articles are written for investors, lenders and public officials who are familiar with the subject and want the evidence rather than an introduction to it.

We rank sources by proximity to the underlying fact and use the highest tier available. A lower-tier source is cited only where no primary source is publicly accessible, and the article says so.

1. 1Official statistics and multilateral databasesNational Statistics Office releases; World Bank World Development Indicators and the Private Participation in Infrastructure database.
2. 2Primary legal and policy textsLaws, decrees, circulars and government decisions, together with the Government of Viet Nam portal.
3. 3Institutional publicationsReports and releases from development finance institutions, index providers and research bodies such as MIGA, the Climate Policy Initiative and Convergence.
4. 4Professional commentary and pressLaw-firm briefings and established news outlets, used for context or where a primary text is not publicly accessible.

We report figures as their publishers state them and make any transformation explicit. The conventions below apply across all articles.

Data vintage

Each figure is taken from the most recent release available at publication. Database series carry the update date in the reference.

Preliminary figures

Estimates that the publisher may revise, such as first-release FDI data, are labelled as preliminary in the figure note.

Conflicting sources

Where reputable sources disagree, we use the primary publisher’s figure and state the alternative in the text or note.

Our calculations

Averages, shares and changes computed by Corvus from published data are marked “Corvus calculation” in the source line.

Currency

Values are shown in the currency of the source. Dollar conversions of dong figures are those reported by the publisher, not our own.

Rounding

Figures are rounded for readability; percentages in a chart may not sum to exactly 100.

Every chart is redrawn by Corvus from the underlying data rather than reproduced as an image from another publication. Redrawing keeps the figures legible on any screen, allows readers to check the values against the source, and avoids reproducing material we do not own.

Each figure carries a title that states its finding, a line giving units and period, a note on definitions or caveats where needed, and a source line linked to the reference list. One series is highlighted in red where the argument turns on it; all others are shown in neutral tones. Column and bar charts start at zero; line charts may begin above zero to show change, and their axis labels mark where they start.

Factual statements that are not common knowledge carry a numbered citation. References are listed at the end of each article with the publisher, title, date and a direct link. Where a database is cited, the reference names the indicator code so that the series can be retrieved exactly.

Corvus Industries advises on and invests in the sectors it writes about, including energy infrastructure through the GridSync Regional Development Fund. Articles state facts and our reading of them; they are not investment, legal or tax advice, and they are not an offer of any security or fund interest.

If a figure, date or citation is wrong, we correct the article and update its date. To report an error, write to NDD@corvusindustries.com with the article and the passage concerned.

Photographs on Corvus Insights are used once each and are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under the licences shown.

• Thu Thiem 2 Bridge under construction across the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City · Cuong Tran · Public domain
• Container ship at the Hai Phong International Container Terminal · Nathan.cima · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Chợ Rẫy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City · trungydang · CC BY 3.0
• Bạc Liêu nearshore wind farm at dusk, Mekong Delta · Tycho · CC BY-SA 3.0
• National Assembly building, Hanoi · Grayswoodsurrey · CC BY-SA 4.0
• State Bank of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City branch, from above · Simon_sees · CC BY 2.0