Data collection methods for the 2001 Census of Agriculture

This paper discusses in detail issues dealing with the technical aspects of designing and conducting surveys. It is intended for an audience of survey methodologists.

With the goal of obtaining a complete enumeration of the Canadian agricultural sector, the 2001 Census of Agriculture has been conducted using several collection methods. Challenges to the traditional drop-off and mail-back of paper questionnaires in a household-based enumeration have led to the adoption of supplemental methods using newer technologies to maintain the coverage and content of the census. Overall, this mixed-mode data collection process responds to the critical needs of the census programme at various points. This paper examines these data collection methods, several quality assessments, and the future challenges of obtaining a co-ordinated view of the methods' individual approaches to achieving data quality.