Qualifying quality: issues of presentation and education

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.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produces many statistics that help the government and the wider community make more informed decisions. However, if these decisions are to be truly informed, it is essential that the users are able to understand the limitations of the statistics and how to use the data in an appropriate context. As a result, the ABS has initiated a project entitled Qualifying Quality, which focuses on two key directions: presentation and education. Presentation provides people with information about the quality of the data in order to help them answer the question "Are the data fit for the purpose?"; while education assists those people in appreciating the importance of information on quality and knowing how to use such information. In addressing these two issues, the project also aims to develop and identify processes and technical systems that will support and encourage the appropriate use of data.

This paper provides an overview of the presentation and education initiatives which have arisen from this project. The paper then explores the different methods of presentation, the systems that support them, and how the education strategies interact with each other. In particular, the paper comments on the importance of supporting education strategies with well developed systems and appropriate presentation methods.