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Description: This series provides detailed documentation on the issues, concepts, methodology, data quality and other relevant research related to household expenditures from the Survey of Household Spending, the Homeowner Repair and Renovation Survey and the Food Expenditure Survey.

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This infographic explains the steps involved in collecting data for all Statistics Canada household and business surveys. The responses are compiled, analyzed and used to make important decisions and are kept strictly confidential.

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This infographic demonstrates the journey of data and how respondents' answers to our surveys become useful data used to make informed decisions. The infographic highlights the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the Survey of Household Spending (SHS), and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS).

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Web surveys are generally connected with low response rates. Common suggestions in textbooks on Web survey research highlight the importance of the welcome screen in encouraging respondents to take part. The importance of this screen has been empirically proven in research, showing that most respondents breakoff at the welcome screen. However, there has been little research on the effect of the design of this screen on the level of the breakoff rate. In a study conducted at the University of Konstanz, three experimental treatments were added to a survey of the first-year student population (2,629 students) to assess the impact of different design features of this screen on the breakoff rates. The methodological experiments included varying the background color of the welcome screen, varying the promised task duration on this first screen, and varying the length of the information provided on the welcome screen explaining the privacy rights of the respondents. The analyses show that the longer stated length and the more attention given to explaining privacy rights on the welcome screen, the fewer respondents started and completed the survey. However, the use of a different background color does not result in the expected significant difference.

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Coca is a native bush from the Amazon rainforest from which cocaine, an illegal alkaloid, is extracted. Asking farmers about the extent of their coca cultivation areas is considered a sensitive question in remote coca growing regions in Peru. As a consequence, farmers tend not to participate in surveys, do not respond to the sensitive question(s), or underreport their individual coca cultivation areas. There is a political and policy concern in accurately and reliably measuring coca growing areas, therefore survey methodologists need to determine how to encourage response and truthful reporting of sensitive questions related to coca growing. Specific survey strategies applied in our case study included establishment of trust with farmers, confidentiality assurance, matching interviewer-respondent characteristics, changing the format of the sensitive question(s), and non enforcement of absolute isolation of respondents during the survey. The survey results were validated using satellite data. They suggest that farmers tend to underreport their coca areas to 35 to 40% of their true extent.

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When there is unit (whole-element) nonresponse in a survey sample drawn using probability-sampling principles, a common practice is to divide the sample into mutually exclusive groups in such a way that it is reasonable to assume that each sampled element in a group were equally likely to be a survey nonrespondent. In this way, unit response can be treated as an additional phase of probability sampling with the inverse of the estimated probability of unit response within a group serving as an adjustment factor when computing the final weights for the group's respondents. If the goal is to estimate the population mean of a survey variable that roughly behaves as if it were a random variable with a constant mean within each group regardless of the original design weights, then incorporating the design weights into the adjustment factors will usually be more efficient than not incorporating them. In fact, if the survey variable behaved exactly like such a random variable, then the estimated population mean computed with the design-weighted adjustment factors would be nearly unbiased in some sense (i.e., under the combination of the original probability-sampling mechanism and a prediction model) even when the sampled elements within a group are not equally likely to respond.

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In January 2006, a conference on longitudinal surveys hosted by Statistics Canada, the Social and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) concluded that Canada lacks a longitudinal survey which collects information on multiple subjects such as family, human capital, labour health and follows respondents for a long period of time. Following this conference, funds were received from the Policy Research Data Gaps fund (PRDG) to support a pilot survey for a new Canadian Household Panel Survey (CHPS-Pilot). Consultations on the design and content were held with academic and policy experts in 2007 and 2008, and a pilot survey was conducted in the fall of 2008. The objectives of the pilot survey were to (1) test a questionnaire, evaluate interview length and measure the quality of data collected, (2) evaluate several design features; and (3) test reactions to the survey from respondents and field workers. The pilot survey achieved a response rate of 76%, with a median household interview time of 64 minutes. Several innovative design features were tested, and found to be viable. Response to the survey, whether from respondents or interviewers, was generally positive. This paper highlights these and other results from the CHPS-Pilot.

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This article examines the internal consistency of the English and French versions of the Medical Outcomes Study social support scale for a sample of older adults. The second objective is to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis to assess the factor structure of the English and French versions of the scale. A third purpose is to determine if the items comprising the scale operate in the same way for English- and French-speaking respondents.

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Data collection for poverty assessments in Africa is time consuming, expensive and can be subject to numerous constraints. In this paper we present a procedure to collect data from poor households involved in small-scale inland fisheries as well as agricultural activities. A sampling scheme has been developed that captures the heterogeneity in ecological conditions and the seasonality of livelihood options. Sampling includes a three point panel survey of 300 households. The respondents belong to four different ethnic groups randomly chosen from three strata, each representing a different ecological zone. In the first part of the paper some background information is given on the objectives of the research, the study site and survey design, which were guiding the data collection process. The second part of the paper discusses the typical constraints that are hampering empirical work in Sub-Saharan Africa, and shows how different challenges have been resolved. These lessons could guide researchers in designing appropriate socio-economic surveys in comparable settings.

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The current economic downturn in the US could challenge costly strategies in survey operations. In the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), ending the monthly data collection at 31 days could be a less costly alternative. However, this could potentially exclude a portion of interviews completed after 31 days (late responders) whose respondent characteristics could be different in many respects from those who completed the survey within 31 days (early responders). We examined whether there are differences between the early and late responders in demographics, health-care coverage, general health status, health risk behaviors, and chronic disease conditions or illnesses. We used 2007 BRFSS data, where a representative sample of the noninstitutionalized adult U.S. population was selected using a random digit dialing method. Late responders were significantly more likely to be male; to report race/ethnicity as Hispanic; to have annual income higher than $50,000; to be younger than 45 years of age; to have less than high school education; to have health-care coverage; to be significantly more likely to report good health; and to be significantly less likely to report hypertension, diabetes, or being obese. The observed differences between early and late responders on survey estimates may hardly influence national and state-level estimates. As the proportion of late responders may increase in the future, its impact on surveillance estimates should be examined before excluding from the analysis. Analysis on late responders only should combine several years of data to produce reliable estimates.

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Series Description - The Nation Series (1996 Census of Population) is the first released series where basic data at a high level of geography are presented on variables collected by the 1996 Census.There are a total of 143 tables in the Nation Series which cover all census variables.The Complete Edition CDROM, Catalogue number 93F0020XCB96004 contains the cumulative set of all data tables from all Nation Series CDROMs.This comprehensive CDROM provides a full range of statistics on characteristics of the population which includes:Demographic information (100% data only for Age and Sex, Marital Status and Common-law Unions); Families (Number, Type and Structure); Structural Type of Dwelling and Household Size; Immigration and Citizenship; Languages; Aboriginal Origin, Ethnic Origin and Visible Minorities (Population Groups); Labour Market Activities and Household Activities (unpaid work); Place of Work and Mode of Transportation; Education; Mobility and Migration; Family, Dwellings and Household Information; as well as Individual and Family Income. Selected variables, such as occupation, are available to illustrate the analytical potential of the data based on cross-tabulations (i.e. sex by age and occupation).These data are national in coverage and provide information for Canada, provinces and territories and, in some tabulations, census metropolitan area levels. Some tables include comparisons with data from earlier censuses to provide an historical perspective.A variety of Nation Series data table extracts presenting social and economic characteristics of the Canadian population are available at the Statistics Canada Census Web site (www.statcan.gc.ca).

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The National Population Health Survey (NPHS) uses the Labour Force Survey sampling frame to draw a sample of approximately 22,000 households. The sample is distributed over four quarterly collection periods. In each household, some limited information is collected from all household members and one person, aged 12 years and over, in each household is randomly selected for a more in-depth interview.

The questionnaire includes content related to health status, use of health services, determinants of health and a range of demographic and economic information. For example, the health status information includes self-perception of health, a health status index, chronic conditions, and activity restrictions. The use of health services is probed through visits to health care providers, both traditional and non-traditional, and the use of drugs and other medications. Health determinants include smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and in the first survey, emphasis has been placed on the collection of selected psycho-social factors that may influence health, such as stress, self-esteem and social support. The demographic and economic information includes age, sex, education, ethnicity, household income and labour force status.

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This public use microdata file provides unaggregated data on the Aboriginal adult population - those who identify with their Aboriginal origin(s) and those who do not. For persons who identify, it contains almost 700 variables from the 1991 survey, such as, the group with which they identify, language proficiency, disability, chronic health conditions, schooling, work experience and the 1991 Census variables such as, income levels, marital status, fertility. The same census variables are provided for the population who does not identify.

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Currently underway, the Québec Population Health Survey (EQSP), for which collection will wrap up in February 2009, provides an opportunity, because of the size of its sample, to assess the impact that sending out introductory letters to respondents has on the response rate in a controlled environment. Since this regional telephone survey is expected to have more than 38,000 respondents, it was possible to use part of its sample for this study without having too great an impact on its overall response rate. In random digit dialling (RDD) surveys such as the EQSP, one of the main challenges in sending out introductory letters is reaching the survey units. Doing so depends largely on our capacity to associate an address with the sample units and on the quality of that information.

This article describes the controlled study proposed by the Institut de la statistique du Québec to measure the effect that sending out introductory letters to respondents had on the survey's response rate.

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Based on a representative sample of the Canadian population, this article quantifies the bias resulting from the use of self-reported rather than directly measured height, weight and body mass index (BMI). Associations between BMI categories and selected health conditions are compared to see if the misclassification resulting from the use of self-reported data alters associations between obesity and obesity-related health conditions. The analysis is based on 4,567 respondents to the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) who, during a face-to-face interview, provided self-reported values for height and weight and were then measured by trained interviewers. Based on self-reported data, a substantial proportion of individuals with excess body weight were erroneously placed in lower BMI categories. This misclassification resulted in elevated associations between overweight/obesity and morbidity.

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This study examined the feasibility of developing correction factors to adjust self-reported measures of Body Mass Index to more closely approximate measured values. Data are from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey where respondents were asked to report their height and weight and were subsequently measured. Regression analyses were used to determine which socio-demographic and health characteristics were associated with the discrepancies between reported and measured values. The sample was then split into two groups. In the first, the self-reported BMI and the predictors of the discrepancies were regressed on the measured BMI. Correction equations were generated using all predictor variables that were significant at the p<0.05 level. These correction equations were then tested in the second group to derive estimates of sensitivity, specificity and of obesity prevalence. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between measured, reported and corrected BMI and obesity-related health conditions. Corrected estimates provided more accurate measures of obesity prevalence, mean BMI and sensitivity levels. Self-reported data exaggerated the relationship between BMI and health conditions, while in most cases the corrected estimates provided odds ratios that were more similar to those generated with the measured BMI.

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In 2006 Statistics New Zealand started developing a strategy aimed at coordinating new and existing initiatives focused on respondent load. The development of the strategy lasted more than a year and the resulting commitment to reduce respondent load has meant that the organisation has had to confront a number of issues that impact on the way we conduct our surveys.

The next challenge for Statistics NZ is the transition from the project based initiatives outlined in the strategy to managing load on an ongoing basis.

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The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has an obligation to measure and annually report on the burden that it places on businesses participating in its surveys. There are also targets for reduction of costs to businesses complying with government regulation as part of the 2005 Administrative Burdens Reduction Project (ABRP) coordinated by the Better Regulation Executive (BRE).

Respondent burden is measured by looking at the economic costs to businesses. Over time the methodology for measuring this economic cost has changed with the most recent method being the development and piloting of a Standard Cost Model (SCM) approach.

The SCM is commonly used in Europe and is focused on measuring objective administrative burdens for all government requests for information e.g. tax returns, VAT, as well as survey participation. This method was not therefore specifically developed to measure statistical response burden. The SCM methodology is activity-based, meaning that the costs and time taken to fulfil requirements are broken down by activity.

The SCM approach generally collects data using face-to-face interviews. The approach is therefore labour intensive both from a collection and analysis perspective but provides in depth information. The approach developed and piloted at ONS uses paper self-completion questionnaires.

The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of respondent burden reporting and targets; and to review the different methodologies that ONS has used to measure respondent burden from the perspectives of sampling, data collection, analysis and usability.

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We use a Bayesian method to resolve the boundary solution problem of the maximum likelihood (ML) estimate in an incomplete two-way contingency table, using a loglinear model and Dirichlet priors. We compare five Dirichlet priors in estimating multinomial cell probabilities under nonignorable nonresponse. Three priors among them have been used for an incomplete one-way table, while the remaining two new priors are newly proposed to reflect the difference in the response patterns between respondents and the undecided. The Bayesian estimates with the previous three priors do not always perform better than ML estimates unlike previous studies, whereas the two new priors perform better than both the previous three priors and the ML estimates whenever a boundary solution occurs. We use four sets of data from the 1998 Ohio state polls to illustrate how to use and interpret estimation results for the elections. We use simulation studies to compare performance of the five Bayesian estimates under nonignorable nonresponse.

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In this Issue is a column where the Editor biefly presents each paper of the current issue of Survey Methodology. As well, it sometimes contain informations on structure or management changes in the journal.

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Researchers are able to examine changes in trends over time, through the examination of responses to repeatedly-asked questions, among the same respondents, over several cycles of longitudinal data. Working with these repeatedly-measured responses can often be challenging. This article examines trends in youth's volunteering activities, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, to highlight several issues that researchers should consider when working with repeated measures.

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Dependent interviewing (DI) is used in many longitudinal surveys to "feed forward" data from one wave to the next. Though it is a promising technique which has been demonstrated to enhance data quality in certain respects, relatively little is known about how it is actually administered in the field. This research seeks to address this issue through behavior coding. Various styles of DI were employed in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) in January, 2006, and recordings were made of pilot field interviews. These recordings were analysed to determine whether the questions (particularly the DI aspects) were administered appropriately and to explore the respondent's reaction to the fed-forward data. Of particular interest was whether respondents confirmed or challenged the previously-reported information, whether the prior wave data came into play when respondents were providing their current-wave answers, and how any discrepancies were negotiated by the interviewer and respondent. Also of interest was to examine the effectiveness of various styles of DI. For example, in some cases the prior wave data was brought forward and respondents were asked to explicitly confirm it; in other cases the previous data was read and respondents were asked if the situation was still the same. Results indicate varying levels of compliance in terms of initial question-reading, and suggest that some styles of DI may be more effective than others.

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In this Issue is a column where the Editor biefly presents each paper of the current issue of Survey Methodology. As well, it sometimes contain informations on structure or management changes in the journal.

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Starting in 1994, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) will follow individuals and families for at least six years, tracking their labour market experiences, changes in income and family circumstances. An initial proposal for the content of SLID, entitled Content of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics : Discussion Paper, was distributed in February 1992.

That paper served as a background document for consultation wit h interested users. The content underwent significant change during this process. Based upon the revised content, a large-scale test of SLID will be conducted in February and May 1993.

This document outlines the current demographic and labour content, leading into the test.

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When a survey respondent is asked to recall various events, it is known that the quality of the responses diminishes as the length of recall increases. On the other hand, increasing the frequency of data collection increases both the costs of collection and the burden on the respondents. The paper examines options which attempt to strike a reasonable balance between these factors. As it relates to this decision, the paper also describes how the sample has been designed to ensure that it remains representative of the target population, both for a given year and over time.

The conclusion is that, at this time, SLID should collect labour data in January to cover the previous calendar year and to collect income data in May, again to cover the previous calendar year.

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This report describes the comments received as a result of the second round of the 2006 Census consultations. As with the previous 2006 Census consultation, this second round of consultations integrated discussions on the dissemination program, questionnaire content and census geography. However, the focus of this second round of consultations was placed on the 2001 Census of Population dissemination program and proposed directions for 2006 geography. Consultations were held from January to June 2004. Approximately 1,000 comments were captured through written submissions and the organization of over 40 meetings across Canada.

This report describes users' feedback on dissemination and geography issues received through this second round of consultations. In addition to user's comments, web metrics information serves as a valuable tool when evaluating the accessibility of public good data tables. Therefore, page view counts have been integrated in this report.

Some general planning assumptions that focus on the production and dissemination of 2006 Census products are also included in this report.

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The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) is the first Canada-wide survey of children. Starting in 1994, it will gather information on a sample of children and their life experiences. It will follow these children over time. The survey will collect information on children and their families, education, health, development, behaviour, friends, activities, etc. This document describes the survey instruments of cycle 4.

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This guide provides general information on the ethnic origin concept in the census and how the question of ethnicity has changed over time. In addition, the guide discusses the historical comparability of the ethnic origin data.

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This guide will be of assistance in understanding the concepts, methodology and data quality of the surveys conducted as well as the data analysed by the Pensions and Wealth Surveys Section of the Income Statistics Division. It covers the following surveys/programs:- Pension Plans in Canada;- Trusteed Pension Funds (Census and Quarterly);- Survey of Financial Security; and- Pension adjustment/registered retirement savings plans data file provided by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency.

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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.

In surveys with low response rates, non-response bias can be a major concern. While it is not always possible to measure the actual bias due to non-response, there are different approaches that help identify potential sources of non-response bias. In the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), surveys with a response rate lower than 70% must conduct a non-response bias analysis. This paper discusses the different approaches to non-response bias analyses using examples from NCES.

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The 2001 Census Handbook is a reference tool covering every aspect of the 2001 Census of Population and Census of Agriculture. It provides an overview of every phase of the census, from content determination to data dissemination. It traces the history of the census from the early days of New France to the present. It also contains information about the protection of confidential information in census questions and variables, along with information about data quality and the possible uses of census data. Also covered are census geography and the range of products and services available from the 2001 Census database.

This series includes six general reference products: Preview of Products and Services, Census Dictionary, Catalogue, Standard Products Stubsets, Census Handbook and Technical Reports.

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Cycle 1.1 of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) will provide information for 136 health regions. A brief overview of the CCHS design, sampling strategy, interviewing procedures, data collection and processing is presented.

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This paper describes the collection method and content of the 1999 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) income interview.