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Description: The Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB) is a comprehensive source of data that plays a key role in the understanding of the economic behaviour of immigrants. It is the only annual Canadian dataset that allows users to study the characteristics of immigrants to Canada at the time of admission and their economic outcomes and regional (inter-provincial) mobility over a time span of more than 40 years.

Description: Since 1984, an annual international symposium on methodological issues has been sponsored by Statistics Canada. Proceedings have been available since 1987.

Description: BigData users and the BigData research community are expanding rapidly, while statisticians at large are seemingly becoming divided between those who are enthusiastic and those who are concerned, if not downright hostile. Is BigData also a big step ahead, truly advancing our ability to extract meaningful information and actual knowledge from data? Is BigData underplaying traditional statistical inference as we know it, supplanting survey methodology as a low-cost futuristic option? In this paper I will attempt to unravel the multifaceted relationship bridging BigData to sampling methodology. Starting by reasoning why it should be interesting to look at BigData from a sampling statistician’s perspective, I will delve deeper into the somewhat ambiguous definition of BigData and share some very personal considerations and views on the matter. In the process, several open questions will arise while discussing a personal selection of insights that are traceable through the vast body of statistical literature around BigData and sampling methodology. The discussion will take various angles explored across nine key points, and it will conclude with a forward-looking perspective on a main challenge for future research: addressing the strong assumptions needed to manage deviations from purely randomized data collection.

Description: In his article, Professor Carl-Erik Särndal presents for sample-based statistics a new conceptual framework with only a few key assumptions. Selected aspects of the research tradition in Survey Science are briefly discussed in my comments.

Description: This reference guide is intended for users of the Census Subdivisions Boundary File. The guide provides an overview of the file, the general methodology used to create it, and important technical information for users.

Description: The Census Subdivision Boundary File contains the boundaries of all census subdivisions which combined cover all of Canada. A census subdivision is a municipality or an area treated as an equivalent to a municipality for statistical purposes (for example, unorganized territories). The file provides a framework for mapping and spatial analysis using commercially available geographic information systems (GIS) or other mapping software.

The Census Subdivision Boundary File is portrayed in Lambert conformal conic projection and is based on the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). A reference guide is available (92-162-G).

Description: This reference guide is intended for users of the Census of Population Road Network File (92-500-X). It provides an overview of the general methodology used to create this file, as well as important technical information.

Description:

This geographical file represents Canada's national road network, containing information such as street names, types, directions and address ranges.

A reference guide is available (Road Network File, Reference Guide, 92-500-G).

Description: The Guide to the Labour Force Survey contains a dictionary of concepts and definitions and covers topics such as survey methodology, data collection, data processing and data quality. It also contains information on products and services, sub-provincial geography descriptions as well as the survey questionnaire.

Description: The Guide to the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours contains a dictionary of concepts and definitions and covers topics such as survey methodology, data collection and processing, and data quality. It also provides information on products and services, as well as the survey questionnaire.

Description: The public use microdata file from the 2010 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating is now available. This file contains information collected from nearly 15,000 respondents aged 15 and over residing in private households in the provinces. The public use microdata file provides provincial-level information about the ways in which Canadians donate money and in-kind gifts to charitable and nonprofit organizations; volunteer their time to these organizations; provide help directly to others. Socio-demographic, income and labour force data are also included on the file.

Description: Microdata files are unique among census products in that they give users access to unaggregated data. This makes the public use microdata files (PUMFs) powerful research tools. Each file contains anonymous individual responses on a large number of variables. The PUMF user can group and manipulate these variables to suit his/her own data and research requirements. Tabulations not included in other census products can be created or relationships between variables can be analysed by using different statistical tests. PUMFs provide quick access to a comprehensive social and economic database about Canada and its people. All subject-matter covered by the census is included in the microdata files. However, to ensure the anonymity of the respondents, geographic identifiers have been restricted to the provinces/territories and large metropolitan areas. Microdata files have traditionally been disseminated on magnetic tape, which required access to a mainframe computer. For the first time, the 1991 PUMFs will also be available on CD-ROM for microcomputer applications. This file contains data based on a 3% of the population enumerated in the 1991 Census. It provides information on the demographic, social and economic characteristics of the Canadian population. The Individual File allows users to return to the base unit of the census, enabling them to group and manipulate the data to suit their own data and research requirements.

This product provides two basic tools to assist users in accessing and using the 1991 Census Public Use Microdata File - Individuals CD-ROM.

Description: Microdata files are unique among census products in that they give users access to unaggregated data. This makes the public use microdata files (PUMFs) powerful research tools. Each file contains anonymous individual responses on a large number of variables. The PUMF user can group and manipulate these variables to suit his/her own data and research requirements. Tabulations not included in other census products can be created or relationships between variables can be analysed by using different statistical tests. PUMFs provide quick access to a comprehensive social and economic database about Canada and its people. All subject-matter covered by the census is included in the microdata files. However, to ensure the anonymity of the respondents, geographic identifiers have been restricted to the provinces/territories and large metropolitan areas. Microdata files have traditionally been disseminated on magnetic tape, which required access to a mainframe computer. For the first time, the 1991 PUMFs will also be available on CD-ROM for microcomputer applications. This file contains data based on a 3% of the population enumerated in the 1991 Census. It provides information on the demographic, social and economic characteristics of the Canadian population. The Households and Housing File allows users to return to the base unit of the census, enabling them to group and manipulate the data to suit their own data and research requirements.

This product provides two basic tools to assist users in accessing and using the 1991 Census Public Use Microdata File - Households and Housing CD-ROM.

Description: This publication presents quarterly estimates of population for Canada, provinces and territories as well as statistics on the following components of population change: births, deaths, immigration, emigration, returning emigration, net temporary emigration, net non-permanent residents and interprovincial migration, the latter by origin and destination. The Quarterly Demographic Estimates publication contains the most recent estimates as well as a quarterly historical series. It also contains highlights and analysis of the most current demographic trends, as well as a brief description of the concepts, methods and data quality of the estimates.

Description:

This public use microdata file is from the fourth survey in the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series and includes information about the source and quality of COVID-19 information that Canadians are accessing. Also covered are the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of individuals, and on their social and employment circumstances. This product is provided using Statistics Canada's electronic file transfer service.

Description: The Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CTADS) is a biennial general population survey of tobacco, alcohol and drug use among Canadians aged 15 years and older, with the primary focus on 15- to 24-year-olds. The CTADS is a telephone survey conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of Health Canada.

Description:

Statistics Canada was approached by Stentor Resource Centre Incorporated to conduct a survey to monitor the telephone penetration rates across Canada. The survey determines if the respondents have a telephone line in their residence. If they do not have a telephone line, information is collected as to the reasons why. Information is also collected on the income characteristics of the selected households.

The management of the survey was transferred from Stentor to Bell Canada in the Fall of 1998.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) supplementary capacity is used to conduct this biannual survey. A sample of approximately 44,000 respondents is used for this survey (five out of six rotation groups). The survey data are collected using Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI). The first data collection procedure took place during November's LFS week in 1996.

This microdata file is prepared biannually and contains the variables from the survey, plus geographical variables from the LFS (province, census metropolitan area, urban/rural breakdown). No other variables from the LFS are added to the file.

Description:

The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was a collaborative effort by twenty governments and three intergovernmental organizations. The countries of Australia, Belgium/Flanders, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland (French, German and Italian), United Kingdom, United States, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Norway, and Slovenia participated in the IALS.

The Canadian IALS survey had a number of objectives. These were: a) to provide an updated profile of adult literacy abilities for Canada for comparison to that provided by the 1989 Survey of Literacy Skills Used in Daily Activities (LSUDA); b) to provide sufficiently large numbers of Franco-Ontarians, seniors, social assistance recipients, unemployment insurance recipients and out-of-school youth to profile their skill levels; c) to shed light on the relationship between performance, educational attainment, labour market participation and employment for those at certain literacy levels; and d) to compare Canadian literacy levels with those in other countries.

Description:

This report presents estimates of national and provincial economic activity of the environment industry in Canada, including the revenues earned from the production of environmental goods, the provision of environmental services and the undertaking of environment-related construction activities.

The environment industry is composed of establishments operating in a variety of industries that produce environmental goods and services. Environmental goods and services are goods and services that are used, or can potentially be used to measure, prevent, limit or correct environmental damage (both natural or by human activity) to water, air, soil as well as problems related to waste, noise and ecosystems. They also include clean or resource-efficient (eco-efficient) technologies that decrease material inputs, reduce energy consumption, recover valuable by-products, reduce emissions and/or minimise waste disposal problems.

Description: This publication contains population estimates by age and sex for Canada, provinces, territories, census divisions, census metropolitan areas and economic regions. It also includes, for provinces and territories, estimates by age, sex and marital status as well as estimates for census families.

The estimates are based on the 2001 Census results, which have been adjusted for net census undercoverage. The publication also includes statistics for the demographic components that were used to produce the population estimates (births, deaths, marriages, divorces, immigration, emigration, net temporary emigration, returning emigration, internal migration and non-permanent residents) by age and sex. In addition, the publication contains highlights of current demographic trends and a description of the methodology.

The print version of the publication includes a CD-ROM that provides additional data such as a chronological series of estimates by various levels of geography. With regard to provinces and territories, the estimates date back to 1971 (tables and animated age pyramid), 1986 for census divisions, census metropolitan areas and economic regions as well as census families.

The time series available on the CD-ROM can be easily captured and manipulated by analysts who want to create customized demographic analyses in any spreadsheet program. The population figures can be used, for example, to calculate per-capita rates required for market research, quantitative analysis and planning.

Description:

Online data collection emerged in 1995 as an alternative approach for conducting certain types of consumer research studies and has grown in 2008. This growth has been primarily in studies where non-probability sampling methods are used. While online sampling has gained acceptance for some research applications, serious questions remain concerning online samples' suitability for research requiring precise volumetric measurement of the behavior of the U.S. population, particularly their travel behavior. This paper reviews literature and compares results from studies using probability samples and online samples to understand whether results differ from the two sampling approaches. The paper also demonstrates that online samples underestimate critical types of travel even after demographic and geographic weighting.

Description:

In the evaluation of prospective survey designs, statistical agencies generally must consider a large number of design factors that may have a substantial impact on both survey costs and data quality. Assessments of trade-offs between cost and quality are often complicated by limitations on the amount of information available regarding fixed and marginal costs related to: instrument redesign and field testing; the number of primary sample units and sample elements included in the sample; assignment of instrument sections and collection modes to specific sample elements; and (for longitudinal surveys) the number and periodicity of interviews. Similarly, designers often have limited information on the impact of these design factors on data quality.

This paper extends standard design-optimization approaches to account for uncertainty in the abovementioned components of cost and quality. Special attention is directed toward the level of precision required for cost and quality information to provide useful input into the design process; sensitivity of cost-quality trade-offs to changes in assumptions regarding functional forms; and implications for preliminary work focused on collection of cost and quality information. In addition, the paper considers distinctions between cost and quality components encountered in field testing and production work, respectively; incorporation of production-level cost and quality information into adaptive design work; as well as costs and operational risks arising from the collection of detailed cost and quality data during production work. The proposed methods are motivated by, and applied to, work with partitioned redesign of the interview and diary components of the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey.

Description:

Over the past few years, Statistics Canada has conducted several analytical studies using paradata to learn more about various issues surrounding the data collection process and practices. In particular, these investigations have attempted to better understand how data collection progresses through its cycle, to identify strategic opportunities, to evaluate new collection initiatives and to improve the way the agency conducts and manages its surveys. The main objectives of this paper are to present the main results of these past and ongoing investigations describing Statistics Canada's experiences with regards to paradata. Future research plans that focus on identifying viable operational strategies that could improve efficiency or data quality are also discussed.

Description:

In one sense, a questionnaire is never complete. Test results, paradata and research findings constantly provide reasons to update and improve the questionnaire. In addition, establishments change over time and questions need to be updated accordingly. In reality, it doesn't always work like this. At Statistics Sweden there are several examples of questionnaires that were designed at one point in time and rarely improved later on. However, we are currently trying to shift the perspective on questionnaire design from a linear to a cyclic one. We are developing a cyclic model in which the questionnaire can be improved continuously in multiple rounds. In this presentation, we will discuss this model and how we work with it.

Description:

The Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH) is a monthly survey using two sources of data: a census of payroll deduction (PD7) forms (administrative data) and a survey of business establishments. This paper focuses on the processing of the administrative data, from the weekly receipt of data from the Canada Revenue Agency to the production of monthly estimates produced by SEPH.

The edit and imputation methods used to process the administrative data have been revised in the last several years. The goals of this redesign were primarily to improve the data quality and to increase the consistency with another administrative data source (T4) which is a benchmark measure for Statistics Canada's System of National Accounts people. An additional goal was to ensure that the new process would be easier to understand and to modify, if needed. As a result, a new processing module was developed to edit and impute PD7 forms before their data is aggregated to the monthly level.

This paper presents an overview of both the current and new processes, including a description of challenges that we faced during development. Improved quality is demonstrated both conceptually (by presenting examples of PD7 forms and their treatment under the old and new systems) and quantitatively (by comparison to T4 data).

Description:

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) Quality of Life Reporting System (QOLRS) is a means by which to measure, monitor, and report on the quality of life in Canadian municipalities. To address that challenge of administrative data collection across member municipalities the QOLRS technical team collaborated on the development of the Municipal Data Collection Tool (MDCT) which has become a key component of QOLRS' data acquisition methodology. Offered as a case study on administrative data collection, this paper argues that the recent launch of the MDCT has enabled the FCM to access reliable pan-Canadian municipal administrative data for the QOLRS.

Description:

Justice surveys represent a unique type of survey undertaken by Statistics Canada. While they all essentially use administrative data, Statistics Canada has had considerable input into the type of data that is collected as well as quality assurance methods guiding the collection of this data. This is true in the areas of policing, courts and corrections. The main crime survey, the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR), is the focus of this paper and was designed to measure the incidence of crime in Canadian society and its characteristics. The data is collected by the policing community in Canada and transmitted electronically to Statistics Canada. This paper will begin by providing an overview of the survey and its distinctive properties, such as the use of intermediaries (software vendors) that convert data from the police's information systems into the UCR survey format, following nationally defined data requirements. This level of consistency is uncommon for an administrative survey and permits a variety of opportunities for improving the overall data quality and capabilities of the survey. Various methods such as quality indicators and feedback reports are used on a regular basis and frequent two-way communication takes place with the respondents to correct existing data problems and to prevent future ones. We will discuss recent improvements to both the data itself and our collection methods that have enhanced the usability of the survey. Finally, future development of the survey will be discussed including some of the challenges that currently exist as well as those still to come.

Description:

In many countries, improved quality of economic statistics is one of the most important goals of the 21st century. First and foremost, the quality of National Accounts is in focus, regarding both annual and quarterly accounts. To achieve this goal, data quality regarding the largest enterprises is of vital importance. To assure that the quality of data for the largest enterprises is good, coherence analysis is an important tool. Coherence means that data from different sources fit together and give a consistent view of the development within these enterprises. Working with coherence analysis in an efficient way is normally a work-intensive task consisting mainly of collecting data from different sources and comparing them in a structured manner. Over the last two years, Statistics Sweden has made great progress in improving the routines for coherence analysis. An IT tool that collects data for the largest enterprises from a large number of sources and presents it in a structured and logical matter has been built, and a systematic approach to analyse data for National Accounts on a quarterly basis has been developed. The paper describes the work in both these areas and gives an overview of the IT tool and the agreed routines.

Description:

Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) prides itself in the accuracy and validity of data collected, processed and disseminated. The introduction of a Real Time Management System (RTMS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) into field operations is aimed at enhancing the process of data collection and minimising errors with regard to locating sampled dwelling units and tracking material from one point in the survey chain to another.

The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) is a pioneering project at Stats SA where the Master sample (MS) is linked to a GPS data base, where every record listed on the MS listing book has a corresponding GPS coordinate captured for it. These GPS points allows the Survey Officer to record spatially where different records are on the ground that are being listed (i.e. shops, houses, schools, churches etc.). The captured information is then linked to a shape file which populates where the structures are on the ground in relation to the manual listing records.

Description:

The Aboriginal Children's Survey (ACS) provides an extensive set of data about Aboriginal (Métis, Inuit, and off-reserve First Nations) children under 6 years of age in urban, rural, and northern locations across Canada. The Aboriginal Children's Survey (ACS) was designed to provide a picture of the early development of Aboriginal children and the social and living conditions in which they are learning and growing.

The survey was developed by Statistics Canada and Aboriginal advisors from across the country and was conducted jointly with Human Resources and Social Development Canada.

Description: This is a toolkit intended to aid data producers and data users external to Statistics Canada.

Description:

This guide focuses on the following topic: Structural Type of Dwelling and Collectives variables. Provides information that enables users to effectively use, apply and interpret data from the 2016 Census. Each guide contains definitions and explanations on census concepts, talks about changes made to the 2016 Census, data quality and historical comparability, as well as comparison with other data sources. Additional information will be included for specific variables to help general users better understand the concepts and questions used in the census.

Description:

The Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) serves as the highest-level governance tool for quality management at Statistics Canada. The QAF gives an overview of the quality management and risk mitigation strategies used by the Agency’s program areas. The QAF is used in conjunction with Statistics Canada management practices, such as those described in the Quality Guidelines.

Description: The Guide to Job Vacancy Statistics provides an overview of the structure of the survey and covers topics such as survey methodology, data quality as well as terms and definitions.

Description:

This report describes the quality indicators produced for the 2014 Survey of Household Spending. These quality indicators, such as coefficients of variation, nonresponse rates, slippage rates and imputation rates, help users interpret the survey data.

Description:

This overview document describes the conceptual underpinnings of the Integrated Business Statistics Program and explains how program components facilitate a more integrated approach to economic surveying at Statistics Canada.

Description:

The Research Data Centres (RDCs) Information and Technical Bulletin (ITB) is a forum by which Statistics Canada analysts and the research community can inform each other on survey data uses and methodological techniques. Articles in the ITB focus on data analysis and modelling, data management, and best or ineffective statistical, computational, and scientific practices. Further, ITB topics will include essays on data content, implications of questionnaire wording, comparisons of datasets, reviews on methodologies and their application, data peculiarities, problematic data and solutions, and explanations of innovative tools using RDC surveys and relevant software. All of these essays may provide advice and detailed examples outlining commands, habits, tricks and strategies used to make problem-solving easier for the RDC user.

The main aims of the ITB are:

- the advancement and dissemination of knowledge surrounding Statistics Canada's data; - the exchange of ideas among the RDC-user community;- the support of new users; - the co-operation with subject matter experts and divisions within Statistics Canada.

The ITB is interested in quality articles that are worth publicizing throughout the research community, and that will add value to the quality of research produced at Statistics Canada's RDCs.

Description:

This paper introduces and explains modifications made to the Labour Force Survey estimates in January 2015. Some of these modifications include the adjustment of all LFS estimates to reflect population counts based on the 2011 Census and includes updates to 2011 Geography classification system.

Description:

This report describes the quality indicators produced for the 2013 Survey of Household Spending. These quality indicators, such as coefficients of variation, nonresponse rates, slippage rates and imputation rates, help users interpret the survey data.

Description:

The 2011 NHS Aboriginal Peoples Technical Report deals with: (1) Aboriginal ancestry, (2) Aboriginal identity, (3) Registered Indian status and (4) First Nation/Indian band membership.

The report contains explanations of concepts, data quality, historical comparability and comparability to other sources, as well as information on data collection, processing and dissemination.