Concepts and Methods Guide
4. Data collection

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4.1 Time frame

The 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) was conducted from January 16, 2017 to August 15, 2017. The original collection period was from January 16 to June 30 but it was extended until August 15. As a postcensal survey, it followed the 2016 Census of Population which was held in May 2016.

4.2 Mode of collection

The questions in the 2017 APS were administered in a computer assisted interviewing (CAI) environment. Two computer-assisted interview methods were used for this survey: Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) and Computer Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI). In 2017, CAPI was used for all Inuit regions, the Northwest Territories (excluding parts of Yellowknife) and in some parts of the Yukon. CATI was the primary mode of collection for dwellings in the provinces.

Respondents were interviewed in English or French. For Inuit regions, the questionnaire was translated as a paper copy into Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun. On-screen help instructions were also available in the Inuit languages. These instructions could include: include/exclude statements, definitions, examples and/or supplementary instructions.

The time required to complete the survey varied from person to person. In some cases, the 2017 APS interview took up to an hour or more to finish, but on average the survey took about 40 minutes to complete.

4.3 Supervision and quality control

All Statistics Canada interviewers were under the supervision of senior interviewers who were responsible for ensuring that interviewers were familiar with the concepts and procedures of the survey to which they were assigned. Senior interviewers were also responsible for periodically monitoring the interviewers.

Interviewers were trained on the survey content and the CAI application. In addition to classroom training, the interviewers completed a series of mock interviews to become familiar with the survey and its concepts and definitions.

4.4 Proxy interviews

For individuals between the ages of 15 and 17, interviews were conducted directly with the youth only with the prior approval of the individual‘s parent or guardian. Where approval was not provided the data were collected through proxy from the parent or guardian.

The questionnaires were designed to be answered by the selected person him/herself. Proxy interviews were acceptable in some circumstances, such as when the selected respondent was not able to answer due to mental or physical health, due to a language barrier, or because the selected respondent was absent from home for the duration of the survey.

4.5 Communications strategy

In the months leading up to data collection, efforts were made to raise awareness of the 2017 APS and to encourage participation. The communications strategy included the development of an APS brochure and posters. Statistics Canada’s team of Aboriginal Liaison Program Advisors served as contacts for the APS in regions across the country. They promoted awareness of the APS and encouraged participation using the materials provided. They met with local and provincial organizations and Friendship Centres across Canada.

Prior to collection, introductory letters and identity-specific brochures were mailed to selected respondents outlining the purpose of the survey and emphasizing the importance of their participation. These were available in English, French, Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun. Public Service Announcements were prepared for broadcast over local radio stations in the Northern provinces and territories. Newspaper advertisements were run in communities to coincide with collection plans; therefore, they would be advertised in the weeks prior and during the collection period within that community. They briefly announced the arrival of the survey in the community and explained that a Statistics Canada interviewer could be coming to their door. Social media was a significant tool in raising awareness of the 2017 APS. Facebook posts and tweets were posted every two weeks during the collection period to raise awareness of the survey. Aboriginal organizations were encouraged to repost and share our social media posts.

4.6 Special issues in the field

Special issues arose in relation to data collection for the APS which were addressed with extra coordination in the field and corrective adjustments to survey methods. For instance, the collection of the 2017 APS occurred during the same time period as several other surveys conducted by Statistics Canada, creating a potentially heavy response burden for individuals who might be selected for participation in more than one survey. Careful planning and adjustments to survey design were implemented to address and minimize this type of respondent-burden. Please refer to section 3.2.4 for more detail about the survey overlap.

4.7 Final response rates

Approximately 32,330 respondents completed the 2017 APS including those who reported being non-Aboriginal on the APS for a final response rate of 76%. Excluding 8,380 non-Aboriginal respondents, the total number of Aboriginal respondents included in the 2017 APS database was 24,220 (including the approximately 280 additional respondents from the APS - Nunavut Inuit Supplement– see subsection 6.7).

A detailed description of the sample design used and response rates obtained is provided in chapter 3 of this guide. Table 4 in section 3.3 provides the final response rates and sample sizes for each of the geographic domains covered by the survey (e.g. provinces, territories).


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