Questions:
1. What data are included and for what geographies and years?
4. What are the limits in using and distributing consortium data?
5. What are the differences between the types of Census Geographies?
6. Why do all the data points in some tables end in “5” or “0”?
7. Why are the “Total Population” figures different in each data set?
8. How do I cite the data I am using from STC?
9. Where do I find information about other data products and non-census data?
Answers:
1. What data are included and for what geographies and years? A complete list of Community Data Consortium data is included in the Consortium Data Reference Guide. This is Schedule B of the MOU signed between the consortia lead and Statistics Canada. It includes the data products that are acquired by the Consortium. These products are available to Consortium members in the Catalogue.
2. What are “Census Data”? Between May 1 and May 13, 2006, 13,576,855 households received a Census of Population questionnaire. An adult in each household was asked to complete and return the questionnaire online or by mail to the Statistics Canada Data Processing Centre. The short questionnaire contained eight questions and was completed by 80% of households. The long questionnaire contained the same questions as the short form plus 53 additional questions, including three new ones. A new question seeking permission for Statistics Canada to use data from income tax records in order to lower respondent burden was added to the long form. As well, questions on education were re-worded to improve response quality, including a new question on location of study. Both the short and long forms contained a new question asking whether the respondent would permit Statistics Canada to make their personal information public in 92 years for historical and genealogical research. "Census Data" is the collected responses to the Census as outlined above. See the 2006 Census Dictionary for more information.
3. Is training available? Training is available on various aspects of the Community Data Consortium site, the most common training being Statistics Canada's "How to use Census Data." This training is a full-day workshop that deals with the content, geography, products, and services of the 2006 Census. It provides demonstration and hands-on exercises with the 2006 Census CD-ROMs. For more information about this course (and other StatCan courses), please see the StatCan training website. For information about other training please contact: information@communitydata-donneescommunautaires.ca for more details.
4. What are the limits in using and distributing consortium data? Schedule C is the Statistics Canada Data Product Sharing Licence. It was extracted from the 2008 Blank MOU. This explains how you can share the data.Schedule D is the Consortium End Use Licence Agreement. It was extracted from the 2008 Blank MOU. It explains how you can use the data. Consult your consortium lead for more information about the contractual agreement between you, the consortium lead, and the Community Data Consortium.
5. What are the differences between the types of Census Geographies? Census Geographies range from very large regions (Census Metropolitan Areas and Economic Regions) to very small neighbourhoods (Block Face Groups and Dissemination Areas). For complete information on Census Geography, please refer to the following links:Dissemination Area Reference Maps, by Census Tracts, for Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations and Census Tract Reference Maps, by Census Metropolitan Areas or Census Agglomerations.
6. Why do all the data points in some tables end in “5” or “0”? This numbering is due to random rounding, a confidentiality procedure applied to all Census 2006 data. For more information on random rounding, click here.
7. What are the “Total Population” figures different in each data set? This is a factor of the dimensions included in the table you are looking at. Statistics Canada provides some information here about the effect of the 20% sample, but there is also the case of the "base population" for any given dimension. For example, data tables on the topic of housing are usually based on the total population of people in private households, the total population for these data would exclude all institutionalized individuals and therefore not be the same as the general population count used in the basic profile.
9. How do I cite the data I am using from STC? Statistics Canada provides an entire guide on how to properly cite their data, you can access it here.
10. Where do I find materials explaining the non-Census data products? This depends on the source of the data. A good place to start is on the Community Data Inventory. If you can't trace the source and find information to satisfy your query through there try contact us: information@communitydata-donneescommunautaires.ca for more details.