Getting to Know Data Sources

October 2008

Getting to Know Data Sources

SOC 3140 Prof. Sylvie Lafrenière

Susan Mowers, GSG / Library

October 2004 GEG3104

Outline

• Doors to sociology research at the Library– Sociology Librarian, research expertise– GSG Centre, access to Data

• Getting a handle on Statistics Canada surveys

• From Data to Statistics

• Using data tools and documentation

October 2008

Library:

Doors to Research and Data


Sociology Librarian Research expert

Andrée Côté• Available for appointments

• 613-562-5800 (3656)

• [email protected]

• Morisset, first floor

• EXPERTISE! Using the Library collections, databases and services for sociology


Additional Services GSG

• Geographic

Statistical and

Government INFORMATION CENTRE

• GSG helps students to find, access and use:– Data, statistics, geographic and government information, including

• DLI and other data• Technical support for using data• Services on site, lab, statistical and GIS software • Hard-to-find government information

• Contact Susan:Morisset Library, Room 308 in [email protected] by email

mailto:[email protected]

October 2008

More about Data …


DATA DATA DATA!!

VIA Data Liberation Initiative

DLI: partnership between 74 Canadian universities + Statistics Canada.

…students can access all DLI data through GSG (3rd floor Morisset) and Web

- person-level public-use microdata, - statistics at a detailed level of geography, time series data, - and Geographic data

DLI contact: Susan… [email protected]

… Commercial use is strictly prohibited.

October 2008

Surveys … one example of Survey Data


Survey Question …

STATISTICS CANADA’S NUMÉRO UNO (BIGGEST) SURVEY !

… it’s “so big”, it can only happen every 5 years!

… What is this survey called ?


The 2006 Census of Population

From your mailbox:May 16, 2006

… to statistics in the media

September 13, 2007

Married people now in the minority; For the first time in Canada, most adults are not legally wed, census shows. …more people are choosing common law over marriage.

…Public-use microdata to be released Summer 2009

http://www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/pumfdates.htm


IT ALL COMES FROM THE QUESTIONS! 2006 Census– SHORT (2A) and LONG (2B) Questionnaires, on, e.g., family relationship …

etc.

http://www.statcan.ca/english/sdds/instrument/3901_Q1_V3_E.pdf




Want more information on the Census?

• Survey page on the Census at Statistics Canadahttp://www12.statcan.ca/english/census/index.cfm

• Main CENSUS page at Statistics Canadahttp://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?

Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3901&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2

http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census/index.cfm

October 2008

Getting a Handle on Surveys :

Who’s in the GSS 18 ?


What special groups of interest might there be in the GSS 18 ?

Click on Statistics Canada – Main survey page below:

http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4504&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2


Possible special population groups


IT ALL COMES FROM THE QUESTIONS!

GSS 18 Questionnaire …http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data/teaching/soc/version2-12M0018-GPE-questionniare.pdf

for example, Visible Minority Status




for example, Discrimination related to Visible Minority Status




for example, Discrimination based on Religion


Given the question on Discrimination based on Religion in the GSS 18 (2004)…

FIND OUT: Should you be able to confirm whether discrimination based on religion increased after September 11, 2001?

Click on: http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data/teaching/soc/version2-12M0018-GPE-

Comparison Victimization cycles.pdf

Go to page 30 (page 394 at bottom of page)


Can you compare religious discrimination before and after 9/11?

October 2008

Visible minority status / Religion

DO THEY WARRANT STUDY?

SAMPLE SIZES FOR…


GSS 18 Data Dictionary http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data/teaching/soc/version2-12M0018-GPE-Data-dictionary-main.pdf

on visible minority status



Discrimination … related to visible minority status …


A significant sample size

…is often considered to be 2,000



on religion: e.g., other “including” Muslim …?



Discrimination related to Religion


What is this difference between the two columns …?

October 2008

From WEIGHTS and MEASURES

Author: Wendy Watkins, Carleton University

DLI, Guelph (2000)


Why are Weights Used?

• Data are often collected in a disproportionate manner

– E.g., A greater percentage of the population are interviewed in PEI than Ontario

– Weighting adjusts for this bias

– Each weighted observation represents one observation in the population

– Weighting important for academic research (journal pubn…)Author: W. Watkins, 2000


How does SPSS Apply Weights?

• SPSS has a simple procedure for applying weights• Open our data file:

– Click on:https://login.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/login?url=http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data-license/gss_general_social_survey/c18-victimisation-

2004/eng/data/gss18pumfm-3142-class-only.sav

• Click on : “Data”– Click on “Weight cases by”

– Choose appropriate weight variable (read documentation)

– Click “OK”

Author: W. Watkins, 2000

October 2008

SPSS hands-on exercise

Differentiating weighted and unweighted results?


Unweighted results – Let’s weight these…


Again, we look for the weight variable in the Dictionary for our variables, e.g., WGHT-PER for DIS-REL


WE WILL turn on our PERSON WEIGHT variable and then run our tabulations for

VISIBLE MINORITY STATUS

1. Ensure you have opened the GSS18 dataset at: https://login.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/login?url=http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data-license/gss_general_social_survey/c18-victimisation-2004/eng/data/gss18pumfm-3142-class-only.sav

2. Click on Data and … Weight Cases …


Finish turning weighting on…

3. Click on Person weight and tick circle “Weight cases by”

4. Click on the arrow

5. ..and click on “OK”


Lets tabulate some variables (our results will be weighted) …


Cross tabulating our 4 variables in SPSS

1. Click on Analyse and Descriptive Statistics:

2. Then click on Cross-tabs …


Cross-tabulating cont’d

3. Scroll down until you arrive here (you will start by selecting these three variables)



4. Click on the variable below and click on arrow for Row(s), we will continue on for the next two variables below..



5. Select the next variable below as shown, click on the same arrow (Row(s)) and do the same for the next variable below.



6.Three variables will appear in the Rows box.

7. Click on Visible minority status (just above), then click on the arrow for Column(s)


You are ready to cross-tabulate your weighted results!

8. Click on “OK”


Weighted tabulations !

October 2008

Basic documentation checklistfor the GSS 18

For your reference…


GSS 18 Documentation Checklist

Statistics Canada – Main survey page on the GSS 18:http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4504&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2

Complete Users Guide to the GSS 18 survey and data:http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data/teaching/soc/version2-12M0018-GPE.pdfincludes questionnaire, data dictionaries, survey, sampling and weighting methodology, comparison of content of cycles 3, 8, 23, and 18 …

Comparison of cycles: http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data/teaching/soc/version2-12M0018-GPE-Comparison Victimization cycles.pdf

Data Dictionary: http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data/teaching/soc/version2-12M0018-GPE-Data-dictionary-main.pdf

Questionnaire: http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data/teaching/soc/version2-12M0018-GPE-questionniare.pdf



http://gsg.uottawa.ca/data/teaching/soc/version2-12M0018-GPE.pdf

October 2008

Other surveys


Some Statistics Canada Surveys of Households

• Census every 5 years

• Special Surveys, various health, labour force, longitudinal survey of children and youth…

• Post-censal surveys, every 5 or 10 years : Aboriginal Peoples Survey; Ethnic Diversity Survey;

Participation and Activity Limitations Survey


Health DivisionCanadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)

• Collects information related to health and health determinants for the Canadian population. Over 130,000

responses cycles 1.1, 2.1, 3.1… • Special topics, e.g., 1.2 content, Mental Health and Well-

being


Browse surveys available from STC DLI

• All are DLI surveys comprise cross-sectional survey data

• Browse collection of surveys from DLI -click here

http://www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/ftp.htm

http://www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/ftp.htm

October 2008

Comparing microdata and statistics

(moving onto research findings and statistics for the GSS 18)


What is the difference ?

Data :

• Digital – computer readable

• Raw data

• Not presentation-ready

• Require processing

Statistics :

• May be computer readable.

• Summaries of data

x number of 95-99 year olds in Saskatchewan in 2001 ?

1,345

• Presentation-ready

• Are often mapped (or graphed) for visual presentation


Statistics come from…

…DATA !

Data are processed to become Statistics Person 1…2 …


000031214110011982001212222221002098200121222222401121111241112121112205020197111971021212222225211026121204300140955720411313022111999901978787879702221411271412400315000616611232222222221111172626162212222666666636212000000020320222224222000022204141101101102111111122111000000210000000002100000000010000000000200000423300200200100000100200

000041100110011101102122222221002009200212222222021111111231212111211208120193811938044122222221111052201203901007504721031191012233520406058787870304221303420708300400001420007111222122211721575656565555555666666656565000555500210222111111110000001111100001101112212122111011010110000110101100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Person “x”

Person “y”

Statistics (The Daily/Studies) Aggregate data (Statistics)

Raw data (Confidential/Master file)Public-use microdata file (anonymous) Eg, SPSS

Data Liberation Initiative

Research Data Centres


Data versus Statistics

* These images were taken from the following website: http://www.chcc.ac.uk/overview/faq7/q2.html

GEOGRAPHY:

e.g., CMA and Province: PUMF

GEOGRAPHY:

e.g., towns, smaller cities, neighbourhoods: Census profiles


LET’s FIND the GSS 18 in the recent News

1. Click on the main survey page again:http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4504&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2


Click on The Daily


And click on one of the headlines


Scroll down The Daily article, from descriptive commentary to a table


Go back (left arrow twice..) to main survey page and browse both Publications and Analytical studies


Through Analytical studies, try to find…


Review academic and related literature

• Contact– Andrée Côté, Social Sciences Librarian

• 613-562-5800 (3656)

• [email protected]

• Morisset, first floor


Thank you!

Susan

Geographic, Statistical and Government Information Centre

Third floor, Morisset

[email protected]

Getting to Know Data Sources

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