Difference between Census Access levels 2 and 3

Question

Can someone clarify what we have access to on the Census site that is level 2 (DSP?) and level 3 access, please? I am doing a presentation next week and want to make sure that I'm providing the correct info.

Thanks in advance.

Answer

1) Your question creates an opportunity to put in a plug for
the DLI Survival Guide on the STC website. You will find a description
of Level 2 access under the section on "Accessing and Citing DLI Data." See:
http://www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/csk/power/toc/accessing-en.htm
The details are under the heading: "Census data -- a more detailed level of geography."

2) Here is a cut and paste form the DLI Survival Guide:
http://www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/csk/power/toc/accessing-en.htm#census

Census data - a more detailed level of geography

Commonly referred to as Level 2 access to Census data, DLI members have access to
additional Census data at lower levels of geography and the additional option to download
to Beyond 20/20 format if they so desire. These access levels apply to the release of the
standard topic-based tabulations, release profile components and the cumulative profiles.

The following summarizes our Internet product availability at Level 2:

* Topic-based tabulations for all levels of geography (except
forward sortation area (FSA) and dissemination area (DA)).
* Release profile components and cumulative profiles for all levels
of geography (except forward sortation area (FSA) and
dissemination area (DA)).
* Dissolved census subdivision (CSD) profile data.

(Although FSA and DA levels are not available through Level 2 access, these levels of
geography are readily available on the DLI FTP site.)

If your DLI-member institution does not currently have access to level-2 Census data,
please contact the DLI unit <mailto:dli-idd@statcan.gc.ca> with the IP range for your
institution and we will facilitate the access for your institution.

3) A description of the different Census access levels is available in the Survival Guide:

http://www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/csk/power/toc/accessing-en.htm#other

Also, in replying to a similar question back in April, we obtained the following definitions from our Census consultants:

Level 0 = Available for free to all users via the Internet

Level 2 = Available to pre-determined users, key stakeholders and partners. So in essence our level 2 users have access to everything up to level 2 and is available on our site.

Level 3 = Available for a fee. Key partners and stakeholders, including the DLI, have access to these files however. In the case of the DLI, they are distributed through the DLI FTP site.

4) I was at a Census presentation yesterday and level 3 is internal access for STC. Census does provide Level 3 data to some key partners and stakeholders, including the DLI. However, DLI contacts can only access Level 3 data via the FTP site.

5) When we last talked you had mentioned that you would be interested to know the criteria used by Census in determining whether a file is classified as level 2 or 3. I thought I should share the answer with the group as it elaborates on my recent posting about census access level definitions (below).

I discussed the matter with the Chief of Census Standard Products and Internet Development, and she confirmed that the size of the file determines its level. If it is small enough to be delivered via the web, it will be classified as level 2. However, if a file is too large for dissemination via the web, it can only be distributed via the FTP site and will be classified as level 3. Typically, it is the DA-level files that end up being too large. However, there are a few products at other levels of geography that are too large to be delivered via the website and must be classified as level 3 as well. For example: a detailed industry by detailed occupation table crossed with other variables at the CD/CSD level STILL may have to sit at Level 3 because of size.