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.

Rounding Census 2006 Numbers

Question

If I recall properly, the census numbers used to be perturbed during rounding - is this the case with the 2006 Census?

Answer

Below is the description of how random rounding is used and how it applies to data for the 2006 Census. The information was provided by our Census Consultants and comes from pages 6 and 7 of "Data Quality and Confidentiality Standards and Guidelines" for the 2006 Census
(http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/reference/notes/DQguidelines/PDF/2006-DQ-Public-Guide-E.pdf).

From pages 6-7

2.2. Random rounding
All counts in census tabulations are subjected to a process called random rounding. Random rounding transforms all raw counts to random rounded counts. This reduces the possibility of identifying individuals within the tabulations. For 2A (100%) data, all counts are rounded to a base
of 5. This means that all 2A counts will end in either 0 or 5. The random rounding algorithm employed controls the results and rounds the unit value
of the count according to a pre-determined frequency.

2B (20%) data require a slightly different random rounding algorithm. All counts greater than 10 are rounded to base 5, as is done for 2A data. Counts less than 10 are rounded to base 10. This means that any 2B counts less than 10 will always be changed to 0 or 10. The table below shows the effect of rounding on 2B counts with a value less than 10.

The random rounding algorithm uses a random seed value to initiate the rounding pattern for tables. In these routines, the method used to seed the
pattern can result in the same count in the same table being rounded up in one execution and rounded down in the next.

Publication of Beyond 20/20 Tables in Textbook

Question

I know part of the answer to this question, but I was hoping for a bit more clarification. A professor here is writing a textbook and wants to generate tables in Beyond 20/20 (I think using homicide/victim/crime data) and wants to know if she can use them in her book. Now, I'm pretty sure that if she is getting the B2020 tables from DLI, the answer is NO and that she would need to seek permission directly. However, what if she is getting them from E-Stat? I suspect the answer is still no because E-Stat is for educational use? AND, what if she generates them on the Stat-Can website and then pays for the time series that way? Any help/clarification you can provide is much appreciated.

Answer

Publishing Statistics Canada products in textbooks falls outside the DLI license. The Regional Office should help your professor get the approval she needs.

The DLI Licensing database on the DLI website says, "Faculty are referred to the Marketing Division of Statistics Canada for discussions on textbook licensing."

Kitimat CA / CSD

Question

I am a little baffled about something that's probably obvious. I just printed off two DAuid lists from GeoSuite: one for the CSD of Kitimat (the DM) and one for the Kitimat CA . I got the same list of 15 DAuids for both. I thought this was kind of strange, so I brought up the 2006 Community Profiles for each of these areas. The land area and population is exactly the same for both. GeoSuite confirmed this. Somehow I would have thought that the CSD would be a smaller area than the CA.

Answer

This is the definition of a CA:

A census agglomeration must have an urban core population of at least 10,000. A census agglomeration (CA) is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a large urban area (known as the urban core). A CA must have an urban core population of at least 10,000. To be included in the CMA or CA, other adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the central urban area, as measured by commuting flows derived from census place of work data.

It not often, but it happens that a CA is one equivalent to one CSD in which you find the appropriate urban core of at least 10,000 population and that the total population for that CSD is at least 10,000

For Kitimat, the CA is based on the population of the previous census, that is 2001, and the population was 10,285 with an urban core of at least 10,000. It may not be a CA in 2011 since the population is now below 10,000, thus the urban core is now lower than the treshold of 10,000 people.

And yes, the CA is equal to the CSD in this case and beware that it may not be a CA when Geography Division do their revision for the 2011 Census.

Definition of Economic Region

Question

Could someone please provide a clear definition of what an "Economic Region" is in the 2001 Census? We've looked at the User's Guide and well the definition alludes me.

Answer

Here's a link to the long definition:
http://geodepot.statcan.ca/Diss/Reference/COGG/LongDescription_e.cfm?GEO_LEVEL=8&REFCODE=1&LANG=E

Statistics Canada Catalogue Numbers

Here is the breakdown of the last three characters of a Statistics Canada catalogue number:

Eg: XCB (variable descriptor, medium, language)

Variable descriptor : Used to further define the product where necessary

P = preliminary: a product generally produced before the final conformation of data.
S = supplement: additional information added to an existing product; this information cannot stand on its own.
R = revision: a revision to an already published product, it can also be an Errata.
U = update: sections added to or replacing existing chapters in a product.
G = guide: user guides or guides to other Statistics Canada products.
M = monographic series: a series of individual monographs, typically a research paper series.
L = licence: licensing agreements.
X = not relevant to this product. Most products have an "X".

Medium : The medium in which the product is delivered to the client.

A = Audio-cassette
B = Braille
T = Tape
D = Diskette
M = Microfiche
C = CD-ROM
I = Internet
K = Kit
P = Paper/print

Language : the language that the product will be delivered in.

E = English
F = French
B = Bilingual

XCB - C= cd-rom, B = Bilingual
XDB - D= diskette, B = bilingual.
XPB - P= paper, B = bilingual

Survey Names and Acronyms

Introduction of a new WEB page for the DLI Community:
http://www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/dli-collection.htm