Wednesday, May 25, 2005

NOCS Characters

Question

We have a faculty member who would like population statistics at the census subdivision level by NOCS classification.

I can find these values down to the NOCS major category (2 NOCS characters), but he requires the statistics right down to the unit group level (4 NOCS characters). Does anyone know if this is available through the DLI?

Answer

The data can be run as a custom tabulation but for standard products, it was decided that the 4 digit level was too detailed for most of the CSDs and the resulting table would contain a large number of 0 cells. The lowest level of geography for which 4-digit NOCS standard tables exist is the CMA/CA level.

Household TV Ownership

Question

I have a researcher looking for data on television ownership in Canadian households going back to 1950 if possible. Percentages would be fine. I have tried several sources, but I only seem to find "hours viewed" and Broadcaster ownership data. Any ideas?

Answers

1. The recent data is found at this web page:
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/famil09c.htm?sdi=television

CANSIM for series 1997 - 2003- Table 203-0020 - Survey of household spending (SHS), household equipment at December 31, by province, territory and selected metropolitan areas, annual (2542 series)

The last HFE publication (Household facilities and equipment, Catalogue no. 64-202-XPB) was for the reference year 1997.

2. This is available in the Household Facilities and Equipment surveys as well - part of the SCF. Goes back there to 1972, generally at 2 year intervals.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Book Publishers

Question

Does anyone have any leads on book publishing industry - specifically sales and wages at the city or county level? I have looked at the tables in the Book publishers and exclusive agents: data tables, but they only are for provinces and regions. Canadian Business Patterns has already answered one part of this - it has the number of establishments for CMAs/CAs. I've tried Strategis too with no further luck. Should I tell the faculty person about the custom tabs on Book Publishing (cat 87C0012) or is there something in DLI that I have missed?

Answer

In regards to the book publishing request by CMA or county, It is possible to provide data on certain a few large CMA. In the last book survey (2000-01) only 627 publishers and 45 exclusive agents operated in all of Canada. The major ones operate in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

The data does not have a CMA code, but it can be derived via the postal code.

It is possible to produce a report on a cost recovery basis.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

GDP for CMAs

Question

I have a faculty member looking for GDP for Vancouver and Winnipeg. I think this would be available from the Conference Board of Canada and a substantial cost, but is it lurking somewhere beyond my reach in a CANSIM table?

Answer

Stats Can does not compute any GDP for cities or sub-provincial regions.

As far as I know, the only place where you can find GDP for regions/cities is at the Conference Board, though I am not aware of their methodology.

Also, the Institut de la statistique du Quebec is currently developing a methodology to calculate GDP by administrative regions (there are 13 administrative regions in Quebec) and they already have put some numbers on their website. It is still experimental though, and they plan to reveal final numbers as well as their methodology in 2006 (according to their website).

Monday, May 16, 2005

Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey 2003 Annual vs. Cycle2

Question

We have a researcher who has been digging into the CTUMS 2003 Person files. Now as I understand it, and from what I've read - the annual file is simply a complete file with Cycle1 and Cycle2 data put together. So in theory all the variables that were contained in the Cycle2 Person file should also be available in the Annual Person file. However... with the 2003 file we have found this anomaly:

We have 9 variables that are available in the Cycle 2 file (Q096B, Q097B, Q098A, Q098C, DVLOWTAR, Q200, Q201, Q202, Q203) but are no where to be found in the Annual file. Should these variables be included in the annual file?

Answer

It turns out that if the question was asked in both cycle 1 and cycle 2, the annual data will have the results. However, if the question was posed only in Cycle 1 or only in Cycle 2, it is not included in the annual results.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Agricultural Census Data / Practicum Student Licensing Question

Question

A graduate student in community psychology is looking for Stats Canada Agricultural Census data. There is data for the 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, and 1981 Canadian Agricultural Profile. Is there any older data 1960 onward? Can you direct me to a source for such data?

The need for such data has to do with a project that the student is completing for a Practicum Course. The data will be used to write a report on the historical trends in agriculture and to possibly make data projections into the year of 2041.

Answer

The DLI has Census of Agriculture data back to 1986, and anything prior should be accessed through the DSP publications.

In terms of the licensing issue, there are three rules that need to be considered before the decision can be rendered:

1) Is the user enrolled and in good standing in a DLI institution?
Assessment: The student is currently enrolled at a DLI institution and is in good standing.

2) Is the proposed use of the data for the exclusive purposes of teaching, academic research and publishing, and/or planning of educational services within my educational institution?
Assessment: The part she is completing for PS600 to be remitted to the professor is covered under the license. The work she is performing for the Region of Waterloo Public Health Unit is not covered. The findings of the research can be shared, but not the actual data.

3) Is the researcher receiving money in exchange for the work?
It does not appear to be a paid position as it is for a practicum course.

As I mentioned, those are the three basic questions we ask before the use is authorised under the DLI licence. The researcher is welcomed to share the findings of her research with the Region of Waterloo Public Health Unit, but no data should accompany her report.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Use of Youth Smoking Survey

Question

One of our faculty members has called to see if he can give a school which was part of the Youth Smoking Survey access to the PUMF under our DLI licence. I am pretty sure the answer is no, but wanted to be sure. Should I just direct him to the Special Surveys Division or can you provide a contact?

Answer

You are absolutely correct! The students do not have access to the data through the DLI licence.

In order to qualify as users under the DLI licence, they must be registered students in good standing in a DLI institution. As the students do not meet this first criteria, they can not use the data under the licence.

Your professor should follow-up with Special Surveys Division at ssd@statcan.ca and ask them for written permission to use the data.

Wednesday, May 4, 2005

IT Sector in Canada and North America

Question

I have received a faculty request for information regarding the "status and future of the IT sector in Canada and North America".

Information and Communications Technologies in Canada was released in 1999, and I can't find an update. Is there any data available through the DLI that would give me updated information? Or even through the DSP if that's where it's found?

I have also been looking for data on employment in the ITC sector, but most of it covers only up to about 2002, which hardly qualifies as current status.

Answer

Industry Canada has some statistics in Strategis under "Canadian ICT Statistical Overview"
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inict-tic.nsf/en/h_it06155e.html.
Most of the tables are 2003 or 2004 and there are also "Detailed Industry Statistics". The "Sources and Technical Notes" section lists a number of different annual surveys and CANSIM tables from Statistics Canada which might give you other leads.

The Survey of Electronic Commerce and Technology is listed in the Definitions, Sources and Methods section of the SC web site with a release date of April 2005. But there is old message on the DLIList from May 2002 that says no pumf was produced from this survey.