Sources of Data Wednesday, August 27

Primary vs. Secondary Data Strengths Weaknesses

Data Collection Instruments Census Vital Statistics Population Registers Surveys Historical/Archival Records Less Structured Interview/Observation Methods

Census Complete enumeration Counting focus De Jure vs. de facto Regular intervals Canvasser vs. self-enumeration U.S. Census 1790-2000…

Vital Statistics Recording of events (births, deaths, marriages, etc.) Usually on certificates Sometimes combined with census data

Population Registers A system to keep track of all residents of a country (but can be partial) Continuous reporting Each person has an ID number Privacy issues Easiest in countries with small and literate populations

Surveys Usually involve sampling Covers more topics/usually longer International Surveys U.S. Government Surveys Research Surveys

Historical/Archival Records Civil or church records from back in time Family reconstitution Skeletal evidence History calendars (hybrid method)

Less Structured Interview/Observational Methods Are more inductive Allow for new insights to emerge Can be the sole method for investigation, or can combine with other methods

Anthropological Demography What is it? What does it contribute to demography?