October 2008 Getting to Know Data Sources SOC 3140 Prof. Sylvie Lafrenière Susan Mowers, GSG / Library

October 2004GEG3104 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

October 2004GEG3104 Sociology Librarian Research expert Andrée Côté Available for appointments (3656) Morisset, first floor EXPERTISE! Using the Library collections, databases and services for sociology

October 2004GEG3104 Additional Services GSG G eographic S tatistical and G overnment 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 person by

October 2008 More about Data …

October 2004GEG3104 DATA DATA DATA!! VIA Data Liberation Initiative DLI: partnership between 74 Canadian universities + Statistics Canada. … students can access all DLI data through GSG (3 rd 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… … Commercial use is strictly prohibited.

October 2008 Surveys … one example of Survey Data

October 2004GEG3104 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 ?

October 2004GEG3104

October 2004GEG3104 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 2009released

October 2004GEG3104 IT ALL COMES FROM THE QUESTIONS! 2006 Census– SHORT (2A) and LONG (2B) Questionnaires, on, e.g., family relationship … SHORT (2A) LONG (2B) Questionnaires, etc.

October 2004GEG3104 Want more information on the Census? Survey page on the Census at Statistics Canada Main CENSUS page at Statistics Canada bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3901&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2

October 2008 Getting a Handle on Surveys : Who’s in the GSS 18 ?

October 2004GEG3104 What special groups of interest might there be in the GSS 18 ? Click on Statistics Canada – Main survey page below: bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4 504&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2

October 2004GEG3104 Possible special population groups

October 2004GEG3104 IT ALL COMES FROM THE QUESTIONS! GSS 18 Questionnaire … for example, Visible Minority Status

October 2004GEG3104 IT ALL COMES FROM THE QUESTIONS! GSS 18 Questionnaire … for example, Discrimination related to Visible Minority Status

October 2004GEG3104 IT ALL COMES FROM THE QUESTIONS! GSS 18 Questionnaire … for example, Discrimination based on Religion

October 2004GEG3104 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: Comparison Victimization cycles.pdf Go to page 30 (page 394 at bottom of page)

October 2004GEG3104 Can you compare religious discrimination before and after 9/11?

October 2008 Visible minority status / Religion DO THEY WARRANT STUDY? SAMPLE SIZES FOR…

October 2004GEG3104 GSS 18 Data Dictionary on visible minority status

October 2004GEG3104 GSS 18 Data Dictionary Discrimination … related to visible minority status …

October 2004GEG3104 A significant sample size …is often considered to be 2,000

October 2004GEG3104 GSS 18 Data Dictionary on religion: e.g., other “including” Muslim …?

October 2004GEG3104 GSS 18 Data Dictionary Discrimination related to Religion

October 2004GEG3104 What is this difference between the two columns …?

October 2008 From WEIGHTS and MEASURES Author: Wendy Watkins, Carleton University DLI, Guelph (2000)

October 2004GEG3104 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

October 2004GEG3104 How does SPSS Apply Weights? SPSS has a simple procedure for applying weights Open our data file: –Click on: /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?

October 2004GEG3104 Unweighted results – Let’s weight these…

October 2004GEG3104 Again, we look for the weight variable in the Dictionary for our variables, e.g., WGHT-PER for DIS-REL

October 2004GEG3104 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: sg.uottawa.ca/data- license/gss_general_social_survey/c18- victimisation-2004/eng/data/gss18pumfm class-only.sav sg.uottawa.ca/data- license/gss_general_social_survey/c18- victimisation-2004/eng/data/gss18pumfm class-only.sav 2. Click on Data and … Weight Cases …

October 2004GEG3104 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”

October 2004GEG3104 Lets tabulate some variables (our results will be weighted) …

October 2004GEG3104 Cross tabulating our 4 variables in SPSS 1.Click on Analyse and Descriptive Statistics: 2.Then click on Cross-tabs …

October 2004GEG3104 Cross-tabulating cont’d 3. Scroll down until you arrive here (you will start by selecting these three variables)

October 2004GEG3104 Cross-tabulating cont’d 4. Click on the variable below and click on arrow for Row(s), we will continue on for the next two variables below..

October 2004GEG3104 Cross-tabulating cont’d 5. Select the next variable below as shown, click on the same arrow (Row(s)) and do the same for the next variable below.

October 2004GEG3104 Cross-tabulating cont’d 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)

October 2004GEG3104 You are ready to cross-tabulate your weighted results! 8. Click on “OK”

October 2004GEG3104 Weighted tabulations !

October 2008 Basic documentation checklist for the GSS 18 For your reference…

October 2004GEG3104 GSS 18 Documentation Checklist Statistics Canada – Main survey page on the GSS 18: bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4504&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg =f&adm=8&dis=2 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: includes questionnaire, data dictionaries, survey, sampling and weighting methodology, comparison of content of cycles 3, 8, 23, and 18 … Comparison of cycles: Victimization cycles.pdf Victimization cycles.pdf Data Dictionary: Questionnaire:

October 2008 Other surveys

October 2004GEG3104 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

October 2004GEG3104 Health Division Canadian 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

October 2004GEG3104 Browse surveys available from STC DLI All are DLI surveys comprise cross- sectional survey data Browse collection of surveys from DLI - click here click here

October 2008 Comparing microdata and statistics (moving onto research findings and statistics for the GSS 18)

October 2004GEG3104 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 year olds in Saskatchewan in 2001 ? 1,345 Presentation-ready Are often mapped (or graphed) for visual presentation

October 2004GEG3104 Statistics come from… … DATA ! Data are processed to become Statistics Person 1…2 …

October 2004GEG 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

October 2004GEG3104 Data versus Statistics * These images were taken from the following website: GEOGRAPHY: e.g., CMA and Province: PUMF GEOGRAPHY: e.g., towns, smaller cities, neighbourhoods: Census profiles

October 2004GEG3104 LET’s FIND the GSS 18 in the recent News 1. Click on the main survey page again: bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=4504&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2

October 2004GEG3104 Click on The Daily

October 2004GEG3104 And click on one of the headlines

October 2004GEG3104 Scroll down The Daily article, from descriptive commentary to a table

October 2004GEG3104 Go back (left arrow twice..) to main survey page and browse both Publications and Analytical studies

October 2004GEG3104 Through Analytical studies, try to find…

October 2004GEG3104 Review academic and related literature Contact –Andrée Côté, Social Sciences Librarian (3656) Morisset, first floor

October 2004GEG3104 Thank you! Susan Geographic, Statistical and Government Information Centre Third floor, Morisset