1. 2021 Census Dissemination Consultation
Presented to members of the Data Liberation Initiative
May 8, 2019 1

2. Overview 2019 Census Test Remaining 2016 Census products User segments
The ‘Academia’ User Segment – What we assume
Timeliness
Accessibility
Discoverability
Interpretability
Initial thoughts towards 2021 2

3. 2019 Census Test The road to the 2021 Census
Census Test – May 2019
Test will evaluate the census questionnaire, including new and modified questions for:
Education
Ethnic origin, population groups and religion
Health
Immigration and citizenship
Indigenous peoples
Labour and journey to work
Language and minority language of rights holders
Sex and gender
Veterans
For more information, visit:
The Census test helps identify whether proposed census questions allow for timely and relevant data.
A sample of approximately 250,000 dwellings and 10,000 agricultural operations across the country have been selected to participate in the 2019 Census Test.
The 2019 Census Test data collected will be used to prepare for the 2021 Census 3

4. Remaining 2016 Census products
Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) – Hierarchical File (Summer 2019)
Coverage Technical Report (November 13, 2019)
Hierarchical File (PUMF)
This PUMF product provides access to non-aggregated data covering a sample of 1% of the Canadian households. It is a comprehensive social, demographic, and economic database about Canada and its people and contains a wealth of characteristics on the population. The file enables the study of individuals in relation to their census families, economic families and households.
Coverage Technical Report
This report will present the error included in census data that results from either persons being missed (not enumerated) or from persons being enumerated more than once by the 2016 Census. 4

5. User Segments Federal government Provincial government
Local government
Academia
Business
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
General public
We have identified 10 broad user segments with 7 key ones. 5

6. The ‘Academia’ User Segment – What we assume
Importance on 5-point scale:
Data products (5/5)
Reference products (5/5)
Less important (5-point scale):
Analytical products (3/5)
Custom products (1/5)
Less important
More important
Interpretability
Discoverability
Accessibility
Timeliness
We currently assume that out of the census product line, our ‘academia’ user segment is most interested in accessing:
Data products
Reference products
We assume currently that the ‘Academia’ user segment is less interested in using/accessing:
Analytical products
Custom products
Is this a fair assumption?
When it comes to our pillars (that is, timeliness, discoverability, accessibility and interpretability), we assume that perhaps timeliness is less of a concern to this segment than (1) accessibility, (2) discoverability, (3) interpretability. In the following slides, we would like to discuss and understand your priorities through these four pillars.
‘Academic’ Users 6

7. If you could have 3 wishes what would they be?
If you could ask for anything what would it be?
Is there something that is missing from our current product line? 7

8. Schedule Communication Topics
Timeliness
Schedule
Communication
Topics
Schedule
What information do you require on day-of-release? Do you access day-of-release information?
Communication
How did you receive notification about the release schedule from 2016? StatCan website? Social media? Other?
How would you like to hear about the releases?
Schedule/Topics
Is the release schedule important to you, or is it more important to simply know the order by which topics are being released? 8

9. 2016 Census of Population Releases
There were 6 major releases over the 2016 Census of Population release cycle:
Major releases were staggered from February 8, 2017 to November 29, 2017
18-month major release day window
Income was released earlier and available from both the short and long form
Traditional release approach via the Internet under broad categories for data, analysis, reference, and geography
Increase in data visualization products including Census Program Data Viewer (CPDV)
Dates of major releases:
February 8, 2017: Population and dwelling counts
May 3, 2017: Age and sex, type of dwelling
August 2, 2017: Families, households and marital status, Language
September 13, 2017: Income
October 25, 2017: Immigration and ethnocultural diversity, Housing, Aboriginal peoples
November 29, 2017: Education, Labour, Journey to work, Language of work, Mobility and migration
We disseminated data 6 months faster than in the previous 2011 cycle.
The income data from 2A was released earlier in the 2016 cycle (Sept ). 9

10. Consumption Customization Preservation Support
Accessibility
Consumption
Customization
Preservation
Support
Consumption
Is there a data product that you consistently access? Which product?
Customization
How do you manipulate the products to serve your needs? (Ex: Load into a database?)
Is there any functionality that would make our data products more useful?
Are there any calculations that would be of benefit through the data products? For example, ratios, percentages.
Would the ability to create your own table be of interest to you if it meant that there would be fewer data tables? This may not be available on day-of-release.
What would be your requirements in terms of geography levels and maximum number of data points?
Consumption & Preservation
Do you take many of our products away (ex: download all PDF reference maps)?
Support
Are we meeting your needs in terms of support (ex: conceptual questions, availability of file formats, overall support with interpreting and using our products)? 10

11. 2016 Census of Population – Standard Data Products
Core of the data product line
Census Profile
Data Tables
Highlight Tables
Product downloads – XML, CSV / TAB, Comprehensive CSV / TAB, B2020 (Profile / Data Tables); added web data services to Census Profile
Additional interactive products
Added Census Program Data Viewer (CPDV)
Additional interactive charts in addition to the traditional Age Pyramids
Custom Profiles
Aboriginal Population Profile
Census Profile Standard Error Supplement, Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions (CDs) and aggregate dissemination areas (ADAs)
Focus on Geography Series – Aim to expand historical content
Public Use Microdata Files (PUMF) 11

12. 2016 Census of Population – Geography products
Four main categories of products: Maps, Reference, Spatial, Attribute information
Maps
GeoSearch – Interactive mapping application
Reference maps – PDF format
Reference documents
Geography catalogue
Reference guides
Interim list of municipal changes
Working papers 12

13. 2016 Census of Population – Geography products
Spatial
Boundary files – intercensal available at the census subdivision (CSD) level
Road Network File
Attribute information products
GeoSuite – Web version introduced for 2016; downloadable version
Geographic Attribute File
Correspondence files 13

14. Discoverability Search Navigation 14 Search
Are you able to easily find the data or products you require?
Navigation
What aspects of navigating within the website do you like? Which do you not like?
How do you navigate to our products? Directly from the StatCan site, or for example, search engine keywords (ex: Google)? 14

15. Proposed new table titles
Old
New 15

16. Analysis Reference Technical
Interpretability
Analysis
Reference
Technical
Analysis
Do you need the analytical products to be released at the same time as the data tables?
Reference
What can we do to our reference products to make them better?
If there was an early release of the Census Dictionary, would you need a separate conceptual overview of the topic(s) prior to release?
Is it of benefit to know the products and services coming out prior to release? (i.e. Preview of Products and Services, Table shells/table titles)
Technical
Do you access the technical reports? Is the release timeline of the technical reports important to you, in that they are released after the data is released? 16

17. 2016 Census of Population – Analytical Products
Major day-of-release articles / analysis that presented core findings
The Daily
Census in Brief
Supplemental analytical material
Infographics – New for 2016
Thematic maps in pdf format
Videos 17

18. 2016 Census of Population – Reference Products
Prior to Day-of-Release information
Products and Services Line
Release Concepts and Overview
Key Reference Material
Census Dictionary
Guide to the Census of Population
Reference Guides
Technical Reports
Additional Reference Material
Geographic areas not released
Population and Dwelling count amendments
Questionnaires 18

19. Initial Thoughts and Comments Towards 2021
Internally building a new tabulation tool in which standard data products may have additional quality indicators
Dissemination of standard data products will be through corporate tools
DLI experiences with the new corporate tool? 19

20. Any other ideas? 20

21. Thank you for your time and feedback!
To contact the 2021 Census Dissemination Consultation Team, please 21