statistics means never having to say you are certain working with remote numbers e. hamilton...

“Statistics meansnever having to say

you are certain”’

Working with Remote Numbers

E. Hamilton Atlantic DLI Training

February 28, 2003

How do I find the numbers I need?

I. Define your topic

II. Identify your unit of analysis and constraints

III. Check for articles to see what files have been used & concept definitions [*literature search*]

How do I find data files?

IV. Who is likely to have been interested in collecting this?

V. Use the tools! [Guides, databases, documentation, and search engines]

VI. Check Data Services home page for your library

Stats Canada: How do I find…

Discrete Statistics:

www.statcan.ca

Public Use Microdata Files

•STC Online catalogue•DLI home page•IDLS, LANDRU, etc.

Time series data:

CANSIM II

•STC•E-STAT•CHASS

Census 1996 & 2001

•STC•E-STAT•UAlberta

Census 2001

Option 1: Use Census link on STC page

Option 2: Use Census link on E-STAT

Option 3: Use detailed tables on University of Alberta site (coming soon)

www.statcan.ca

Census!

Catalogue

Census 2001: STC

Some of our favourite bits!

Census 2001: STC

The power of topic based searching!

Yum!

Census 2001: STC

Search by census variable or place name

To get geography-based tables, beyond the standard profiles…

Census 2001: STCIt’s a browse list really…but it works!

Census 2001: E-STAT

Census 2001: E-STAT

Surfing through IDLS

And Vince sends Greetings!

IDLS variable description search…

IDLS Advanced Searching

Variable Description search results

Variable level metadata

Time Series: CANSIM II

Three options:

• STC web site

• CHASS

• E-STAT

Which do I use???

Time Series: CANSIM II

•Multi-dimensional (relational database)

•Organized into tables (themes)

•Deliver by vectors (time series) or table subsets

Accessed by keyword search, broad subject, or by table/vector number

CANSIM II COST UPDATED TABLES & TIME SERIES

OUTPUT OPTIONS

COMMENTS

Statistics Canada Web

$$$ Updated 23 Jan. 2003

1,690 tables13,200,293 vectors 

Multiple For commercial use; no data without dollars; good for finding out how many vectors exist

CANSIM II via E-STAT

No fee for on-site

use

Updated June 2002

1,600 tables>10 million vectors

Table options :Bar graphPie chartHtml tableCsvPrnSk1Databeacon cubeB2020

Shows multi-dimensionality; limit to 1000 series at a time

CANSIM II via CHASS (UT)

No fee for UNB

Libraries faculty

and students

Updated 21 January 2003

1,690 tables13,200,293 vectors

Time series optionsPlainSpreadsheetCSVSASShazamSPSSRATSTSPTSPterse

Up to date time series focus; multidimensionality more difficult to see; more difficult to extract large numbers of series

CANSIM II: Comparative Flavours

CANSIM II: E-STAT

Subject approach

CANSIM II: E-STAT

CANSIM II: E-STAT

CANSIM II: E-STAT

CANSIM II: E-STAT

CANSIM II: E-STAT

CANSIM II: E-STAT

Use drop-down menu to get all variables

The new Data Beacon

CANSIM II: E-STAT

(Expenditure automobile repair)

CANSIM II: CHASS

CANSIM II: CHASS