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ECO 425/2807: finding data

Laine Ruus from the University of Toronto's Data Library Service highlights crucial insights for utilizing data effectively in research. Key points include the abundance of available data often found in unexpected places, the importance of consulting the Data Library before purchasing from Statistics Canada, and the necessity of identifying available data before forming research questions. Different data products such as aggregate statistics, time-series statistics, and microdata are elaborated. Access to various Canadian and international datasets is provided through the Data Library Service website.

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ECO 425/2807: finding data

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  1. ECO 425/2807: finding data 2006/03/01 Laine Ruus laine.ruus@utoronto.ca University of Toronto. Data Library Service

  2. Three main points: • A lot of data are available, but not where you expect to find them • Don’t pay for anything from Statistics Canada without checking with the Data Library Service first • Key to surviving data assignments: find the data first, then formulate your research question based on available data

  3. A lot of data are available, but not where you expect to find them • Information is a commodity • Data producers want to sell their commodities • The University has already purchased access for you to large amounts of priced data • Usually, you can’t access the University’s copy on the producers web-site • The University’s copy is usually accessible only via the Data Library Service web-site: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/datalib/

  4. Three main types of data products: • Aggregate statistics from specific data collection activities • Time-series statistics: aggregate statistics repeated over time • Microdata • Available in different places

  5. Canadian aggregate statistics and time-series statistics US and international aggregate and time-series statistics Canadian census of population Canadian, US and international microdata

  6. CANSIM • over 28.5 million time-series of Canadian socio-economic data • Includes selected statistics from almost all STC data collection efforts • Available • for $$$ at www.statcan.ca • ‘free’ (restricted) at estat.statcan.ca • ‘free’ (restricted) at www.chass.utoronto.ca

  7. Census of population (Canadian) • Conducted every 5 years since 1901 • Products include: • Aggregate statistics for small & large geographies • Time-series statistics for selected characteristics • Microdata

  8. and then there’s microdata… • Microdata consist of one record per respondent and contains all the answers each respondent gave to eg a survey or census • Aggregate statistics are limited to the tables the data producer is interested in • Microdata allow you to • Produce any multivariate tables constrained only by the variables (and their coding) in the data • Perform other types of analyses that are impossible with aggregate data

  9. Endnotes: • This ppt file is available at: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/datalib/classes/ • The Data Library home page is at: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/datalib/

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