1. The Data Liberation Initiative Orientation Session
University of Alberta
December 5, 2001
Title page
Greetings: Good morning everyone, glad to be with you for this workshop.
If you have questions through out our presentation please just ask and we can elaborate more on these questions you have.
Statistics Canada / Statistique Canada

2. Products and Services Establishing Perspectives
statistical information
statistics and data
statistics & data sources
national and international
continuum of access
DLI

3. Statistical Information
Statistics
numeric facts/figures
created from data, i.e, already processed
presentation-ready
Data
numeric files organized for analysis
requires processing
not ready for display

4. Statistical Information
The lines are blurring ...
the past
if it was on paper, it was statistics
if it was digital, it was data
the present
dynamic tables retrievable from online databases
e-journal publications with tables

5. Statistical Information
Statistics ...
and a map!

6. Statistical Information
Product Implications
won’t have a ‘published’ product but rather forced to work with dynamically generated tables from databases
toward this end, will see more Web retrieval of statistics and processing of data
examples: STC Community Profiles and ICPSR Data Analysis System

7. Statistical Information
Product Implications
may only see graphical displays of statistics or data without the numbers or data
example: Web map servers

8. Statistical Information
Service Implications
spend less time providing technical services and more time doing extended reference and consulting
the move to disintermediate products, that is, make them self-serve

9. Statistical Information
Service Implications
need to deal with an even wider variety of retrieval or software tools and possibly formats
may be more difficult to get at the actual statistics or data that are wanted (especially historical data)

10. Statistics & Data Sources
Canada
Academic
Research
Data
Other
Canadian
Gov’t &
Non-gov’t
Sources
Financial &
Stock
Data

11. Statistics & Data Sources
Statistics Canada
Other Governmental & Non-Governmental
Academic Research Data
Financial & Stock Data
Surveys
x-sect’l & longitudinal
Aggregate dbases
time-series & x-class
Geography files
Supporting documentation
SIC, SOC

12. Statistics & Data Sources
Statistics Canada
Other Governmental & Non-Governmental
Academic Research Data
Financial & Stock Data
Health Canada
HBSC & Heart Health
CIC
LIDS & IMDB
CIHI
GDSourcing
Statistical Universe

13. Statistics & Data Sources
Statistics Canada
Other Governmental & Non-Governmental
Academic Research Data
Financial & Stock Data
ICPSR
ISSP
World Values
Euro-barameters
ISR-York
CNES
Data Libraries
AAS

14. Statistics & Data Sources
Statistics Canada
Other Governmental & Non-Governmental
Academic Research Data
Financial & Stock Data
Datastream
Financial Post Corporate Database
Compustat
CRSP
DRI Basic Economics

15. Statistics & Data Sources
Statistics Canada is an important source for statistics and data, but not the only source.

16. Continuum of Access
Turning to Statistics Canada, access to statistics and data is through a variety of services and initiatives.
Think of this as a continuum along which levels of access are provided.

17. Continuum of Access Characteristics of this continuum are:
cost : which runs from free to expensive
restrictions : which runs from open to very restricted
information : which runs from statistics to data

18. Statistical Information Available through Statistics Canada
Different Services
Service:
Statistics
Canada Website
Depository
Service
Program
Data Liberation
Initiative
Cu$tomized
Tabulations &
Pay per View
Remote Job
Submission
Research Data
Centres
Who is
Eligible &
Conditions:
General Public:
available on the
Internet at
Designated
DSP Libraries
& their Users:
available on site
Post-secondary
Academic:
restricted to
teaching and
research purposes
Individuals:
contract between
STC and
individual
Approved
Researchers:
SSHRC peer
review & deemed
STC employee
Products:
- The Daily
- Canadian
- Census
- Statistical profiles
of Canadian
communities
- Downloadable
publications
- Paper publica-
tions
- Electronic pub-
lications, which
includes priced
down-loadable
publications &
select CD ROMS
Standard data
products:
aggregate data
bases, microdata
files and
geography files
Tables from
confidential files
that are specially
produced by
Statistics Canada
for a fee and
access to
specialized
databases
“Dummy” or
synthetic files to
build analysis
setups that must
then be submitted
to Stats Can for
processing
Confidential data
files from the
longitudinal
surveys begun in
the 1990’s
Notes
Warning: some
parts of the Website
are fee-based
Some DSP
libraries provide
off-site access to
authenticated
users
Interface to
CANSIM I and
Trade Analyzer
available through
CHASS (University
of Toronto) by
subscription
Specialized
databases include
Open
Free
Statistics
Restricted
Expensive
Data
ACCESS
Services available
Applications can
for selected titles.
now be submitted
CANSIM II and
Remote job
through the
Trade Analyzer
submission is the
SSHRC Web site.
most developed
for NPHS.

19. Products and Services Summary statistical information
traditional ways of handing print statistics now challenged by online statistics and data
statistics & data sources
Statistics Canada is an important source but not the only source
continuum of access
Several points of access may be needed when dealing with Statistics Canada

20. Product Types
The DLI license provides post-secondary institutions with access to “standard data products”, which consist of
public use microdata,
aggregate databases, and
geography files
listed in the Statistics Canada Catalogue.

21. Product Types
Think of this as the stuff that is sold, excluding publications and services.
Tape
CD-ROM
Diskette
STC Online Catalogue
Medium Categories

22. Product Types
Think of this as the stuff that is sold, excluding publications.
Tape
CD-ROM
Diskette

23. Product Types Aggregate data
statistics organized in databases or as data files
tabulations structured by time, geography, and social content

24. Aggregate Data
Structure
Time
Geography
Social Content
Example: CANSIM

25. Aggregate Data
Structure
Time
Geography
Social Content
Example: CANSIM

26. Aggregate Data
Structure
Time
Geography
Social Content
Example: Census

27. Aggregate Data Structure SABAL cancelled
Time
Geography
Social Content
Example: Small Area Statistics
SABAL
cancelled

28. Aggregate Data
Structure
Time
Geography
Social Content
Example: HID

29. Product Types Microdata
raw data organized in a file where the records or lines in the file are observations of a specific unit of analysis and the information on the lines are the values of variables
requires some form of processing or analysis to be used

30. Public Use Microdata Anonymized Microdata
these are microdata prepared to minimize the possibility of disclosing or identifying any of the cases or observations
the original data (or master file) are edited to create a public use microdata file

31. Steps in Anonymizing Microdata
Public Use Microdata
Steps in Anonymizing Microdata
removal of all personal identification information (names, addresses, etc)
include on gross levels of geography
collapse detailed information into a smaller number of general categories
suppress the values of a variable

32. Statistics Canada PUMFs
Public Use Microdata
Statistics Canada PUMFs
only available for select social surveys that undergo a review of the Data Release Committee, an internal Statistics Canada committee
no enterprise public use microdata

33. Statistics Canada PUMFs
Public Use Microdata
Statistics Canada PUMFs
almost all are cross-sectional, that is, represent data collected at one point in time
longitudinal data are difficult to anonymize and maintain useful information

34. Statistics Canada PUMFs
Public Use Microdata
Statistics Canada PUMFs
how do you recognize a PUMF? Statistics Canada calls them public use microdata files in the Daily.

35. Statistics Canada Microdata
Other Microdata in Statistics Canada
Master files: these are the confidential files from which public use microdata are created. They contain the fullness of the data captured about the unit of observation.

36. Statistics Canada Microdata
Other Microdata in Statistics Canada
Share files: these are confidential files in which the respondents have signed a consent form permitting Statistics Canada to allow access for approved research to their information.

37. Product Types Geography Files
Census digital boundary and cartographic files in two proprietary formats: ArcView and MapInfo
correspondence tables for linking between Postal Code geography and Census geography

38. Digital Copies of Standardized Code Lists and Concordances
Product Types
Digital Copies of Standardized Code Lists and Concordances
Files containing standardized codes for industry, goods, and occupations
correspondence tables between versions of standardized codes for industry and occupations

39. Install Data and Provide Access
Data Service Models
Service models were presented as a continuum during the 1997 DLI workshop
“Order & Pass-through” Service
Install Data and Provide Access
Treat as a Collection and Provide Reference

40. Data Service Models
Choose a model that matches your staff and computing resources

41. Acquisition
 Fill a Request
 Locate data
 Order data & documentation
Collection Development
Select & Locate data
Order data & documentation Catalogue data & documentation Install & Store (data & documentation)
Reference
Search for data
Interpret documentation
Retrieve or download data
Process data
change formats
subset cases or variables
aggregate cases
merge files
analyze data

42. Acquisition
 Fill a Request
 Locate data
 Order data & documentation
Collection Development
Select & Locate data
Order data & documentation Catalogue data & documentation
 Install & Store (data & documentation)
Reference
Search for data
Interpret documentation
Retrieve or download data
Process data
change formats
subset cases or variables
aggregate cases
merge files
analyze data

43. Acquisition
 Fill a Request
 Locate data
 Order data & documentation
Collection Development
Select & Locate data
Order data & documentation Catalogue data & documentation
 Install & Store (data & documentation)
Reference
 Search for data
 Interpret documentation
 Retrieve or download data
Process data
change formats
subset cases or variables
aggregate cases
merge files
analyze data

44. Acquisition
 Fill a Request
 Locate data
 Order data & documentation
 Collection Development
 Select & Locate data
 Catalogue data & documentation
 Install & Store (data & documentation)
Reference
 Search for data
 Interpret documentation
 Retrieve or download data
 Process data
 change formats
 subset cases or variables
aggregate cases
merge files
analyze data

45. Find a referral partner on campus
Acquisition
 Fill a Request
 Locate data
 Order data & documentation
 Collection Development
 Select & Locate data
 Catalogue data & documentation
 Install & Store (data & documentation)
Reference
 Search for data
 Interpret documentation
 Retrieve or download data
 Process data
 change formats
 subset cases or variables
aggregate cases
merge files
analyze data
Find a referral partner on campus

46. The Inventory Model
In the traditional inventory model, roughly half of the support goes to putting items on the shelf, while the other half goes to finding and getting the items off the shelf.
Source: Darlene Fichter

47. The Access Model
With the access model, support is split between getting information into a deliverable state and finding appropriate ways of retrieving and disseminating the information.

48. Access Models
The access models for data and statistics are not really that different from the models employed with bibliographic and full-text databases.
stand-alone workstation
local area network CD-server
campus network server
Internet server

49. Examples of Access Models
Let’s look at some technology-based examples of access models divided between:
statistics and aggregate data, and
microdata.

50. Stand-alone Workstation
Advantages
install once with usually fewer problems
usually fewer license issues
Disadvantages
patron must come to the service
queues may develop to use the workstation

51. Stand-alone Workstation
DLI Examples
Statistics and Aggregate Data
1996 Census CD-ROMs, Industrial Monitor, Inter-corporate Ownership, Canadian Business Patterns
Microdata
1996 Census Public Use Microdata Files
a download station for data services staff to write files onto removable media

52. LAN CD Server Advantages Disadvantages
access to a wider number of concurrent users
products not as ghettoized
Disadvantages
patron may still have to come to the service
LANs increase installation difficulties

53. LAN CD Server DLI Examples Statistics and Aggregate Data Microdata
1996 Census CD-ROMs, Industrial Monitor, Inter-corporate Ownership, Canadian Business Patterns (same examples)
Microdata
place on a shared disk drive copies of microdata files for patrons to analyze or to write files onto removable media

54. Campus Network Server Advantages Disadvantages
access to largest number of concurrent users
patron does not have to come to the service
Disadvantages
licensing issues tend to increase
helper apps must be widely installed

55. Campus Network Server DLI Examples Statistics and Aggregate Data
Beyond 20/20 files from the 1996 Census or Health Indicators (serve files not necessarily applications)
Microdata
place on an institutional file server copies of microdata files for patrons to analyze or to write files onto removable media
use of data extraction tools

56. Internet Server Advantages
possible to integrate local and remote services through a common (seemingly seamless) point of access
increases flexibility in the use of local hardware & storage
creates sharing opportunities between institutions

57. Internet Server Disadvantages
increases dependence on the agenda of others to enhance and fix problems
often must pay a subscription fee to use
may increase licensing obligations

58. Internet Server DLI Examples Statistics and Aggregate Data Microdata
access to Internet database applications such as E-STAT and CHASS CANSIM II
Microdata
access to Internet data extraction tools such as IDSL, LANDRU, ISLAND, QWIFS, Sherlock, TDR

59. A Mixed Access Model
Many of us employ a mix of the above access methods. This depends upon:
our institution’s technology mix
our access to technology on our campus
ways that we’ve handled different formats
Some products are bound to operating systems that were not intended for a lan (e.g., C91, XV tables in CBP). Other products provide files in a format that can be delivered over a lan, such as Beyond 20/20’s IVT.

60. Access/Dissemination Issues
Regardless of the access method used, certain issues apply in all instances.
managing licenses
determining dissemination options

61. Managing Licenses
What are the conditions of use specified in the license?
What type of identification or authentication is required?

62. Managing Licenses DLI License must be an authorized user
need to identify type of user
has only conditional use of material
need to restrict to non-commercial uses of material
permits sharing among DLI member institutions

63. Managing Licenses Product Licenses may restrict the use of the product
e.g., Beyond 20/20: educational use only
may restrict the number of copies that can be disseminated
may prevent the distribution of a specific format for a product
e.g., Oracle & World Trade Analyzer

64. Managing Licenses Special Vendor Licenses
may require a content license separate from the access method
e.g., CHASS’ CANSIM access is based on the DLI license to provide access to the content in CANSIM and the CHASS license is required to use their Internet access tool

65. Dissemination Options
Determining how to disseminate DLI products
what are finding tools for locating DLI products at your institution?
what are the access formats needed for your institution?

66. Dissemination Options
Finding Tools
will the product be catalogued?
will the product be associated with a specific service and/or workstation?
e.g., located in Data Services or Reference
will the product be listed on the library web site?

67. Dissemination Options
Access formats
is there a format that is commonly requested at your institution?
e.g., do most patrons want microdata in SPSS .sav files?
is there a dissemination format that is required as part of your service?
e.g., a format for a data extractor

68. Products, Service, Access
This concludes the discussion on DLI products, data service models, and access models.
More will be said about reference and technical services for data later today.