Chuck Humphrey & Lynne RobinsonUniversity of Alberta

Surviving Statistics

Strategies for dealing with statistical questions on the reference desk

Outline

Statistics or data: what are we talking about? Official or non-official statistics Metadata properties of statistical information Tips for finding statistics through the

University of Alberta Library

Numeric Information

Statistics• numeric facts/figures • created from data, i.e,

already processed• presentation-ready

Data•numeric files created

and organized for analysis/processing

• requires processing•not display-ready

Stories are told through statistics

The National Population Survey had over 80,000 respondents in 1996-97 sample and the Canadian Community Health Survey in 2005 had over 130,000 respondents. How do we tell the stories about these people?

We create summaries of their life experiences using statistics.

Numeric Information

Six dimensions or variables in this tableThe cells in the table are the number ofestimated smokers.

Geography

Region

TimePeriods

Unit of Observation Attributes

Smokers

Education

Age

Sex

Statistics are about definitions!

DefinitionsSex

Total

Male

Female

Periods

1994-1995

1996-1997

Statistics are about definitions!

Some definitions are based on standards while others are based on convention or practice.

For example, Standard Geography classifications

WHERE ARE THE DATA!

Numeric Information

Summary

Statistics are derived from data. A table presents a summary or one view of

the data. Tables are structured around geography,

time and attributes of the unit of observation.

Statistics are dependent on definitions.

What are the origins of the data?

One of the keys to finding statistics is to identify a data source from which the statistics could be produced.

Edmonton Journal

p. B1

Sep 21, 2006

Surveys

Census Canadian Community

Health Survey Labour Force Survey General social survey Health Behaviour in School-

Aged Children New Canadian Children and

Youth Survey OECD Programme for

International Student Assessment

Vital Statistics Hospital Morbidity Database National Health Expenditure

Database Crime reports Court reports Education reports SEDAR (Canadian Securities

Administrators) National Accounts LIDS (Landed Immigrant Data

System) Income Statistics (Canadian

Revenue Agency)

Administrative Records

Official & Non-official Statistics Statistics are produced from data collected by

official and non-official sources. Official sources are those with a public

mandate to report on the operation of government or on the status of society or the economy. Government statistics tend to be publicly available and relatively direct to find.

Non-official statistics do not have a public mandate behind their creation. They tend to be created for commercial purposes and more difficult to find or obtain.

Summary When looking for statistics, think about a

likely data source from which they would be produced.

Producers of statistics are grouped into two general categories: official and non-official.

The path toward official statistics takes you to governmental sources.

The path toward non-official statistics takes you to commercial and non-governmental organizations.

What are the metadata characteristics of tables & graphs? Is a title provided? Is an author, producer or agency

identifiable? Is there a date of creation or

publication? What is the entity that has been

observed to make this statistic? That is, what is the unit of observation?

Are the attributes of the unit observation (i.e., variables) and their categories clearly identified and defined?

Is there a key to explain the use of colours or lines in the graph?

Is the type of statistic clearly identified? That is, does the table or graph contain percentages, counts, averages, etc.?

Is there a scale for the numbers presented in the table or graph?

Is there an overall figure or number (N) presented upon which the table or graph was calculated?

Are there footnotes? Are geography, time and the

attributes of the unit of observation clearly expressed in the table or graph?

Title

ProducerDate

Unit of ObservationUnit of Observation

VariablesAverage TuitionDisciplineAcademic YearProvince

Statistical MetricDollars

Footnote

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pub/facts2005/permanent/17.html

Summary

If statistical tables and graphs were described and indexed by such metadata, our ability to locate statistics would be greatly enhanced.

In the absence of such metadata, we use elements of this metadata structure to search our existing databases.

The next generation of metadata in the field of data will work to integrate the description of both data and statistics.

Where to find Stats…

Library Catalogue Databases The Web – U of A Library Website Info

Guides, Search Engines, Government websites

Statistics Canada

Library Catalogue

Example searches: Subject: statistics and women and Canada Subject: Africa and statistics and social conditions

Author: Statistics Canada Subject: adult education

Author: Alberta Subject: statistics Words anywhere:

energy Author: United Nations Subject: statistics and

development

www.library.ualberta.ca

f

Databases: Use “statistics” or “indicators” as subject terms or keywords in these or any other database:

CBCA, CPI.Q, Canadian Research Index all index some Stats Canada Periodicals, such as Canadian Social Trends, Health Reports, and Perspectives on Labour and Income

http://find.galegroup.com/itx/start.do?prodId=CPI&userGroupName=edmo69826

Canadian Research Index is very useful for annual reports of provincial and federal government departments. Annual reports are very useful for financial statistics

PAIS International indexes some UN Agency publications, International Organization publications (ie: IMF, OECD, African Development Bank), and some national government publications, including national statistical agency publications

Databases:

Web Guides & Search Engines Resource Guide to Government Statshttp://www.library.ualberta.ca/subject/government/index.cfm

Resource Guide to Business Statshttp://www.library.ualberta.ca/subject/business/canadianbusiness/index.cfm

Resources Guide to Health Statshttp://www.library.ualberta.ca/subject/nursing/healthstats/index.cfm

The Web Google, other search engines

Google advanced searchhttp://www.google.ca/advanced_search?hl=en

Statistics Canada -- Access Free

Web-only resources available through Stats Can website Includes articles, tables, web portals (ie: Census 2001, Canadian Statistics,

Community Profiles, Free Internet Publications)

DSP (Depository Services Program) Online and print publications available to us through the DSP Publications include:

Periodicals with articles (ie: Canadian Social Trends, Juristat) Periodicals with tables only (ie: Monthly Survey of Manufacturing) Monographs (ie: Religions in Canada) Yearbooks (ie: Canada Yearbook, Canada: A Portrait) CD-ROMs (ie: Canada Food Stats, Labour Force Historical Review) Web portals (ie: E-STAT, Statistics Canada Downloadable Publications)

DLI (Data Liberation Initiative) CANSIM, 1996 Census, 2001 Census Public use microdata files (Data Library)

http://www.statcan.ca/menu-en.htm

Custom Tabulations

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Statistics Canada

Many, many surveys:All Statistics Canada publications are based on the results of hundreds of different surveys.

List of surveys: www.statcan.ca/english/sdds/index.htm

Statistics Canada Downloadable Publications (DSP) List of Statistics Canada publications that are provided to us

online by the Depository Services Program http://dsp-psd.communication.gc.ca/Collection/Statcan/index-e.html

E-Stat Statistics Canada articles and statistical tables are provided. A

wide range of time periods are covered Access to the Census profile series for the 1986, 1991, 1996 and

2001 censuses Access to CANSIM (only updated once a year)

Portals to Statistics Canada

CANSIM (DLI) Tabular results of most of the surveys that Statistics Canada

carries out Gives results over many years (“time series”) Maintained by U of T CHASS, updated weekly

Cansim II Portal (DLI)http://www.library.ualberta.ca/databases_help/cansim/index.cfm Displays individual time series (separate detailed results)

only, text format only CANSIM I still exists, but is no longer updated. If you cannot

find the stats you need in CANSIM II, then you might try CANSIM I

Portals to Statistics Canada

I need some statistics on...