ACSPRI newsletter v Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research lncorpcrated Number 26, September 1992 ISSN 0158-6882
incorporating 33DA news
Social Science Data Archives, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University
ACSPRI newsletter ACSPRI Membership News ...... 1 1993 ACSPRI Summer Program at the ANU ...... 1 Third National Social Research Conference Reort ...... 2 I irical Research Methods ...... 5 1991 Census Household Samle File - Exressions of Interest ...... 6
Australian Association for Social Research ...... 7
Remember ACCESS? ...... 8 Reports from Summer Schools and Conferences ...... 11 Conferences ...... 16 38DA news A e Polls Return to the SSDA ...... 18
The Norwegian Example ...... 21 Social Researchers: Analysis of Australian Youth Survey Data ...... 23 SSDA Data Holdings - Extension of Electronic Access ...... 23 Tasman Correspondent - News from NZSRDA ...... 24 HealthWiz ...... 24 News from the ABS ...... 25 Recent Additions to SSDA Holdings ...... 25 ICPSR Additions to Holdings ...... 29
This newsletter is produced at the Social Science Data Archives, Research School of Social Sciences, The Australian National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra ACT 2601. (Phone (06) 249 4400: Fax (06) 257 1893) Articles, letters, research notes, conference information and other contributions are encouraged. Write to the editors at the address listed above, or send using e-mail to ssda®coombs.anu.edu.au
to this issue's outside contributors - Readers are reminded that regardless of telephone interviewing; quantitative in Education). Methodological Thanks advances in Wolfgang Grichting, Robert Lake, Brian whether the cost of a university s annual analysis of crime and criminal justice; data collection (e.g. computer-assisted institutional subscription is paid by the Phillips, Mike Lee, John Clarke, Malgosra fuzzy set analysis for social science; telephone interviewing and computerised Zlobicki, Dagmar Parer and Henry Barnard. The university, centrally , or by one or more of quantitative historical analysis; and audio-visual data collection); data newsletter was edited b Gina Roach. its programs, departments, units, statistics for the health sciences. If you classification and measurement (e.g. item divisions, faculties, schools and/ or would like more information about, or response and fuzzy set theory); and data campuses, the benefits of ACSPRI think you would be interested in attending, analysis (e.g. multilevel, maximum membership accrue to all students and one or more of these courses (or know likelihood, and multinomial logit) were ACSPRI Activities staff of that university. someone who might) please contact also reported, and two Conference sessions ACSPRI-SP93 by phone or fax (on the were devoted to how best to teach these and numbers listed below), as soon as possible. more basic research methods to tertiary, 1993 ACSPRI Summer Program at post graduate and in-service students. ACSPRI Membership News the ANU For further details, see the accompanying Also analysed and debated during the Brochure Membership of ACSPRI now stands at (a and write, phone or fax for the Conference were substantive, as well as ACSPRI is pleased to announce that the Course Booklet record high) thirty Australian universities to: ACSPRI - SP93, Social methodological, issues specific to electoral 1993 Summer Program in Social Research Science and research institutions. Since the March Data Archives, Research School of behaviour and the Polls, program and Methods and Research Technology, to be Social Sciences, The Australian National policy evaluation, healthcare delivery, issue of the Newsletter was distributed, co hosted with the Research School of Victoria University of Technology became University, GPO Box 4, Canberra ACT 2601. participatory (action) research, corporate Social Sciences, the Faculty of Arts and the Phone (06) 249 4400; fax (06) 257 1893. and cross-national behaviour, workplace ACSPRI s newest member and Griffith Faculty of Economics and Commerce, will and legal reform, and community studies. University rejoined the Consortium. Mr take place at the Australian National Two informal sessions were devoted to the Vic Roth, Library, St Albans Campus, (tel: University in Canberra between the 3lst of as ACSPRI Third National Social Research discussion of the policy research and 03 366 4852) is acting 12th of February, 1993. January and Conference evaluation process in government Representative for VUT, and Dr Dale Advance details about the Summer (NSRC3) Caird, Division of Health and Behavioural University of Western Sydney, consulting and the future of qualitative Program are available in the Brochure research , respectively. Sciences (tel: 07 875 5176) is the accompanying this Newsletter; complete Hawkesbury Consortium s Griffith Representative. Program details, including application In addition, NSRC3 saw special forms, are provided in the Course Booklet, demonstrations of new versions of However, it s a case of two steps forward, available from ACSPRI - SP93 at the Nearly 150 individuals attended thirty-one computer software, such as: FUZzyStat one step back . Avid Newsletter readers address listed at the end of this article. regular, one plenary, and two special will be aware (cf Don DeBat s article in the workshop sessions to hear the more than (fuzzy set analysis) by Mike Smithson; March 92 issue, "Creating ACSPRI: The 100 papers delivered during the Third NUDIST (qualitative data analysis) by Lyn As in previous Summer Programs, Richards; and Titan Narrative But Not the Novel , pp 7-11) National Social Research Conference, co- (item response theory) standard, week long courses will be offered by Malcolm Rosier, as well as commercial that in 1974 the University of Melbourne, in the areas of: survey and sample design; hosted by ACSPRI and the University of through its Department of Political Western displays of SPSS for Windows by SPSS Inc. introductory statistics; regression analysis; Sydney, at the Hawkesbury and ISYS full text retrieval software by Science, became Australia s second factor analysis; data analysis in SPSS and campus between the afternoons of Monday 29 June Odyssey Development. Once again, the university to join ICPSR (the Department SAS; structural equation models LISREL; and Thursday 2 July 1992. Australian Bureau of Statistics, in a special of Political Science in the Institute of log-linear modelling; multilevel analysis; Advanced Studies Like its predecessors, workshop and in a regular session, at the ANU had been analysis of change; qualitative research; and NSRC3 explored developments explained current procedures for, and the first in 1965), and was instrumental in program evaluation. For example, in the in research methodology, organising Australia s new multi- and current empirical demonstrated computerised methods of, area of regression analysis, Introduction to findings and their implications, user access and assessment of 1991 university national membership of the Multiple Regression, Intermediate from an array of quantitative and population census data. ICPSR, better known as ACSPRI, in 1976. Regression and Advanced Regression qualitative social research perspectives and courses will be taught; qualitative research across a range of social, economic and policy NSRC3 s Monday afternoon plenary session As a foundation member of ACSPRI, the is likely to have both an Introduction to issue areas, including University of Melbourne has had unemployment, poverty, addressed the theme of Integrating Social Qualitative Research and more advanced, health, education, continuous membership since that time. immigration, industrial Research: Process and Substance , and in Analysis of Qualitative Data course. relations, ethnicity, Regrettably, according to a Departmental crime and recreation. three presentations highlighted the diversity and sophistication of, as well as spokesperson, the University is foregoing Also being considered are a number of new membership Commonwealth the methodological and substantive for 1992 3 due to a shortage or revised courses which are at various and State government of funds in the Department of Political analyses and interpretation research concerns implicit in, contemporary stages of planning, but which all require of policy related Science but has expressed interest in data were reported Australian and overseas social research re- immediate and sufficient expressions of and discussed in a subscribing in the number practice. not too distant-future . interest before proceeding. These include: of regular Conference sessions and in a special multidimensional scaling; electoral workshop (held in conjunction with the behaviour research; quantitative methods Australian Association of Research of program evaluation; computer-assisted
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Leading off, Peter McDonald of the government departments were represented launch a foundation membership drive for Thus far, the following papers have been Australian Institute of Family Studies by the majority of other NSRC3 the as yet unnamed association, and, if received by ACSPRI: discussed the scope and methods of the participants, and the private sector was desired, make representations to the AGM AIFS s inter disciplinary study of Australian represented by research firms such as AGB of ACSPRI (in late October) as to any Ackland, Robert (Bureau of Immigration Research) Living Standards which, among other Australia, the REARK Group, and Frank relationship the association might have vis The Determinants of Immigrant Labour Market things, aims to provide information on Small and Associates, each of which a vis the Consortium. Status spheres of life that have been identified as contributed two or more participants. Angus, Lawrence B. (Monash University) The following members volunteered Access affecting living standards, especially health, to and Equity or Educational Markets: The Australian employment, housing, economic resources, It is noteworthy that many of these serve on the steering committee: Pat Reform Agenda transport and education, training and participants reported observing a substantial Bazeley, UWS Macarthur; David Chant, information . Focusing on twelve strengthening of inter-disciplinary ties University of Queensland; Rodney J. Clarke, Barling, Norm and Clem Barnett (Ballarat University College) Unemployment in a Provincial localities (and samples in each of 500 among fellow participants during NSRC3. University of Wollongong; Adrian Fethers, City randomly selected families), re ecting the Inter-communication of mostly well Office of Government Information and varying socio geographic settings in grounded research related themes emerging Advertising, Canberra; Carol Grbich, Burgess, Rod (Housing Analysis Branch, DHHCS) Australia , the three year study utilises both from the Conference s information rich Flinders University; Wolfgang Grichting Findings of Housing and Location Choice Survey qualitative (in-depth) and quantitative sessions was a feature of formal proceedings (Chair), University of Tasmania; Ann (standardised, computer assisted telephone) at Hawkesbury. Harding, Centre of Social and Economic Collins, David 8: David Smith, Martin Butterfield (Frank Small 8: Associates and interviewing techniques in gathering Modelling, Canberra; Gary Marks, ANU; Population Census Branch, ABS) Evaluation Methods Jim Millwood, individual and contextual information However, these and other themes were the Reark Group, Used in the 1991 Population Census about the living standards of Australian given wider scope for elaboration Melbourne; Harry Oxley, University of families. throughout NSRC3, and especially during Canberra; Christine Ryan, University of Davidson, Penny (Charles Sturt University, Murray) drinks at the well attended reception in the South Australia; Michael Smithson, James Women on Holiday: Constraints and Barriers to Next, Lyn Richards of La Trobe University Clydesdale Room on Monday night, over Cook University; Ralph Straton, Murdoch Women's Leisure reminded listeners of the essential the three courses of the Conference dinner University; Frank Vanclay, Charles Sturt Davis, Elisabeth (Welfare Section, ABS) 1992 Time complementarity of qualitative and in the Cosmic Cafe on Tuesday, on board University; and Marcus Wigan, Monash Use Survey quantitative approaches to social science the M.V. Deerubbin cruise vessel s three University. research and explored the evergreen issue hour Hawkesbury River luncheon Dee, Suzanne and Roger Jones (Social Science Data of linking qualitative and quantitative data excursion, and, later on Wednesday, in The fruits of the committee s labour may be Archives, RSSS ANU) Setting Up a CATI Facility and the possibilities of model-building and deliberations of the special social research appraised by reading Professor Grichting s Fisher, Karen (Childcare article (pp 7-8, this Newsletter) at Work, Sydney) Cost- support for analysis of nontextual data . association meeting. on the Benefit Analysis of Work-Based Child Care history and goals of the new Australian Finally, Merrill Shanks of the University of Most agreed, moreover, that Hawkesbury s Association for Social Research and the Gallagher, Phil and Siobhain Ryan (Department California, Berkeley discussed the scope of Poolside Function Centre and Memorial accompanying AASR Constitution (with of Social Security) Effective Marginal Tax Rates of developmental objectives and future Hall, as well as its Computer Centre, had application form). Social Security Recipients directions in computer assisted surveys. provided congenial venues for Conference Gerber, Rod (QUT) Phenomenography By way of thanking as a Making special reference to recent advances sessions, workshops, and software organisers and staff at Qualitative Research Approach Beyond the Individual in data description, management and demonstrations, and that the collegiate ACSPRI and the University of Western analysis, he argued for the kind of accommodation provided in Alexander Sydney for their support before and during Grichting, Wolfgang (University of Tasmania, cooperative development of these Bruce and Southee Halls, as well as the th e Hawkesbury Conference, Launceston) Youth Unemployment, Jobsearch and Depression techniques pursued by the Association for catering of the Hawkesbury Dining congratulations are extended to all NSRC3 in Australia Computer-assisted participants for their efforts in Surveys, headquartered Complex and Union, had contributed much shouldering Harding, Ann (Centre of Social their share of and Economic at the Computer-assisted Survey Methods to the conviviality of the Conference, not to the work in-progress during Modelling, Canberra) Poverty in Australia in 1990 Program at Berkeley. mention to the verstehen spirited away Conference proceedings. In particular, from it. presenters of papers, who did most of the Kehal, H.S. (UWS, Hawkesbury) Implications of the The mixture of social research topics and important work, are to be acknowledged for Recession in Japan for Australian Exports approaches presented at NSRC3 reflected Special understanding and cooperation their contributions to NSRC3 by having King, Chris (Latrobe University, Albury-Wodonga) the diverse geographical and their finished papers, or institutional were called for, and received, during (if these are not Towards Self-Evaluation: The Experience of the origins of participants, with two-thirds NSRC3 s Wednesday afternoon meeting of submitted) their abstracts , distributed by Children of Prisoners Support Groups attracted to the Conference from the host participants to discuss the proposed ACSPRI to the wider social research state and the ACT, a quarter from Victoria formation of an Australian association of community in the Proceedings of the Third Parker, Prue (University of Sydney) An Approach to Two Level and Queensland, and the rest from the social researchers . At that meeting, National Social Research Conference . Factor Analysis J other States and overseas. Academic unanimous agreement was reached to form Parkinson, Geoff and Peter Boal (ALS Section, affiliation was claimed by three-fifths of a steering committee that, immediately Dept. of Education, Employment and Training, those in attendance, with almost half of following NSRC3, would draft a proposed Canberra) The Costs of Disadvantage these individuals representing the new constitution modelled on that of the British universities. Commonwealth or State Social Research Association , organise and
Page 3 Page 4 Post, Maarten (Queensland Police Service) overview of the survey and computer- prefer full classifications of other Project in Evaluation and the Safety Audits based, data-analysis methods used census variables; and contemporary electoral research. Rowe, Ken (Ministry of Education and Training, 1991 Census Household Sample Type I Errors in Educational and those who do require at least state Victoria) Identifying issues discussed are Social Research: Comparisons of Results from Fitting The substantive File - Call for Expressions of geographical identification, and are OLS and Multilevel Regression Models to highlighted with data from the 1990 Interest prepared to reduce detail of other Hierarchically Structured Data Australian Election Study (AE5), a nation classi cations in order to achieve this. wide sample survey of more than 2,000 Smithson, Michael and Stephen Weaver (James electors conducted before the last federal I would like to assure you that our lack of a Cook University) A Comparative Study of Methods of chapter In Newsletter No. 24, we reported on the Research: Vagueness election. After working through formal response to this date reflects only Enhancing Privacy in Survey proposal put to the ABS suggesting that all Versus Randomized Response. exercises requiring access to and analysis of that the Census Program is concentrating Australian academic institutions form these data (using statistical software such as a on validating the raw data and preparing of New South Wales) single consortium for the purpose of Wearing, Michael (University SPSS or SAS), students are motivated to standard products and services. We have 'Look Who's Talking': Qualitative Analysis of investigate the set further, by developing acquiring and distributing a household Public Mental Health not changed our intention to produce a Professional Talk in Private and and testing their own hypotheses and sample file from the 1991 Census. The Settings in the Sydney Region sample file. models of the relationship between consortium would contribute a substantial amount, $20,000, towards the cost of Zaman, Monir (UWS, Macarthur) Transfer Pricing Australians voting behaviour, their As indicated by Glen s response, the producing the sample file, with copies Practices by Multinationals - Some Evidence From political attitudes and their location in inclusion of geographic indicators in the Australia being made available to academic society. file affects the classifications allowable on institutions or individual researchers for as other variables, particularly those with Abstracts of all papers delivered at NSRC3 little as $1000. The conditions of sale Electoral Behaviour TMD is highly suitable detailed classifications such as age, are available from ACSPRI, c/- Social would limit use of the file to academic for use in undergraduate units in research occupation, industry, birthplace, language Science Data Archives, Research School of research and teaching only and would methods, survey research, electoral and qualifications. Confidentiality Social Sciences, The ANU, GPO Box 4, specifically exclude its use on contract work behaviour or political sociology. Although requirements are imposed on the basis of Canberra, ACT, 2601. undertaken for government or private there are many specialised texts that the population of the smallest geographic is sector agencies. examine each of these areas, the module area identified, so that the inclusion of a Teaching Package for Empirical designed to clearly demonstrate the links full State/Territory code will impose The Council of ACSPRI endorsed the Research Methods among theory, research methods and data limitations on all states based on the proposal at the 1991 AGM and agreed to analysis in a sub-field of sociology and confidentiality requirements for the provide the financial contribution required The Australian Consortium for Social and political science that is likely to engage Northern Territory. Separate identification to produce the file. The ABS response to Political Research Inc. (ACSPRI) is pleased students. of Sydney and Melbourne a combination of the proposal, from Glen Cocking, Assistant to announce the availability of a teaching other major urban centres, other urban and Statistician, Population Census and package designed specifically for teaching Even where electoral behaviour is not of rural areas may be feasible without Surveys Branch is given below. empirical research methods to students of primary interest to students, the module imposing constraints on other variables, political and social science. The package (or should be an effective teaching aid in units but even that requires investigation. Dear Roger, Thank you for your letter module), called Electoral Behaviour: emphasising social science research, of 25 lane 1991. I apologise for not having Theory, Methods and Data, (TMD) was especially when electoral behaviour issues This is clearly an important issue and one previously formally replied, although as written by David John Cow and Karen can serve as a prototype for the analysis of which must be resolved prior you know we have taken action to identify to the Stenner Day of the Department of substantive theoretical issues and associated specification of the file we want produced. the full range of people interested in a 1991 Government at the University of methods. If you are a potential user of the household census sample file and prepared to Queensland and sponsored by ACSPRI. sample file, I would like to know contribute to paying for it. your For further details contact Vance Merrill, views on the following questions. Modelled on the widely acclaimed Social Science Data Archives, Research Your proposal is generally attractive, and I Supplementary Empirical Teaching Units School of Social Sciences, The Australian ' Should geographic information hope we are able to tie in enough be in Political Science (SET-UPS) series National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra other included in supporters the household sample file? published by the American Political Science ACT 2601. Phone (06) 249 4400; fax (06) 257 to make the proposal financially viable overall. Association, the Electoral Behaviour TMD 1893. - If so, what minimum classification do package consists of a monograph, you need and what would you be willing to The main problem that is apparent at the questionnaire and codebook, and an trade-off as acceptable classifications for moment is that the people who have an associated Australian data set made variables such as age, occupation, industry, interest in 1991 census sample file seem to available on floppy diskette by arrangement birthplace, language and field of split fairly clearly into two groups: with the ANU's Social Science Data qualification? Archives. The monograph includes a discussion of the relevant substantive those like yourself who can do theory of electoral behaviour, and an without geographic information and
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For information on the full classifications Originally it was intended to contact not least, an Executive Committee will On behalf of the Steering Committee I of these variables, refer to the 1991 Census potential foundation members of the have to be elected to keep the momentum invite you to become a foundation member Directory of Classifications (ABS Cat. No. Association in a direct mail out. However going and to organise the next national of AASR. 29040). Catalogue of 1986 Census Tables ACSPRI went one better: it generously conference. A summer conference at the (ABS Cat No. 2175.0) indicates the range of offered this page to bring the fledgling University of Tasmania has much to PS Committee member Mile Smithson commend recodes used for each variable. organisation to the attention of all and itself! designed the attractive logo. Our thanks to sundry in the field. ACSPRI thus not only him. Please respond, in writing as soon as saves considerable funds to an organisation The aims of AASR speak for themselves. I myself see at possible to Roger Jones, Head, SSDA, or fax without assets but also recognises its least three important steps in to 06 257 1893. offspring and bestows instant legitimacy on attaining these goals. First, we need a it. By the way, ACSPRI is very specific that membership directory which will permit us Remember ACCESS? it "is merely offering its good pages as a to identify mutual interests and contact service to the social research community each other as we deem helpful. The and not trying to stage manage the creation enclosed application form was designed Roger Jones Australian Association for Social of an auxiliary individual membership with that in mind. Needless to say the provision of the elicited Research association." On behalf of the Steering information is In September 1989, I published a short Committee I wish to thank ACSPRI for its optional. Second, a newsletter should article in the ACSPRI Newsletter suggesting facilitate generosity. contact and communication. I that a national telephone survey facility be propose that we call it "In Touch . 4» May I developed based on a consortium of suggest that you We have been busy since the inaugural share with us any academic institutions for want of an Wolfgang L. Grichting, Chair information meeting. On 2 July the Steering Committee relevant to your research acronym, I called it the Academic AASR Steering Committee activity agreed that a constitution and membership which you would like to have from Consortium for Economic and Social (University of Tasmania, Launceston) your colleagues. drive were the most important steps Just add a page to your Surveys or ACCESS. I made the proposal at immediately ahead of us. It was agreed that application form. If all goes well, you shall that Methodological and substantive research time for a number of reasons. the major purpose of the Association would receive a copy of the membership registry problems do not respect disciplinary be to facilitate contact among social and the first issue of In Touch by the end of First, boundaries. Regardless of whether one the Research School of Social Sciences researchers and to foster the various November. Third, AASR will have to was does research in mobility or meta-analysis, considering a proposal to fund the concerns of quality social research. It was assume responsibility for organising Australian Rights Project, in social policy or welfare studies, the real a project which decided that the British constitution would national conferences which until now replicated issues are typically multidisciplinary. surveys that had been conducted lend itself as a basic working document. ACSPRI was kind enough to look after. in Canada Consequently, the most promising by telephone and which acted as During the next two weeks comments and Whether, further down the track, a journal solutions come from critical borrowing and the impetus for the establishment of a recommendations arrived by fax and phone can be supported only time will tell. As telephone constructive use of ideas, information and interview facility at York and electronic mail. desirable as such a move might be, in my a variety of traditional as well as by regular University. Second, the Australian techniques from view it would have to be a quality journal disciplines. The desire to take this basic All this effort resulted in a draft Academic and Research Network AARNET which was shared with the and command a significant readership orientation seriously is the mainspring for constitution was being established, providing high speed Steering Committee. Further comments links between university computer facilities the foundation of the Australian All these high flying and suggestions were received and have plans require which would make the transfer of files Association for Social Research. extensive support which been incorporated in the enclosed can only come between institutions as simple and safe as from a wide membership. YOU are invited Various efforts have beenmade during the constitution. Thus the constitution has the using a local area network. The telephone to take out foundation membership in last ve years to set up such an association. approval of the Steering Committee. Still, costs would obviously be much lower if Rather AASR by completing the enclosed Despite these efforts little happened until it is not meant to be set in concrete. interviews were conducted as local calls application form and returning it to me by the Third National Research Conference in specific provision has been made to modify rather than from a single location, in 10 October. Please feel free to copy both the Sydney at the beginning of July. the constitution according to standard Canberra for example. Third, a review of constitution and application form in an Specifically, on 1 July about 80 conference procedures for such modifications (see the Research School of Social Sciences had effort to bring AASR to the attention of members met and moved to set up a article 9). recommended that the School should your friends and colleagues. Your joining national association for social research. consider how to move most constructively of AASR entitles you to a copy of the Upon unanimous endorsement of such a Several issues remain to be resolved. For towards developing a general survey facility membership register, to the Newsletter and motion it was decided that the gathering one, we would wish to incorporate the for academic research. In this context, to active participation in AASR. As well, should be treated as the inaugural meeting Association as soon as a respectable number telephone interviewing seemed to be the the initial membership will be good until of the Association to be founded. Some have joined. This will ensure that the best, if not the only, option. the end of 1993 and will result in a special fourteen participants volunteered to work subscription becomes tax-deductible. Next, discount for the the cost of the annual subscription as well next annual AASR The response to that proposal was, to say as a Steering Committee to produce a conference. constitution. As I did not duck fast enough I as applicable categories will have to be the least, muted. Nevertheless, the Institute was asked to chair the steering committee settled. The initial fee of $45 ($20 for of Family Studies has now established a hence this progress report in the ACSPRI persons not in full-time employment) CATI facility and has conducted its first newsletter. should be sufficient to get us going. Last but
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major telephone survey. And the R555 has and home owners or buyers, with other SES and third calls, one-fifth of the calls resulted Homes with answering machines were effects. established a CATI facility for use on the variables having somewhat weaker in interviews, whereas by the time the targeted for weekend calls and, where this Australian Rights Project. This article eighth and ninth calls are being made, did not work, a message was left on the presents some preliminary analyses of the The growing use of silent numbers is about one-in-ten result in interviews, 15% machine explaining who we were, why we response rates achieved in a national perhaps more of a concern, although little is in callbacks, about 8% in refusals and the were calling, when we would try to call telephone survey and our experience in known about the characteristics of people great majority, around 65%, in non again and giving them our number to call attempting refusal conversions. who choose this option. We were told by contacts. should they wish to. Telecom that the proportion of silent 2. The Australian Rights Project (ARP) numbers varies from a low of 6.8% in This is of course a half-hour interview and (ii) to call again cases that had obviously QLD, 10.1% in WA, Tasmania to 8.8% in not a quick two or three minute telephone been mismanaged, if nothing else to The ARP involves two major surveys: 11.4% in NSW, 12.4% in Victoria and 13.6% poll. It is also an interview in which a apologize for the inconvenience. An in SA, with higher than average rates in designated respondent has to be interesting example was the man up a tree - a national population survey of 1500 Metropolitan areas. Methods for interviewed, not just any person who picks whose spouse had been asked to check with interviews which was conducted in October overcoming the non coverage of silent up and answers the telephone. It is him whether he would like to be - December 1991. numbers, such as Random Digit Dialling nevertheless interesting to note that for interviewed. I doubt if I would be (RDD) and Directory plus 1 dialling, could roughly 1000 of the numbers called, 42%, particularly enthusiastic about arranging an 0 an 'elites' survey of Federal and State be implemented although they obviously were not answered on the first call and that, appointment for a survey interview if I was ALP, Liberal and National party politicians, increase the costs of the survey. even with the benefit of arranged callbacks, up a tree pruning or whatever. (Needless and of members of the legal profession - the proportion of not answered calls to say when we did call next he was up on solicitors, barristers, magistrates, public increased over subsequent calls. Some the roof, but he did come down this time!) prosecutors and senior officials in Attorney 3. Response Rates people clearly are hard to get. As yet we Generals' departments, conducted from have not analysed the characterisitics of the While initially we had intended only to call April August 1992. For the population survey we allocated 2393 "easy" and "hard" respondents or the back some outstanding cases that could G - in fact we allocated a few numbers in total effectiveness of various call patterns. have been interviews, we were surprised by a The focus of the surveys is to determine more than this but lost some cases in the response to some of the marginal calls how sensitive Australians are towards system crash at a busy time due to the 4. Non-response Conversion and decided to call more cases that had wrong recovery procedure being used this rights, how well rights are protected under initially refused. Of course, in the main the existing arrangements, and whether is not a fault with the system, just with our The last two weeks of the survey involved original refusal was confirmed. However, Australia should be implementing a experience of it. Over the four week period an intensive effort to convert the non- about one in every four changed their a national Bill of Rights as other countries in which these numbers were contacted, response cases. We began our review of decision and without what I would call have in recent times. Parallel studies have limit of 9 calls operated on each number non-response by focussing on two types of excessive persuasion. Some explained they already been conducted in Canada and are and it's interesting to see how the response cases: had mistaken us for telemarketing, and being undertaken in Britain, allowing is affected by the number of calls made. other cases mentioned an incident that had comparisons to be made between attitudes (i) to verify language and inaccessible codes occurred on the day we called that had Cumulative Outcomes by Number of Calls (n=2393) here and overseas, as well as between We rang the numbers coded as language affected them: for example, a woman had members of the general public, their elected difficulty to check whether the correct burnt herself, and someone had had their Call Interview Refusal Language lncapable Ineligible representatives and the legal profession. member of the household had been selected car stolen. and whether their language problems were For the ARP population survey, Telecom 1 340 (14) 252 (11) 39 47 53 sufficient to preclude them, and chose In many instances a second call validated agreed to select a stratified random sample 2 684 (29) 402 (17) 52 56 70 evening 3 915 (38) 473 (20) 53 58 75 or weekend contact to be sure of the credentials of the survey, reached the from their White Pages (Condor) listings, 4 1049 (44) 529 (22) 55 59 75 contacting any English speaking residents. respondent at a better time and excluding the known business numbers 5 1134 (47) 562 (23) 56 63 79 6 1189 (50) 580 (24) 56 63 80 interviewer/repondent interaction worked. included in the white pages directory and 7 1237 (52) 594 (25) 56 63 80 Cases coded as inaccessible we fitted in We looked at the interviewers' notes more the silent' numbers. This provided a very 8 1254 (52) 605 (25) 57 64 84 between the other review calls. This 9 1259 (53) 608 (25) 57 (2) 64 (3) 86 (4) carefully and found cases where it seemed efficient sample, in that almost all of, the category included numbers which had been likely that the wrong interviewer had numbers were usable and very little time If, for example, only one call had been made rung many times without any contact and called. e.g. a man who refused to speak to a was spent on wasted calls to businesses or to each number, the response obtained those with answering machines. This female, but on the second occasion was non-working numbers. Telephone coverage would have been a very lowly 14 percent - approach meant that some non~contacts happy to speak to a male. We identified of households, while not complete, is over 340 interviews. A two call limit doubles the were definitely called too many times, still specific categories of non-response and set 90 per cent and is not now considered to be response to 29 percent - 684 interviews and without success, although some were appropriate call times and then tried to a major problem, although there is the third call brings the response to 38%. finally confirmed as holiday homes or match this information to interviewer undoubtedly unoccupied some bias against low SES After that, the number of interviews dwellings by people coming in availability. The numbers that had been households. An analysis I did using ABS obtained increases somewhat moreslowly to clean or estate agents. called at meal times we called later in the household data from the mid-seventies and the return, in terms of the number of found that the biggest differences in interviews completed, falls. On the second telephone access occurred between renters
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we called in the evening and the elderly many were able to refer to as yet in the evenings. Further, a series of one morning. unpublished material. A number of them week workshops similar to ACSPRI courses Reports from Summer Schools and work in the political science area and with were offered. Although it is possible to Non~Response Conversion Attempts Conferences the Presidential race in full swing were in include some of the one week courses, it No Interview Refusal Lang~ Incap- Inelig- their element. The day Ross Perot pulled creates a con ict of interests. able ible tn'ed ua e out of the race was shattering to some, it Refusal 486 110 (ZS) 351 seemed Language 34 8 Q4) 10 16 that a lot of proposed research It is recommended that intending Incapable 31 3 (10) 12 14 2 Report on ICPSR Summer Program evaporated! participants take one credit course plus one Ineligible 10 1 (10) 2 l 6 1 Nam 17!: 64 (37) 52 3 10 1992, University of Michigan or two lecture programs only. During most contact The student group comprised academics classes either exercises c/b HH 24 10 (42) 12 2 and/ or readings dbR 85 47 (55) 30 4 and researchers especially in the Social Contributed through the wonders of e mail and were set to be done by the next class. 33 by. Political sciences, and many graduate Lectures were all held in an airconditioned students from across the United States, and building about five minutes walk from the c/b HH - call back to household outside, who c /b R - call back respondent previously identified Brian Phillips, Swinburne University of have been advised by their course centre, the Helen Newberry building, 44 of the 173 non-contacts tried were never contacted Technology supervisors to take special units in the a residence for female students during the Mike Lee, Edith Cowan University, program. Many of the graduate students normal university year, where the course Not surprisingly, those households where a John Clarke, Queensland University of were taking the courses for credit and had library, reading rooms, computer labs and callback had been arranged gave the highest Technology regular readings and assignments to staff offices were located. Most practical response, similar to that obtained in the complete out of class. Other class members work involving using the computer was earlier stage. These were often cases where A group of three members of ACSPRI were encouraged to do these as well. The done outside class time in a lab containing an appointment had been missed or the member institutions attended the annual reading lists and exercises were sometimes about 20 computers which acted both as respondent had not given a spegific time to Inter-University Consortium of Political quite daunting and time consuming. terminals to the mainframe and to a PC call back, and the main requirement was to and Social Research, ICPSR, Summer Despite the computer courses offered, those network. In most cases the non credit catch them at home again. The hard to get Program on Quantitative Methods which without prior computer skills were classes - lectures - ran for one hour per day non contacts were also reasonably co- was held at the University of Michigan, disadvantaged as most units required the while the credit classes - workshops - ran for operative once contacted of the 129 Ann Arbor, Michigan in July and August. considerable use of the computer. two hours. eventually contacted, half agreed to the The program is intensive and is designed to interview. Of the 608 refusals, 486 were cater for all levels of statistical The program is most useful for people in All participants are allocated a mainframe attempted for conversion and 23% agreed to sophistication from introductory the social sciences who need a more computer account which includes access to be interviewed. Those that that were not mathematics and statistics to advanced quantitative background but is also useful email. Anyone attending the ICPSR attempted were cases where the refusal had topics in regression, multi variate statistics, for people with a quantitative background program is strongly recommended to take been given in the week or so before categorical data analysis and Structural who benefit from learning techniques and the email addresses of friends and conversion began. Equation Modelling. The program also applications from the social/ political areas. colleagues so that they can readily keep in includes additional special interest topics. touch. This is particularly important as In the main, the strategy appeared to work, Over recent years the number of virtually nothing about Australia appears except for the elderly. Of the 160 cases we The course is conducted in two sessions, international "students" attending the in the media, not even the AFL or Rugby identified as aged refusals, only 24 agreed to each of four weeks, with many of the topics program has increased considerably. This scores! an interview and 11 were found to be of the second term being follow up sessions year over 400 participants from about 40 incapable of completing an interview. This from the first session. There is, however, countries took part in the program which It is also recommended that participants type of result is supported in the literature sufficient exibility for those with the pre consisted of 25 four week courses and 8 one stay close to the action. Two of us stayed at a however the aged appear to be more requisite background to enrol in the second week workshops. While these courses private establishment called University reluctant to be interviewed regardless of the session without having participated in the focussed on the analysis of social science Towers, right on the edge of campus at a mode of interview. rst. data, a parallel course, run by the Survey reasonable price. Its proximity, security and Research Centre, concentrated on the relative cheapness (about $550 US a month Overall, this gave 1502 completions out of a Staff are drawn from Universities across the collection of survey data and the with cooking facilities etc.), made it quite total, excluding 109 cases finally allocated as United States and Canada. Most have methodology of Survey Research. It is not an attractive proposition. Another more ineligible, of 2282, or a response rate of 66 taught regularly in the Summer Program advisable to attend parts of both programs upmarket option is Towers Plaza which is percent. If those considered incapable of and are familiar with the needs of these although it is possible to devise a program near the centre of campus. doing the interview are also excluded and "students". In general the lecturers were of consisting of units from each. (Anyone the non contacts are accepted as non- a high standard and their performance doing this has to pay for both programs.) Despite what the ICPSR information may residences or holiday homes, the number of evaluated by the students at the end of each Classes were normally timetabled between 9 say it is virtually essential to organise eligible numbers tried is 2152 and the unit. Future invitations to teach on the am and 5 pm, but some started earlier accommodation well in advance. We response rate is 70 percent. program depend on these reports. Many of and/ or finished later. The special interest would also advise against staying on the them are textbook authors, especially of the lectures were run either at lunch times or Sage series publications. Being at the cutting edge' of knowledge in the area,
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Northern Campus due to its relative "Pythagoras' theorem is a top ten theorem." being offered simultaneously on the UM For each of the four courses, one is expected isolation. central campus. One of these is the Annual to spend two hours reading every evening David Cross - Categorical Data Analysis Summer Institute (in its 45th year) or doing computer work. I can say A selection of comments from some of the 0 "It is a categorical world." conducted by the Survey Research Center of something from experience here, as I lecturers: ' "Gauss" is the number one program for the Institute of Social Research. The other is enrolled in four courses in each session. categorical analysis." At the ICPSR Summer Program. For 1992, the the end of the day, the long hours of sitting Lawrence Mohr - Program Evaluation 0 "That is an excellent question." programmes attracted about 500 participants made me very tired. The many hours of 0 "Most decision making is not rational, the from many parts of the world, including reading every evening added to my results of most program evaluations are Ric Clubb -- Multivariate Analysis Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia, exhaustion. However, not not used despite millions of dollars being 0 "Some editors are fixated on p < .05." everyone enrols China, Korea, Japan and from most places in as many courses. It is ne to attend one spent on them. However they are 0 "What's important are the predictions of in the USA. Both programmes are regarded course per session. Anyone wishing to take important as input into decision making theoretical model - statistics can t replace as "top class" in the field of social research. a course for credit should not really be and particularly in the planning of that." thinking of enrolling in more than studies." one to I was the only Australian to attend the two courses per session (i.e. per month). 0 "No amount of fancy statistical In conclusion all attending the program Annual Summer Institute, as my colleagues procedures can make up for poor design." found that they learned a lot, made many from Australia enrolled in the ICPSR One should come to the Summer Institute new friends and had a very rewarding and Summer Program. The courses differ in prepared. This means, if possible, taking Bill Jacoby - Scaling and Dimensional stimulating experience. The three of us that the Summer Institute focuses on along a laptop computer and good Analysis recommend the program and are only too design and analysis, whereas the ICPSR textbooks. The former will make life easier, 0 "All measurement is a theory about happy to discuss any aspects of the program Program is concerned with data analysis as the mainframe (which is scheduled for reality." or related issues with anyone proposing to only. an upgrade) is a "headache", and any good 0 "Ordinal measurements can often be attend in the future. texts are expensive to buy, particularly if converted into interval level scales using Those wishing to be admitted into the those needed are the same ones that have appropriate scaling techniques." Contact addresses Annual Summer Institute may enrol in been left at home. I mailed a large box of 0 "The current fad of debunking exploratory courses for credit, or as visiting scholars (for books ahead of time, which was a real factor analysis in favour of confirmatory Brian Phillips anyone holding a PhD). All courses are at money saver. My laptop computer also factor analysis is rubbish." Email:[email protected] "graduate level", offered in two four-week served me well. However, the laser printer Fax: (03) 818 3645 sessions. At this year's Summer Institute, that I left behind would have been nice to Courtney Brown - Formal Models of Mike Lee Email: there were 15 courses to choose from over have here but that would Social Systems have been too [email protected] the two month period. Anyone wishing to much to ask. 0 "Why should the the events which Fax: (09) 370 2910 enrol for four weeks only, can do so as each statisticians try to model follow a linear John Clarke of the two sessions is self-contained. For a The Summer Institute begins with an model?" "I know some statisticians whose Phone: (07) 864 3233 Fax: (07)864 3987 visiting scholar the 1992 fees were US$400 orientation day, which is very helpful. Here entire brain is a linear model." "We do not per session, or US$600 for two sessions. one can meet the instructors, collect course live in a linear worl ." ISR Annual Summer Institute outlines, and obtain other important University The above cost did of Michigan, 1992 not stop at the information, such as where classes are held, Geoff Fong - Regression Analysis enrolment fee however. There is also how to use the library, and which local - "Stepwise regression should be avoided accommodation, Malgosia Zlobicki which costs on average computer facilities to visit. Halfway since it capitilises on chance at every step US$600 per School of Social Sciences month for a one bedroom through the first session, the Institute and you finish up with a very sample Queensland University of Technology apartment. In addition, for each course, at participants are invited to a welcoming dependent outcome." least one, sometimes more textbooks are reception, which is highly regarded for its required, and coursepacks Any social scientist who has not had the need also to be good food and an opportunity to meet Ken Bollen -- Structural Equation Models purchased. The good fortune to be in Ann Arbor from 29 coursepacks contain instructors in an informal way. Almost at 0 "More attention should be paid to the raw photocopies of journal June to 21 August does not realise what articles and book the end of the first session, a tour of the data and the effects of unusual cases in chapters, which are considered there is to be missed. Those lucky ones who essential Survey Research Center is offered. This is a Structural Equation Modelling than relying reading. The 1992 have had the privilege will easily be able to coursepacks were priced true "eye opener". Here one can see a large solely on the covariance matrix." from about US$20 recollect the lovely central campus of the to US$30. scale research facility in operation. The 0 "I beg to differ with Jacoby re EFA vs The courses are usually University of Michigan (UM), the outdoor held from 8 am to 5 telephone interviewing unit for example, CFA." pm. A maximum cafes of Ann Arbor, and the famous Art of four courses can be has 75 fully equipped telephone stations. taken Fair. each day, Monday to Friday, which The field unit is able to handle 16,000 Jim Dowdy - - Mathematics for Social means face- 8 hours of lectures. The size of the to face interviews per survey. Scientists This year, I was one of four Australians to classes can range from about 50 participants 0 "With regard to matrix addition, the attend courses for introductory/ general in research design and data courses, to about a The speed with which the instructors teach world is fair. For matrix multiplication the analysis at dozen participants for UM. At this point, I need to the specialist courses. can be described in one word: "fast". Many world is not fair." (Translation: A+B=B+A explain that two summer programmes are but AB NE BA usually)
Page 13 Page 14 of the courses expect students to do daily gives the social researcher a powerful tool National Immigration Outlook Conference written homework. The quality of indeed. The capacity to use GISs for Atkinson Conference Services instruction and course content varies from modelling is an interesting and fairly new GPO Box 358E area new because we ve had to wait for Conferences Melbourne VIC 3001 course to course, however. The instructors Ph: 03 654 7533 FAX: 03 654 8540 are usually scholars with international technology to catch up. reputations. The courses which I have Satellite Meeting on Biostatistics found particularly interesting and useful The vision for computer networking (e.g. Bureau of Immigration Research include: Survey Methods in Comparative There is 30 November - 2 December 1992 Internet, Bitnet) is breathtaking. Second National Immigration Outlook Research (offered for the first time this now the capacity to transmit information year), Mail and Telephone Survey across the net faster than the computers at Conference The Department of Statistics and the Centre Techniques, Longitudinal Research, either end can process it. However the 11-13 November 1992 for Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Evaluation Research and Event History development on the computing side is not University of Newcastle is hosting a Analysis. far behind. In the foreseeable future your The program for this significant conference satellite meeting on Biostatistics prior to the les will no longer necessarily reside on has now been published, with a change in XVIth International Biometric Conference Except for the weather, which was your mainframe or even on one venue to the Wesley Centre, Pitt Street in being held in New Zealand from 7 11 the Sydney city centre. December 1992. The conference is being absolutely horrible this year, as it was cold mainframe; as a user it will not be relevant kins-=3? and wet for many days, I would say that the to you where the le is, just how to access it. held in association with the Australian NH experience was worthwhile. I was helped to In the same vein, the processing may be The first day will cover: the views of the & MRC Twin Registry and the Medical remember the things I had forgotten, and to done by more than one computer. A user Federal Government and the Opposition; Sciences Section of the Statistics Society of learn the things I never knew. in Ann Arbor might dealt with a data file international population movements and Australia. spread over several computers, and the their relevance to Australia; Australia's 1992 Conference on Computing for the processing might be done in Pennsylvania, population policy and sustainable The conference will cover such areas as Social Sciences Illinois and Texas. Of course there are issues development; components of the Genetic Epidemiology, Meta-Analysis, immigration program; and Ann Arbor, Michigan to do with security and who pays the bill. immigration Issues in Sample Size Determination, Cross- and the recession. Over Trials, Statistical 4 - 7 May 1992 Issues in New Drug Tutorials were offered during the Approval, Data Integrity and AIDS Research The second day will review such topics as: in Australia. Further information Robert Lake conference, I attended two: resampling can be techniques, and geographical information overstayers and illegal immigrants; budgets obtained from Road Safety Division and immigration; emigration from Queensland Department of Transport systems. Both were interesting, and both suffered from computers crashing due to Australia; gender issues in migration and Kate Boyle overload. The message is, don t have ten settlement; community views on the Department of Statistics The dominant theme of the conference was University of Newcastle people do a bootstrapping estimation with immigration program and settlement; well expressed in the opening plenary University Drive 500 iterations each on the one mainframe! I immigration and industry restructuring; session - that is, that as social scientists we Callaghan NSW 2308 could have got more access and equity issues; immigrants and (ph: 049 215520 ; fax: 049 684742) are on the threshold of a new world of value from the tutorial on GISs if the computer hadn t the police; immigration and the computing. To date our use of computers environment; citizenship issues; and the has been as number crunchers; lurking ground to a halt. We had the rather Australian Labour Market pathetic sight of the presenter economic impact of the composition of the around the corner is the capacity to saying "Well, Research Program if it had worked this is immigrant intake. visualise our information and to model the what you would Fourth Workshop have seen, so try and picture this result ! spatial aspects as we currently do the The third day of the conference will feature: 8-9 February 1993, Perth W.A. numerical aspects. Overall, the conference was worthwhile and a launch of a comparative study of The first three annual workshops in enjoyable. The interface between computing immigration in the United States and this The sessions I attended all had an emphasis series have been held at the ANU; and the social sciences is underdeveloped Australia; a discussion on the future of the on the visual display of information (there Australia's immigration fourth will be held from 8 9 February 1993, when compared to the physical sciences, program; and were other sessions but these were the at the Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle. and I am quite enthused about the potential. closing remarks by the Federal Minister, The aspects that interested me). It was along with the New workshop is being organised by the Western To use an example from my area - imagine Zealand and Canadian interesting to note that in some areas we WM Ministers Australian Labour Market Research an accident record containing a digitized for Employment and Centre, have come full circle, with a revival of Immigration. in association with the Departments video of the accident scene, and then In addition the conference of graphical means of analysis. Also will feature a Economics at Curtin and Murdoch consider the analytical possibilities of plenary session on interesting was to see how advanced immigration Universities, and the Departments viewing that scene as a virtual reality. and settlement hosted by Paul of Geographical Information Systems are in Murphy of the SBS Dateline program, as Economics and Industrial Relations at the the US. Courtesy of their Bureau of Census, well as a review of the possible future of the University of Western Australia. the entire continental US is mapped with immigration program by Mary Kostakidis of roads, creeks, rivers, lakes, census tracts, SBS. Registrations should be sent no later Papers are invited on any aspect of labour county and state boundaries shown. than October 28 to: market research, in any relevant discipline. Combining this with census and other data
Page 15 Page 16 and young researchers are particularly theme highlights the value of opennes encouraged to attend. Some assistance toward sharing 'data, the richness of Social Science Data Archives Australian National University towards travel and accommodation costs diversity among data sources, and the will be provided to paper givers. For more standards by which data might be information, contact exchanged, across both disciplinary and national boundaries. ALMR Workshop Secretary Western Australian Labour Market The conference committee invites Research Centre proposals for papers Curtin University of Technology and other SSDA News PO. Box U1987 presentations in the following or cognate Perth WA 6102 areas: issues of open access to data; data (Ph: 09 351 2871; Fax: 09 351 2872) accessin diverse computing environments; challenge of standards in accessing data; British Sociological Association diversity among major data collections; Annual Conference impact of open systems on hardware and 5-8 April 1993 software for data centres; development and Age Polls Return to the SSDA management of data library collections; major formerly producers of the Age Poll The 1993 BSA Conference, to be held at the new data sources; and advances in The SSDA has just entered into an agreement with lrving Saulwick and Associates - the Saulwick Poll for the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald - for the archivmg of poll data for University of Essex, has the title "Research analysis and display techniques. series and now producing 1987 to 1991 . in the future, we will also be negotiating to continue the series into 1992-1993. This series Will allow the SSDA Imaginations. Practical, Personal, There will also be a series of preconference to update its holdings of opinion poll data (currently ending in September 1987) to proVide a valuable source of continumg Philosophical and Political". Papers will social and political opinion data for academic researchers. encompass two broad themes: The Research workshops to be held on 11 May in the areas of managing Process (research techniques, policy related a data library, supporting in all, the SSDA will be receiving more than 100 data sets as part of this first deposit. These consist of monthly national polls conducted with a national sample of around 1000, plus special polls, some national (such as the pilots strike issue in 1989) research, cross-cultural and comparative economic and census data, and working in and some state based only (for example, the Sydne airport issue again in 1989). A'series of special election polls (both state research new and changing computer amongst other areas); and and federal) will also be included. The recently instlluted Saulwick Poll Reprint series (No. 1 for 1989, No. 2 for 1990-1991) Substantive Research Problems (including environments. In addition a number of social gives an indication of the wide range of topic areas covered in the series and prowdes a taste of the sorts of analySis which such areas as power, violence and control, events, and a post-conference retreat to the Scottish could be undertaken. We hope to be able to provide more detail on individual polls in the next issue of the newsletter. culture and discourse, researching the post Highlands have been arranged. Our agreement with lrving Saulwick and Associates covers the distributionof data for secondary analysis to academic modern). The organisers envisage that in researchers only; all other researchers will need to contact the polling organisation directly for access to data. addition to the traditional presentations Abstracts there will be workshops, displays and for papers or presentations should be sent to demonstrations. For more information Peter Burnhill (Programme Chair) In this substantial issue of SSDA News our feature article contact: The Australian Archives Electronic Records Data Library, University of Edinburgh provides an outline of efforts by Australian Archives over Project Main Library Building the last year to produce guidelines for the appropriate BSA Committee George Square treatment of electronic records created by government Dagmar Parer, Director, Electronic Records Project, Department of Sociology Edinburgh EH8 9L] departments and other government bodies. Scotland Roger Jones Australian Archives University of Essex UK has been involved in the project, and would be interested to Colchester Essex CO4 ESQ United Kingdom Fax: +44 (0)31 662-4809 . E-mail: [email protected] receive comments from readers on the guidelines outlined The Australian Archives set as one of its priorities in 1991 below. IASSIST / IFDO 1993 the development of policy concerning the management of Other conference information can be Stephanie Legg-England reports on her recent visit to the electronic records, both in the PC and standalone Openness, Diversity and meme . Standards: Sharing obtained from Alison Bayley (Local Norwegian Social Science Data Services. We also cover mainframe environment. Data Resources Arrangements Co-ordinator) at the same further developments in providing electronic access to address. information on SSDA holdings, and begin what we hope it set up a working party to investigate the problems The International Association for Social will be a regular feature, correspondence from New associated with electronic records, monitor how other Science Information Service and As an additional link into this conference Zealand. in addition, we look at new information resources archival organisations were dealing with the problem and Technology (IASSIST) will be holding available from the Commonwealth Department of Health, develop a strategy best suited for the Australian Archives its program, the ESRC Data Archive at the g uww t_wmmuc 19th annual conference in conjunction Housing and Community Services and our ABS News that after investigation and testing could be adopted as with University of Essex are planning a pre the International Federation section provides brief notes on census and other survey policy. of Data conference meeting from 7-9 May, to Organisations (IFDO) in Edinburgh, developments. Users of AYS data may also be interested celebrate their 25th anniversary. This will Scotland, from 11 14 in the call for applications for research grants from DEET. The working party, in addressing the problems associated May 1993. include a workshop on comparative Finally, we deal with updates to SSDA holdings (including with the management of archival value electronic records, research, and coach transport to the realised that they were looking for a strategy The conference theme the important release of Age Poll data above) as well as that would addresses the Edinburgh conference will be arranged. meet the following objectives: concern of IASSIST and IFDO members for new data available from lCPSR. managing and sharing computer readable 1. That records/data elements of permanent value held data during a time of rapid change. This
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SSDA News September 1992 SSDA News September 1992
permanent value information maintained on the agencies' term archival integrity. systems, with intellectual control being provrded by the within an automated system, are identified in clear on the system, then the Australian Archives will issue a and unambiguous Archives. ways. disposal authority confirming that fact. In these cases, the iii Metadata. A requirement for an 2. That the internal management of an automated system must be maintained in such a manner that audit Consequently, the Archives will need to keep a record of index/register/database to monitor the dynamics of the system accommodates the identification and" trails are kept of any updates, additions or modifications of identified permanent value electronic records, that IS tracking of permanent the permanent value information held on different agencies' value records/data elements those elements deemed to be permanent value. systems, and will also need to have the technology monitor business transactions involving or creating in electronic format. Permanent deletions of such elements is not allowed. electronic records of permanent value. The Metadata . required to provide networked access to users. 3. That provision of long term access be provided to Audit trails must reflect both the immutability of the original . A system would also need to include the data dictionary permanent value records/data elements in electronic records, and its manipulability in relevant databases. .. ormat. Each Guideline represented a draft policy position the component. strategy behind which had to be investigated and tested in Guideline 4: Access - Passive The working detail for its practicality and appropriateness prior to party then tested these objectives against two Until the acceptance and implementation of these iv Database duplication. A requirement for the alternate strategies for the management conversion into operational procedures and practices. of electronic guidelines, the Australian Archives will only accept duplication of the identified permanent value electronic records, namely they examined the advantages and responsibility for providing passive access to any electronic Archives adopted Guidelines 1 and 2 as policy and the records so that they are removed from the live' database disadvantages of taking electronic records into the custody records in its custody. This will involve holding the data Record Evaluation and Disposal Program within Archives yet are managed and maintained. of the Archives as against the advantages and storage medium as an object, with no responsibility for the converted the policy contained within Guidelines 1 and 2 disadvantages of leaving electronic records of archival contents, although optimum storage conditions will be into operational procedures for implementation. Guideline 6 value with the creating agency. provided where possible. v The communication links required to set up Out of these investigations Guideline 4 policy is presently being developed further and the working party developed a The Storage and Preservation Section of the Archives will will not be fully implemented until the Storage and Commonwealth-wide access network. set of preferred strategies and then translated them into six determine what formats will be acceptable for storage of Preservation Program in Australian Archives has finalised draft Guidelines which represent a suite of general policy electronic records and the storage management regimes
.WW~.~Wmmmmm.ww~me-am refining the procedures required to convert the general vi A requirement for a common access language to statements collectively giving rise to the Australian which will be provided for such records in each case. policy contained in Guideline 4 into operational practices. users to access and search electronic records of Archives Draft Electronic Records allow Management Policy. permanent value irrespective of which agency database Guideline 5: Access - Active "Amma ww The Australian Archives is not in a position to they are held on and managed by. The fully adopt Guidelines are: Unless the Government funds such access, the Australian Guidelines 3, 5 and 6 until further investigative work into
Archives will generally not provide active access to WNW, these Guidelines is done, policy positions are finalised and Each identified component of Guideline 3 and 6 was Guideline 1: Appraisal electronic records (i.e. electronic access to the systems procedures and practices written. (a) investigated and the findings showed that the principles The function of the entire application must be assessed programs and data as opposed to access to the medium. contained within those guidelines were technically feasible. to gauge the likelihood of its holding information that may The archives will provide active access, with the same Therefore the working party tasked itself to examine in Data management principles and metadata principles could be of permanent value. If there are no elements of the provisos, to information of permanent value when a detail whether Guideline 3, Data Control, and the network be written and incorporated into Departmental computing system that justify permanent retention, Guideline 2 will Commonwealth agency has ceased to function and its access model contained in Guideline 6, were technically business rules to ensure that electronic records of archival apply to the records in am...._....._a mm ... the system. functions have not been transferred to another feasible to implement and hence able to be included in the value were adequately managed. it was found that Commonwealth agency. Examples may be records of suite of policy statements comprising the Australian (b) If the Commonwealth agencies have in place data management system does or is likely to hold information that Royal Commissions, or certain scientific or technical Archives may draft policy on the management of procedures that they adhere to in varying degrees but these be of permanent value, that information needs to be records. Commonwealth electronic records. identi ed at greater data management procedures do not incorporate how level of detail under Guideline 3. electronic records of permanent value shouldbe managed. Guideline 6 in most cases access to electronic When examining the technical feasibility of implementing Guideline 2: Disposal records of permanent value will be via networked access. Guidelines 3 and 6 it became apparent that each Guideline The investigation concluded that Archives should develop if there are no electronic records of permanent value on the The Australian Archives would be the agency keeping a had within it several components each of which had to be Guideline 3 further, in liaison with agencies, to develop a system, and there is no likelihood of such records being record of the particular information and its intellectual M.m~.._._.._..w.emm..mm.m evaluated individually for their technical feasibility. set of Data Management Principles that will allow agencies put on the system, that system need not be controlled by control components, and would provide facilities to allow to manage permanent value electronic records in a manner the following Guideline 3 to 6. The Australian Archives will appropriate access to information that agencies must The identified components were: that is cost effective to them and ensures archival integrity issue a disposal authority allowing agencies ,,-Muw to manage the maintain on their current system. of those identified records in the future. deletion or alteration of data. However, the system should sh . Guideline 3 be reviewed on a regular basis to confirm the assessment Guideline 3 aims to make agencies responsible for the it also considered that Archives, in liaison with selected of the value of the data, and that assessment ww must be continuing retention and on-going management of their i identification of databases holding permanent or agencies, would need to test these Data Management repeated de novo each time the system programming is holdings of permanent value electronic records. it is continuing value electronic records. Principles prior to their adoption as policy and substantially altered, revised or upgraded. envisaged that agencies will transfer or migrate permanent ,W»....M_M dissemination to clients.
._
value electronic records to new software and hardware M Guideline 3: Data Control ii Requirement for Data Management Principles, to platforms as part of any system upgrade or re-design. ensure that the identified permanent value electronic The findings also showed that the Australian Archives if there are electronic records of permanent value on the Guideline 6 then envisages that a network be set up to records are managed in a manner that ensures their long needs to determine how it defines an electronic record. is system, or there IS a likelihood of such records being put allow public and official users to have access to appropriate an electronic record defined in time by a business
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SSDA News September 1992 SSDA News September 1992
W
mm w countries. Part of the rationale behind this approach is that data. it must be handed over to NSD or destroyed. data collected by the transaction having occurred and hence Archives' focus the comparisons that can be made using data collated in a Moreover, NSD has access to all is overcome the lack of a common access language and it (Norway s equryalent to the on managing transactions or do archival institutions require database are often of much greater interest than the Central Statistics Bureau appears that more products of this nature will appear on the of Statistics), and acquisition of Bureau that agencies retain views of files and file structure to market. snapshots provided by individual surveys. The database Australian Bureau rapid procedure. ensure that future users can perform ad hoc transactions approach also means that surveys can be searched more data from NSD is a simple and Traditionally, the Bureau had dealt directly wrth. socral on electronic records of permanent value? in other words it was noted that the networked access is only one efficiently for particular topics. scientists' requests for data and technical inqumes, but will Archives base its Data Management Principles on a component of the overall Electronic Records Management uses Advanced Revelation was mistrustful of their usage of Bureau data. Once it transaction audit basis, a view of a data base over time Policy and that any decision not to implement networked To build its databases, NSD 2.1 which, in Atle's opinion, is the most powerful software was recognised that NSD staff possessed the reqursrte basis or both? access for reasons of cost or technical complexity does of its kind. it allows relational databases with almost technical expertise and research skills to ensure not negate the validity of the solutions proposed for the responsible use of its data, the Bureau was persuaded that it was also found that agencies when applying the data other components unlimited text fields, and free text searching. This means or the overall validity of the Electronic NSD could take the burden of these inquiries, and management principles would also need to build a metadata Records it is a simple and quick process to search, for example, all Management Policy. the use of Bureau data by social scientists. system or index that catalogues the data held, who holds opinion polls for questions dealing with disarmament supervise it, in what form, and monitor transactions, together with the in the light between 1960 and 1970, and print out the frequency of these findings it is felt that Australian NSD is now regarded by the Bureau as a useful facility for data descriptions or metadata and operating environments. Archives retain distributions for those items. the networked access component of the making its data available to the research community, with In addition such a metadata system would need to be overall Electronic Records Management Policy as a vision NSD is much more than an atmosphere of cooperation rather than competition maintained by client agencies, be linked to Archives control to aspire to. However it should not My second major lesson was that proceed with further a variety of other characterising the relationship. The Bureau charges NSD systems, be reviewed by the Archives and be available to work on Guideline 6 until the archival a store-house for old data. it performs data management important functions for Norwegian social scientists. NSD only for the cost of transferring data; in return, the NSD the users of the Archives. principles and metadata principles have been developed examines all applications which go to the Norwegian gives due credit to the Bureau, and refuses to take value- and implemented. the distribution of Bureau data (private The Australian Archives therefore is now directing its Research Council by social scientists seeking permission added profits from wishing to purchase data are refered to the efforts into undertaking, with invited agencies, in to conduct surveys, and gives recommendations to the companies conclusion the project concept, the draft Electronic Bureau). investigations into the existing data management principles Records Management Council about which applications should be approved. Guidelines and the concept of the a variety of written materials for and metadata principles presently being used by agencies networked access model NSD has also produced has now been discussed with a packaged with the PC statistical Atle feels that NSD s strength must also be attributed to and preparing with them the functional requirements needed number of agencies, professional organisations teaching statistics, and other package NSDstat , which NSD wrote and its participation in social science teaching. NSDstat is to formulate archival data management and metadata archival institutions as well as computing software companies. interested in learning more about currently used in 350 out of 600 high schools in Nonrvay, principles that can be applied Commonwealth-wide. in the There is positive support for the developed. (For anyone project and the principles user-friendly , yet powerful, software, the and will be available in seven languages, including English, process of developing the archival data management and contained within the this inexpensive, guidelines. All bodies agree that the Social Science Data Archives has a copy.) The by the end of 1992. NSDstat continues to undergo metadata principles the working party will also need to networked access model should be explored and that organisation also provides information about ongoing improvements, discussed at the First ' NSDstat address the issues of what constitutes an electronic record further work needs to be done on individual components of of archival importance. research, and conducts a number of specialised projects. international Workshop, held in Bergen in May this year. the overall model. ,M..W_MW_WWWW~MWWMm- .. NSD also plays an active role in providing raw data for use
.. .. in schools. For example, at the time of a Norwegian The findings examining the network model contained within The Nonrvegian Example NSD has been evaluated in Norway as a "great success", Guideline 6 showed that the telecommunications aspects and is frequently used bynational media as a source of election, NSD conducted an "election" survey in schools topical social statistics. With a population of less than a throughout Norway, collated the data, and then distributed of the networked access model are technically feasible and Stephanie Legg-England Will become even less of an issue as GOSIP and OSl third of Australia's population, they have anorganisation to the schools within 10 days so that the students could become nearly five times the size of our Social Science Data analyse the data while it was still topical. widely implemented in the Federal Government. A in early August, courtesy of an ANU Overseas gateway Study Archives, offering a correspondingly greater range of product provides the likely technical solution for a Award, i spent a very educational and inspiring communication two days at services. NSD has made itself indispensable to the NSD staff are quick to attribute NSD's success to the network in the short to medium term as it is the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD), unlikely that general Norwegian Research Council since NSD offered to qualities ofits founder, Stein Rokkan, who is reputed to availability of GOSIP compliant located at Bergen on Norway's fjord-ridden west coast. products for database access examine applications to the Council from researchers have been a charismatic and influential figure. Perhaps and metadata support will be The aim was to learn how NSD operates and about the available before the latter half of this decade. wishing to conduct surveys, and NSD has also roved to another factor contributing to the rowth of the organisation services it offers. I came away with a head full of the Central Statistics Bureau that it can usefully andle all is Bergen's inclement weather. he rain (which is almost information and ideas, not to mention memories of an It was also realised though that requests for Central Statistics Bureau data. incessant, according to my experiences) could be a great the networked access excellent reindeer fillet, and a stomach full of Atle model ideally required a front end access language that inducement to sit indoors in front of a computer and think Alvheim's delicious home-made bread rolls. No doubt there are several factors required to explain how would allow a user to search and manipulate any of the about the needs of the social science community. electronic such a small country can have such a servrce for its socral records of permanent value on agency archival The first lesson l learnt was to abandon databases the practice of scientists. connected to the network. At present, agencies thinking of survey data in terms of discrete use a data files number of Data Manipulation Languages (DML s), corresponding to separate questionnaires. some of them being Structured As far as NSD's growth may be partly attributed to the existence of Query Language (SQL) possrble, NSD incorporates survey data into based. However they large the Data Law. This is the law which dictates that do not at present meet the full databases of question items and their associated requrrement of the proposed Common Access Language. researchers must have the approval of the Norwegian frequency distributions, pooled from different years and (in Research Council before collecting survey data. The law a number of vendors are developing products that help the case of lSSP data and the Eurobarometers) different also prevents researchers from keeping their raw survey
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WWW.WWMMM.WWWWMWWWWWWMM SSDA News September 1992 SSDA News September 1992
if you make use of SSDA information via WAIS, please Zealanders and also on their knowledge of the current SSDA Data Holdings - Extension of Electronic let us know (by e-maii if you like) as we are interested in state of the economy. _ ' Access being kept informed of the way in which the system iS 3) lSSP 1991 New ealanders Attitudes to Religion. The Social Researchers: Analysis of Australian being used, and whether we should be expanding the range New Zealand module of the international Socrai Survey Following on from the article in our last Newsletter dealing of information currently available. Programme for 1991 Youth Survey Data with access to files of SSDA information available via For those interested in finding out more about WAIS and 4) Manawatu Labour Force Survey 1984. The data set anonymous FTP, the SSDA is now considering other from the first labour force survey to be conducted In New Are how it connects with other services available over the you a social researcher interested in young people and means to facilitate the efficient transfer of information on focused on (a) trialling a general their internet, the SSDA has a copy of an e-mail report Zealand. The study education, training and employment pathways? Are SSDA holdings. labour force and (b) had additional questions relating you experienced in prepared by Hilde Colenbrander from the Universrty of the analysis of complex data sets? Are in relation to labour. you able to Consideration is being given to making text files from the British Columbia on the recent American Society for ificaiiy to gender issues produce policy relevant analysis and reporting? gmealth and Poverty in New Zealand 1984. A survey Are you interested in researching latest SSDA Catalogue available as a database on information Science (ASIS) Mid-Year Meeting held in issues pertinent to young commissioned by TVNZ on the distribution of wealth in people on a "fee for service" basis"? OZLINE, the National Library of Australia's database Albuquerque, New Mexico in May this year. This report (5 network. Preliminary discussions have already been held pages) is available in hard copy or as an electronic file. New Zealand. . 6) New Zealand Public Safety Survey 1990. A national if so, the Department of with the Library on the format required for the files. Some information about many of the projects mentioned in the Employment, Education and study commissioned by the NZ Police on New Zealanders Training would like to hear from you. work will be required by SSDA staff to develop this format report (WAIS included) can also be found in "Electronic and to determine how sections relating to particular types networking: research, applications and policy" volume 2, views of crime and public safety. of data holdings will DEET conducts a large scale longitudinal survey known as be arranged, so a timetable for no. 1, Spring 1992. development of We will be getting a number of others - some especially the Australian Youth Survey (AYS). it began in 1989 and this project will be determined in the near future. We hope to interesting ones on education and social mobility as well as has been conducted each year since. Data are collected by be able to provide more information in face-to-face interviews the next newsletter. Tasman Correspondent - News from NZSRDA the Values Study surveys but i thought id list the ones we using a 40 page questionnaire. actually have." Topics covered include: We are also pleased to announce that we have taken the opportunity In the September 1990 issue of the ACSPRI Newsletter to extend electronic access to SSDA The NZSRDA can be contacted directly at the address - demographic and family information we reported on the establishment of a working group at background further to encompass access via WAiS listed below, or through the SSDA: - education and training through the ANU. Massey University to consider the formation of a New - labour market activity Zealand Data Archive. The recently formed New Zealand For those not familiar Dr Henry Barnard - health, housing and income with WAlS, it began as a joint Social Research Data Archive (NZSRDA) is the result of project between Thinking Machines Cor oration, Apple this endeavour; its Director, Dr Henry Barnard, from the Director, NZSRDA Computer, Dow Jones and Co. and KPM Peat Marwick, Faculty of Social Sciences Such data are not available from any other source in Faculty of Social Sciences at Massey is its foundation Australia. initially to provide easy access to a number of local and Director. Henry Barnard has agreed to act as our Massey University remote databases. WAIS software creates a user NZSRDA correspondent, and has provided the following Palmerston North New Zealand interface DEET has begun an AYS Working which allows browsing, selection and retrieval of notes on the staffing and current data holdings of the E-mail: [email protected] Paper Series which will remote information report on issues such as: (usually from full-text databases) by Archive. The SSDA is also cooperating with the Archive non-technical users. The WAiS interface software is by making available deposit copies of data from New HealthWiz loaded onto your machine, and the servers to which you Zealand surveys currently in its holdings. - socio-economic status and changes in school The National Social Health Database, or HealthWiz, is an participation then gain access index and retrieve documents already preceded integrated database packa e of social health data which - subject choice in school at remote sites. Users are able to frame their "Mrs. Sandhya Chatterjee took up the position of queries in unrestricted has been produced by the ommonweaith Department of - early school leavers - who are natural language and searches can Assistant Data Archivist in the NZSRDA on the 13 July they and how do they fare? be endlessly Health, Housin and Community Services, under the - young people with disabilities redefined. There are also a number of 1992. Mrs. Chatterjee has a B.Sc (Econ) Honours degree directories available National Better ealth Program. - transition from school to work through WAIS which can point the from the University of London and a M.Phii in Agricultural user to sewers which may Available for use on iBM compatible machines - unemployment and employment issues contain the information they are Economics from Massey University. She has had preferably looking for. WAIS software is currently available free of extensive experience working with econometric data and with a colour monitor, HealthWiz provides the ability to charge (through FTP tabulate data, often at the if you feel you have the skills and experience from a variety of internet servers). the use of computers in the manipulation and analysis of community level, from a number to contribute interfaces for Macintosh, of data sources. to this work and you would like more XWindows and UNlX machines data sets. Ms. Chatterjee is already deeply involved in The current release contains population information, please are currently available. data from call Geoff Parkinson on (06) 2768743. Written Contact your local computing site cleaning and documenting the rst of the data sets that the the 1986 Census (such as age, sex, birthplace, expressions Ifor i'rliformation on whether occupation, of interest should be addressed to WAlS software is available NZSRDA has already acquired. marital status, income, family structure and oca y. language spoken at home), mortality data for example by age, sex, birthplace, Geoff Parkinson Section i of the Catalogue, containing full The NZSRDA has acquired the following data sets: occupation, marital status and cause catalogue entries of death), and medical ALS Section for sample surveys is the main document service and hospital use data. available via 1) Other data sources will Department of Employment, Education and WAiS from the SSDA. Limited Living Conditions of the Elderly 1990. A national survey be added to the package in future Training information is also commissioned re eases. PO Box 9880 available on other holdings (opinion polls, by Age Concern and National Mutual on the census files and living conditions of the elderly in New Canberra ACT 2601 data received from overseas data organisations). Zealand. More information on the availability of HealthWiz can be Files 2) ociai issues survey 1991. A national survey were encoded for use with WAlS by programming staff obtained from National Social Health Database Project, at commissioned by the Prime Minister's office the Coombs Computing Unit, mainly Dr Matthew Ciolek. which Department of Health, Housing and Community Services, focuses on what social issues are important to New - __.__.______ ______
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SSDA News September 1992 SSDA News September 1992
S: there are special access conditions peculiar to the data Ernie Lang, Tim Stockwell, Philip Rydon,and Christine Research into the Prevention GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601 (ph: 06 289 1555; possible through the use of Optical Mark Recognition set in question Gamble. National Centre for of Drug Abuse. Drinking Settings, and Drinking fax: 06 289 8420). (OMR) technology which enables speedy processing of U: as specified in the User Undertaking Form, the user is and Alcohol Related Harm, Perth 1990 questions which were able to be marked on the census required to obtain the permission in writing of the original Patterns, in addition to HealthWiz, the Department has also. (SSDA No. 615) announced the release of two complementary products - A form. Other "data ackages" and customised matrices depositor of the data, or an authorised representative, (some available Social Health Atlas of Australia, and HEAPS for at D level) from these preliminary counts before publishing any interpretation of such materials patterns and places of will be This survey focused on people's micrcomputer. produced - contact your local ABS office for more t.b.a: to be advised (Access Category not determined) and attitudes towards information. It's drinking, and their knowledge expected that final population counts will within the licensed The Atlas presents a profile of the socio-economic status be released For datasets listed as having no special Access Category, strategies aimed at minimising harm over the next twelve months, with Tasmania had four main aims: rst, and health service use of Australians through a series of being the rst in September 1992. users must still sign a standard SSDA User Undertaking drinking environment. The study coloured maps in two volumes. Volume One includes data Form prior to access. to examine how types of drinking setting are related to mapped Other Census 1991 Products. The 1991 Census different patterns of alcohol use and alcohol related by local government areas for the capital cities Data can be ordered in writing from the SSDA, and and major urban centres, Collection District (CD) Comparability List is now roblems; second, to discover the level of knowledge of and many towns and rural areas intending users should specify particular magnetic tape or across Australia. available on both microfiche and floppy disk. Two versions aws relating to the sale and consumption of alcohol; third, Volume Two covers data from two major floppy disk requirements at this time. Charges for data can population surve s conducted by the ABS, the 1989-90 are available on microfiche - 1991 Census CD order, and to determine people's attitudes to the concept of server National Health urvey and the 1986 Census CD order ($10 per set) The floppy disk be supplied on request. Users can also request information responsibility and server liability; and, fourth, to establish survey of Disabled and or order data using E-mail. Aged Persons. The two volume set can be purchased version is available only in 1991 CD order for $100. the level of community support for prevention initiatives from ABS capital city bookshops. A number of companion documents to the new Australian *********§****it targetted toward licensed drinking settings. Standard Geographic Classification have been roduced. HEAPS, the Health Education and Promotion System, is Department of Health, Housing and Community Services. The survey consisted of four parts. The first part was a national database which provides information on health The 1991 Census Geographic Areas (AB Cat No. Household Chemicals Study, 1991 (SSDA No. 614) 2905.0) and the 1991 Census Urban Centres / Localities administered by an interviewer and asked for details of promotion materials and activities throughout Australia. recent drinking sessions, including the venue for each The database lists various resources including audiotapes, Code List (ABS Cat. No. 2909.0) are for use in defining This study arose from a concern expressed by the National standard geographic areas for which 1991 Census data session, type of alcohol consumed, quantity of alcohol, booklets, films, pamphlets, posters, workbooks and Health and Medical Research Council about the need to length of session, reason for drinking, satisfaction wrth may be required. resulting from poisoning manuals and under each listing gives such information as reduce the rate of accidental death session, mode of transport, other people present, the producer and contact address, target groups, a brief Census Forms on Microfiche. Forms from the last in the home. The survey was designed to assess: (1) the availability of other activities and entertainment, who paid understanding of the hazards abstract, language of the material, and subject categories eighty years of Australian censuses (twelve in all from the extent of community for the drinks, and usage of drugs during the session. The of various domestic chemicals; (2) for searching. HEAPS has previously been available first national census in 1911 to 1991) have been produced associated with the use second part of the survey was a self completion of, attitudes to and behaviour relating to through OZLlNE at the National Library of Australia; this on microfiche, together with supporting documents and awareness questionnaire assessing knowledge of alcohol-related harm microcomputer version has been produced as an instruction sheets for each census. A table showing the warning statements and first aid and safety directions on and drinking offences, and views about responsibility for alternative for those users who may not be able to make evolution of census content over time has also been the labels of domestic chemical products; (3) the impact of drinking and ways of reducing alcohol-related harm. The packaging of these products; and (4) the range of use of the OZLlNE version. included. For more information on this product, contact third part of the survey was a uestionnaire completed only formulated chemical products used in the home. HEAPS runs on lBM compatibles with 640k memory, hard Egg/2e Smith from the ABS Canberra office on (06) 252 by respondents who drink a cohol. This questionnaire disk drive with a minimum of 10Mb free space. An initial covered personal experiences of negative effects of subscription includes Survey items covered beliefs about harmfuiness of drinking. ose who reported some negative effects were the main database, a manual and a Crime Victims Survey. The ABS intends to conduct a products, attentiveness to instructions and warnings, year's regular updates. For more information contact National Crime Victims Survey in 1993, following on from awareness of the seriousness of various accidents with administered the fourth part of the survey, which asked for HEAPS National details of the relevant drinking sessions. Background Coordinators, Datascape information Pty the last such survey in 1983. Criminal offences such as household chemicals, experience with and responses to Ltd, GPO Box variables covered by the survey were age, sex, marital 1870, Canberra ACT 2601 (ph: 06 286 break and enter, attempted break and enter, motor vehicle accidental poisoning, and the effectiveness of different 3529; fax: 06 286 6570). theft, assault, sexual assault and robbery will be covered. status, fevei of education, employment status, occupation, types of package information. Background variables income, and birthplace. News from the ABS covered were age, sex, educational level, occupation, marital status, income, stage of life, household The SS DA regularly receives a number of newsletters and Recent Additions to SSDA Holdings composition, country of birth, and dif culties with English AeoessCategoryA bulletins from State ABS offices, which provide useful Additions to SSDA holdings or reading in general. An additional audit, administered to background information and discussion on ABS survey are listed below. Please note Department of Health and National Heart Foundation that some of these carry an Access part of the total sample, recorded the presence and activities, new user services and methodological issues Category which National Dietary Survey of Adults, Australia, 1983 should be interpreted as follows: storage details of a large range of household chemicals such as variable coding. Snippets from these publications including drugs/medication, cieaning substances, laundry (SSDA No. 616) are reproduced in SSDA News for the information of our A: the depositor wishes to be informed (by the Archives) products, handyman products, pesticides, garden products readers; further information on any of these news items of use being made of the data, in order to comment on that and veterinary products. The National Dietary Survey of Adults was conducted in should be obtained directly from ABS of ces. use and make contact with colleagues of similar interests 1983 as a component of the Risk Factor Prevalence Study conducted by the National Heart Foundation Census 1991 Preliminary Counts. The ABS B: the depositor wishes to be informed of each request to Access Category: A in that year has now (see SSDA Study No. 414). The specific aims of the released preliminary counts from the 1991 Census for use the data in order to give or withhold permission all survey were: to collect dietary intake data states and territories, and on a national basis. The to determine the rapid E: there is an embargo period: no access is permitted until food consumption and nutrient intake appearance of preliminary count figures has been made of a national sample after the date speci ed of Australian adults; to compare the intake of nutrients and
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- - ______._.______SSDA News September 1992 SSDA News September 1992
- - - __ __ ______This release of National Social Science Survey (NSSS) happiness; recent illness; long term conditions; hospital specific foods in various sub-groups in this population; and Access Category: the data follows on from the first wave of data collected in inpatient episodes; visits to casualty / outpatients units; to determine the relationship between diet patterns of the 1984 (see SSDA Study No. 423). Additional NSSS consultations with doctors; dental consultations; subgroups and their body mass index, blood lipid levels, Brian Galligan and Roger Jones, Australian National releases include the National Social Science Survey consultations with other health professionals; use of hypertension and other health factors. University; Joseph Fletcher, University of Toronto integrated Data File 1984 to 1988 (SSDA No. 594 and the medications (including vitamins and mineral supplements); (Canada); lan McAiiister, University of New South Wales. National Social Science Survey Panel 1987 (8 DA No. days away from work or school; and other days of reduced For the dietary section of the survey project, basic Rights in Australia, 1991-1992: National Household 548) in which all respondents from the original survey in activity. A section on health risk factors covered smoking, measurements of each respondent's upper arm Sample (SSDA No.618) 1984 who could be located were reinterviewed on a range alcohol consumption, exercise, dietary changes, height and Circumference, height, weight and blood pressure were of topics. weight, injury accidents and immunisation. Women's health taken. A range of demographic information was also The principal objectives of the Rights in Australia project issues canvassed included breast examination, pap collected, which included: sex, age, region, and country of were: to establish the level of support for civil liberties and This release includes data from questions asked as part of smears, oral and other contraceptives and whether children birth, length of residence in Australia, highest level of civil rights among Australians; to determine the firmness or the international Social Survey Programme (a comparative were ever breastfed. Background variables covered sex, education, employment status, occupation status and solidity of Australians' attitudes to civil liberties; to explore file containing data from all countries in the Programme is age, marital status, country of birth, year of arrival in occupation, whether currently pregnant, use of vitamin how Australians make up their mind in specific civil also available from the SSDA), as well as from questions Australia, relationship to head of household, age left supplements and salt intake, and usual way of eating. liberties controversies, especially where there are not previously released. There are two files currently school, highest qualification, employment status and Respondents were then asked to complete a 24 hour competing sides to a situation; and to identify principal lodged with the SSDA - a public release and a file of number of jobs, occupation and industry, usual hours dietary recall schedule with the assistance of an characteristics which might affect the support or rejection variables still embargoed by the principal investigators. worked, language other than English spoken at home, interviewer, using standardised techniques such as food of certain civil liberties. This data release represents the main source of income and annual income. models, calibrated containers and geometric models as first stage in the project: the surveying of a representative As in other NSSS releases, the data file contains a wide aids to assess food intake. sample of the Australian population. The second stage range of attitudinal questions. Sections cover religion and Access Category: S. Available to ANU staff and Access Category: t.b.a comprises interviews with a 'decision makers' sample - moral issues; attitudes to government policies, including students only. Also available direct from the ABS. individuals from three groups, the legislature, the judiciary feeling thermometer questions; opinions on taxes and Department of Health and Australian Council for Health, and the executive (public servants, public prosecutors and benefits; voting; trade unions; attitudes to work, Richard Hays and Leonie Sanderson. University of PhySical Education and Recreation incorporated. National police officers). The data from this second stage will also supervision, and decision making at work; satisfaction with Sydney. General Practice Evaluation: Content of Dietary Survey of Schoolchildren, Australia, 1985 be deposited with the SSDA (as SSDA No. 619) and will job; attitudes to working women; general questions on life Consultations, 1991. (SSDA No. 622) (SSDA No. 617) be available for secondary analysis. satisfaction; and courtship and marriage. Background sections asked the respondent about occupation, This data was collected as part of the development of an The National Dietary Survey of Schoolchildren was The household sample questionnaire starts with questions education, and quali cations; about income and standard instrument for mapping the content of general practice conducted in conjunction with the Health and Fitness used to establish a general measure of the respondent's of living; membership of trade unions; birthplace; and consultations. Consultation mapping is a method of Survey of the Australian Council for Health, Physical attitudes to equality of rights and tolerance of actions ancestry. Questions on birthplace, education, political systematic observation, borrowed from the behavioural Education and Recreation incorporated (ACHPER). its against the government. This is followed by a section orientation and occupation were also asked of the sciences. A consultation map may be described as a two- main aims were: to determine food consumption and dealing with more specific rights issues - freedom of respondent's spouse or partner, and information was also dimensional representation of activity occurring during a nutrient intake of Australian schoolchildren aged 10 to 15 speech, racial discrimination, and freedom of choice, recorded on the birthplace, occupation and education of consultation, over a length of time. years in both rural and urban areas; to collect national data including censorship, euthanasia, abortion and parents, grandparents and children. The international on children's diets to develop nutrition policy and homosexuality. Further sections deal with: legal rights - component focuses on issues relating to inequality in in order to create a consultation map, large segments of associated nutrition education and other programs for this right to trial, right to trial by jury, contact with the police; society including: personal responses to government conversation, short sentences, singie Words or periods of actions; privacy; responsibility population group; to collect biochemical data on the iron sexual discrimination; racial prejudice towards Asians and of government to reduce dialogue are categorised according to the type of status of boys and girls aged 9, 12 and 15 years in the Aboriginals; and the issue of a Bill of Rights for Australia. income inequality; job opportunities for different roups in communication talung place. This study em loys ten population group; and to correlate iron status of boys and Background information was also collected on political society; discipline for children and the role of a state; different categories of communication: (1;, current income tax and inflation; responsiveness of governments problems, girls aged 12 and 15 years with dietary intakes of iron in orientation, vote at last election, interest in politics and nature and history; (2) Patient ideas; 3) Patient population subgroups. compulsory voting. Demographic to public opinion, and the power of the individual; and areas concerns; (4) Patient expectations; (5) 0n olng problems; information on the of government spending. - respondent included: age, sex, country (6) Health omotion ilness prevention;( Explanation to of birth and year of patient; (B nvolving patient in management; Basic measurements of upper arm circumference, height, arrival in Australia, citizenship status, age starting and (9) Action weight and blood pressure were taken from each leaving school, type Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey, taken; (10) Social/neutral. The data consist of minute-by- of school attended, highest 1989-1990 (SSDA No. 621) respondent. Background information collected included: qualification, religion and frequency of church attendance, minute information about which of the ten categories of sex, communication occurred, age, state of residence, country of birth, parents' marital status, numbers of children and numbers in the in each of thirty consultations. country This is the latest in a series of national health of birth, length of residence in Australia, language household, occupation and labour force status, trade union surveys spoken at home, how frequently the respondent consumed membership and household income. conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The data Access Category B alcohol and whether the respondent ate before going to file is organised on an individual respondent basis, with a number of identifying school. A 24 hour dietary and beverage intake schedule Jonathan Kelley, Clive Bean and Mariah Evans, variables which allow the David Kelly, Mater Public Hospitals. Marion Hubbard, Australian identification and analysis was also completed with the assistance of a trained National University. National Social Science Survey on a household, family and Australian College of Health Service Executives interViewer. 1986-1987: Role of Government (SSDA No. 620) income unit basis. (Queensland). John Menzies, Sunshine Coast Regional Health Authority. Anne-Mares Stranger, Queensland Sections of the survey covered: self-assessed health and Health Department. Professional Development of
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SSDA News September 1992
9539); 1973 (lCPSR 9541); 1969 (lCPSR 9547) , mesa 9720) Senior Rural Health Staff, Queensland, 1991. (SSDA the second described the risks of damage as significant Drug Testing of Juvenile Detainees to Identify High-Risk Youth in Florida. ,, y 1990 (lCPSR 9614) N0. 624) and the impact substantial (the major impact scenario). In 1986 1987 (lCPSR 9686) W W ta addition, respondents were asked to respond to values Euro-Barometer 32: The Sin le European Market, Drugs, Alcohol, g f (,9 a .. The aim of this survey was to identify specific already defined, that is, instead of respondents being Cancer, November 1989 (ICPS 9519) , : thGCf- SR 9620) management education needs of senior staff in asked what they would be willing to pay, they were asked Fraud Victimization Survey, 1990: [United States] (lCPSR 9733) 1 v Pout,0dober1990 lCPSR9615); Queensland Regional Health Authorities and private if they would be willing to pay a specified amount. ._ 1990(lcPs996i :Deeember hospitals. The results would be used to assist in Impact of Legislation to Prohibit "Happy Hours" in lndiana, 19834988 9&1);April1991(lCP R9622) (lCPSR 9732) g 5, developing a co-ordinated strategic response to meet the In addition to speci c contingent valuation questions, the Times Persian Gulf War Polls, January-February identi ed needs. survey also asked respondents a series of attitude Impact of Sentencing Reforms and Speedy Trial Laws in the linked Sides, , 3 9) 19691999 (lCPSR 9736) I. Tim s/ram System questions ranging from the importance of recreational is u hmmmwamawsnmnCollaborative The survey asked for staff members' opinions about activities within national parks, the relationship between Juvenile Court Statistics, 1986: Reported Cases in Calendar a problems in trying to obtain professional management Base (lCPSR 9691) jobs and natural resources, the importance of Aboriginal '1 and Housi , 1990 [United States]: Summary Tape development, assistance needed to adress these cultural concerns, and the financial benefits to Australia. Mandatory Drug Offender Processing Data: 1986 {982 Scenarios Exarmnlg Fife (lCPSR 9592) problems, perceived importance (lCPSR 9565) of different areas of Respondents were also asked whether they thought 7 _ Pawns. 1989 [United States]: US. Summary, State, and development, preferred channels for receiving continuing governments paid attention to individual views on natural Minimum L al Drinking Age and Crime in the United 9740) professional education, willingness to spend time (lCPSR 9685 , on such resources; the importance of forests and Australia's timber permutation in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR): education, and interest in a mutual support program. resources; and four behavioural questions - whether they National Health Interview Survey Supplements: Survey, 1990 (lCPSR 9726) Background variables included the respondent's age, recycled household materials, the purchase 9705); 1976, Family Medical Expenses (lCPSR 9706]; 1: . . I of (lCPSR 9709; 1976, Health insurance (lease) . ore and Measurements of the Height of Runawa Slaves and geographical location,position In his/her occupation, highest environmentally sound products, the watching of Knowledge an Attitudes (lCPSR 9708); 1969, wired Servants in the United States, 1700-1850 (lCPSR 9%21) level of education completed, membership of professional environmental 1989, Di estive Disorders (lCPSR 970%;19%9. programs on TV and membership of a 9361) colleges or associations, and current efforts to obtain 9703); 1 89, Immunization (lCPSR 9 7), .1 d European Communities Studies, 1970-1989: Cumulative File (lCPSR consenration organisation. Background information covered 9701) further quali cations. age, sex, education level, income, job status, industry, Facuty at Work, 1988-1989: [United States] (lCPSR 9713) occupation and country of birth. National Incidence Studies of Miss ,, i , , i and raphic Reference File - Names, 1990 (Census Version): [United Access Category A Thrownaway Children (NISMART), 1988 ( j : : States] (lCPSR 9731) Access Category: 8. These data are available only to National Medical Ex nditure $0 1992: ' . , qulaion Characteristics and erson-Levelmm ' ' Use T Law and Finance in Il nois, 1868-1874 (lCPSR 9680) Resource Assessment Commission. Kakadu staff and students of the ANU through the SSDA. Other Conservation Zone Contin 13] (lCPSR 9695); Survey olArnerimn; " . l :7: 800 1 Marital Instability Over the Life Course [United States]: AThree Wave Panel ent Valuation Survey, interested researchers should contact the Resource Person-Level File [Public Use T339 11, Study, 1980-1988 (lCPSR 9747) Australia, 1990 (SSDA No. 631 Assessment Commission direct for access to the data. National Prosecutors Survey, 1990, V National Health Interview Survey, 1975: Accident Supplement, (lCPSR 9760); Family Medical Expenses Supplement (lCPSR 9761); Health The objective of this study was to provide information on Patterns of Drug Use and Their ,f Prediction of Patients lCPSR Additions to Holdings of Delinquency and Crime in 5 4988 (lCPSR 9684) Maintenance Organization (HMO) Sam 6 Person Supplement (lCPSR environmental values, and in particular to estimate the 9763); Health Mantenance Organization MO) Supplement (lCPSR 9744); dollar value Australians would place on the The following titles have been extracted from the ICPSR Bulletins Pretrial Home Detention visit midterm: An Evaluation in Marion PhySlcal Fitness Supplement CPSR 97 ) Conservation dated February and Zone and Kakadu May 1992. Datasets are not currently held by County, lndiana1988~1m 1 .' ~ ) National Park if mining were not the SSDA, but may be ordered from ICPSR on request. Contact National Health interview Survey, 1985: Health Promotion and Disease permitted in the Zone compared with their valuations if the SSDA for more details. Reducing Prison V1055 Effective Inmate Management: An Prevention (HPDP) Child Safety/infant Feeding S omen! lCPSR 9765); mining were permitted, with possible environmental Experiment Field Test of the ant Classification (PMC) Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (H DP) moklng istory During Annual Survey of Governments, 1989: Finance System in Washirmcn 5N9. 3987-1988 (iCPS 9665) Pregnancy Supplement (lCPSR 9764) damage. The survey was split into two samples: a sample Statistics (lCPSR 9692) of Northern Territory residents; and a sample of residents Census of Population and Housing [United States], Extract Data: 1970 Socioeconomic and MW Characteristics of Synthetic Drug Users National Matemai and Infant Health Survey, 1988 (lCPSR 9730) (lCPSR 9694); 1980 (lCPSR 9693) in San Diego WWW. Do. 1990 (lCPSR 9737) of all other states. National Medical Expenditure Survey, 1987: Household Survey. Prescrbed go rgclidated Federal Funds Report (CFFR), Fiscal Year 1990 (lCPSR Surveys of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior, 1989: Janu [IRCPSR 9635); Medicine Data [Public Use Tape 14. ] (lCPSR 9746) These individual valuations February 93301388 9636 ; March (lCPSR 963 ;April (IC S 9638); May were determined using lCPSR 9): Juneés PSR 9640); July lC SR 9641 ;August (ICPS National Nursing Home Survey, 1973-1974 (lCPSR 9725) contingent valuation, a method of placing dollar values on Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 1989: Diary Survey (lCPSR 9714); 2); September R9643); October (I PSR 9644); ovember (lCPSR interview Survey (lCPSR 9712) Politico-Rel ious 0r anization and Economic Change in Zinacantan, aspects of the natural environment. The contingent 9645); December( PSR9646) Mexico,1 -1987(IC R9727) valuation method constructs a hypothetical market for the County Business Patterns, 1988 [United States]: US. Summary. State, and ABC News Poii, Ju 1991 (lCPSR 9758); ABC News Union of Soviet amenity County Data (lCPSR 9711) Recidivism of Felons on Probation, 1986-1989: [United States] (lCPSR in question. In this survey, respondents were Socialist Republics( SSR) Coup Poll, August 1991 (lCPSR 9757) 9574) asked how much they would be willing to pay to prevent Criminal Careers and Crime Control in Massachusetts The Glueck Study]: ABC News/Washington Post Clarence Thomas Hearing Poll, Se ember possible environmental damage A Matched-Sample Longitudinal Research Design, P ass 1, 1939-1963 Survey of Households in Five Judicial Districts of the United States: A Civil from mining in the 1991(ICPSR 9767); Clarence Thomas Vote Delay Polls, Oct r1991 Litigation Project, 1977-1979 (lCPSR 9743) Conservation Zone. Because the extent of environmental (lCPSR 9735) (lCPSR 9766) damage from proposed mining is in dispute, the survey Current Population Surveys: Annual Demographic File, 1991 lCPSR 9739); Surve of Ton Litigants in Three State Courts, 1989-1990: [United States] ABC News/Washi on Post Poll #1, October 1991 (iCPSR 9755): #2, (ICPS 9699) group was split in two. A different description January 1991: Job Training lCPSR 971639;,3June 1990: ertility, Birth October 1991 (lCPS 9754) of Expectations, Marital envrronmental impact was presented to each group: the History I PSR 9717); tember1989:Veteransand Testing Theories of Criminality and Victimization in Seattle, 1960-1990 Cardiovascular Disease Ris Factor Supplements (lCPSR 9719); Voter Access to Justice in Ontario, 1985 1 988 (lCPSR 9729) (ICPS 9741) first stated that there would be very little damage and that Supplement File, 1990 (lCPSR 9715) damage would be limited (the minor impact scenario); Adaptation Process of Cuban and Mexican Immigrants it the United States, Washington Post Soviet Attitude Poll, August 1991 (lCPSR 9756) and Current Population Surveys, October (School Enrollment): 1975 (lCPSR 972-1979 (lCPSR 9672)
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