Data dissemination

Dissemination is the release to users of information obtained through a statistical activity. Various release media are possible, for example, Statistics Canada’s The Daily; CANSIM or some other electronic format via the Internet; a paper publication; a microfiche; a microdata file of anonymized survey responses; a telephone or facsimile response to a special request; or a public speech, presentation or television or radio interview. Data mentioned in the “Data availability” notices in The Daily are considered to be released and fall within the scope of these guidelines.

Principles

It is important that attention be paid to the delivery of information to users to ensure that it is accurate, complete, accessible and appropriately priced, understandable, usable, timely and meets confidentiality requirements. Those responsible for dissemination will keep in mind users’ needs, exploit technological advances in order to enable users to process the statistical information cost-effectively and efficiently in their own working environments, and consider market expectations, based, for example, on feedback from previous clients, product testing or marketing activities.

Many of the principles and guidelines in the earlier section on data quality evaluation and in the following two sections on data analysis (and presentation) and on documentation are relevant to data dissemination. Several Statistics Canada policies are concerned with dissemination (Statistics Canada, 1985a, 1985c, 1986a, 1986c, 1987, 1988, 1992a, 1992b, 1993a, 1993b, 1994a, 1994b) but are not elaborated upon here except where they relate to quality. Thus, for example, specific policies related to licensing, copyright and announcement in The Daily, although important for data dissemination in general, are excluded from these guidelines.

• Preparation of data to be released from a statistical activity’s source file usually involves many steps. Verify and ensure that released data, after all the processing steps, are consistent with the source data obtained. In the case of regrouped data or derived variables this means that one should be able to reproduce the same results from the source data.
  
  
• Where data validation by an external organization is necessary and where significant benefits to data quality are anticipated or have been previously demonstrated, unreleased non-confidential information may be provided to external organizations for purposes of validation before its official release in The Daily, under conditions laid down in the Policy on Statistics Canada’s Daily (Statistics Canada, 1993b).
  
  
• Test an electronic product before release to ensure that it performs as planned.
  
  
• Provide data quality measures or, where possible, tools for their calculation (e.g., CV look-up tables, sampling variance programs) along with the disseminated product (Statistics Canada, 2000d).
  
  
• Provide documentation along with the disseminated material that contains, as appropriate, descriptions of its quality and the methodology used (Statistics Canada, 2000d). The documentation may be on paper or in electronic form. When the medium is electronic, provide instructions on how to access the information and data.
  
  
• Provide elements of documentation required to the Integrated Metadatabase (Statistics Canada, 2000c) for each survey reference period. The IMDB is Statistics Canada’s primary vehicle for implementing its Policy of Informing Users of Data Quality and Methodology (Statistics Canada, 2000d). The IMDB covers direct, administrative, derived surveys, and a combination of these.
  
  
• Develop a dissemination product consistent in style and formatting to other Statistics Canada products: this will assist in its use.
  
  
• Provide a contact person, a telephone number and an e-mail address for each release of information. Ensure that prompt and knowledgeable service and support are available during regular working hours.
  
  

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Statistics Canada (1985c). Policy on Software Dissemination. Policy Manual, 3.5.

Statistics Canada (1986a). Policy on Complimentary Distribution to the Media. Policy Manual, 3.2.

Statistics Canada (1986c). Policy on the Distribution of Products to Provincial and Territorial Focal Points. Policy Manual, 3.4.

Statistics Canada (1987). Policy on Microdata Release. Policy Manual, 4.2.

Statistics Canada (1988). Policy on Marketing. Policy Manual, 3.7.

Statistics Canada (1992a). Information Licensing Policy. Policy Manual, 3.8.

Statistics Canada (1992b). Policy on Fees and Charges for Products and Services. Policy Manual, 3.6.

Statistics Canada (1993a). Discretionary Release Policy. Policy Manual, 4.3.

Statistics Canada (1993b). Policy on Statistics Canada’s Daily (official release). Policy Manual, 3.3.

Statistics Canada (1994a). Discount Policy. Policy Manual, 3.9.

Statistics Canada (1994b). Policy on the Registration of Information Products and Services. Policy Manual, 3.10.

Statistics Canada (2000c). Integrated Metadatabase: http://stdsweb/standards/imdb/imdb-menu.htm (STC intranet site).

Statistics Canada (2000d). Policy on Informing Users of Data Quality and Methodology. Policy Manual, 2.3.