Legacy Content

New Dissemination Model — Getting ready for Beta Test, Part 2

Archived information

Archived information is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

Consultation objectives

In April 2012, Statistics Canada launched its three-year New Dissemination Model project with the goal to modernize the methods and framework for disseminating data on its website. The key objective is to create a user-centric website and to increase coherency, consistency and simplicity in dissemination activities.

As part of this project, Statistics Canada consulted with Canadians in June 2014. The objectives of the consultation were to determine the ease of navigation, usefulness and participant satisfaction with the new design. The evaluation sessions tested the intuitiveness of various items on the main menu including: Census, data tables and profiles; Surveys; Geography door and the map to data tool; reference categories; and analysis categories.

Consultation methodology

Statistics Canada held in-person usability consultations. This round of sessions was held in French using the French website. Participants were asked to complete a series of tasks and to provide feedback on the proposed website.

How to get involved

The consultations are now closed.

Individuals who wish to obtain more information or to take part in a consultation may contact Statistics Canada by sending an email to consultations@statcan.gc.ca.

Please note that Statistics Canada selects participants for each consultation to ensure feedback is sought from a representative sample of the target population for the study. Not all applicants will be asked to participate in a given consultation.

Statistics Canada is committed to respecting the privacy of consultation participants. All personal information created, held or collected by the Agency is protected by the Privacy Act. For more information on Statistics Canada's privacy policies, please consult the Privacy notice.

Results

What worked

Most participants successfully navigated through the new options within the mega menu. Participants liked the filter options on the left-hand side bar of the “Census” page and thought the filters were intuitive. They also found that the keyword search function worked well within the filters.

Overall, participants considered the geography tool to be easy to navigate. They understood the regional breakdown on the left-hand side of the map and went to “Advanced search” when they wanted to add a geographic region to the search function.

Under “Analysis”, the new keyword search function worked well. Participants liked the auto-populate feature that offered suggestions as they typed in the search field.

Areas for improvement

From the “Census” page, it was not intuitive to participants that the “National Household Survey” icon was a button to obtain more information.
The difference between the filters “Sujet”, “Thème de diffusion”, and “Variable” was not apparent.
“Documentation sur l'enquête à propos du : Recensement de la population", which offers information on the Census collection methodology, was not intuitive.
Finding information on a specific survey was not intuitive.
Within the geography tool, some the on/off switch, under the “Advanced search”, was not intuitive for participants.
The “Montrer tout” button, within the geography tool, was also not intuitive.
The majority of participants did not know the difference between the three Analysis sub-categories “Stats express”, “Articles et Rapports” and “Revues et publications vedettes”.
The “Montrer tout” pull down menu under the sub-categories was not intuitive.

Recommendations

Make the “National Household Survey” button icon appear more like a button.
From the left-hand side filters, either merge or clarify the sub-categories underneath “Sujet”, “Thème de diffusion” and “Variable”.
Merge “Documentation sur les enquêtes” with “Résultats des enquêtes”.
Offer a search function at the top of the A to Z survey list, as well as the list by subject.
Make the buttons underneath the advanced search more intuitive by either changing the color, or creating a check box.
Keep the search function under “Analysis” as a metadata search (only the titles and description).
The preferred sub-category options under “Analysis” were “Survol statistique”, “Articles et Rapports” and “Revues et périodiques”.

Statistics Canada thanks participants for their participation in this consultation. Their insights guide the Agency's web development and ensure that the final products meet users' expectations.

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Date modified:: 2023-01-09

Theory and Application of Benchmarking (Course code 0436)

Purpose

To familiarize participants with benchmarking methods and software. Benchmarking deals with the problem of combining a series of high-frequency data (e.g., quarterly, or monthly data) with a series of less frequent data (e.g., annual data) for a certain variable into a consistent time series. Benchmarking techniques can also be used to solve interpolation, linking and bridging problems associated with time series.

Benefits to participants

Upon completion of the course, the participants will be able to understand some of the benchmarking techniques in use at Statistics Canada. They will have acquired the technical knowledge to solve benchmarking problems in SAS and in R, and to analyze the results. The course is technical and theoretical.

Target population

This course is intended for employees involved or interested in the production and analysis of benchmarked series or in the benchmarking process itself.

Course outline

The course examines

Introduction and issues related to benchmarking.
Benchmarking methods available in SAS and R: pro-rating; Denton; proportional Denton, a numerical version of the regression-based model and variants that directly compute the benchmarking adjustment factors.
Timeliness issues with implicit and/or explicit forecasts and annual growth rates.
Benchmarking stock variables and interpolation.
Using benchmarking methods to solve bridging or linking problems.

Some knowledge of SAS or R will be useful, but not mandatory.

Other Related Courses

The course is specialized and requires basic statistical knowledge. The course STC0437 Theory and Application of Reconciliation is also available.

Delivery type: Virtual instructor-led

Duration: 3 half-days

Contact:
If you have questions or to register to the course, contact us at statcan.timeseriessupportsoutienenserieschronologiques.statcan@statcan.gc.ca.

My StatCan and Online Discussion Platforms - Privacy impact assessment

Introduction

In 2006, the My Account feature was launched to provide visitors to the Statistics Canada website with the option to receive email notifications when products of interest are released. In 2014, My Account was updated and improved to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of its users, and was renamed My StatCan.

Objectives

A privacy impact assessment for My StatCan was conducted to determine if there were any privacy, confidentiality and security issues associated with the web application, and if so, to make recommendations for their resolution or mitigation.

Description

My StatCan includes the following key features: increased access to Statistics Canada information, a more efficient email notification system, and a one-stop registration for all online interactions with Statistics Canada, such as the Chat with an Expert, Question of the Month and StatCan Blog.

Participants are asked to provide a user name (alias) and their email address, which may be used to correspond with them if required, and indicate by checking a box whether they wish to participate in Statistics Canada's future consultations.

A username is a necessary component of the registration process because it allows registrants to log in to My StatCan and customize their home page. It also enables them to participate in Statistics Canada’s online discussion platforms such as Chat with an Expert. Participants are told explicitly that their username will be displayed in their My StatCan account, and alongside their questions or comments in the online discussion platforms.

All questions and comments posted will be subject to moderation to ensure that the rules of engagement are followed and that no personal information is disclosed.

Risk Area Identification and Categorization

The privacy impact assessment also identifies the risk areas and categorizes the level of potential risk (level 1 representing the lowest level of potential risk and level 4, the highest) associated with the collection and use of personal information through My StatCan.

Personal information of respondents:

Type of program or activity – Level 1: Program or activity that does not involve a decision about an identifiable individual.
Type of personal information involved and context – Level 1: Only personal information, with no contextual sensitivities, collected directly from the individual or provided with the consent of the individual for disclosure under an authorized program.
Program or activity partners and private sector involvement – Level 1: Within the institution (among one or more programs within the same institution).
Duration of the program or activity – Level 3: Long-term program or activity (ongoing).
Program population – Level 3: The program's use of personal information for external administrative purposes affects certain individuals.
Personal information transmission – Level 2: The personal information is used in a system that has connections to at least one other system.
Technology and privacy: The platform will use the Drupal software, which has already been implemented for other Statistics Canada online products, including StatCan Blog and Question of the Month.
Privacy breach: There is a very low risk of personal information being disclosed.

Conclusion

This assessment of My StatCan did not identify any privacy risks that cannot be managed using existing safeguards.

Legacy Content

Previous standard - Education

Status

This standard was replaced by a new departmental standard on June 20, 2011.

Definition

Education generally pertains to the process by which knowledge, skills and values are passed from one generation to the next. Education in the past has been seen primarily as the learning of life and labour force skills before entry to the labour force. Training was seen to deal more with the development of specific labour skills and it was seen to precede entry to the labour force. Increasingly, training is seen as part of labour force participation as attempts are made to better match labour supply skills with labour demand skills. Education, as well, may now continue into the labour force participation years and, indeed, into retirement years. Literacy and numeracy deal with outcomes and are measures of educational achievement.

Variables

School attendance
Educational attainment
Education, highest degree, certificate or diploma
Major field of study

School attendance

School attendance refers to whether or not a person is currently attending school (or has done so in the past eight months) and taking courses which could be used as credits towards a certificate, diploma or degree.

Some sources may restrict collection to the population aged 15 and over where it is assumed that the population aged between 5 and 15 are attending. Other sources, particularly provincial administrative sources, may collect for other age groups, for example, the population aged four and over. The population covered should be clearly stated in the classification.

Classification(s)

Not attending

Attending

2.1

Full-time

2.2

Part-time

2.2.1

Day classes

2.2.2

Evening classes

2.2.3

Both

Educational attainment

Educational attainment refers to the highest level of schooling a person has attained in terms of grades of elementary or secondary school completed and certificates or diplomas obtained. It also refers to post secondary institutions attended and certificates, degrees or diplomas granted.

While a hierarchy of educational attainment is implied with this variable, in a number of instances the levels are not entirely hierarchical. For example, the placement of Trades certificate or diploma as a higher level of attainment than the Secondary (high) school graduation certificate is justified on the basis of the former being obtained primarily for employment or occupational purposes by persons who were, on the whole, beyond the secondary school age at the time of completion of the course. However, a sizable proportion of the group may never have obtained a secondary school certificate. In effect, it cannot be implied that, if a person has attained a certain level, they have necessarily attained all lower levels.

Some sources may restrict collection to the population aged 15 and over. Other sources, particularly provincial administrative sources, may collect for other age groups, for example, the population aged four and over. The population covered should be clearly stated in the classification.

It should also be noted the data will be most meaningful when tabulated by age groups in the population such as the population aged 25 and over since younger groups are less likely to have achieved their life-time attainment potential

Classification(s)

Never attended educational institution

Primary - secondary school only

2.1

Primary school

2.1.1

Grades 01 - 06

2.1.1.1

Grades 01 - 04

2.1.1.2

Grades 05 - 06

2.2

Secondary (high) school without graduation certificate

2.2.1

Lower secondary

2.2.1.1

Grades 07 - 09

2.2.1.1.1

Grade 07

2.2.1.1.2

Grade 08

2.2.1.1.3

Grade 09

2.2.2

Upper secondary

2.2.2.1

Grade 10

2.2.2.2

Grade 11

2.2.2.3

Grade 12

2.2.2.4

Grade 13

2.3

Secondary (high) school graduation certificate

2.4

Trades certificate or diploma

Other non-university education only

3.1

Without other non-university or trades certificate or diploma

3.2

With trades certificate or diploma

3.3

With other non-university certificate or diploma

University

4.1

University, without university degree

4.1.1

Without other non-university degree

4.1.1.1

Without other non-university education

4.1.1.1.1

Without certificate, degree or diploma

4.1.1.1.2

With trades certificate or diploma

4.1.1.1.3

With university certificate or diploma below bachelor level

4.1.1.2

With other non-university education

4.1.1.2.1

Without certificate, degree or diploma

4.1.1.2.1.1

With trades certificate or diploma

4.1.1.2.1.2

With university certificate or diploma below bachelor level

4.2

University with university degree

4.2.1

With bachelor or first professional degree

4.2.2

With university certificate above bachelor level

4.2.3

With master's degree

4.2.4

With earned doctorate

Education, highest degree, certificate or diploma

Highest degree, certificate or diploma refers to the highest educational certification attained by a person.

Some sources may restrict collection to the population aged 15 and over. Other sources, particularly provincial administrative sources, may collect for other age groups. The population covered should be clearly stated in the classification.

Classification(s)

No degree, certificate or diploma

Secondary (high) school graduation certificate or equivalent

Trades certificate or diploma

Other non-university certificate or diploma

University certificate or diploma below bachelor level

Bachelor's degree

University certificate or diploma above bachelor level

Degree in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or optometry

Master's degree

Earned doctorate

Major field of study

Major field of study refers to the instructional programs (combination of courses and experiences) a person has taken to accomplish a predetermined objective or set of allied objectives such as preparation for advanced study, qualification for an occupation or range of occupations, or simply the increase of knowledge and understanding.

Under this definition, instructional programs, while containing courses and other learning experiences (such as laboratories, field experiences, practical applications, research assignments, etc.), are not merely the sum of such components. A list of courses, for example, cannot be equated with a program, much less successfully completed program, unless there is evidence that an institution or other provider recognizes the existence of such a program and certifies completion of it. This point is set forth via the operational criteria described below.

Operational criteria

There are two criteria that refine the conceptual definition for operational purposes:

An instructional program must be offered by, through, or under the auspices of an educational institution or other provider.
Accomplishment of predetermined objectives must mean, in practice, the presence of a set of structured learning experiences, as defined by an institution or other provider, that lead to a completion point, and that point must be formally certified via an award or other form of recognition.

Instructional programs that meet the above criteria include:

Post secondary programs culminating in the following awards: Post secondary Certificates, Associate's Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees, Post baccalaureate Certificates, Master's Degrees, Post-Master's Degrees, First-Professional Degrees, Specialist Degrees, Doctoral Degrees and Post-Doctoral Certificates.
Secondary programs culminating in the following awards: Regular High School Diplomas, College Preparatory Diplomas, Vocational Diplomas, Regents of Honors Diplomas, High School Equivalence Certificates, Certificates of Academic or Vocational Competence, and Certificates of IEP Completion.
Secondary and post secondary Cadet and Junior/Senior R.O.T.C. programs.
Adult education programs leading to certificates of completion in credit or non-credit programs of various types.
Residency programs conducted by the dental, medical and veterinary professions that lead to advanced professional certification.

Classification(s)

Classification of instructional programs (CIP) 2000

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Date modified:: 2017-05-19

Legacy Content

New Dissemination Model – Navigation

Archived information

Consultation objectives

In April 2012, Statistics Canada launched its three-year New Dissemination Model project with the goal of modernizing the methods and framework for disseminating data via its website. The key objective is to increase coherence, consistency and simplicity in dissemination activities.

Consultations were held to determine whether Statistics Canada website users find the New Dissemination Model's proposed navigation framework, taxonomy and A–Z list intuitive and easy to use.

Consultation methodology

From February 19 to March 4, 2013, Communications Division conducted usability tests, during which participants were asked to complete a series of tasks.

The tests measured the participants' success in completing the tasks and tracked the method adopted by each participant to complete them. Following testing, interviews were conducted to help determine the participants' thought processes during each task.

How to get involved

This consultation is now closed.

Individuals who wish to obtain more information or to take part in a future consultation should contact Statistics Canada through the Contact Us page.

Please note that Statistics Canada selects participants for each consultation to ensure feedback from a representative sample of the target population for the study. Not all applicants are asked to participate in a given consultation.

Statistics Canada thanks participants for their participation in this consultation. Their insights guide the Agency's web development and ensure that the final products meet users' expectations.

Results

What worked

Participants were able to complete a range of common tasks and found the modified website generally intuitive and easy to use.

Feedback was generally positive for the main menu, A–Z list (list of common search topics) and Key indicators. The shorter list of topics and the landing page that predominantly features The Daily were preferred.

Almost all the participants stated that the Subject list was the element that worked best for them.

Areas for improvement

Unintuitive bread-crumbing on the home page
Low visibility of the A–Z list
Unintuitive links and menus in the Key indicators
Inadequate display of the Subject list
Unintuitive use of the 'Geography' label in the main menu
Some unfamiliar terminology in the new taxonomy

Recommendations

Enhance the visibility of the A–Z list
Create web pages specific to subjects included in the A–Z list and the Subject list
Add provinces, territories, cities and regions to the 'Geography' function (available from the top menu)
Display the data more prominently and change menus in Key indicators
Revise some of the new taxonomy
Clarify the Subject list to show the topic/subtopic hierarchy
Improve the mouse-over feature

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Date modified:: 2023-01-09

Does Statistics Canada collect this information?

Please select a topic below to find out what kind of information is collected on this topic. Contact us if you can't find what you are looking for.

Abortion
Education – Competency results
Education – Number of schools/classrooms
Environment – Emissions of air or water pollutants
Fisheries-related activities
Homeless
Identity documents (birth, death, and marriage certificates)
Name change
Pets, cats, dogs, stray animals, animal cruelty
Vegetarian/vegan

Abortion

Statistics Canada no longer collects or publishes data on abortion.

Note: In 1995, the collection of the data for the Therapeutic Abortion Survey was transferred from Statistics Canada to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Once the data were collected, they were transferred to Statistics Canada to be released in The Daily. This process has caused some confusion with the users of the data. Statistics Canada has decided, in consultation with CIHI that the responsibility for disseminating these data should reside with CIHI. This move will bring the Therapeutic Abortion Survey in line with other programs at CIHI. As a result, the 2006 data is the final year therapeutic abortion data will be released by Statistics Canada. Since therapeutic abortion data is a component of pregnancy outcomes, pregnancy outcomes will no longer be produced by Statistics Canada.

Please visit the CIHI website for more information.

Statistics Canada has information on the following:

historical data from 1970 to 2006

Some resources include:

Education – Competency results

Statistics Canada does not collect information on education performance measures.

For report card benchmarks of the provinces and Canada, please visit Conference Board of Canada's website or the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) report.

Education – Number of schools/classrooms

Statistics Canada does not publish data on number of schools and enrolments.

For a breakdown of elementary, secondary, or a mix of elementary and secondary schools and students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, please visit the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) website.

Environment – Emissions of air or water pollutants

Statistics Canada does not provide key environmental indicators on air, climate, water, nature and human influence.

For more information on the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program, please visit the Environment and natural resources website.

Fisheries-related activities

Statistics Canada does not collect data on fisheries-related activities such as fisheries harvests, commercial fisheries, recreational fishing or fisheries and the Canadian economy.

Please visit the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) website for this information.

Homeless

Statistics Canada does not collect monthly or annual data on the number of homeless persons in Canada.

Residents of shelters are enumerated during the census, which occurs every 5 years. (Shelters include shelters for abused women and children, shelters for persons lacking a fixed address, and other shelters and lodging and rooming with assistance services).

Statistics Canada has information on the following:

homeless shelter capacity
hidden homelessness
number of people living in shelters during the census
residential facilities (shelters) for victims of abuse

Some resources include:

Identity documents (birth, death and marriage certificates)

Statistics Canada does not issue certificates for birth, death or marriage.

Civil registration (birth, death and marriage records) is a provincial jurisdiction. Please contact the government ministry, registry or vital statistics office of the province or territory in which the birth, death or marriage occurred.

Name change

Legal name change is a provincial jurisdiction.

To legally change your name, please contact your provincial or territorial ministry of government, registry, vital statistics or court of justice office.

Pets, cats, dogs, stray animals, animal cruelty

Statistics Canada collects some information related to households that own pet cats (including the number of pet cats) on the Households and the Environment Survey. We do not collect data on other pets (including dogs), stray animals, animal cruelty or animal testing.

Statistics Canada has information on the following:

households that own pet cats
livestock/farm animals
aquaculture/fish farming
pet expenses as a part of household spending

Some resources include:

Vegetarian, vegan

Statistics Canada does not collect data on the number of vegetarians or vegans in Canada.

Statistics Canada has information on the following:

fruit and vegetable consumption
crops
food production and supply

Some resources include:

Update of the Classification of Instructional Programs

Archived information

Consultation objectives

From April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015, Statistics Canada will be consulting with key stakeholders and the public to update its Classification of Instructional Programs and to ensure it continues to meet the needs of users and to offer relevant, up-to-date illustrative examples.

Consultation method

Statistics Canada invites data producers, data users, clients, ministries of education, post-secondary institutions, other stakeholders, and members of the public to submit proposals for changes to the CIP through email.

Proposals will be accepted until March 31, 2015.

How to get involved

This consultation is now closed.

Proposals for changes to the Classification of Instructional Programs should be submitted by email to the following address: standards-normes@statcan.gc.ca. Participants should consult the guidelines before submitting their proposal.

Participants who wish to know more about this consultation can consult the guidelines, send an email to standards-normes@statcan.gc.ca, or call Statistics Canada's Statistical Information Service.