Background
The strategic importance of the Census means that a working
knowledge of how to access and analyse the Census of Population statistics is of enormous
benefit to students from a wide variety of academic disciplines. Not only does such
practical knowledge help teach them how research is actually conducted, it also provides
students with a tangible and marketable skill that they can use after graduation.
Project Objectives
This project will increase use of historical and contemporary census
data (CHCC) in learning and teaching by:
- improving accessibility to the primary data resources.
- developing an integrated set of learning and teaching materials.
- improving awareness about the contexts in which Census data can be used in learning and
teaching.
- integrating contextual materials; providing access to web-based data
exploration/visualisation tools and developing resource discovery tools.
Teaching and Learning Materials
CCSR will develop teaching and learning materials specifically for the
SARs as well as contributing to a set of inter-disciplinary modules that will draw on the
full spectrum of census data.
Modules developed specifically for the SARs will
comprise a set of tutorials, with a range of different pathways, providing basic analysis
skills followed by topics relevant to specific disciplines. Teachers and students will be
able to use the tutorials on-line or download them onto their PC. They will be designed
for use with customised subsets of the SARs using SPSS (on the students PC).
Examples of the modules planned include:
- Exploratory data analysis.
- Basic statistical analysis
- Using hierarchical data in the SARs
In addition a series of topic-based modules will be developed around
specific substantive areas. Examples include:
- Ethnic differences
- Employment and unemployment
- Gender differences
Two inter-disciplinary learning and teaching modules will also be
developed to combine aspects of historical and current census microdata and also
individual and aggregate census data. For example, the availability of Census data for
1881 and 1991 provides an opportunity to explore comparative social structures from these
two time points in terms of household size and composition, employment and the
occupational structure, the immigrant populations, migration and the different Census
methods used in 1881 and 1991.
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A second
module will cover methodological and analytical issues relating to the study of difference
using small area statistics and microdata. For example, ethnic differences, individual and
area-level inequalities can be compared and discussed. The module would consider the
modifiable area unit problem and, in particular, the problems of the ecological fallacy
which would be demonstrated by comparing correlations for aggregate and individual-level
data
A common web portal to the census
The Data Archive will develop a Census portal to provide direct web access to all the
learning and teaching materials and the various data extraction, exploration and
visualisation tools developed. Key features will be:
- A user-friendly search and browse interface
- A mechanism enabling two way linking between metadata or the learning and teaching
resources and the associated Census datasets.
A web-based data exploration interface to the SARs
A web-based data exploration interface to a small subset of the SARs (mini-SAR) is
also being planned. This interface will provide the user with immediate hands on
experience of working with the SARs, producing tabulations using the mini-SAR. The
mini-SAR datasets will comprise a set of carefully defined multi-way cross-tabulations
related to particular topics.
The project started in September 2000 and runs for two years. Other project partners
are:
MIMAS and the Census Dissemination Unit, the University of
Manchester; The School of Geography, University of Leeds; The History Data Service, The
Data Archive, University of Essex; The LTSN Centre for History, Archaeology and Classical
Studies and University of Glasgow.
CCSR staff involved in the project include Sam Smith, who has been appointed as
Web Interface Developer; Mark Brown and Mark
Elliot who will, respectively, provide oversight of the development of teaching materials
and the web-based materials.
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