Statistics Canada Research Data Centre Program*

1. Statistics Canada Research Data Centre Program* Facilities across Canada housing detailed confidential microdata and documentation files from Statistics Canada Statistics Canada released data that would otherwise not be available into “secure” sites.

2. About statistics Canada data: • Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) • Ethnic Diversity Survey (EDS) • General Social Survey (GSS selected cycles) • Access to and Use of Information Communication Technology • Education, Work and Retirement • Family • Health • Social Engagement • Social Support and Aging • Time Use • Victimization • Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) • National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) • National Population Health Survey (NPHS) • Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) • Workplace and Employee Survey (WES) • Youth in Transition Survey and the Programme for International Student Assessments (YITS-PISA) • Health Services Access Survey

3. New data sources coming to the Research Data Centre • 1991-2006 Censuses of Population now available (20% sample – long questionnaire) • 1921-1951 Censuses will soon be available • Health administrative data in development • Residential Care Facility Survey now available: longitudinal business survey of all long-term care facilities in Canada • Contact the BCIRDC office for information on any Statistics Canada surveys

4. National Population Health Survey • Longitudinal survey of health of Canadians (smaller sample size) • Data collected every second year since 1994 • Detailed information on disease and disability • Non-repeated modules on selected conditions such as asthma

5. National Survey of Children and Youth • Longitudinal survey of children and parents • Data collected every second year since 1994 • Detailed child development measurements • Detailed family and household data • School level data available for some years

6. Youth in Transition Survey • Longitudinal survey on the school to work pathways of youth • Data collected every second year since 2000 • Two cohorts selected in 2000: • 15 year-olds (includes data from the Programme for International Student Assessment • 18-20 year-olds

7. Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics • Longitudinal survey with annual data collection • Each panel has six years of data • A new panel begins every third year • Detailed data on family dynamics, education, income and labour • Cross-sectional data from 1976 to present

8. Workplace and Employee Survey • Longitudinal survey from 1999 to 2006 • Annual data collection from employer for selected workplaces • Selected workers within each workplace interviewed annually for two years • Detailed information on technology, innovation and human resource practices in workplaces • Allows analyses of both employer and worker characteristics

9. Other surveys

10. Future data sources that may become available • Employment Insurance beneficiary records (10% sample) • Record of Employment (10% sample) • Historical Censuses of Population from 1961 to 1986 • Canada Pension Plan Disability beneficiary records • Health administrative records and population linked data

11. Other Future Developments • Plans are in development to add the following to RDC dataset collection: • Cancer Registry (pilot project in progress at BCIRDC) • HRSDC administrative data • Homicide data (Cdn. Centre for Justice Statistics) [under review: pilots only] • Business data: (selected datasets from Small Business & Special Surveys Division)

12. Stats Canada data are released to universities through the “Data Liberation Initiative” • Most Cdn. universities part of this • Data housed in university data library (at Uvic: Kathleen Matthews, library) and copies are made available to any researcher requesting it as long as: • a) agree to terms (no re-dissemination; etc.) • b) bona fida member of the university community

13. DLI Restrictions • No longitudinal data (in some cases, cross-sectional waves, not linked and with unique identifiers stripped, are available, but in other cases survey not available at all) • Many variables treated as “confidential” and deleted from dataset or coarsely categorized

14. censored variables Full versions of datasets with censored variables + datasets not otherwise available can be worked on in a “Research Data Centre”

15. Full versions of datasets with censored variables + datasets not otherwise available can be worked on in a “Research Data Centre”

16. Statistics Canada Research Data Centre Program There are RDCs across Canada at most major universities with doctoral programs: New Brunswick, Dalhousie, Moncton Toronto (York has a “branch” which will soon develop into a full-blown centre) Waterloo (Guelph, WLU participate) McMaster (Brock participates) Western (Windsor is just opening a branch) Queen’s (part-time site) Carleton (U of Ottawa participates) Manitoba U of Saskatchewan (part-time site) 2 Alberta sites: U of Alberta; Calgary (various Prairie universities participate; Lethbridge will have a branch soon) Manitoba (branch opening in Yellowknife) Consortium (U de Montreal) with branches at UQAM, Sherbrooke, Laval McGill BC universities consortium BC consortium: UBC, SFU, UVic, Vancouver Island Univ., UNBC

17. The UVic branch works within the British Columbia Interuniversity Research Data Centre network • “main” site is at UBC; open 9-5 M-F • UVic site has more restrictive hours (arranged term-by-term in consultation with researchers). • Currently 15.5 hours/week (sometimes a bit less in summer) • Exact hours worked out in consultation with users

18. Support: • Capital costs: • Canadian Foundation for Innovation • Office of the Provost • Operating costs: • Dean of Social Science • Vice-President, Research • Dean of Graduate Studies • Dean of Business • SSHRC, CIHR “network” grant funding • Past support & seeking support for present year: • Dean of Humanities; Assoc. Dean, Island Med. Pgm. • Dean of Human and Social Development • Dean of Education

19. What is the relationship between the RDC network and the “Data Liberation Initiative”? • often users work with the DLI version of a dataset before progressing to work using the RDC • StatCan will only approve projects if it can be demonstrated that DLI data is insufficient or there are no DLI files for the survey of interest • contact person on campus for DLI: Kathleen Matthews

22. & other data can be arranged • There is presently a project involving BC Administrative Health data (to be linked to Stats Can survey data) • For a very large list of StatCan Surveys, see the DLI website (UVic library) http://gateway.uvic.ca/data/default.html  click on “DLI collection” future plans: see below

23. What is the process for gaining access? http://www.statcan.ca/english/rdc/application.htm

24. Application process works through SSHRC Graduate students must have faculty member as co-investigator

25. Project proposal • Proposal evaluation by SSHRC peer review and Statistics Canada • Very few are turned down… though must establish that confidential data are required to complete project • Does project have scientific merit? is access to confidential microdata necessary? Does researcher have expertise to conduct research? • Takes 6-8 weeks • Proposals that are part of SSHRC or CIHR grants forgo the SSHRC peer review process • Approvals typically 3-4 weeks

26. Process: • Submit proposal • Proposal approved • Security check on applicant • oath, investigator becomes “deemed employee” of statistics canada • Orientation session at UVic • Issued access card for card reader

27. UVic facilities: • 6 workstation lab with room for expansion to up to 10 workstations • workstations now have widescreen monitors or dual screen configuration • Server for data • Most commonly used statistical software packages • Some highly specialized software packages Hours are worked out to suit the needs of active researchers. Fall 2009 hours: Tues 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-4pm Thurs 12 noon – 4pm

28. Software Standard stats packages: SPSS (18), SAS (9.2) STATA (11)** [Stata/SE on 2 machines & Stata/IC on 3) Open-source stats: R Multilevel models: HLM, LISREL, MPlus SEM models: LISREL, Mplus, AMOS Specialized (Bayesian, MCMC etc.): WinBugs Other software can be obtained if demand exists.

29. Security process • No output or notes can be taken out of the room • Users have file drawers and access to printer inside the centre • Output listings and notes (if typed into a computer file) can be released after they are “vetted” by a Statistics Canada Analyst at the main BC site • Files are sent via encrypted CD to Vancouver (2-3 days) • Files that are approved for release are emailed back to researcher • Pass card works only during centre hours (swipe in, swipe out protocol)

30. Can I work at other RDCs too?Can I work with other researchers? What about other researchers at other universities? • Access is “network wide” • Files are stored on a “project” basis (researchers, RAs, etc. have own account but access to shared files) • UVic researchers are part of the BC consortium and could go to the UBC site if more intense periods of research are required (35 hrs/week vs. 15); project files can be sent to and from the branch (3-6 days)

31. Preparation: • Check to see if dataset is one of standard RDC datasets: check http://www.statcan.ca/english/rdc/whatdata.htm • Extensive data documentation provided for listed datasets • If what you are interested is not on the list, check with Doug Baer or Lee Grenon • Is a public use file available? Check with Kathleen Matthews kmatthew@uvic.ca or on library web site. http://gateway.uvic.ca/data/default.html Verify that variables needed for research are not on public use file. If possible, use public use file to explore data, etc. • If further dataset documentation required, ask Doug Baer or Lee Grenon • Go to SSHRC web page to put together application. Don’t hesitate to consult Doug Baer for help. Be prepared to specify variables to be used. Where a public use version of the dataset is available, be prepared to make clear why RDC access is needed (e.g., “a needed variable is suppressed on the public use file”).

32. Statistics Training • Summer Institutes: • SPIDA (York University) • ICPSR (U Michigan) • Prairie school? (Calgary) • Possible BC initiatives • Seminar at the Congress for the Humanities & Social Sciences (this year: multilevel models) • Special workshops and seminars (Baer): • Possible: SEM, survival/event history models, longitudinal data, multi-level data

33. Contact information: Doug Baer, Academic Director (Sociology) baer@uvic.ca (721) – 7581 Cornett, A365 RDC (Assistant Lorraine Dame) (853) 3196 (rdc@uvic.ca) RDC Analyst at UBC: Lee Grenon, 604-822-0263 (bcirdc@interchange.ubc.ca) Centre web site (shows hours): web.uvic.ca/rdc