Census learning centre
Table builder: Part 2, Data requirements

Release date: May 7, 2025

Catalogue number: 982000032021035

Hello and welcome to the "Table builder: Part 2, Data requirements" video.

The purpose of this series of videos is to provide you with a good understanding of data table building concepts and to present you with some of the data table key components that might come into play when analysing data. This video will explain the data requirements for creating a table with census data.

Subject
Table builder
Length
00:05:17
Cost
Free
Links

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Video: Table builder: Part 2, Data requirements - Transcription

Welcome to the second video of the Table builder video series.

In the previous video, you were introduced to census data and census data tables.

(A white box highlights the heading "1. Introduction to census data and tables".)

This video will explain the data requirements for creating a table with census data.

(A white box highlights the heading titled "2. Data requirements".)

Before you start the table creation process, it is essential to have a goal in mind. Thus, it is important to do a thorough brainstorming and research before using any tabulation tool.

Knowing why you need a table will help in the creation of that table.

What important questions should be asked and answered before building a table?

  • What is our need and how best to meet that need?
  • What is the purpose for extracting data?
  • What are the data requirements?

To answer that last question, it is important to clarify:

  • What is being counted: persons, households, families, or dwellings?
  • What variables or statistics are to be added to the table?

    • For example, age, gender, immigrant status, average age, or median income.

  • What geographic areas do the data represent?
  • Which census year and which form, short-form or long-form questionnaire, are the data from?
  • What notes should be included to explain the data in the table?

(An image consisting of five pieces illustrates the five questions that must be asked and answered before building a table. Five terms are used to summarize: Focus, Variables or statistics, Geography, Census year and cycle, and Metadata.)

For example, you wish to create a table on the number of senior immigrants who are working and who live in rental housing.

Before creating this data table, a few questions need to be answered:

  • Was the topic or subject matter asked on the census questionnaire? In other words, are data available?

    • (The first piece of a square puzzle—which will consist of nine pieces—appears with the question "Are data available?")

  • What definition of a senior and what age groups are you looking at?

    (The second piece of the puzzle appears with the questions "What definition of a senior? What age groups?")

    For example, are you defining a senior as older than 55, older than 60 or some other age?

  • Do you want any statistics? For example, median age or average age?

    • (The third piece of the puzzle appears with the question "Are statistics required?")

  • Are you looking for a breakdown of this population by gender?

    • (The fourth piece of the puzzle appears with the question "Looking for a breakdown by gender?")

  • What geographic areas and what level of detail are needed?

    (The fifth piece of the puzzle appears with the question "What geography?")

    For example, you may be interested in census metropolitan areas, also called CMAs, in Ontario and Quebec only.

  • Which census year are you looking at?

    • (The sixth piece of the puzzle appears with the question "Which Census year?")

  • What is the desired output format? Is it Beyond 20/20, Excel or some other type of file?

    (The seventh piece of the puzzle appears with the question "What output format?")

    Overall, is the information being requested feasible to produce? Are you mixing content or variables between different populations of interest?

    (The eighth piece of the puzzle appears with the question "Feasibility of table?")

    (Except for the eighth piece, all the other pieces disappear.)

    For example, if the population of interest of your table is children younger than 15, then adding the marital status and labour force variables to this table would not be feasible. This is because questions on marital status and labour force are only asked to persons 15 years and older. Therefore, no data are available on marital status or labour force for children less than 15 years of age.

    • (The eighth piece goes back to its original location and all seven of the other pieces reappear.)

  • Does the table exceed the maximum number of variables supported by the tabulation tool or output program?

    • (The ninth piece of the puzzle—now a complete puzzle with all nine pieces—appears with the question "Table size?")

Once you have answered these basic questions, the next important step is to write the table specifications to meet the data requirements.

Table specifications are like a recipe; they are the written ingredients and instructions that are needed to create a table.

(A “recipe” with the following “ingredients” appears:

  1. Table title
  2. Census year
  3. Database
  4. Geography
  5. Population of interest
  6. Variables
  7. Output format)

Let’s look at an example of a table specification.

It starts with the table title which defines what data are going to be provided in the table.

(The following table title appears to the right of the "recipe": "Age Groups (6), Gender (3), Tenure (4), Immigration Status (4) and Labour Force Status (5) for the Population Aged 65 Years and Over in Private Households of Canada, Provinces, Territories and Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) of Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford-Mission, and Kelowna, 2021 Census – 25% Sample Data" and the 1st "ingredient" is highlighted.)

The table specifications are then broken down into census year,

(The following text replaces the previous text to the right of the "recipe": "2021 Census" and the 2nd "ingredient" is highlighted.)

database,

(The following text appears beneath the previous text to the right of the "recipe": "25% Sample Data" and the 3rd "ingredient" is highlighted.)

geography,

(The following text replaces the previous texts to the right of the "recipe": "Canada, Provinces-Territories, CMAs of Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford-Mission and Kelowna" and the 4th "ingredient" is highlighted.)

population of interest,

(The following text replaces the previous text to the right of the "recipe": "Population Aged 65 Years and Over in Private Households" and the 5th "ingredient" is highlighted.)

variables,

(The following text replaces the previous text to the right of the "recipe": "Age Groups (6), Gender (3), Tenure (4), Immigration Status (4) and Labour Force Status (5)" and the 6th "ingredient" is highlighted.)

and output format.

(The following text replaces the previous text to the right of the "recipe": "Beyond 20/20" and the final "ingredient" is highlighted.)

Let’s review what we have learned so far about census data and data tables:

  • Census data are collected through the short-form and long-form census questionnaires.
  • Census data can be presented as a cross tabulation or a profile when displayed in a table.
  • Brainstorming and specification creation is the important first step to create data tables.
  • The specification needs to include the census year and database, geography, population of interest, variables, and output format.

The next video of the table builder series will take a closer look at census focuses and populations of interest.

This concludes the second video of the Table builder video series.

Thank you for watching.

(The census logo appears with a link, which is also available to view here: Census learning centre. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) 978-0-660-71809-5 appears underneath the link.)

To watch the next Table builder video, go to the Census learning centre.

(The "Canada" wordmark appears.)

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