1520.0 - ABS Data Quality Framework, May 2009  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/05/2009  First Issue
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ACCESSIBILITY

Accessibility is the seventh and final dimension of quality in the ABS DQF. Accessibility refers to the ease of access to data by users, including the ease with which the existence of information can be ascertained, as well as the suitability of the form or medium through which information can be accessed. The cost of the information may also represent an aspect of accessibility for some users. Accessibility is a key component of quality as it relates directly to the capacity of users to identify the availability of relevant information, and then to access it in a convenient and suitable manner.

The Accessibility of a statistical collection, product or release can be evaluated by considering two key aspects:

  • Accessibility to the public: the extent to which the data are publicly available, or the level of access restrictions. Additionally, special data services may include the availability of special or non-standard groupings of data items or outputs, if required.
  • Data products available: this refers to the specific products available (e.g., publications, spreadsheets), the formats of these products, their cost, and the available data items which they contain.

To assist in evaluating the Accessibility dimension of a dataset or a statistical product, we provide some suggestions of questions which might be asked below.

Suggested questions to assess Accessibility:
  • How easily can a user obtain this information? Is it publicly available?
  • What range of products are available, and what are their costs?
  • Are the data available in suitable formats?