2901.0 - Census Dictionary, 2006 (Reissue)  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/08/2007  Reissue
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Contents >> Short Definitions and Classifications - 2006 >> Usual Address Indicator Census Night (UAICP) - Characteristics 2006

Usual Address Indicator Census Night

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Classification
Quality Statement


Classification

This variable contains the mark box answer to the question on the 2006 Census forms which asks, Where does the person usually live? In cases where a person did not state where they usually live, UAICP and PURP are imputed. See Imputation Flag for Usual Residence (IFPURP).

This variable, when used with Usual Address One Year Ago Indicator and Usual Address Five Years Ago Indicator (UAI1P and UAI5P) and also with place of usual residence data shows migration patterns.

Applicable to: All persons

1 At home
2 Elsewhere in Australia
3 Overseas visitor 2006

Total number of categories: 3

More Detailed Description


Quality Statement - Usual Address Indicator Census Night (UAICP)

There are many aspects which can affect the quality of Census data; the following information should be considered when viewing data on Usual Address Indicator Census Night (UAICP).

This data was captured automatically from check box responses on the form so the risk of processing error is minimal. Sample checks of the data are undertaken to ensure an acceptable level of quality for data captured or derived.

For most persons the check box responses for "The address shown on the front of the form" or "Other country" have been marked, in which case Usual Address Indicator Census Night (UAICP) is captured automatically. Where the "Elsewhere" box is marked or no mark has been captured, clerical checks are conducted to ascertain that the address provided is in fact "Elsewhere" and in those few cases where the address is the same as the front of the form UAICP is corrected to "At home".

For 2.6% of persons UAICP is derived. These are generally cases where UAICP is not stated but sufficient information has been collected elsewhere on the form to determine whether the person is usually resident in that dwelling. Such information includes details of the persons usual address provided in Question 8 on the household form or information provided in the relationship question (Q5) which indicates they are a visitor to the dwelling. They may also be enumerated in a migratory Collection District (eg. on a long-distance train).

Where there was no mark in the response boxes and there was no address or other information that could be used to derive UAICP, then it was imputed. The imputation rate for UAICP was 4.1%. Nearly all of this imputation is attributable to 4.0% of persons, including overseas visitors, in dwellings which were occupied on census night but did not return a completed form (Note that a small proportion of these persons staying at a non-private dwelling on Census Night have provided their UAICP on a Summary Form). Persons are imputed into these dwellings together with some demographic characteristics such as UAICP.

The ABS aims to produce high quality data from the Census. To achieve this, extensive effort is put into Census form design, collection procedures, and processing procedures.

There are four principal sources of error in Census data: respondent error, processing error, partial response and undercount. Quality management of the Census program aims to reduce error as much as possible, and to provide a measure of the remaining error to data users, to allow them to use the data in an informed way.

When completing their Census form, some people do not answer all the questions which apply to them. In these instances, a 'not stated' code is allocated during processing, with the exception of non-response to age, sex, marital status and place of usual residence. These variables are needed for population estimates, so they are imputed using other information on the Census form, as well as information from the previous Census.

The processing of information from Census forms is now mostly automated, using scanning, Intelligent Character Recognition and other automatic processes. Quality assurance procedures are used during Census processing to ensure processing errors are kept at an acceptable level. Sample checking is undertaken during coding operations, and corrections are made where necessary.

The Census form may be completed by one household member on behalf of others. Incorrect answers can be introduced to the Census form if the respondent does not understand the question or does not know the correct information about other household members. Many of these errors remain in the final data.

More detailed information on data quality is available in the 2006 Census Dictionary (cat. no. 2901.0), in the section titled Managing Census Quality.






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