2901.0 - Census of Population and Housing: Census Dictionary, 2016  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/08/2016   
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2016 Census Dictionary >> Glossary >> Recodes and User Defined Fields

Recodes and user defined fields

If the tables available in standard Census products do not meet a user's needs, then user defined customised tables can be created. Customised tables often require the use of recodes, tailored to the client's requirements. Recodes re-group fields in a classification. More complex, User Defined Fields are new fields that can be created based on conditions applied to existing fields. User Defined Fields can be created from two or more fields in a database or can consist of mathematical functions.

A recode example:
Standard Labour Force Status Classification
1 Employed, worked full-time
2 Employed, worked part-time
3 Employed, away from work
4 Unemployed, looking for full-time work
5 Unemployed, looking for part-time work
6 Not in the Labour Force
& Not stated
@ Not applicable
V Overseas visitor

Recoded Labour Force Classification
1 Employed
2 Unemployed
3 Not in the Labour Force
& Not Stated

Explanation:

The recoded Labour Force Classification was recoded by:
    • Grouping all employed persons (codes 1,2,3) to be one item called Employed
    • Grouping unemployed persons (codes 4 and 5) to be one item called Unemployed
    • Including Not in the Labour Force (code 6) and Not Stated (code &) as single items and
    • Excluding Not applicable and Overseas visitors from the recode.
This recode can now be used with other standard or recoded classifications.

A User Defined Field example:
    • Selecting Enrolled Nurse from the Occupation Classification and
    • Creating a recode for age by grouping ages 25-40.
These two selections can be combined using a User Defined Field function and labelling this as 'Enrolled Nurses aged 25-40 years'. This could then be used in creating a variety of tables about this group.





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