• Summary
• Downloads
• Explanatory Notes
• Related Information
• Past Releases

OVERVIEW OF SURVEYS

1 This report presents selected data and analysis on information technology from the following surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS):

• Population Survey Monitor (PSM) 1998, 1999 and 2000
• Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology (SETIT) 2001
• General Social Survey (GSS) 2002
• Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) 2003.

3 The SETIT was conducted between April and August 2001. Private households were questioned about access to computers and the Internet and about the use of computers and the Internet by people aged 18 years or over in these households during the previous twelve months.

4 The GSS, conducted between March and July 2002, included questions on information technology similar to those in the SETIT.

5 In 2003, the SDAC was conducted from June to November. Information was collected from private and non-private dwellings and selected cared accommodation establishments across Australia. This survey included questions about access to and use of computers and the Internet by persons with a disability and persons aged 60 years and over without a disability.

6 The following table shows the target populations, coverage, scope, collection methodologies, and number of respondents, for each of the four national surveys. Also included are the differences between the surveys and how they have been standardised to enable comparisons across the different surveys and different years covered in this report.

Summary of the ABS surveys - PSM and SETIT
	Population Survey Monitor, 1998-2000	Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology, 2001
Target populations	Persons aged 18 years and over who were usual residents of private households.	Persons aged 15 to 64 years who were usual residents of private dwellings. Data was imputed for the 65 years and over population as the scope for this report is 18 years and over.
Scope	All usual residents of private households.	All persons in private dwellings except diplomatic personnel, overseas residents, non-Australian defence force personnel stationed in Australia.
Coverage	Rural and urban areas across all states and territories of Australia, except sparsely settled and Indigenous areas.	Rural and urban areas across all states and territories of Australia, except sparsely settled areas.
Coverage exclusions(a)	Households in remote and sparsely settled areas in Australia are excluded.	People living in sparsely settled parts of Australia were excluded.
Collection Methodology	Any responsible adult aged 18 years or over, randomly selected and reporting for themselves and the household.	One person was randomly selected to provide information in a personal interview about their household's access to, and their own use of, information technology.
Collection style	Pen and Paper Interview	Pen and Paper Interview
Number of respondents	Approximately 3,300 persons for each of four quarters, which have been aggregated to increase the sample.	Approximately 12,200 persons.
Differences	To improve the comparability of the PSM, SETIT, GSS, SDAC, the PSM data have been rederived using the household and person level weighting methodology applied to SETIT, GSS and SDAC.	As the scope for SETIT was restricted to people aged 15 to 64 years, data was imputed for the 65 years and over for this report. The 2001 data included an imputed estimate at both household and person level data. In 2001, the ABS classification of qualifications was replaced by the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED). Therefore, comparisons in level of education categories cannot be made to previous years.
(a) Sparsely settled areas are statistical local areas (SLA) of fewer than 200 people.

Summary of the ABS Surveys - GSS and SDAC
	General Social Survey, 2002	Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, 2003
Target populations	Persons aged 18 years and over.	Persons with a disability aged 15 years or over; people aged 60 years or over; children aged 5 to 14 years.
Scope	People who were usual residents of private dwellings in Australia, except diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, overseas residents, non-Australian defence force personnel and their dependants stationed in Australia.	All persons in private dwellings except visitors, diplomatic personnel, overseas residents, non-Australian defence force personnel and their dependents stationed in Australia.
Coverage	Rural and urban areas across all states and territories of Australia, except sparsely settled areas.	Rural and urban areas across all states and territories of Australia, except sparsely settled areas.
Coverage exclusions(a)	People living in sparsely settled parts of Australia were excluded.	People living in sparsely settled parts of Australia were excluded.
Collection Methodology	One person was randomly selected to provide information in a personal interview about their household's access to, and their own use of, information technology.	The household component of the survey was collected by interviewers conducting personal interviews.
Collection style	Computer Assisted Interviewing	Computer Assisted Interviewing
Number of respondents	Approximately 15,500 persons.	Approximately 14,000 persons.
Differences
(a) Sparsely settled areas are statistical local areas (SLA) of fewer than 200 people.

7 In each of the four surveys, persons living in remote or sparsely settled regions of Australia were excluded from the coverage. The exclusions of these persons will have only a minor impact on any aggregate estimates produced for individual states and territories, with the exception of the Northern Territory where such persons account for approximately 20% of the population.

8 For more detail on the methodologies used for each of the four surveys included in this report, the reader is referred to the individual surveys:

• Population Survey Monitor (cat. no. 4103.0)
• Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia (cat. no. 4430.0)
• General Social Survey, Queensland - Electronic delivery (cat. no. 4159.3.55.001)
• Education and Training Indicators, Australia, 2002 (cat. no. 4230.0).

10 The first step in calculating weights for each person or household is to assign the initial weight. For example, if the probability of a person being selected in the survey was 1 in 600, then the person would have an initial weight of 600 (that is, they represent 600 people).

Benchmarking

11 Similar benchmarking processes were used for all surveys. The initial weights were calibrated to align with independent estimates of the population of interest, referred to as 'benchmarks' (for example, age and sex population estimates). Weights calibrated against population benchmarks compensate for over or under-enumeration of particular categories of persons or households in a survey, and ensure that the survey estimates conform to the independent estimates of the population rather than to the distribution of persons or households within the sample.

12 It should be noted that the benchmarks used in SETIT and the GSS relate only to persons and households living in private dwellings. Therefore, the estimates do not (and are not intended to) match estimates of the total Australian resident population (which include persons and households living in non-private dwellings, such as hotels and boarding houses) obtained from other sources.

13 The SDAC was benchmarked to the total Australian estimated resident population living in non-sparsely settled areas at 30 June 2003 based on results from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing.

14 Separate benchmarks were not available for special dwellings in the SDAC. Consequently, estimates for non-private dwelling may be less reliable than those for private dwellings.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

15 ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated. Without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

16 Other ABS publications on the production and use of information technology and telecommunication goods and services in Australia are:

• Business Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2001-02 (cat. no. 8129.0)
• Government Use of Information Technology, Australia, 1999-2000 (cat. no. 8119.0)
• Information Technology, Australia, 2000-01 (cat. no. 8126.0)
• Internet Activity, Australia, September 2002 (cat. no. 8153.0)
• Use of Information Technology on Farms, Australia, June 2000 (cat. no. 8150.0)