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Using our new filters
The ABS is pleased to launch the Beta release of our new filtering interface. We have been working to provide you with improved access to the full range of ABS statistics and reference information.
As this release is a 'Beta', its primary purpose is to identify any features that may not perform to your satisfaction. Your feedback will help improve the interface for all ABS website visitors.
Please note: updates to the catalogue will still occur at 11:30am, Canberra time, and you can still access statistics via the traditional text version.
On this page
General Tips
Some tips for using the filters effectively include:
- You can select one or more filters at a time.
- You need to use the 'Go' button after you set your filters.
- To start a new filter, remember to use the 'Reset' button.
- The filter will only return results for the latest issue of a product (excluding media releases and feature articles).
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Key Filters
Keyword or Catalogue Number
The keyword or catalogue number filter allows you to focus your results on keywords or ABS catalogue numbers. This filter will look for related information in product titles, 'About this release' content and catalogue numbers.
Some tips for using this filter:
- Enter less than 30 characters.
- Choose your keywords wisely - select descriptive and specific words.
- If you don't get the results you are looking for, try more general keywords.
- Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
- If you enter more than one word e.g. labour force this will show any product that contains labour OR force.
- Keep in mind that the order in which the terms are typed will affect the results.
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Title Filter
The title filter is useful if you know all or part of the title of an ABS product. By choosing a letter from the dropdown menu, this will change the results to only show product with a title that begins with the selected letter.
Try using the title option in combination with another filter e.g. type consumer price index in the keyword filter, then select title option 'C'. This will reduce the number of results returned and make it easier to find the 'consumer price index, Australia' product.
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Topic Filter
The topic option allows you to refine results using the ABS topics framework.
The first drop down list contains 6 broad subject groups including:
- Economy
- Environment and Energy
- Industry
- Population/People
- Research and Methodology
- Statistical Classifications and Standards
You can filter on these broad groups or refine results further and go down to more specific topics by selecting from the second or third drop down lists.
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Released Filter
The released filter is useful if you only want to see products released recently e.g. in the last week, last month, last 3 months, last 6 months, or last 12 months.
It is important to note that ABS products are released in different frequencies. For example, an ABS product could be released:
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Annually
- Every five years - e.g. the Census of Population and Housing data
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Catalogue Filter
The catalogue filter allows you to find statistics using the ABS Catalogue Numbering System. Every ABS product is identified by a unique Catalogue number. The first drop down list presents the first digit of the catalogue system and the second goes down to the second digit of the catalogue system. For example, if you are looking for a product with catalogue 6202.0 (i.e. Labour Force, Australia) you can select 6. Labour statistics and Prices from the first drop down list and 62. Labour force from the second drop down list.
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Product Type Filter
The ABS releases a variety of different types of products. The default product type option is 'Statistical Product'. The following table gives a brief description of the products types available:
| Product Type | Description |
| Classification | A set of defined groupings or categories - based on common relationships - into which all members of statistical units can be divided or arranged. |
| CURF | A Confidentialised Unit Record File (CURF) is a file of responses to an ABS survey that has had specific identifying information about a person or organisation confidentialised. Each person’s or organisation's response is called a ‘unit record’ or ‘microdata’. |
| Directories | Directories and guides provide details on important sources of published and unpublished information related to a specific topic and often include technical details about content and use of the information. |
| Directory of Statistical Sources | The Australian Bureau of Statistics Directory of Statistical Sources has been developed to assist data users to identify and access reference information about ABS statistical collections. |
| Discussion Paper | Discussion papers serve to:
- inform users about proposed Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) statistical developments
- seek user input into those proposed developments for ABS decision making.
|
| Feature Article | A feature article is a means of presenting and highlighting comment on, or analysis of, a particular statistical topic. |
| Information Paper | Information papers serve to:
- inform the public about initiatives or changes effecting the understanding and use of statistics and/or
- present the outcomes of user consultation about an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) initiative.
|
| Media Release | A short, attention-getting and topical presentation of the most significant features of an ABS undertaking likely to be of most interest to media editors, and through them, to the public at large. |
| Newsletter | Newsletters are Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) marketing and information dissemination tools promoting or responding to community interest in ABS topics, products, services and/or activities. |
| Research Paper | Research papers are used to release statistical and/or related information not necessarily representing an official Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) position. These include conference papers, papers published in journals by ABS officers, or papers prepared by ABS research fellows where it is deemed appropriate to further release as an ABS publication. |
| Statistical Product | Statistical publications are released in the public interest irrespective of commercial consideration. These publications contain statistics and/or the analysis of statistics, are issued under authority of the Australian Statistician and are subject to embargo. |
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Date Range Filter
The date range field is used to find the latest products, as well as all media releases and feature articles, released to the ABS website during a certain period of time. Older releases of the same products are available via the Past and Future Releases tab.
For example, if you wanted all of the latest products released in 2008 you could enter 2008 in the first field and 2008 in the last field.
Tips for filtering by date range:
- The format you can enter in the fields are: yyyy (e.g. 2008) or mm/yyyy (e.g. 11/2008) or dd/mm/yyyy (e.g. 12/03/2008). mm/yyyy will also work
- The d/mm/yyyy and dd/m/yyyy formats do not work.
- You don't need to enter a date range, you could just enter a year into the first field.
- If you only enter a date into the first field e.g. 2003, this will all return products released after 2003 (i.e. up until the today's date).
- If you only enter a date into the second field e.g. 1997, this will return all products released before 1997.
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Sorting your results
As a default, results will be sorted by release date with the most recently released products at the top, the exception being title filters will be sorted alphabetically.
If you want your results sorted in a different way, you can sort by catalogue number, title or release date - in ascending or descending order - by clicking on the sorting icons in the column headers.
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