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Australian Bureau of Statistics |  |
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Current Household Surveys |
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Monthly Population Survey (MPS)
Frequently asked questions Q What is NATSISS? A The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) is one of a number of important social surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This survey collects information on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, across a range of areas of social concern. Topics include: social networks; aspects of Indigenous culture, including removal from family; health; housing; education; employment; law and justice; income; substance use; and household financial stress. For the first time, with strong support from users, children aged 0–14 years will be included in the survey. Topics include: aspects of Indigenous culture, child care; education; health, including maternal health for children aged 0–3 years; participation in organised sporting activities; sleeping patterns; and nutrition. An estimated 5,700 households across Australia are selected at random to take part in the survey. All selected households are asked to participate to ensure that the survey results reflect the community as a whole. The information gained will assist governments and other organisations in planning for Australian’s future. A similar survey was last conducted in 2002. Q What is the purpose of NATSISS? A The NATSISS is being conducted as part of the ABS' program of Indigenous statistics. The 2008 NATSISS is the third in a series of Indigenous social surveys which commenced with the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSIS), and was followed by the 2002 NATSISS. The NATSISS will:
A General The results from this survey will be released in readily available statistical publications produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and will be freely available on the ABS website. The data will be extensively used by government agencies, key non-government organisations and Torres Strait Islander research institutions. Time Series A similar survey was also run in 1994 and 2002 which focused on similar issues. Some of the data can be compared in a time series; however, variability in topics needs to be assessed. Policy development The data gathered through the NATSISS can be analysed in relation to demographic, socio-economic and other personal characteristics. It will be used by Australian and state governments and non-government organisations to develop and monitor policy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues. Q Who is running the survey? A The survey is being conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It will be conducted under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905, applying the confidentiality provisions of the Act which are applied to all ABS surveys. Q How was the content of the survey determined? A The content of NATSISS has been developed in consultation with a wide range of people including representatives from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, Land Councils, Aboriginal Legal Services, Commonwealth and State/Territory government agencies, as well as welfare and research agencies. Two key stakeholders include: Council of Australian Governments (COAG); and Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, State Wide Outcomes for Children (formally Victorian Department of Human Services, Victorian Office for Children). Q What information is collected? A The NATSISS begins with gathering general information about each household member, such as sex, Indigenous status, age, relationship between household members and dwelling tenure. There are three parts to the NATSISS: Adult questionnaire; Child questionnaire; and a household questionnaire. Adult questionnaire An interviewer administered personal questionnaire for selected persons aged 18 years and over will be included in NATSISS. Topics include: social networks; aspects of Indigenous culture, including removal from family; health; housing; education; employment; law and justice; income; substance use; and household financial stress. Child questionnaire For the first time an interviewer administered personal questionnaire for selected children aged 0–14 years will be included in the survey by proxy interview with a parent or guardian. Topics include: aspects of Indigenous culture, child care; education; health, including maternal health for children aged 0–3 years; participation in organised sporting activities; sleeping patterns; and nutrition. Household questionnaire A short interviewer administered household questionnaire (this may be answered by any responsible adult within the household), collects general information on household facilities such as: access to private transport; computer, Internet and telephone usage; household repairs and maintenance; home ownership; and financial stress and summary financial details about the entire household. It also includes access to community facilities including recreational, medical and public facilities. Q Will the data be reliable and valid? A The survey questions have been fully tested before going into the field for final enumeration. Quality control checks are in place to ensure the survey documents are processed with a high degree of accuracy. Q Can copies of the survey questionnaire be obtained? A Copies of the survey will be available free of charge on the ABS website once the survey enumeration is completed. Q How can I see results from the survey? A It is anticipated that the first results of the survey will be available in the second half of 2009 from the ABS website. Additional tabulated results will be available on request and can be tailored to meet specific data needs. A computer file containing confidentialised records from the survey will also be available (referred to as a CURF). Access to and use of this file is subject to approval of the Australian Statistician. Further information about accessing CURFs is available on the ABS website, www.abs.gov.au. Q How is the survey being conducted? A In non-community areas the location of Indigenous households is unknown; therefore, ABS interviewers will need to knock on doors in the sample areas to locate a dwelling that has Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people living in them. Once an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander household is found the survey is conducted via a face-to-face interview, using a notebook computer. In remote areas, up to one adult and one child will be randomly selected per household. In non-remote areas, up to two adults and two children will be randomly selected per household. In both areas, a household spokesperson will also be asked to provide general household information, such as income and tenure type. Interviews are treated as confidential, and no other household members are to be present while the interview is being conducted. Q When will the survey start and how long will it run? A The survey is to be conducted nationally from August to December 2008, with extended enumeration period for Victoria until March 2009. Each selected household will be interviewed only once; however, the interviewer may need to return to the household to ensure all members have completed the survey. Q How long does the interview take? A The average length of time spent completing the survey will be a little over an hour per household. Some interviews can take longer, depending on how many people live in the household and the number of individuals randomly selected for interview. Q Who will be in the survey? A Approximately 5,700 private dwellings have been selected from rural and urban areas across Australia to participate in the NATSISS. Using scientific sampling techniques, dwellings were selected at random within each state and territory, with each dwelling having an equal chance of selection. In remote areas, up to one person aged over 15 years and one child aged 0–14 years will be randomly selected per household. In non-remote areas, , up to two people aged over 15 years and two children aged 0–14 years will be randomly selected per household. Each person selected must be a usual resident of the household. That is any residents of the household that have been staying at the selected dwelling for six months or more, are considered to be usual residents. Other people present are considered to be visitors and are not asked to participate in the survey. Q Why is it important that all those selected take part in the survey? A The sample is designed to provide a balanced representation of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households in Australia so that the estimates made from the data reflect, as closely as possible, all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households. If some households do not participate, this may result in one type of household being represented more often than another type, which may result in biases in the data. Q What provision is made for respondents who do not speak English well? A Arrangements can be made for the interview to be conducted by an ABS interviewer fluent in the language of the householder or using an interpreter. Q Will respondents be paid for their time? A No. As with other household surveys, the ABS relies on the willing cooperation of households. Q Why are Notebook computers being used for the survey interview? A Using notebook computers helps to minimise the number of mistakes that can be made when information is being collected or processed. This improves the quality and reliability of the survey data. Additionally, notebook computers make it easier for interviewers to conduct the interview smoothly and speed up the interview process. Security The use of Notebook computers increases the security of the information collected as it can only be accessed by the interviewer and the ABS officers responsible for processing the data. Q Is the survey compulsory? A The Census and Statistics Act 1905 authorises the ABS to ask the questions in the survey. The ABS's approach is to seek the willing cooperation of the selected householders by explaining to them that the survey is of national importance and that the information collected from them will ultimately benefit all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Most households recognise the importance of the survey and the need to collect accurate information that is representative of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households. Without the cooperation of each selected household, the balance of households in the sample might be different to the balance of households in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Q What happens if the householder refuses? A If a householder refuses the interviewer's request to participate in the survey, the householder is contacted by a supervisor who goes over the important aspects of the survey process, including the respondent's legal position. Should the householder continue to refuse to participate, the Australian Statistician has the power, under the Census and Statistics Act 1905, to issue a Notice of Direction. Once a Notice of Direction has been issued, a householder is legally obliged to provide the information. If the householder fails to cooperate after that stage, the ABS may refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further legal action. The Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides for penalties of up to $110 per day for failure to answer the questions after the Australian Statistician directs a householder to provide the information; however, because of the strong cooperation the ABS receives from householders, the Australian Statistician rarely uses this power. Q Don’t some people consider some of the topics included in the survey to be very personal? A Yes and the ABS is sensitive to this. The survey questionnaire and procedures have been designed with concerns about sensitivity in mind. Testing programs for the current survey, and past experience with similar surveys, have shown that the NATSISS will be well received by householders. All information provided by respondents remains completely confidential. Q Do householders have to give ABS interviewers right of entry to their home? A No. Interviewers can enter the household only by invitation from the householder; however, it would be helpful if a suitable chair and table was made available (inside or outside the house) as the interviewer will be using a notebook computer to collect the information. Q Will the information provided be confidential? A Yes. Under the Census and Statistics Act 1905, all information provided for the NATSISS remains confidential. By this we mean that the ABS is under an obligation to ensure that data released to the public, or to any other government department or body, cannot identify any individual who provides their information. The information from individuals is formed into statistics that generalise about population groups and the population as a whole. Q How is this enforced? A The secrecy provisions of the legislation provide a penalty of up to $5,000 or two years in jail for ABS officers who breach these confidentiality rules. There have been no breaches of confidentiality in the past – the ABS has an unblemished record in this regard. Q How long is the information kept? A The ABS keeps records of household address information for the duration of the processing period. This is between 12–18 months. These are then destroyed. Growing Up in AustraliaGrowing Up in Australia is a national longitudinal study about the development of children, the first of its kind in Australia. The study was initiated and funded by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) as part of the Government's Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. The study is managed by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). Development of the study is being undertaken by a consortium led by AIFS. Other members of this consortium include:
The first wave of data collection was undertaken in 2004 by a private market research organisation. The ABS is undertaking data collection on behalf of the Australian Institute of Family Studies for waves 2 to 4 of the study. Commonly asked questions Here are some commonly asked questions about ABS's role in the Growing Up in Australia study. Is Growing Up in Australia an ABS survey? No. Growing Up in Australia is an Australian Institute of Family Studies study. The ABS is responsible for collecting information on their behalf. Does the study have the same privacy and confidentiality protections as other ABS surveys? The study is not conducted under the Census and Statistics Act. However, very strict procedures are followed to make sure that only authorised persons have access to the data. All ABS interviewers, and researchers in organisations involved in the study and which are covered by the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 and the Privacy Amendments Act, 2001 must comply with those Acts, and have signed a Deed of Confidentiality. Other researchers involved in the study have also signed a Deed of Confidentiality which imposes conditions consistent with the provisions of the Commonwealth Privacy Act. In the contract for the conduct of the study, between the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the Commonwealth agrees and undertakes that it will not disclose, publish or use or allow to be disclosed, published or used, Confidential Information from the study for any other purpose than the purpose of the administration of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. What happens if I am already participating in Growing Up in Australia and an ABS interviewer asks me to participate in an ABS survey ? There may be a few cases where a study family's dwelling is selected in an ABS survey. We ask that you agree to participate in both the study and the ABS survey as both are very important collections. If you have any questions regarding the ABS survey, please refer to the relevant page on this website or call the relevant contact number given on the ABS survey brochure you received in the mail. Further information about Growing Up in Australia If you have any further questions regarding the Growing Up in Australia study, please refer to the AIFS website which can be found at www.aifs.gov.au/growingup . This page first published 23 August 2006, last updated 2 September 2008
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