1289.0 - Standards for Statistics on Cultural and Language Diversity, 1999

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 22/11/1999

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Contents >> Indigenous Status >> Classification and coding

THE CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA

15. Indigenous Status has two classification criteria:

Aboriginal Origin
Torres Strait Islander Origin

THE STANDARD CLASSIFICATION AND CODE STRUCTURE

16. The standard classification for Indigenous Status has a hierarchical structure comprising two levels. There are four categories at the detailed level of the classification which are grouped into two categories at the broader level. The classification is as follows:

	Indigenous
		Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander Origin
		Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal Origin
		Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Origin

	Non-Indigenous
		Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander Origin

The code structure

17. The code structure follows the standard classification:

1	Indigenous
	11	Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander Origin
	12	Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal Origin
	13	Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Origin
2	Non-Indigenous
	24	Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander Origin

Residual categories and codes

18. Not Applicable.

Supplementary codes

19. The supplementary categories are reserved for 'Not stated/Inadequately described' responses when coding data to the Indigenous Status classification.


0	Not stated/Inadequately defined
	09	Not stated/Inadequately defined

20. Supplementary codes should not be available as valid responses. In particular, they should not appear as mark boxes on self enumeration forms and should not be used for prompting respondents in interviewer conducted collections. However, supplementary codes can be used for operational purposes in the following circumstances:

primarily when importing data from other data collections that do not contain mappable data;

where an answer was refused;

where the question was not able to be asked because the client was unable to communicate or a person who knows the client was not available.

21. Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI) systems in particular may require supplementary codes for handling the circumstances identified above.

SCOPE OF THE CLASSIFICATION

22. The variable Indigenous Status applies to all persons.

APPLICATION OF THE CLASSIFICATION TO OTHER VARIABLES

23. Not applicable.

CODING PROCEDURES

24. Responses to the Indigenous Status question are self-coded to the appropriate category of the classification. Only the second digit of the two-digit code need be used for data input and storage purposes.

25. The Indigenous Status question allows for more than one response. The procedure for coding multiple responses is as follows:

If the respondent marks 'No' and either 'Aboriginal' or 'Torres Strait Islander', then the response should be coded to either Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander as indicated (i.e. disregard the 'No' response).
If the respondent marks both the 'Aboriginal' and 'Torres Strait Islander' boxes, then the response should be coded to 'Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Origin'.
If the respondent marks all three boxes ('No', 'Aboriginal' and 'Torres Strait Islander'), then the response should be coded to 'Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Origin' (i.e. disregard the 'No' response).

26. The multi-response approach may be problematical in some data collections. For example, when data are collected by interview or using screen based data capture systems. An additional response category 'Yes, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander' may be included if this better suits the data collection practices of the agency concerned.