QUALITY DECLARATION

INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFs) are released in accordance with the conditions specified in the Statistics Determination section of the Census and Statistics Act 1905 (CSA). This ensures that confidentiality is maintained whilst enabling micro level data to be released. More information on the confidentiality practices associated with CURFs can be found on the About CURF Microdata page.

For information on the institutional environment of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), including the legislative obligations of the ABS, financing and governance arrangements, and mechanisms for scrutiny of ABS operations, please see ABS Institutional Environment.


RELEVANCE

Microdata from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing are available as 1% Basic CURF and 5% Expanded CURF. The microdata are the most detailed information available about key characteristics of people in Australia on Census night. These characteristics are generally responses to individual questions on the Census form or data derived from two or more questions.

TIMELINESS

The Census and Statistics Act 1905 requires the Australian Statistician to conduct a Census on a regular basis. Since 1961, a census has been held every five years. The 2011 Census was the 16th national Census, and was held on 9 August 2011. CURFs in recent times have been released within three years of the completion of the Census. Based on the previous schedule the 2016 CURF should be available in 2018/19.

ACCURACY

The microdata generally contains finer levels of detail of data items than what is otherwise published in other formats, for example, in 2011 Community Profiles. For more information on the level of detail provided, see the associated data item listings.

Steps to confidentialise the data made available on the microdata are taken in such a way as to maximise the usefulness of the content while maintaining the confidentiality of respondents selected in the sample. As a result, it may not be possible to exactly reconcile all the statistics produced from the microdata with other published statistics.

COHERENCE

It is important for Census microdata to be comparable and compatible with previous Censuses. There have been minimal changes to the CURFs between 2006 and 2011 to ensure this, however:

• There are differences regarding how the sample has been created in relation to larger households.
• Geographic areas on the 2011 Census Sample Files are based on the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS), which replaces the Australian Statistical Geography Classification (ASGS) used in previous CURFs.
• Ancestry items (ANC1P and ANC2P) are now based on the Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups, Second Edition, Revision 1 (which was released in 2011) and the method of selection of ancestry categories for the 2011 CURF has changed.

The Changes from previous CSF section provides more detailed information on the differences between 2006 and 2011 CURF sample design.

INTERPRETABILITY

The information within this product should be referred to when using the microdata. It contains information including sample methodology, using the CURF and file structure, conditions of use and the data item lists, and changes over time. The Census Dictionary, 2011 (cat. no. 2901.0) includes information on the Census objectives, methods and design, content, data quality and interpretation, output data items, information about the availability of results and comparability with previous surveys.

ACCESSIBILITY

Microdata products are available to approved users. Users wishing to access the microdata should read the How to Apply for Microdata web page, before applying for access through MiCRO. Users should also familiarise themselves with information available via the Microdata Entry Page.

A full list of available microdata can be viewed via the Expected and available Microdata. More detail regarding types and modes of access to CURFs can be found on the CURF Access Modes and Levels of Detail web page.

The Expanded CURF can be accessed through the Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL) and the ABS Data Laboratory (ABSDL).

Any questions regarding access to microdata can be forwarded to microdata.access@abs.gov.au or phone (02) 6252 7714.