Standard question module
36. There are two standard question modules for Country of Birth of Person:
- The Question Module for Detailed Data (see below) elicits the most detailed responses and data on Country of Birth of Person.
There are two alternatives for the Question Module for Detailed Data which may be used depending on space and cost considerations:
- Alternative one: a set of tick boxes and an 'Other - please specify' response category for writing a country not specified in the tick box list;
- Alternative two: a tick box for Australia and an 'Other - please specify' write-in category.
Alternative two is more compact but will incur additional coding costs.
- The Question Module for Minimum Data (see below) only contains the tick box options 'Australia' and 'Other country' and therefore does not collect detail on countries other than Australia.
Question module for detailed data
Alternative one
37. This standard question module is recommended for all household based surveys and other statistical and administrative collections designed to collect extensive data on Country of Birth of Person. It provides detailed information about the countries of birth of the Australian population.
38. The standard question module for obtaining detailed data for the variable Country of Birth of Person follows:
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Q1. In which country [were you] [was the person] [was (name)] born ?
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Other - please specify: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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39. The countries provided with this module have been included primarily on the basis of their statistical significance in the Australian context. These countries account for approximately 83% of all Country of Birth of Person responses recorded in the 2001 Census of Population and Housing. This order and list of countries may change more rapidly than the classification structure. Although China is a country in which a large proportion of Australians were born, it is excluded from the list because it is not the only country in which 'Chinese' people may be born and, if included, may bias responses. For example, if China were included in the list, Taiwan and Hong Kong would also need to be included otherwise Chinese persons born in these countries may be induced to mark the China tick box option.
40. The use of this list ensures compatibility across collections and minimises coding costs. This list will be reviewed periodically as different countries of birth assume a greater or lesser significance in the Australian context as a result of changing migration patterns. The list of tick box options provided as part of the standard question module is appropriate within the Australia-wide context. However, some users may wish to capture country of birth data in specific areas which have a different population composition than Australia as a whole. In these instances Census small area data can be used to identify a list of more appropriate tick boxes.
41. Each response to the 'Other - please specify' option will need to be matched to an entry in the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) Coding Index (see Coding Indexes in Classification and Coding).
Alternative two
42. If there is a need for detailed information but space constraints are an over-riding consideration then the tick boxes can be deleted (except the tick box for Australia) and all overseas respondents can write in their country of birth response. If this is done, however, there will be significant additional coding costs since each overseas born response will need to be matched with an entry in the SACC coding index (see Coding Indexes in Classification and Coding). This is only likely to be appropriate in small scale data collection activities and in cases where data entry of verbatim responses is an administrative requirement, or where optical character recognition data capture technologies are used, allowing automatic matching of response data with index entries. The question module would be as follows:
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Q1. In which country [were you] [was the person] [was (name)] born ?
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Other - please specify: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Question module for minimum data
43. The standard question module for minimum data for the variable Country of Birth of Person follows:
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Q1. In which country [were you] [was the person] [was (name)] born ?
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44. This question is suitable for statistical and administrative collections where there is no requirement for detailed data on country of birth or which have space constraints. It is primarily recommended as an identifier of those respondents who may require assistance to access services and information because they are migrants. Due to the greatly reduced length and detail of this module, it is not recommended for use in most collections as it provides no information regarding the range of countries of birth.
Standard input categories
Input categories for detailed data
45. The standard input categories for the Country of Birth of Person question module for detailed data are the base-level units of the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) (Cat. no. 1269.0) and are represented by their four-digit codes. For operational reasons, supplementary codes also exist to enable incomplete responses to be coded at the four-digit level. Note this implies that the labels attached to the supplementary codes are input categories.
46. In the interests of compatibility and comparability, the ABS urges the use of the standard four-digit classification codes wherever possible. However, it is acknowledged that in certain circumstances a three-digit code is relevant for dissemination. In such circumstances the ABS recommends the use of the three-digit International Organization for Standardization (ISO) codes. To assist users, these three-digit codes are included in the SACC with a mapping to the standard four-digit codes. In circumstances where the ISO codes are used, the ABS urges that data be produced and presented within the framework of the SACC.
Input categories for minimum data
47. The standard input categories for the Country of Birth of Person question module for minimum data are:
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