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TYPES OF DATA SOURCES

This Directory references two types of data sources; administrative by-product data and survey data.

1. ADMINISTRATIVE BY-PRODUCT DATA

Administrative by-product data are collected by government agencies (e.g. police, courts, child protection authorities) and service providers (e.g. public hospitals) as part of their case management, clinical or other administrative records about clients and the nature of their transactions with the agency/service. Information may be extracted from these records and compiled for statistical or analytical purposes.

Administrative by-product data sources can provide rich datasets about people and their contact with government agencies, but may also be limited by the purpose/target population of the service, the structure of the data, variation in recording practices and different operational definitions of Family and Domestic Violence based on service eligibility criteria. By default, only formal system elements of the Family and Domestic Violence Framework are encompassed.


2. SURVEYS

Surveys collect data directly from the chosen respondent. Surveys can be undertaken by collecting data from some, or all, of the population of interest to the study. In a census all units in a population are approached for information. In sample surveys, information is collected from some people in the population. Data from sample surveys are then 'expanded' or 'weighted' to make inferences about the whole population. Thus the sample is a set of observations taken from the population for the purpose of obtaining information about the population.

Surveys can complement administrative by-product data sources by collecting data that is not focussed on service delivery. For example, victimisation surveys are specifically designed to provide information about prevalence of crimes, details about victims and their experiences and reporting/non-reporting behaviours. Surveys are also designed to capture perceptions of Family and Domestic Violence and evaluative information on service or program provision.

To the extent that surveys use standard definitions and methodologies, they enable comparisons to be made across datasets and over time. Where standardised definitions of Family and Domestic Violence are used, they are able to measure Family and Domestic Violence incidents that may or may not be classified as criminal across all states and territories or captured by all service providers. Limitations of survey data sources include problems of recall, non-response, disclosure and coverage.

• Primary data sources are those in which the responsible agency/organisation owns the administrative by-product or survey data. They may directly collect and record the data themselves, using databases or systems also owned by the agency/organisation, or this can be done by a third party researcher or service provider on their behalf. Unless otherwise specified in the "Data availability/dissemination section" of an entry, readers should contact the primary data source holders with detailed questions and/or data requests.

• Secondary data sources are compendium publications or reports which cite data collected and owned by other agencies/organisations. They can provide useful analyses, recommendations and information on the policy context and may present data in tabulations, graphs or other ways that differ from those presented by the primary source. Secondary sources may hold databases containing summary data or a copy of the source record data, initially collected by another agency or entity. As they do not own the original data, they usually cannot provide access to information beyond what is already published. Entries for secondary data sources are less detailed than those for primary data sources and more detailed information about their contents can be accessed through links to the relevant agencies and publications.