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Canadian Century
Research Infrastructure
CCRI
An Interdisciplinary Census
Database Project.
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Canadian Century Research
Infrastructure CCRI
• A cross-Canada initiative to develop
databases from large random samples of
manuscript census records for the period
1911-1951.
• These will be linked to contextual data and
other Census sources covering periods
from 1871 to 1901 and from 1961 to 2001.
– http://www.canada.uottawa.ca/ccri/
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The User Community
• Primary users will be sociologists, historians, geographers and
economists, doing research on 20th Century Canada.
• We will produce different microdata files and other products for
different users.
• Some researchers will access detailed data on a basis that ensures
confidentiality by working in secure Research Data Centres.
• Other researchers will access anonymized public use files that
provide less detail about individuals.
• We also expect the microdata files and linked contextual information
to be used for teaching at all levels from high schools to
postgraduate study.
• All researchers will require a user interface for access to contextual
data (“metadata”) and to documentation of how Census questions
were asked and coded at different times.
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User Goals
• Most users will want to write small or large
research reports.
• Many users will want to compare results over
time: - others will want to compare Canadian
against US or British data.
• Since questions & enumerator instructions vary
we will provide extensive online documentation.
– Some potential users will want to do genealogical
research but this is not possible because Census
data from 1911 on are confidential.
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User Interface (UI)
Conceptual
structure of
the final
database: A
series of webextractable,
searchable,
integrated and
harmonized
research
databases
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UI Design Requirements
• Supports data extraction and download for
anonymized microdata.
• Supports searchable contextual data and
documentation.
– Equal prominence to English and French.
• “Drill-down” for further layers of
documentation, data and context.
• “Green Balloons” as organizing metaphor.
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The 1911 Census manuscript form
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Geocoding allows mapping of
social patterns over time
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Population Density: 1911
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IPUMS: a successful model
• Îp’-ums - Integrated Public Use Microdata
Series based at the University of Minnesota.
– Makes available US Census files from 1850.
• Differences between IPUMS & the Canadian
Project (CCRI).
– CCRI will have extensive retrievability of contextual
data (“meta-data”) via an attractive user interface.
– CCRI takes more steps to preserve confidentiality. It
also includes data on religion.
– CCRI has a large geocoding component.
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IPUMS-USA Welcome Screen
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CCRI Welcome Screen (English)
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CCRI Active Links Prototype
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Drill Down to User Introduction
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Drill Down to Instructions
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1911: Citizenship & Religion
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1911: Education & Languages
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Drill down to Newspapers
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Newspaper Report of
Legislative Debate
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Drill Down to House of Commons
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Drill Down to 2ndary Bibliographies
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Detail within 2ndary Bibliographies
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Closing Questions
• Is there any better
metaphor than “green
balloons”?
• How can we foreground
spatial mapping aspects
of the database?
• Can we simplify users’
problem formulation,
navigation and
searching?
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