← VCE Data Analysis

Census data

A data collection that gathers information from every person or household in a population, not just a sample. The ABS runs the Australian census every five years.

Part of: VCE Applied Computing - U1O1 - Data analysis — Module 10

Understanding Census data in VCE Data Analysis

What it does: This shows the Australian Bureau of Statistics census is repeated regularly and aims to cover all households. Data collected by the ABS and reused by someone else is secondary data for that student. A census covers the whole population. A sample survey only covers a part of it. The ABS is the national statistics agency and runs the census. The ABS runs the Australian census every five years, so it is not an annual survey. Every member of the population (all Year 10 students) is included, so it is a census. Your class did not collect the data. The ABS did. Using it later makes it secondary data.

Common mistakes: Students using ABS census results did not collect the data themselves, so it is secondary data. It should be data_type ← secondary. A census collects data from the whole population, not a sample. It should be census_size ← population.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 3–14) and word search (Modules 3–24).

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Learning
Duo
Which describes a census?
Collects data from every person or household in a populationCollects data from a small sample of the population
Matches
census = survey of 1000 randomly chosen people
↓
This describes a sample survey, not a census. A census collects data from every person or household in the population, not just a chosen sample.
Applying
Meanings
Term
census
Meaning
A data collection that gathers information from every person or household in a population, not just a sample. The ABS runs the Australian census every five years.
Practice
=COUNTA(A2:A5001)
Testing
Gaps
A collects data from every person.
Check Answer
Spots
2collects ← every household
3data_type ← primary

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Quick Questions

1. Which describes a census?
A. Collects data from every person or household in a population ✓
B. Collects data from a small sample of the population
A census covers the whole population. A sample survey only covers a part of it.
2. Which organisation runs the Australian census?
A. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ✓
B. Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
The ABS is the national statistics agency and runs the census.
3. How often is the Australian census held?
A. Every year
B. Every five years ✓
The ABS runs the Australian census every five years, so it is not an annual survey.
4. A school asks 40 randomly chosen students about their lunch habits. What is this?
A. A census
B. A sample survey ✓
Only some of the students are asked, so it is a sample survey, not a census.
5. A school asks every single Year 10 student which elective they want. What is this for the Year 10 population?
A. A census ✓
B. A sample survey
Every member of the population (all Year 10 students) is included, so it is a census.

Match the Pairs

census → A data collection that gathers information from every person or household in a population, not just a sample
sample survey → A data collection that asks only some members of a population, then uses their answers to estimate the whole group
The ABS runs the Australian census every five years to collect data from every household → census = every household, every 5 years
A student uses published ABS census tables for a project. The student did not collect the data, so it is secondary data → census data -> secondary data
census = survey of 1000 randomly chosen people → This describes a sample survey, not a census. A census collects data from every person or household in the population, not just a chosen sample.
A student's own census data is secondary data → If the student collects the census data themselves, it is primary data. Census data is only secondary when someone else collected it, such as the ABS, and the student reuses it.

Key Term

census
A data collection that gathers information from every person or household in a population, not just a sample. The ABS runs the Australian census every five years.

Fill in the Blanks

1. A census collects data from every person.
Hint: Type the term for collecting data from the whole population.
2. A sample survey asks only part of the population.
Hint: Type the word for the whole group a census would cover.
3. Reusing ABS census data is secondary data.
Hint: Type the data source type used when someone else collected the data.
4. IF surveyed = population THEN method ← "census" END IF
Hint: Type the operator that checks the two values are equal.
5. The ABS runs the census every five years.
Hint: Type the number of years between Australian censuses, as a word.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A source ← ABS census
B collects ← every household
C data_type ← primary
Line C — Students using ABS census results did not collect the data themselves, so it is secondary data. It should be data_type ← secondary.
Question 2
A population ← 1000
B sample_size ← 100
C census_size ← sample_size
Line C — A census collects data from the whole population, not a sample. It should be census_size ← population.
Question 3
A IF method = census THEN
B asked ← a random sample
C ELSE
D asked ← a random sample
Line B — In a census, every household is asked. A random sample belongs in the ELSE branch. Line 2 should be asked ← every household.
Question 4
A census_year ← 2021
B interval ← 10
C next ← census_year + interval
Line B — The ABS runs the Australian census every five years, not ten. It should be interval ← 5.
Question 5
A source ← ABS census
B people_asked ← everyone
C sample_used ← FALSE
D complete_coverage ← FALSE
Line D — A census aims to cover the whole population, so coverage is complete. It should be complete_coverage ← TRUE.

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