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Statistics Canada releases Public Use Microdata Files (PUMFs) for the Census and many of its surveys. These de-identified files contain responses at the individual level and are a rich source of data for researchers.
This workshop demonstrates how to access, explore, and analyze Statistics Canada microdata using R. We will work with the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey{:target="_blank"} but the content applies to any Statistics Canada PUMF, hundreds of which are freely available in Abacus{:target="_blank"}, UBC Library’s data repository.
There are no prerequisites. Participants familiar with R and RStudio can follow along on their own workstations. For those new to R, the workshop showcases how R can be used for analysis and reproducibility.
If you are new to R and want to participate fully, please install R and RStudio before the workshop:
- Install R from https://cran.rstudio.com/{:target="_blank"}
- Install RStudio from https://rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/#download{:target="_blank"}
- Follow along and run the code in this R Markdown file.
At the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
- Describe how microdata differs from statistics, and how it can be used
- Find Statistics Canada Public Use Microdata Files (PUMFs) in Abacus{:target="_blank"}, UBC Library's data repository
- Interpret PUMF documentation, including user guides and data codebooks
- Appreciate how R can support your research process and improve reproducibility
| 0:00 | Welcome and using Zoom|
| 0:05 | Introduction to microdata |
| 0:15 | Finding Statistics Canada microdata in Abacus (PUMFs) |
| 0:20 | Orientation to the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS) |
| 0:30 | Example of data analysis and visualisation in R |
| 1:00 | Post-workshop discussion (optional, up to 30mins) |
- Microdata page from UBC Library's Data and Statistics guide
- General information about Microdata from Statistics Canada website
- Statistics Canada Open License collection in Abacus (for PUMFs and other Statistics Canada datasets)
- Data guide
- Sophia Papandonatou, student Data Librarian, UBC Library [email protected]
- Paul Lesack, Data/GIS Analyst, UBC Library [email protected]
- (currently on leave) Jeremy Buhler, Data Librarian, UBC Library [email protected]