NATION SERIES, EDITION 4
1996 CENSUS PRODUCT ON CD-ROM
A Brief Guide
What is the Nation Series?
The Nation Series is a CD-ROM product that provides access to basic demographic
and socio-economic data from the 1996 Census. In general, data is provided
at the federal, provincial, territorial and census metropolitan area levels.
Smaller geographical areas, such as census divisions and subdivisions,
census tracts, forward sortation areas, and enumeration areas are not
included.
Terminology
Beyond 20/20: Software designed to help non-specialist users manipulate
tabular data. Becoming widely used by Statistics Canada and other government
departments.
Dimension: An attribute or variable on a statistical table, such as,
age or sex. The Nation Series allows up to 8 dimensions per table.
Item: An element in a dimension (e.g., "male" in the "sex"
dimension)
How to access the Nation Series
- Double-click on the 96 Nation-Le pays icon.
- Click on the appropriate language.
- Click on Accept to indicate your acceptance of the
licence agreement, after which the main screen will open up.
The main screen
The screens are set up like file folders, with tabbed labels at the top.
When a folder is available for use, its label is highlighted in black
(instead of being greyed out or inactive).
- SEARCH: The main screen where you can type the subject matter and
/or place.
- DATA: Click here to access the data (when enabled, i.e., when the
tab appears in black instead of being greyed out or inactive).
- ABOUT THE DATA: Displays a list of hotlinks to reference tools like
the Census Handbook.
- PICTURE IT: Displays reproductions of the census questions or other
graphics.
- RELATED PRODUCTS: Lists other census products associated with your
query.
Executing a basic keyword subject and/or placename search:
- Key in the subject keyword (e.g. immigrant) in the query bar <enter>.
If your word(s) only appear in one subject heading, that heading
will automatically display below in the QUERY BOX.
If your words appear in more than one subject heading, double click
on the appropriate heading to move it to the query box. To remove
something from the query box, highlight it, then click on the UP ARROW.
- Click on the GEOGRAPHY folder to designate a specific level of geography.
(Remember that the Nation Series covers the federal, provincial,
territorial and CMA levels only.) Warning: As with
subjects, the CD sometimes lists geographic levels that aren't actually
available on the product.
- Click on ABOUT THE DATA to get definitions, abbreviations, etc.
- Click on RELATED PRODUCTS to display a list of associated print and
electronic products.
- If the tables you've selected are available, the DATA folder will
be enabled. Click on DATA to open up the list of tables.
- Click on the table of your choice and then on SHOW to open up the
Beyond 20/20 browser and view your data. (Or you could even double-click
on your choice to view the data.) Warning: The browser
will open up the table at the national l evel and not at the geographic
area you specified in your search.
Locating data for your specified geographic area:
- Click on the down arrow beside the ACTIVE DIMENSIONfield. Highlight
GEOGRAPHY from the list. Note that the GEOGRAPHY cell will turn yellow.
- Click on the right arrow beside the ACTIVE DIMENSIONfield to change
the geographic area. Repeat until the specified area appears.
- Click on File and Exit
if you wish to return to your list of tables retrieved in your search.
Executing a basic browse search from the list of available tables:
- Click on the CONTENTS button at the bottom of the screen.
- Click on the DATA folder.
- Browse the complete list of available tables that are listed alphabetically
by title. Highlight the appropriate table, and either double-click on
it or click on SHOW to open up the Beyond 20/20 browser and view your
data.
The grey buttons below, position you at a specific part of the alphabetical
list. Use them with caution. For example, for labour force statistics,
you can click on the J-L button which contains 6 tables whose titles
fall in the J-L range. If you click on the D-F button, you will see
4 tables that also pertain to the labour force and whose titles begin
with the words "Employed Labour Force . . . . ." thereby
positioning them in the E's.
Printing:
Click on the printer icon.
Downloading your table to disk:
- Choose SAVE AS from the FILE menu.
- Select drive A:
- Choose appropriate file type:
.txt for a text file
.dbf for database format (works with Lotus or Excel)
.ivt for use with Beyond 20/20 software
- Assign your file a meaningful name (e.g., AGE)
Advanced Data Manipulation Tips
Getting more information:
The red dot on a dimension tile indicates that some extra information
(full title, etc.) is available. Right click on the red dot, then left
click on "Dimension Summary".
Switching the table dimensions (variables):
Purpose: Tables can include up to eight dimensions or variables. Not
all variables can be displayed at one time. Switching the dimensions allows
you to change the variables that appear on your table.
Click on the down arrow beside the ACTIVE DIMENSION box to see what the
other possible dimensions are.
Position your cursor on the dimension label you wish to make active.
Drag it on top of the currently active dimension, then release.
Nesting Table Dimensions:
Purpose: To show one dimension subdivided or broken down by another dimension.
For example, you may want AGE AT IMMIGRATION subdivided by SEX.
Press the left button of the mouse and drag the appropriate dimension
to the top or bottom edge of the column label (or left or right of the
row label) until a thick line or highlight appears.
Drop the tile by releasing the mouse button.
Selecting data from a table:
Purpose: To reduce the amount of data displayed, to copy to another package
or to map the data.
- Click on the label of the row or column using the left mouse button.
It will then be blackened out with the figures appearing in white. (To
unmark or de-select the row/column, click on the row/column beneath
or to the right of the label.) To mark more than one row/column, keep
the Ctrl key depressed while you click on additional
choices.
- Then click on Item and Show
to display your selected data.
- To return to the full table, click on Dimension
and Show All.
Sorting data along a dimension:
Click on the Sort icon (with a down arrow). Can sort
dimensions in alphabetical or numerical order.
Further assistance:
Extensive help files are available by clicking on HELP on the top tool
bar.
Media and Data Centre 03/99 ab
Queen Elizabeth II Library
Memorial University of Newfoundland
[*This pathfinder has been developed from a guide prepared by Vivian Lewis
at McMaster University.]
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