POR Annual Report 2001-2002

Research Highlights

This fiscal year there were several public opinion research studies conducted by the Government of Canada. Below is a brief description of some of the more notable of these studies, ranging from on-line studies to studies dealing with social cohesion following the events of September 11, 2001.

On-Line Studies

Two of the projects conducted on-line this fiscal year involved the Government of Canada's presence on the Internet. In January 2001, the Canada Site, the primary Internet portal for information on the Government of Canada's programs and services, was revised. The research utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods to determine the best design for the welcome and home pages for the Canada Gateway.

A second Internet-related study was conducted by the four natural resource departments (Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) and Health Canada that are partners in the development of the Environment, Natural Resources, Fisheries and Agriculture (ENRFA) Cluster on the Canada site. The purpose of the cluster is to create a Web portal where Canadians can go to find information related to sustainable development. The research project was conducted to determine public reaction to this proposed cluster.

Rural Youth Migration Study

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada conducted a study entitled the "Rural Youth Migration Study" on behalf of the Canadian Rural Partnership, which is composed of federal departments and other rural stakeholders. The goal of the Canadian Rural Partnership is to ensure that federal programs, policies and activities provide support to rural communities. The study surveyed rural youth about their aspirations and perceived opportunities regarding education, employment and preferred location to live. Community leaders were also asked for their views on the need for post-secondary schooling, the opportunities to create jobs for young people, support for entrepreneurial self-employment opportunities for youth and the availability of other community resources for rural youth.

Statistics Canada Town Hall Meetings

A number of town hall meetings and focus groups were held to help give Statistics Canada guidance with respect to the possibility of amending the Statistics Act to allow historical census records to be made available to the public. The research was intended to ensure, if access to historical census records is provided, that it be done in a manner that respects the concerns of Canadians for privacy and for the integrity of government.

Official Languages

The Treasury Board Secretariat—in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Communication Canada and Canadian Heritage—undertook a research project into the current attitudes towards the use of both official languages within the public service of Canada. The purpose of the research was to identify the barriers and opportunities to increasing the active use of both official languages in the Government of Canada workplace and to increasing the capacity of employees to use both official languages in the service of Canadians.

Social Cohesion

Canadian Heritage (which served as the lead department), Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Communication Canada commissioned a research project that was designed to determine attitudes towards racial and religious minorities and immigrants in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. This study on social cohesion utilized both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Published: August 2002 Updated: 2004-04-01	Top	Important Notices