Introduction to microdata
Microdata refers to non-aggregated data where each record represents a person, household, or other unit of observation. In a survey microdata file, every record represents one survey response.
Microdata is sometimes described in relation to statistics.
| Statistics | Microdata |
|---|---|
| Aggregated calculations that describe and summarize (counts, averages, etc) Easier to communicate but not flexible: what you see is what you get | Non-aggregated data that researchers can combine as they please Can answer follow-up questions raised by statistics: How does that differ by province? by age group? |
Public Use Microdata Files (PUMFs)
Public Use Microdata Files (PUMFs) is the term Statistics Canada uses for non-aggregated data it releases for public use. PUMFs are released under the Statistics Canada Open Licence and can be used with very few restrictions, as long as Statistics Canada is acknowledged as the source.
PUMFs take precautions to protect respondent privacy:
- Some variables are suppressed (e.g. smaller geographic areas)
- Some variables are aggregated (e.g. age, income)
- Might only be a sample of responses (e.g. Census of Canada PUMFs)
These privacy precautions mean PUMFs are not suitable for some research projects, but for many others they are a quick way to access high quality data about Canadians.
Researchers who need data that’s not available to the public might benefit from the Real Time Remote Access (RTRA) and Research Data Centre (RDC) programs.
Statistics Canada PUMFs at UBC Library
Even though they’re public, PUMFs can be difficult to find on the Statistics Canada website. Our recommended source for PUMFs is Abacus, UBC Library’s data repository.
Visit the Statistics Canada Open License collection in Abacus and search or browse to find PUMFs for these high profile Statistics Canada surveys, along with many others:
- Census of Canada
- Canadian Community Health Survey
- Canadian Housing Survey
- Canadian Income Survey
- Canadian Internet Use Survey
- Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey
- General Social Survey
- Labour Force Survey
- National Travel Survey
- …