Supporting Social Research

New from the Australian Bureau of Statistics

2008-03-03T10:38:25Z

ABS data is an important resource for many social researchers. Current data and publications are made freely available and updated daily. Here are just a few important statistical publications and initiatives that have been released in the past few months. These releases will be useful for many students and researchers.

]]> The Yearbook of Australia 2008
The Yearbook provides a comprehensive statistical overview of current social and economic conditions in Australia. It covers just about every aspect of Australian life from geography and demography to government, politics and international relations, the environment, labour force data, housing and health and many other data categories. The yearbook also contains feature articles summarising the statistical history or background of an important issue. Recently these essays have reflected the theme of a specific year. The 2008 yearbook contains sections on geohazards, water and drought in recognition of The International Year of the Planet Earth and one on scouting, for Australia’s year of Scouting. Past years have contained many diverse articles including Australia's Involvement And Activities In The United Nations, 1945-95 (1995), The 1967 Referendum (2004), Blue - Green Algae (1992) The Australian Flag (1983) and in 1974 A History of Roads in Australia. Feature articles were regularly included in yearbooks from the 1970s onward. You can access the yearbook via the icon on the ABS homepage.

The Yearbook of Australia online 1901-2008
ABS is now reaching the completion of a project to make all Yearbooks available online. Volumes from 1908 onward are now available from the ABS website. The yearbook is particularly useful for researchers who require key data on a specific topic or who wish to compare social and economic trends across a number of years. For example I am looking at divorce statistics in the 1970s and 2005. Google may find the answers but the Yearbook will ensure that researchers have authoritative data. Access the yearbook archive via the ABS homepage.

The ABS Themes Page
This page is not new but keep it in mind. This page organises statistical data by subject/theme and provides access to both ABS data and links to all the main publishers of Australian statistical information and analysis within a specific area. This page lists key ABS publications and provides a gateway to other statistical sources and technical information about the data. If you need a starting point for locating data on a topic this is a useful page to begin a search. You can access themes from the menu bar at the top of the ABS Homepage.

New from the 2006 Census
Several new community profiles are now available from the ABS census website.
Community profiles provide statistical compilations of data from the census. This week ABS will release (Friday 29th February 11.30 am) the Working Population Profile. This profile contains data on how people work, their incomes, whether they work full-time or part-time, working longer hours, the industries in which they work, which occupations use the Internet in their work and how people travel to work.
The Expanded profile was released late last year and provides access to extended census data on the characteristics of persons, families and dwellings. Data is available detailing relationships within families, living costs and dwelling structures.

Future Releases
Many researchers are asking about the release dates of two products CDATA and the SEIFA Indexes

SEIFA indexes are compiled from different socioeconomic variables and allow researchers to rank an area/region on the basis of their SEIFA score - educational/economic advantage/disadvantage. The indexes will be released in March 2008.

CDATA – (basic description) allows researchers to select and customize their own geographic areas and combine geography with selected data to create maps, tables and graphs. CDATA is expected in mid 2008.

Using ABS data
ABS provides information on citing ABS sources.
Examples are available for print, audiovisual and web resources.

Keeping up-to-date
You can keep up-to-date by setting up a free email notification or using the ABS RSS feed or by just visiting the ABS homepage where media releases and product information is available, and updated daily.

New report on Welfare Expenditure in Australia

2007-11-22T03:23:49Z

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a new report on welfare spending by governments in Australia; it documents spending increases over the past 8 years and shows families and the aged as the major beneficiaries. The report titled Welfare Expenditure in Australia 2005-06 provides estimates of welfare expenditure in Australia for the period 1998-99 to 2005-06 and is available online from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's website. On a related topic is a recent research report by Peter Saunders from The Social Policy Research Centre at the University of NSW. The report is called Towards New Indicators of Disadvantage, Deprivation and Social Exclusion in Australia and is available from the centre's website. To check Fisher Library's catalogue holdings in this research area search under the subject heading 'Public Welfare Australia'.

Database Trial - TVNews

2007-11-19T05:41:07Z

Did you miss Foreign Correspondent last Tuesday? Need to follow television coverage of the 2007 Election! Do you or your students need access to Australian television news, current affairs and selected documentaries for teaching and research? You can access this content via a new database, TVNews. This database is on trial until 31 December 2007.

]]> TVNews indexes Australian television news, current affairs and selected documentaries from the free-to-air networks. Each program is linked to digitised video content. All individual stories from a particular broadcast are indexed with a synopsis. You can browse titles included in the database or search content by keyword or title.

TVNews is updated daily, with stories appearing on evening news broadcasts usually available online the next morning.

Local nightly news programmes are from Melbourne broadcasts. Although programs are captured using Melbourne networks, almost 95% of the content is National. The ABC stateline program is available for all states and local news bulletins will be added if there is a demand.

The Library would appreciate your comments about this database. These comments are vital to the overall evaluation process and will have an important influence on whether the Library will subscribe to a database. If you are interested in this database please complete the Evaluation Form

Chasing the vote! Researching elections and electoral information.

2007-11-19T01:40:20Z

Earlier this month the Australian Parliamentary Library released the research paper Electoral division rankings: Census 2006. This paper is one of many sources that will be of interest to anyone researching the current election and electoral information. The paper "provides an analysis by Commonwealth electoral division of socio-demographic data from the first release of the 2006 Census of Population and Housing." The rankings provide an interesting electoral snapshot on a range of variables. Which electorate has the most children aged under 5 years, persons born overseas, the highest median weekly family income, lone person households or households with an internet connection? Rankings are available for the following categories: population, religion, ethnicity, families, income, education and dwellings.

]]> The Parliamentary Library has also published a number of other useful papers on electoral information. Electoral pendulum 2007 looks at "the notional two-party preferred swing needed for each electoral division (seat) to change hands at the next House of representatives election." Australian electoral systems and the lecture on An electoral geography of Australia provide informative backgound information on electoral systems and geography in Australia, A quick keyword search using the word elect in the Parliamentary Library database of publications lists many other research papers and legislative sources realting to elections.

The web provides an almost overwhelming source for information on elections, from Bennelong blogs to media worms and the advice of electoral gurus. The Library subject guides provide a short cut to some of this information. The Government guide has a section on Australian Political Parties. This includes websites for the major parties and the Australian Electoral Division list of currently registered political parties. The The Library's Social Policy Guide includes links to social advocacy organisations and key online discussion forums. Follow the electoral commentary in Australian Review of Public Affairs or Australian Policy Online.

Key websites to watch in the coming weeks include the Australia Electoral Commission and the websites of major media organisations. The AEC provides information on electorates, polling, parties and representatives, electoral legislation and statistics. Educational publications provide papers on a range of topics including a brief History on the Indigenous Vote in Australia.

The Library catalogue and databases will help you to locate books, articles and research papers on the historical, social and political aspects of elections both in Australia and overseas. A quick catalogue search on elections or voting in Australia limited to publications published after 2001 finds recent titles analysing Australian elections.

Databases including the the Australian Public Affairs database APA-FT, Expanded Academic Index, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts and Sociological Abstracts provide access to international and Australian journal articles, conference and research papers on elections and electoral issues. Factiva will allow you to search for articles in all Australian newspapers on both the current and previous elections. All these databases can be accessed via the the Library Electronic Resources - Databases web page.

So! Find some quick stats on Bennelong at the Australia Bureau of Statistics census website or borrow a book on elections in Australia. Ask a Librarian if you need further help finding information on this topic!

Reference work of the month: SIPRI Yearbook

2007-10-24T02:38:08Z

Welcome to this new section of the Supporting Social Research Blog! Every month we will highlight a reference work that we feel contributes both to social research and to learning and teaching in the University. If we feel really enthusiastic about a book or electronic publication we may extend to "reference works" of the month! Our first reference work has answered a number of questions in the past few weeks and will probably answer many more.

SIPRI Yearbook: Armaments, Disarmaments and International Security
This Yearbook is published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute The yearbook analyses developments in security and conflicts, military spending and armaments, non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament. The Library maintains an ongoing subscription to this Yearbook. The latest available yearbook is for 2007, this edition covers developments in 2006. Each chapter of the Yearbook is authored, statistical sources are clearly indicated and any problems with data identified.

]]> The Yearbook looks at critical issues in the previous year. The current volume includes analysis of the Iraq operation and US domestic debates, the role of Treaty organizations in various areas of conflict, definitions of armed conflict, global trends in peacekeeping and peace missions, and regional security. The section on military spending on arms is more than a simple list of figures and data for different countries, although this type of data is available. The yearbook not only analyses expenditure and the reporting of expenditure, it looks at additional aspects of armaments, for example the analysis of risk to human lives. In addition each chapter is meticulously footnoted so that it is easy to locate both additional sources of information but also gain a clear indication of sources used to compile and analyse data.

The Yearbook annexes include a chronology of Arms control and disarmament agreements and biographical information for contributors; the yearbook includes a detailed index. Selected data and research is also available on the SIPRI website andsummary information from the Yearbook is also available. Current volumes of the Yearbook are held in the Fisher Library Reference Collection, volumes from 1969 -1995 are held in the Fisher Research collection on Level 4. The call number in both collections is 341.105 9 Selected volumes are also held in the University Law Library. Check the Library catalogue for complete holding information.

Primary Sources in Counseling Psychology - Database Trial

2007-10-24T02:37:36Z

The University of Sydney Library is running a trial of 'Primary Sources in Counseling and Psychology', it is available from our Databases on Trial page.
It contains transcripts of psychotherapy sessions, first-person accounts of dealing with mental illness and also includes reference handbooks and textbook case studies.

The trial runs until November 25th, 2007. Please complete a database evaluation form to provide us with feeedback.

Media Directory - Database Trial

2007-10-23T23:59:20Z

The University of Sydney Library is running a trial of a new Australian Media Directory, it is available from our Databases on Trial page.
It contains contact details for individual newspapers, radio & tv stations, programs, magazines, supplements & lift outs as well as newsletters, media agencies, politicians, political parties & government departments.

The trial runs until November 18 2007. Please complete a database evaluation formto provide us with feeedback.

ACSPRI Summer School 2008

2007-10-22T23:08:39Z

The following information is provided by the Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research Incorporated (ACSPRI).
The ACSPRI Summer Program 2008 is now open for registration.
http://www.acspri.org.au/summerprogram2008
Week-long short courses will be held concurrently over two weeks at the Summer Program 2008 which will run at the Australian National University over the following dates:

Monday 14 January To Friday 18 January 2008 AND Monday 21 January To Friday 25 January 2008

]]> Introductory courses

- Introduction to Qualitative Research Techniques

- Focus Groups and Other Qualitative Group Techniques

- Introduction to Social Network Research and Network Analysis

- Introduction to NVivo: computer-assisted qualitative data analysis

- Introduction to Statistics

- Data Analysis in SAS

- Data Analysis in SPSS

Intermediate courses

- Fundamentals of Multiple Regression

- Qualitative Research: Design, Analysis & Representation

- Factor Analysis

- Forecasting

- Data Analysis using Stata

- Applied Multiple Regression Analysis

- Time Series Modelling

- Research Completion: selecting research methodology, statistical procedures, and writing up

- Survey Research Methods

Advanced courses

- Applied Structural Equation Modelling

- Practical Measurement and Multilevel Analysis in the Psychosocial Sciences

- Introduction to Structural Equation Modelling (LISREL)

- Introduction to Structural Equation Modelling (AMOS) (offered in both weeks)

- Introduction to Data Mining using SAS Enterprise Miner

For more detail about the courses offered, associated costs and registration and payment details please go to

http://www.acspri.org.au/summerprogram2008

Fees for the program are as follows:

Summer Program 2008 (5-day) Course Fee:

Non-member $2100

ACSPRI member $1330

ACSPRI member: full-time PhD student: $1330

Early-Bird Discounted Fee

Non-member $1840

ACSPRI member $1210

ACSPRI member: full-time PhD student: $700

The early bird closing date for these courses will be 6th December 2007.

Courses can be booked online or a manual form can be downloaded from the website.

Government intervention in Aboriginal Communities

2007-09-24T23:43:11Z

There have many requests for information relating to the Government interventions in the Northern Territory. Key reports including Ampe akelyernemane meke mekarle "Little children are sacred" are available online and via the Library catalogue.

There are many information resources that provide useful research and background information relevent to government actions in relation to Aboriginal communities. The Australian Parliamentary Library publishes a Bills digest. Documents relating to the recent measures can be quickly located and downloaded. The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Township Leasing) Bill 2007 , the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander) Consequential, Transitional and Other Measures Bill 2006 and the Corporations Amendment (Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Corporations) Bill 2006 are all available from this site. The Parliamentary Library also publishes Research briefs on many political and social issues. The Domestic violence e- brief provides links to earlier reports on conditions in Aboriginal communities.

]]> You can follow current Parliamentary debates on these issues via Parlinfo web the official Parliamentary document repository. Track media coverage using the Factiva database, available via the Library databases and electronic resources page. In Factiva you can limit your search to a specific publication or search across all Australian newspapers. Factiva includes many of the worlds key news sources so you locate articles giving international responses to government actions. The Library has recently ordered copies of ABC Four Corners programs covering social issues in Aboriginal Communities including The Shame (2001), The Road to nowhere 2006) and Six Pack Politics: Aurukun (1991) . The Cape Experiment broadcast on the 16th of July has not yet been released on DVD but the program has an excellent website which incldes transcripts and links to other information. A website is also available for the 2006 programme The Road to Nowhere.

The Senate Inquiry into the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007 & Related Bills are availble from the Australian Parliament Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee website.

There are a number of websites that contain publications and responses to leasing arrangements in the Northern Territory. Important sites include The Indigenous law Centre at the University of New South Wales which has already published collected responses to government Intervention in Indigenous communities. The AIATSIS native title research unit also provides comprehensive information relating to native title and includes conference papers from the 2007 Native Title Conference. Papers and presentations are available from the website. The Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University has also published a number of papers on the current Governemt Intervention Conspicuous Compassion and Wicked Problems - The Howard Government’s National Emergency in Indigenous Affairs (Hunter B. H) and 'National Emergency' and Land Rights Reform: Separating fact from fiction (Altman J.C)

Library databases are also an important source for research information and index and in manys provide full-text access to articles , conference papers and the publications of many governmental and non-profit organization reports. Databases relevant to this research area include the Indigenous Peoples collection, Family and Society Plus and the Australian Legal databases AGIS Plus Text: Attorney General's Information Service and CINCH.

If you require assistance in using any of these sources please contact the Social Sciences Librarians at socialsciences@library.usyd.edu.au

Australia Fair?

2007-09-20T05:02:39Z

Interested in International comparisons between Australia and other countries? Australia Fair: International Comparisons 2007 released by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) on the 30th of August uses current data to compare a range of social indicators with the situation in other OECD countries.

]]> The report is available online from ACOSS. Comparisons are available for economic indicators, and social indicators including; health, housing, welfare, reconciliation, welfare and work. Remember the Library also provides access to SourceOECD if you would like to access other statistical data for countries mentioned in the report. The Library Social Statistics Guide provides useful links to a number of key data sources and directories for social research.

New journal Global Social Policy

2007-09-10T04:50:59Z

Global Social Policy: : An Interdisciplinary Journal of Public Policy and Social Development is now available electronically via the Library’s catalogue.

Global Social Policy aims to advance the understanding of the relationship between globalization processes and social policy. This journal analyses the contributions of a range of national and international actors, both governmental and non-governmental, to global social policy and social development discourse and practice.

]]> Global Social Policy is a scholarly journal. Content is cross-disciplinary and should interest scholars in a range of disciplines including international research in social development and social policy, social work and sociology, Articles should also interest policy makers and professionals involved in government, international agencies, members of NGOs and social movements.

Policy Press Journal Trial

2007-08-12T22:17:19Z

Two Policy Press Journals Benefits and Evidence and Policy are available on trial until the 27th of August. Evidence & Policy is is an international peer-reviewed journal "dedicated to comprehensive and critical treatment of the relationship between research evidence and the concerns of policy makers, practitioners and researchers". Benefits: The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice' is a peer-reviewed publication focusing on research relating to on poverty and social exclusion. Access the journals via the Library Databases and Electronic Resources trials page.

International Political Science Abstracts Database Trial

2007-07-30T03:35:44Z

International Political Science Abstracts (IPSA), published by the International Political Science Association, includes current indexing and abstracts for many of the world's leading journals in political science. This database contains records from almost 900 journals published from 1989 to the present. Approximately 8,000 new records are added to the database each year. This database trial ends on the 17th of September 2007.

]]> The Library would appreciate your comments about this database. These comments are vital to the overall evaluation process and will have an important influence on whether the Library will subscribe to the database. If you are interested in either of these databases please complete the Evaluation Form

Census 2006! Frst release data available on the 27th June

2007-06-26T22:56:37Z

The first release of data from the 2006 census will be available for free on the ABS website at 9.30 am on Wednesday 27th June.

ABS has launched several new products including, Quickstats, MapStats and Census tables.

Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data is widely used in social research. So take a look at the new data and products on the ABS website!

]]> QuickStats: Provides access to key data on basic Census topics such as age, country of birth, main language spoken at home, religious affiliations and marital status.

MapStats: allows you to create detailed thematic maps of selected areas easily and quickly.

Census Tables: provides access to data on a particular Census topic for an area.
If you have any questions about 2006 Census data please contact socialsciences@library.usyd.edu.au

How are young Australians faring in work and study?

2007-05-29T23:39:00Z

"Since 1995, full-time jobs for older Australians have risen by more than one million but declinded by 14,000 for teenagers and 52,000 for young adults."

These new figures are revealed in the eigth annual review conducted by the Dusseldorp Skills Forum into Australian youth and their participation in learning and work. The report entitled How Young People are Faring 2006 is available on the Dusseldorp Skills Forum Website. The report was written by Mike Long from Monash University-ACER Centre for the Economics of Education and Training.]]> Key findings from 'How Young People are Faring 2006' include:
Completing year 12 does make a difference; increasing numbers of students are working part-time; almost as many school-leavers go to TAFE as university; participation rates for young adults are improving and Australia is not running out of young people. The University of Sydney Library has this report in hardcopy as well as previous reports in the series. See the Catalogue for details.