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This list of tips should help you access Community Data Consortium data more efficiently and hopefully avoid some common issues. If you have any additional questions of have ideas on what to add to this list, please drop us in the Forum.

Data Awareness

When using Census data please ensure that what you think you’re reading is what you are reading. The Beyond 20/20 summary pages within the ".ivt" table provide complete information about the variables included.

To access the summary pages:  select File, then Summary from the "File" menu in the top left corner of the window. The summary will appear in a new Beyond 2020 window.

Undercounts

When using Statistics Canada census data, keep in mind that the total population indicated in the census may not be the actual total population of an area (or geography). Like other data gathering tools, censuses are not perfect sources of information. Missing population data in census counts can be due to “undercounts”. For more information about undercounts please see the following Census Undercounts document prepared by the Region of Peel.

Census Geography Boundaries

Please be aware that Census boundaries may change between Censuses, check StatCan for geography boundary changes to ensure your data is comparable.

Catalogue Searching

The catalogue search tool is a powerful search engine for finding data, but unlike larger sources (such as the internet, or municipal phone directories) the Community Data Consortium catalogue database only contains a few hundred entries. Be careful not to over constrain your search, with every additional field you select in the catalogue search tool you lessen the chance of returning a browseable result set.

If you cannot find the answers to your technical queries through this website please do not hesitate to contact our technical support by emailing the Community Data Consortium at information@communitydata-donneescommunautaires.ca.