Exploring census microdata

Census microdata provides detailed anonymised information about individuals and households, allowing researchers to explore relationships between population characteristics in ways that are not possible using standard aggregate census tables.

This free workshop will introduce census microdata available through the UK Data Service and demonstrate how these data can be used to investigate substantive research questions about the UK population.

The session will include:

• An overview of the census microdata available through the UK Data Service and the different levels of access.
• An exploration of the documentation and other resources available to help researchers understand and use census microdata.
• A demonstration of how to prepare and analyse census microdata.
• A discussion of common issues and good practice when working with census microdata.

The workshop will consist of a presentation followed by a practical demonstration of working with census microdata. Participants are welcome to follow the demonstration on their own computer but this is not required. The emphasis will be on understanding the analytical process and the decisions involved at different stages of an analysis. There will also be time for attendees to ask questions.

The workshop will use a freely available census microdata sample. During the session, we will show participants how to access and download the dataset, allowing those who wish to follow the demonstration on their own computers.

Presenter: Placide Abasabanye, UK Data Service
Placide is a Research Associate at the UK Data Service with a PhD in Economics. He has ten years of research experience using survey and census data, alongside eight years of teaching experience at the Universities of Manchester and Lille (France). His expertise spans microdata and macrodata analysis, large dataset processing, and econometrics. He particularly enjoys helping learners build confidence, develop critical thinking, and gain practical data skills they can apply in their professional work and studies.

Level: Introductory, no prior experience is needed.

Knowledge required: No previous experience with census microdata is required, although some familiarity with quantitative data analysis may be helpful. The demonstration will use RStudio but attendees can follow along using any data analysis software they are familiar with.

This event will be livestreamed on our UK Data Service YouTube channel but the chat will be disabled. By registering and attending the Zoom event you will be able to ask questions and interact.

Recordings of UK Data Service events are made available on our YouTube channel and, together with the slides, on our past events pages soon after the event has taken place.