Aboriginal Peoples Survey, 2012: concepts and methods guide

The Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) is a national survey on the social and economic conditions of First Nations people living off reserve, Metis and Inuit aged 6 years and over. The objectives of the APS are to identify the needs of these Aboriginal groups and to inform policy and programs aimed at improving the well-being of Aboriginal peoples. The APS has been conducted by Statistics Canada since 1991, providing a range of social and economic indicators about Aboriginal peoples. This cycle of the APS was conducted from February 6, 2012 to July 30, 2012. Over 50,000 people were selected to participate in the survey and the final response rate was 76 per cent. The survey design allowed for the production of reliable data for each of the provinces and territories (Atlantic provinces grouped), as well as for each of the four Inuit regions: Nunatsiavut (Northern coastal Labrador), Nunavik (Northern Quebec), the territory of Nunavut and the Inuvialuit region of the Northwest Territories. The survey also targeted four particular education groups: current school attendees in grades one to six; current school attendees in grades seven to 12; high school completers (including equivalency); and high school leavers. This guide is intended to provide a detailed review of the 2012 APS with respect to its subject matter and methodological approaches. It is designed to assist APS data users by serving as a guide to the concepts and measures of the survey as well as the technical details of the survey's design, field work and data processing. The guide is meant to provide users with helpful information on how to use and interpret survey results. The discussion on data quality also allows users to review the strengths and limitations of the data for their particular needs. Show less