The ABS currently maintains a number of coders which are used to map information on a file to standard classifications - for example the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations would code all respondents listed as "Magicians" to Code 211113. Coding to standard classifications is extremely useful for preparing tables from data files, answering specific requests for information, linking information from different datasets and comparing results from different collections.
Classifications for which coders currently exist include:
Country - Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC);
Language - Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL), Second Edition;
Education - Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED;
Occupation - Australian Standard Classification of Occupation (ASCO), Second Edition or (ANZCO);
Industry - Australia and New Zealand Standard Industry Classification ANZSIC (2006);
Culture and Leisure Activities;
Health Conditions;
Medications; and
Time Use - Activity coding.
While a number of government agencies use these classifications, they are generally applied to datasets manually or with ad-hoc programming and can easily become outdated. To assist agencies in applying these classifications in a dynamic and cost effective manner the ABS is investigating providing these coder services in an on-line environment.
The ABS is currently developing a business case for this project. If you would like to contribute, or to find out more, contact Shelley Evans at inquiries@nss.gov.au.
