The Statistical Society of Australia, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the University of Melbourne are pleased to announce the following joined webinar:

Can multiple disparate data sources complement each other?

The case of researching economic disadvantage in Australia

to be held on 17 August 2020 from 1:00PM -2:00PM.

About this webinar

The webinar is the first in a series of two with a data integration theme. Through the lens of researching economic disadvantage in Australia, Dr. Anders Holmberg and Dr. Rajeev Samarage will talk about data quality and methodology considerations that arise when a research project uses many fundamentally different and disparate data sources.

Often there are good reasons in research to reuse already existing data. The obvious drawback of doing so is that the data collection and content is not ideal for the problem at hand. Nevertheless, cost efficiency, adequate methodology and the possibility to use multiple data sources are factors that may compensate and encourage such research designs. This webinar discusses a systematic way to assess the benefits and improve the quality when using multiple sources in a complex research problem. The need to explain quality in such situation has increased with the trend internationally to make more data safely available to a broad range of research uses. The presented framework has a step-wise approach for researchers to make trade-offs and choose the right mix of units and variables. It also illustrates where there are demands for more statistical research. This will be highlighted in the webinar.

About the presenters

Dr. Anders Holmberg is the Chief Methodologist at the Australian Bureau of Statistics. He has a background working with various types of data sources for official statistics in many different countries. This include design and collection of sample survey data, use of multiple administrative data sources for population censuses and combining surveys well as administrative data of people and businesses for statistical and research purposes.

Dr. Rajeev Samarage is the Data and Analytics Lead at the Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic and Social Research within the University of Melbourne. He has a background in engineering with data analytics experience in developing medical imaging technology. This includes data visualisation and he is currently applying his skills to data analytics in the social sciences. He is also involved in data management practices and oversees the development of MIDL (the Melbourne Institute Data Lab), a secure research facility for conducting analyses of a range of data sources including survey and administrative data.

To register

This is a free event, but you will need to register. Click here to save your place. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

If you have any questions, please contact Marie-Louise Rankin.