Lecture 4: Demography Data Sources

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to the three sources of demographic data (national censuses, registration systems, and surveys) and related concepts from the lecture.

Demography

The study of human populations, focusing on size, composition, distribution, and changes over time.

Secondary data

Existing data collected by someone else, used for analysis of new research questions.

Primary data

Data collected directly by the researcher for a specific study.

National census

Official population count conducted by a country, typically every 10 years, used for apportionment and policy planning.

Census

An official count of a population and its characteristics, often used to allocate resources and representation.

Population register

An ongoing list of people with identifiers recording births, deaths, migrations, and residence changes.

Personal Identification Number (PIN)

A unique code assigned to individuals in population registers to link data across records.

Vital statistics

Data on births, deaths, marriages, and divorces derived from civil registration systems.

Bills of Mortality

Historical weekly records of deaths and christenings in London parishes; foundational to early demography.

John Graunt

Founder of demography, known for Natural and Political Observations Made Upon the Bills of Mortality.

Surveys

Systematic data collection from a random sample to obtain detailed information not available in censuses or registers.

World Fertility Surveys

Cross-national surveys collecting data on fertility and reproductive behavior.

Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)

Health and population surveys conducted in many countries to collect demographic and health indicators.

American Community Survey (ACS)

An ongoing yearly survey by the U.S. Census Bureau replacing the long-form; ~1% sample for detailed data.

Current Population Survey (CPS)

Monthly U.S. survey measuring labor force status and employment, used for unemployment statistics.

National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)

Survey focusing on fertility, pregnancy, and family dynamics in the U.S.

Add Health

National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health; a large, nationally representative, longitudinal health study.

Population registers advantages

Continuous data on individuals and changes, useful for migration and service planning.

Population registers disadvantages

Concerns about privacy and potential gaps for undocumented or mobile individuals.

De jure vs de facto counting

De jure: count at usual residence; De facto: count at location where people are found at the census.

Apportionment

Distribution of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among states based on census counts.

Federal funding and the census

Federal funds distributed to states based on population data; more counted equals more funding.

Hispanic origin vs race

Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity; individuals may select any race in addition to Hispanic origin.

Long form vs ACS

The decennial long form was replaced by the American Community Survey, which provides annual data through a moving sample.