ABS AusStats Guide

Introduction

AusStats is a web-based information service providing to the University community the full standard product range of the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Access

• Access is via the Library's Databases webpage or directly at http://www.abs.gov.au/
• Login via the Remote Access page for off campus use

Most resources on the ABS website can be accessed via the homepage and main menu. Alternatively, click on AusStats and use the AusStats navigator menu, which allows you to look up some resources by release date or format, in addition to subject.

 

Types of Resources

The ABS provides a variety of different types of resources including: -

Census Data	Basic Community Profiles from the Census of Population and Housing.
Publications	Publications and information papers.
Australia Now	Overview of economic and social conditions of contemporary Australia.
Main Features	Summary information, commentary and significant tables from publications.
Spreadsheets	Statistics showing changes over time.
Companion Data	Spreadsheets with statistics at a point in time, datasets in SuperTABLE format.

Finding Resources on a Topic

• The best way to find resources on a topic is by selecting Themes from the main menu. Choose one of the subjects to access a list of relevant statistics and publications.
• If your topic is not listed, try browsing the subject categories in Publications , Main Features , Time Series Spreadsheets or Data Cubes under Publications & Data in the AusStats menu.
• Use the Search feature to look up a topic or keywords.
• Once you have located a resource on your topic, a list of related links will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. Follow these links to access further resources on your topic.

 

Census Data

Select Census from the main menu and choose 2001 (or 1996). Select the relevant profile (Basic Community Profiles, Expanded Community Profiles, Indigenous Profiles, Time Series Profiles etc.). Access is by name or by map:

• Select the Names option, and choose a geographic category. Click on the blue arrows to expand each level, select the region you desire, then download to save the file.

You will need either WinZip or Aladdin Expander to open the file. If you are using a GAT Lab computer, double-click on the Aladdin Expander icon on the desktop, then select Open from the File Menu, and select the saved file. You can download Aladdin Expander from the Aladdin website for free to install on your home computer.

• The Maps option works best with Internet Explorer and requires Adobe SVG Viewer. Starting from a map of Australia , click to zoom in on sections of the map until you reach the region you desire. Then follow the link to view the Snapshot on the screen or download the profile. Select download and save the zipped file to your desktop or disk.

Census data can also be accessed by Local Government Area, Postal Area or Statistical District.

 

Publications

From the ABS homepage, select the link to Publications listed under "Publications & Data" in the AusStats menu. Browse the subject categories and click on the blue arrow to list the available publications and their publication dates. Click on the relevant link and then download .

Publications are in .pdf format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing. This software is already installed on GAT Lab and Library computers, and it is free to download for use on your home computer from the Adobe website.

 

Statistics, Australia Now, and Main Features

The Popular Statistics page includes frequently accessed statistics and provides quick reference information, such as current population figures and key national indicators. Australia Now also provides a range of information profiling Australia , including social trends and feature articles from ABS publications.

For further summaries of findings from ABS publications, consult Main Features from the AusStats page. Browse via subject category, click on the blue arrows to expand, and select a link to view the information on your screen.

 

Time Series Spreadsheets and Data Cubes

Spreadsheets contain time series statistics from key publications over an extended period of dates. Data Cubes provide statistics at a point in time, and SuperTABLE datasets contain a range of classifications for generating tailored tables.

Select Time Series Spreadsheets (or Data Cubes ) from ”Publications & Data” on the AusStats page, browse the subject categories, click on the blue arrows to expand, and click on a link. A list of available Tables will be displayed (scroll down the page if you do not see the Tables near the top). Select a particular table and then click on download to open or save the file.

Most tables are in .xls format and can be opened in Microsoft Excel. Some Data Cube datasets are in .srd format, which requires SuperTABLE software. SuperTABLE can be downloaded for free from Space-Time Research.

 

Searching

Use the Search box on the main menu to perform a quick search for statistics within the Themes and AusStats parts of the ABS website.

Click on Advanced Search to combine multiple terms and search all or specified parts of the website, and sort results.

Both search options allow you to:

• Search for a single word (eg. caravans) or a phrase (eg. "unemployment rate")
• Combine multiple terms using boolean operators AND, OR and AND NOT
  (eg. caravans AND Queensland; elderly OR aged; trade AND NOT retail)
• Note: a space between words defaults to OR not AND on the ABS website.
• Truncate to find plurals and different word endings (eg. touris* to find tourist, tourists, tourism etc)

Help

Comprehensive online Help is available from the main menu. The Help guides include search tips, navigating the ABS website, downloading different types of files and general information about AusStats.

 

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