Enabling learners to discover real stories in official statistics with a new synthetic unit record file of the new zealand income survey 2011

Abstract

Learners of statistics need datasets reflecting real life contexts. Unit record datasets have interesting properties and contain stories that could engage learners. However, NSOs have legal and ethical duties to protect unit records. To enable access to these stories, Statistics New Zealand has published Synthetic Unit Record Files (SURFs) produced using several methods. With a new SURF based on the New Zealand Income Survey 2011 (NZIS 2011), we enable learners to access a new unit record dataset. Learners have an opportunity to discover and tell the stories about their region or country that are in the actual sample dataset. Learners can experience for themselves interesting aspects, such as: disaggregated data, semi-continuous distributions, and formal classifications. We hope learners will welcome the value of official statistics, as contributors of data and consumers of information from it.